Roger's Scenario Thread

Cernel

@Marc-Sarzi This sounds very involved. I'd open a specific topic for it (eventually, you would make a variant of the map). Due to the style of the units, that map is easy to modify even at a skin level (as long as you can draw a stickman). Maybe each wizard can even be its own unit, with different abilities.

alkexr

@Cernel said in Roger's Scenario Thread:

(as long as you can draw a stickman)

I'll believe that as soon as you show me how it's done. I'd appreciate a contribution of a spider to Battle for Arda, 40x40 pixels including highlights and shadows, since the current spider image... leaves some room for improvement. Feel free to use any image you find on the internet. Surely you have like, how much would this take, two minutes to spare.

Cernel

@alkexr Actually, he is talking about the other map, but it doesn't really matter, as the unit images share substantially the same style. A few other maps could be added too.

Regardless, I'm not seeing how improving the spider is related in any way to what I said, so I'll have to assume you misunderstood me. I was not saying that the current images need to be improved and, specifically, the spider looks good enough to be (beside the fact that I've no idea how it should look like, besides generally like a spider). What I was saying is that adding additional units should be easy, thanks to the simple style of the images.

To be clear, what I said:

Due to the style of the units, that map is easy to modify even at a skin level

Does not mean:
"the units are so bad that anyone can easily improve any of them"

Means:
"if you add a unit that doesn't have an image for it, it should be easy to draw a decent one for it, matching the style of the existent ones"

So, what I said would be related to a request of adding a missing image, not to any request of improving an existent one.

By the way, I also like the style of such units.

If you believe any image of the other (your) map, like the spider, is in any particular need to be improved (I'm not seeing it for any one), that may be an interesting thing to cosider. Just pointing out that it has actually nothing at all to do with what I intended to say.

alkexr

@Cernel I was trying to point out that it takes me an hour to draw a new unit image even with over a hundred under my belt, and it isn't easy. In some ways, it's actually more difficult than multi-color images. Just look at this flying spaghetti monster / dripping mud golem thing:
It's taken from here following my first instinct (so I wasn't deliberately searching for something that looks this bad). See, colors can overcome the difficulty of interpretation from getting the anatomy totally wrong. And this is 72x72 pixels, which should be super comfortable.

So it's definitely not just drawing stickmen. You are making it seem way too easy.

The main advantage of this stlye isn't the simplicity of making it, but that it's easily adaptable. Multiple maps can use the same images, so especially new map creators / less graphically inclined people don't have to worry about creating their own sets, and can instead just use a custom selection copy-pasted from a wide variety of maps. I have even been thinking about creating a standardized set and uploading it as some map-maker resource.

Cernel

@alkexr Ok, I get the point. You got irritated by the "draw a stickman". I actually believe it doesn't take much more experience than that (merely my opinion), but I certainly believe that "quantitatively", the undertaking, depending on the images, is much more time consuming than drawing a stickman. If not 1 hour, something like 15 minutes, if the image is easy, or 30 minutes, if it is hard, is certainly an agreeable timeline.

With this said, I disagree that it may be more difficult than multi-colour, but I certainly agree that obtaining a good final effect may be more difficult (but I don't believe it has to look good or clear: if the image is meant to have this style, it makes sense to look indefinite, and even outright impossible to understand, if this has to be the case).

So, let's say the "draw a stickman" was merely a qualitative, not quantitative, consideration (and, again, I like this style). I certainly agree that it would take a lot of time to make an entire set of these units, even without having ever tried or intended to.

On the spider, I've no idea why you would see it as anything but as good as it can get, under the style chosen, but I guess a more "aggressive" pose can be made as something like this (which I don't believe it is better than the current spider image, and I'm not suggesting you to use it in place of the current one (but you can, of course)):

Basic version:

All images at this post drawn entirely by me. No rights reserved.

Cernel

Also, to be overly clear, I was just referring to adding any additional images looking decent and coherent with the rest, not anything actually good. Of course, one can still improve on the quality (if wanted) and this takes time and skill, obviously.

