Spaceship Delta: Mutiny amongst the Stars (Now w/shiny map!)

[Colures]

I know the title is way too long, but it gives the idea well enough for a subject title.
I've looked around all the available maps and something struck me. There doesn't seem to be a map of a ship. I took a quick browse in the Map Foundry and still didn't find anything. If there is already a project to do something like this, then I'm sorry and don't mind me.

The flavour is that each player is a crew of the Spaceship Delta and that Captain Marrick has *GASP* been killed and the ship's inner defenses has been released, meaning there are robots loose in each sector, bent on killing anything they see. At least they don't seem keen on travelling. Since you guys hate each other's guts, you've gone to a sector of the ship and taken over one of the (insert maximum number of players here) Cloning Machines. The winning condition to take over the sector that the now dead Captain was in, so you can control the ship's robots to kill the other survivors, those lunch-stealing, holodeck-hogging meanies and continue to do whatever the hell you want, it's your ship now. Good Luck getting through all those defenses and all those robots, though. Of course, you can simply eliminate each sector and sub-sector (Except for the Captain's Sector) of all other players, in which case, we'll just say you bunkered down, waited until you had a jillion clones of yourself and then took over the ship.

One of the map's unique point is that reinforcement only comes from Cloning Machines that each player begins with. Taking over a whole sector of the ship allows you to divert a most of that sector's power into that sector's cloning machines, meaning instead of getting +3 troops a turn, you get +4 from it!

It's be a fairly big map with 50 territories and 9 'continents'.

Oh, by the way, it was Jim who killed Captain Marrick. He got killed by the Robots when he tried to take over the bridge. You always knew he would do something incredibly stupid, but this really takes the cheese.

EDIT: It needs a lot of polishing, but BAM!

Click image to enlarge.

Needs a lot more work. It's shiny, but a lot of the places looks cramp.

Anyway. Looking for someone to help me with polish up the map and do the XML with me since I've never done that before!
And some feedback. Does it look good? Would you play it? Do you find the special rules interesting?

The starting areas are the Cargo Bay, Medical Sector, Dining Rooms and Agriculture Sector. You'd start with one of the Cloning Machines there and work your way, attacking any robots in your way.

[Victor Sullivan]

Sounds cool, you think you'd be able to post a rough draft? I don't think anyone's done something like this before, so I think you're good there.

[MarshalNey]

There was an interesting idea based on history some months ago that centered around the mutiny aboard the battleship Potemkin. I was sad to see the idea abandoned, so I'm glad to see something akin pop up. Perhaps you could get a rough sketch together, and things could start rolling from there.

[Colures]

I present Spacescribble Delta: My eyes ran away to Mars v2 (Electric Boogaloo).
since the last one had an error in it. if you continue reading you'll see the post with me complaining at myself. Also tried to fix the imbalance of the purple and orange sectors, since the subsectors have different amount of access. I'd copy and colourswap, but i don't want it to be symmetrical.

Click image to enlarge.

The red, blue, brown and yellow square areas will be where the player starts.

Cloning machine values:
name (+reinforcement each turn/+reinforcement each turn instead if whole sector is conquered)
starter areas (+3/+4)
pinky corridor (+2/+6)
green end room (+2/+3)
dark purple/orange side areas (+3/+5)

The strategy in this map is focused on offense and because you can't deploy more troops, they just auto-deploy on the cloning machines, on games where reinforcements are set to chained or adjacent (this would be hard more), you really need to think about where to travel to.

The game is won when the captain's chair is taken by a player.
Each sub-sector in the bridge (except for the captain's chair) is 5 strong, held by neutral player and when that particular subsector has been taken over by a player, it resets next turn with 4 men and then 3 and then 2 and finally 1, when that subsector only has enough energy to make one robot. So you'll have to go conquer three territories holding 5 men each in one turn to get access to the captain's chair. if you don't manage it, the game will be nice and give the next player a better chance.

