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Map Descriptions Suggestions

PostPosted: Tue Jan 06, 2009 7:09 pm
by edbeard
I certainly hope someone is going to use the words of mapmakers to allow each description to reflect the style of the map that the mapmaker wants to use but I also hope that some editing will be done so that one basic format is followed.


if we get more "descriptions" like this

Lone.prophet wrote:Map name: The Netherlands
Map Description:
this is a map of the Netherlands



then it's a pointless exercise.




Or, perhaps more information should be required of us to allow the description to just be a description. I would recommend something more like this...


Map name: Operation Drug War

Map Description: An Objective map with a theme of drug gangs versus the police. There are four separate objectives, two focusing on each side of the conflict, but all four share one territory. The objectives aren't the only route to victory. There are multiple options for bonuses which don't follow the basic continent style and can be used to eliminate your opponents or help hold an objective.

Territories: 59

Starting Territories: 24

Gameplay Features: Neutral Starts. Bombardment. Auto-deploy.

Re: Map Descriptions Suggestions

PostPosted: Tue Jan 06, 2009 7:31 pm
by chipv
This is an excellent template.

Re: Map Descriptions Suggestions

PostPosted: Tue Jan 06, 2009 9:08 pm
by TaCktiX
A good many of the recent maps have writeups from the Foundry Newsletter. You could possibly harness those if people don't want to write something from scratch. Since I've written a good portion of those writeups, I'm also willing to do them for maps that do not presently have them, provided a mapmaker contacts me on it.

Re: Map Descriptions Suggestions

PostPosted: Tue Jan 06, 2009 10:06 pm
by RjBeals
TaCktiX wrote:A good many of the recent maps have writeups from the Foundry Newsletter. You could possibly harness those if people don't want to write something from scratch. Since I've written a good portion of those writeups, I'm also willing to do them for maps that do not presently have them, provided a mapmaker contacts me on it.


Thats what I was thinking also Tac. You've basically done this already !
Plus - didn't we go through this a while back, and post a "map development" thread in GD forum?

Re: Map Descriptions Suggestions

PostPosted: Wed Jan 07, 2009 4:36 am
by cairnswk
if it's going to be on the start a game page ( or similar), do we need to find out if there is a limit to the number of characters in the deciption we can have.

Re: Map Descriptions Suggestions

PostPosted: Wed Jan 07, 2009 5:45 am
by gimil
cairnswk wrote:if it's going to be on the start a game page ( or similar), do we need to find out if there is a limit to the number of characters in the deciption we can have.


I don't have a character limit, thats why I want it to stay short to a small paragraph.

Re: Map Descriptions Suggestions

PostPosted: Wed Jan 07, 2009 9:13 am
by chipv
I'm not sure if this is too much to ask but could we have a brief list of non-standard features as well please especially for newer maps?

So just list these at the end like edbeard's OP.

Adjusted Territory Bonus
Instead of your standard +1 for every 3 territories, after 9 territories, the territory bonus amounts have been adjusted to give out differently.

Autodeploy / Decay
Armies are automatically placed or taken away from specific territories on the map. If taken away the total army count on the territory cannot go below one.

Buildings

Multiple territories in one area of the map are represented by a single territory in another part of it.

Bombardments
Some territories bombard instead of attacking. After the attacker wins in a bombardment the defending territory is replaced with a neutral army and the attacker cannot advance.

Capitals
A specific form of double dipping that appears as a single or a group of single strategic territories.

Collections
Unlike continents these only require a specific amount of the designated territories to gain a bonus.

Conquest Gameplay
Players only start with a small number of territories and must conquer most of the map away from neutrals before reaching other players.

Dead Space
There are territories that don't provide any sort of continent bonus.

Double Dipping
Territories show up in multiple continents.

Killer Neutral Territories
If you hold one it will revert to it's original neutral value when you begin your turn!

Naming Confusion
The territory names are written in a complex way occasionally causing deployment mistakes.

Negative Bonus
There are negative bonuses on the map so that you lose armies instead of gaining armies for holding certain combinations of areas.

One Way Borders

Borders where attacks can only occur in a single direction.

Out of Play
Through bombardments and one way borders a portion of the map can be taken out of play for the remainder of the match if bombed out.

Ranged Attack
Some territories on the map are connected without touching.

Starting Positions
This map contains start positions, meaning players will start with one or more of a preset group of territories.

Strategic Resources
Instead of continents specific territories or combinations of territories provide bonuses.

Trapped Territory
Due to one way borders there is no way to attack out of the territory.

Victory Condition
Players can win by holding a set of specified territories instead of eliminating the other players.

Re: Map Descriptions Suggestions

PostPosted: Wed Jan 07, 2009 9:41 am
by Qwert
Tacktic all ready write map descriptions,just use these.

Re: Map Descriptions Suggestions

PostPosted: Wed Jan 07, 2009 9:50 am
by chipv
qwert wrote:Tacktic all ready write map descriptions,just use these.


These descriptions do not include the information requested in my last post.

Maybe I am looking in the wrong place - can someone send me a link please?

Re: Map Descriptions Suggestions

PostPosted: Wed Jan 07, 2009 3:29 pm
by TaCktiX
No, I haven't written descriptions that cover those extra details. I would suggest more that those features be tag-based with examples of them as part of the tag.

Re: Map Descriptions Suggestions

PostPosted: Wed Jan 07, 2009 3:40 pm
by chipv
TaCktiX wrote:No, I haven't written descriptions that cover those extra details. I would suggest more that those features be tag-based with examples of them as part of the tag.


Agreed. Well I am going to try and collect these separately per map and ask for help as this can be done outside of the general description, I think.

Re: Map Descriptions Suggestions

PostPosted: Wed Jan 07, 2009 3:48 pm
by TaCktiX
I'll see if I can get some work done on said later tonight. I'll be starting from the bottom of the map list, alphabetically, so I don't double-dip on what you've done, chip.

Re: Map Descriptions Suggestions

PostPosted: Wed Jan 07, 2009 4:06 pm
by chipv
TaCktiX wrote:I'll see if I can get some work done on said later tonight. I'll be starting from the bottom of the map list, alphabetically, so I don't double-dip on what you've done, chip.


Ok I have these ones already:

Classic Shapes
Classic Art
Age Of Merchants
American Civil War
Arctic
Australia
BeNeLux
Canada
Caribbean Islands
Conquer 4
Conquer Man
Draknor - Level 1
Duck And Cover
Extreme Global Warming
Feudal War
Great Lakes
Hong Kong
Iberia
Indochina
King Of The Mountains
Montreal
Portugal
Rail USA
Scotland
South America
WWII Eastern Front
WWII Iwo Jima
WWII Western Front
8 Thoughts

Not much really.