RogerCooper

Scenario Pact of Steel
Description AAR with Italy added and some map changes
Download Repository/Excellent/The Pact of Steel

**Good Points

Straight-forward fast-playing scenario

**Bad Points

Russia is too weak

RogerCooper

Scenario World II 1940 Balanced Mod 3
Description A better-balanced version of the Global Game
Download Repository/Excellent/World War II Global

Good Points

A tough, balanced game

Bad Points

The AI can have some trouble with this game

RogerCooper

Scenario Big World 1942 Logistics Mods
Description Big World scenario with supply lines
link

Good Points

Supply lines add realism

Bad Points

Supply rules are so generous (10 areas to any factory, can trace through empty sea areas), that it rarely impacts the game.

Cernel

@RogerCooper said in Roger's Scenario Thread:

Bad Points

Supply rules are so generous (10 areas to any factory, can trace through empty sea areas), that it rarely impacts the game.

I think this is not a bad point but game's design. I think supply lines are meant to be next to limitless (and I guess they go up to 10 for limiting the amount of coding), and the aim of this feature is not much giving a maximum distance limitation from the nearest factory but, rather, representing the consequences of having your supply lines cut by the enemy.

RogerCooper

@Cernel said in Roger's Scenario Thread:

@RogerCooper said in Roger's Scenario Thread:

Bad Points

Supply rules are so generous (10 areas to any factory, can trace through empty sea areas), that it rarely impacts the game.

I think this is not a bad point but game's design. I think supply lines are meant to be next to limitless (and I guess they go up to 10 for limiting the amount of coding), and the aim of this feature is not much giving a maximum distance limitation from the nearest factory but, rather, representing the consequences of having your supply lines cut by the enemy.

The technique used is interesting and could be applied to other scenarios.Given the nature of A&A, a limitless supply route is hard to cut, the most likely situations being a blockaded island or a nation that has lost its capital.

RogerCooper

Name Iron Blitz 1939C US Stands Apart
Description Alternate WW2 with US neutral but Britain & Russia prepared
link

**Good Points

Tough, competitive scenario

**Bad Points

The classic rules are not state of the art, especially bombing is overpowered.

RogerCooper

Name WWIIv6 Factory
Description A mod of the AA41 game
link

Good Points

Low income and small number of units give the game an interesting puzzle-like quality
Balanced

Bad Points

Small number of units and simplified rules limit options

RogerCooper

Name Great Northern War
Description 18th Century struggle for control of the Baltic
link

Good Points

Interesting historical situation

Bad Points

Sweden doesn't have a chance
No effort to show 17th century warfare. This is just A&A without planes or tanks.
No effort to show the political complexity of the struggle.

RogerCooper

Name Dragon War
Description Fantasy warfare
link

Good Points

Differentiated players
Interesting unit art

Bad Points

Resource requirements make building units hard, especially for AI
Players start at distance, limiting interaction.

RogerCooper

Name World War II Pacific 1940 2nd Edition
Description TripleA port of Axis & Allies Global 2nd edition, Pacific scenario
link

Good Points

Accurate port of the boardgame scenario

Bad Points

The AI has some trouble with the special rules and unusual situation
Too many Japanese planes

RogerCooper

Name WWIIv3 1941 Free Tech
Description AA50 with free techs given out at regular intervals
Repository WW2v3 varians

Good Points

The free techs give some additional possibilities

Bad Points

Free techs can imbalance things

RogerCooper

Name Alagesia (4 player)
Description Fantasy setting based upon Christopher Pasolini's Inheritance Cycle
Repository Experimental/Alagesia

Good Points

An interesting set of fantasy units, with varies capabilities
Balanced situation

Bad Points

No victory conditions
Capitals not indicated on map

*Note : Because of the complexity of the units, use Hard AI.

RogerCooper

Name Hearts of Iron: The Rising Sun 1942
Description WW2 on the Big World Map
Download

Good Points

Some interesting units

Bad Points

Neutrals have garrisons but can't be attacked

RogerCooper

Name Big World: NekahNet's 1939
Description 1939 on Big World map with lots of neutrals
link

Good Points

Lots of interesting strategic options
Russia is tough to beat

Bad Points

The neutrals result in nations having to attack their historical allies
No victory conditions