The captain's chair however, is defended by 10 robots who simply replenish themselves at the end of each turn. Good luck doing that.

All numbers are made up on the spot. some serious testing would be needed to figure out the right numbers.

[phantomzero]

I know the title is way too long, but it gives the idea well enough for a subject title.
I've looked around all the available maps and something struck me. There doesn't seem to be a map of a ship. I took a quick browse in the Map Foundry and still didn't find anything. If there is already a project to do something like this, then I'm sorry and don't mind me.

The flavour is that each player is a crew of the Spaceship Delta and that Captain Marrick has *GASP* been killed and the ship's inner defenses has been released, meaning there are robots loose in each sector, bent on killing anything they see. At least they don't seem keen on travelling. Since you guys hate each other's guts, you've gone to a sector of the ship and taken over one of the (insert maximum number of players here) Cloning Machines. The winning condition to take over the sector that the now dead Captain was in, so you can control the ship's robots to kill the other survivors, those lunch-stealing, holodeck-hogging meanies and continue to do whatever the hell you want, it's your ship now. Good Luck getting through all those defenses and all those robots, though. Of course, you can simply eliminate each sector and sub-sector (Except for the Captain's Sector) of all other players, in which case, we'll just say you bunkered down, waited until you had a jillion clones of yourself and then took over the ship.

One of the map's unique point (at least, I think so. The idea may have appeared somewhere else) is that reinforcement only comes from Cloning Machines (and other machines which can be rigged to make clones for your takeover) that each player begins with. Taking over a whole sector of the ship allows you to divert a most of that sector's power into that sector's cloning machines, meaning instead of getting +3 troops a turn, you get +4 (Numbers subject to change) from it!

It'd be a fairly big map with a fair number of territories and 'continents'. Here's a list of possible sectors and areas, I don't plan on using all of these, this is mostly just me trying to think of names for them.
Medical sector, agriculture sector, dining sector, entertainment sector, engineering sector, cargo sector, crew's quarters, observation deck, the Bridge (where the dead captain resides)

Oh, by the way, it was Jim who killed Captain Marrick. He got killed by the Robots when he tried to take over the bridge. You always knew he would do something incredibly stupid, but this really takes the cheese.

So yeah, anyone interested in helping me build Spaceship Delta?

I really dig the narrative. I'd love to see something like this move forward. Very intereresting gameplay.

If you aren't much with graphics programs like Photoshop or Gimp you can use Paint to make a rough sketch or draw on a piece of paper then scan and upload.

EDIT. You already posted a draft while I was typing. nice!

[Colures]

Gak! I messed up on the maps. the starting areas ones on the left have it easier than the starting ones on the left right. the ones on the right. whoops for the map wrongness and an extra one for post wrongness.
Each cloning machine is supposed to have access to three sub-sectors, two of which are doors to different sectors. the ones on the left look like they only have access to two doors! I'll be editing that post to add the better map in a moment.

Edit: Does the map regions look okay? they can all be changed about of course, but does it seem fun to play on? I'm mostly looking for some help in the XML side of things and just as a mentor, since this is my first map. I've played around with PSD for a while now, so I'm okay at that side of things.

[Colures]

The shiny new map is worth a bump. Plus, I would like some help in the XML.

[Victor Sullivan]

The shiny new map is worth a bump. Plus, I would like some help in the XML.

I'd love to help out in that department! Doing the xml for Pachisi is such a rush! Though don't get too ahead of yourself, that's usually not until Final Forge.

As for your map, would there be a way to make 8 starting positions for the current max amount of players? Looks promising, I must say.

-Sully

[Colures]

That would take some serious re-jigging. There are 8 cloning machines, but I'd feel sorry for the person who got stuck in the engine room, unless I change the numbers around so it's fairer, like it's all +3/+4, except for the corridor which is +3/+5 or +6.

I'll try and think of a new layout. Maybe a more grid like one.

[Industrial Helix]

It sounds like you want to do some sort of conditional auto-deploy, but currently that is not possible.

[Colures]

Damn, really?
That's kinda annoying, that was the fun bit of the map!

Just to double check, you can't have territories with autodeploy that changes the amount they autodeploy when conditions are met?

Back to the drawing board for interesting rules, I suppose.

EDIT: or are you talking about the rules about the Bridge and a neutral territory 5-men strong and when the territory is taken from them, next turn, the territory turns into a 4-men strong neutral territory?

If not, is this possible anyway?

[grifftron]

I like it, it reminds me of a space version of CCU.

-griff

[Victor Sullivan]

I think just drop the conditional part and make all the cloning machines have the same auto-deploy. You could do something like, "Hold a cloning machine and X to receive a bonus of +Y". Granted, it's not an auto-deploy, but it works.

[Teflon Kris]

I think just drop the conditional part and make all the cloning machines have the same auto-deploy. You could do something like, "Hold a cloning machine and X to receive a bonus of +Y". Granted, it's not an auto-deploy, but it works.

Would it be possible to have an auto-deploy on the machines, plus a bonus system with extra troops for holding a machine + other area? Maybe that's what your gameplay is suggesting with the full-power business and I haven't understood correctly?



Plus, on the game-play side of things, it would be really cool to have big starting troop numbers, big bonuses and big neutrals, something like City Mogul?

[Victor Sullivan]

I think just drop the conditional part and make all the cloning machines have the same auto-deploy. You could do something like, "Hold a cloning machine and X to receive a bonus of +Y". Granted, it's not an auto-deploy, but it works.

Would it be possible to have an auto-deploy on the machines, plus a bonus system with extra troops for holding a machine + other area? Maybe that's what your gameplay is suggesting with the full-power business and I haven't understood correctly?

That's what I meant, but thanks for clarifying

Plus, on the game-play side of things, it would be really cool to have big starting troop numbers, big bonuses and big neutrals, something like City Mogul?

That would be friggen sweet! Cuz it simulates the clone armies more accurately. And you could have the clone machines be like auto-deploy 50 and the robots in the captain's place be like killer neutral 1000...

-Sully

[Teflon Kris]

Yep - the values could all be worked-out in the gameplay workshop.

Most important thing now, I guess, is to work out start positions and make sure none are too much more favourable towards grabbing bonus areas and the objective.

One idea I was thinking about, to save having to redesign too much, could be for small 'fighter' craft alongside the main ship to be start positions - each accesses its' own hanger (where there would be an auto-deploy). Another gameplay element could be a survival conditon, which would obviously have to be the attack craft start position - and to make this interesting some spot on the bridge could be able to bombard them? Then players have the tricky decision of whether to fort from their auto-deploy spot to their attack craft, or towards the battle groungs further inside the main ship.

[Colures]

Would it be possible to have an auto-deploy on the machines, plus a bonus system with extra troops for holding a machine + other area? Maybe that's what your gameplay is suggesting with the full-power business and I haven't understood correctly?

This was actually my original idea.
I'm sorry if this wasn't clear to people.
Just to try and clarify.
There are auto-deploy on a single territory in most continents.
If you hold all of the continent, the auto deploy gives you more troops.

Or unless I'm confused and you mean extra troops to deploy, rather than auto deploy.

I should stop being ill. It's not helping this.

Plus, on the game-play side of things, it would be really cool to have big starting troop numbers, big bonuses and big neutrals, something like City Mogul?

Haha, this is a great idea, although 50 and 1000 seems a bit much.
Adding another zero, so you start with +30 clones would be cool. but yeah, numbers can go in at the playtesting stage.

r small 'fighter' craft alongside the main ship to be start positions - each accesses its' own hanger (where there would be an auto-deploy). Another gameplay element could be a survival conditon,

This is fantastic. If I make the main ship smaller (it does have a fair amount of territories) and add 8 ships (single territories with autodeploys) where everyone starts with, it would be fair. Allowing it to bombard areas doesn't quite seem fair, considering you'd have a lot of armies there. Let's say it's too dangerous. Decompression and some such.

I'm thinking EITHER:
the small crafts can one way attack wherever they're connected, but since there are only autodeploys, you can break down troop supply lines to slow the opponent down. And you have guns on the main ship that can bombard the smaller ships, but no survival condition.

Or allow both ways to attack, and of course, survival condition. Every small ship has a "Delete All" on their copy machines. It's regulation standard that goody science have put in place.

New map whenever I feel better!

[Victor Sullivan]

The ships sound like a good idea (damn, DJ, you're on a roll! ).

I put my thoughts in bullet-form so you can more easily follow and see my suggestions:

-I'm thinking what if each player starts with a small ship and a cloning machine.
-The ship gives a regular bonus of +whatever and the cloning machine gives a big auto-deploy.
-The small ship one-way attacks the cloning machine.
-For the losing condition, you have to keep at least one ship or one cloning machine to stay alive.
-Then you can have "turrets" on the east and west sides of the bridge/captain's quarters: the west turret bombards the 4 small ships on the west side and the east turret bombards the 4 small ships on the east side.

That's all I can think of for now. Thoughts?

-Sully

[Colures]

Thinking about it, it seems really fun to be able to lose all your source of troops and then be able to get one back and win it from there.
I don't know, what do people think?

-I'm thinking what if each player starts with a small ship and a cloning machine.
-The ship gives a regular bonus of +whatever and the cloning machine gives a big auto-deploy.
-The small ship one-way attacks the cloning machine.
-For the losing condition, you have to keep at least one ship or one cloning machine to stay alive.
-Then you can have "turrets" on the east and west sides of the bridge/captain's quarters: the west turret bombards the 4 small ships on the west side and the east turret bombards the 4 small ships on the east side.

And thinking about having ships allows for a much more defensive early game, you can turtle and then attack when you feel ready.
Of course giving the cloning machines a big auto-deploy offers a big incentive to play offensively. Hm.

Now how the heck do I fit this in a single small map?

[Teflon Kris]

... thinking about having ships allows for a much more defensive early game, you can turtle and then attack when you feel ready.
Of course giving the cloning machines a big auto-deploy offers a big incentive to play offensively. Hm.

Now how the heck do I fit this in a single small map?

There is some scope to reduce / condense some of the text to create some room, to add a couple of regions at the sides of the bridge to bombard fighter ships if you go with that idea.

Then you could have the fighter ships seperate, each within a mini-inset.

Each fighter ship could be numbered, then if you number the cloning machines, you simply need a line of text along the lines of "Fighter ships one-way attack corresponding cloning units".

[Colures]

But i like naming things.. It's nicer in the mind's eye than just numbers and letters. Although I suppose what I can do is have each fighter ship having a colour/number/letter and then there's a coloured/numbered/lettered crosshair on the cloning units, meaning they can attack them, but that would take up more space. I sure am a smart. >_>

[Industrial Helix]

You know what would be cool... if you could make it look more like a spaceship instead of floating boxes. I mean, keep everything as it is, but design the hull around the boxes so that it has a sleek space ship design.

Lastly, you've got a pretty solid idea of what you want to accomplish here and I think its looking quite good. Submit a design brief so we can move this map to the next phase.

[Colures]

Well, yeah, I've got a solid idea, but it's just what to implement exactly. Art will come later, I can make it look more spaceship later on. I'll get a picture of a spaceship and make it see through and put that underneath the main map, so it looks like an actual spaceship.

But that's a little hard and i'll do that later. I don't have the skills to draw one up, but i'll search around for a copyleft one.
Sully, you happy doing the XML for me later on, when we have the gameplay sorted out?

[Victor Sullivan]

Sully, you happy doing the XML for me later on, when we have the gameplay sorted out?

Absitively posolutely! (In normal English, that's an enthusiastic "yes")

-Sully

[Colures]

Illness and life has taken hold of me, but I should have much more time next week.
Spaceship Delta won't die yet.