XML Modifications and Variations

[lackattack]

If you want required components - you simply define them in the continent underneath... that's the beauty of nesting them...

The <required> only works on the current level.

So Your example would be

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<continent>
  <name>Maghreb</name>
  <bonus>5</bonus>
  <components>
    <continent>territories</continent>
    <continent>continents</continent>
  </component>
</continent>

<continent>
  <name>territories</name>
  <bonus>0</bonus>
  <components>
    <territory>Algiers</territory>
    <territory>Tunisia</territory>
    <territory>Algeria</territory>
  </components>
  <required>2</required>
</continent>

<continent>
  <name>continents</name>
  <bonus>0</bonus>
  <components>
    <continent>subContinent A</continent>
    <continent>subContinent B</continent>
  </components>
  <required>1</required>
</continent>


OK - techincally you have more XML to write - but this is a fairly extreme case... and could probably be coded better given the full rules...

But the flow of this is much more obvious and I would've thought easier for you to code...

It will be much easier to code for BOB too...

C.

I fixed up your solution a bit: fixed a typo in the 3rd continent which should be called "continents". Also added bonus tags which I think I'd like to keep mandatory (but the engine will ignore bonus=0).

This would allow us to specify different <required> for different parts. But how should the engine handle <required> when there is a mix of components, <territory> and <continent>? I think it should apply to the sum of held territs + held continents.

Could we use objectives with subcontinents? Either way, I'd like to do away with the <component> tag accross the board and objectives would look like this as well:

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<components>
  <territory>Algiers</territory>
  <territory>Tunisia</territory>
  <territory>Algeria</territory>
</components>

Another question, if you are eliminated by a respawning neutral in an assassin game, should the person who has you win or should your target be reassigned? I think the person who has you should win, because it would be impossible for you to commit respawn suicide without help of another player.

[Herakilla]

good question lack, what about a terminator game though? make it go to the last player to take a territory them them. this will have some issues in freestyle but thats freestyle

[yeti_c]

Could we use objectives with subcontinents? Either way, I'd like to do away with the <component> tag accross the board and objectives would look like this as well:

Code: Select all

<components>
  <territory>Algiers</territory>
  <territory>Tunisia</territory>
  <territory>Algeria</territory>
</components>

That would be a great idea too... -> Note if you do drop <component> - you will have to do some Find n Replace on all your XML files - not that it's too tricky (use textpad - it'll do all files in a folder)... But I'm sure that you were aware of that!!

In fact - if you didn't drop "component" then the FnR would ruin your objectives anyway!!

C.

[yeti_c]

Another question, if you are eliminated by a respawning neutral in an assassin game, should the person who has you win or should your target be reassigned? I think the person who has you should win, because it would be impossible for you to commit respawn suicide without help of another player.

Right - I'm not 100% sure on how these Respawning Neutrals should work...

When do they respawn? End of Round?

Is there a limit for respawning? i.e. they only respawn if the territory is down to 1 army...

C.

[lackattack]

When you click begin turn, it sets any respawning neutrals that you hold back to their neutral value.

[DiM]

When you click begin turn, it sets any respawning neutrals that you hold back to their neutral value.

wouldn't it be better if the neutrals were respawned whenever somebody clicks begin turn?

i mean let's say it's you me and yeti on aor: magic map with fog. and all the decay terits are also respawning.

i make a run from 1 place to another under the darkness of fog and i get to yeti_c's castle. he still has troops in the vicinity of that castle to attack me but when he presses begin turn all my trail of 1's reverts back to neutrals thus leaving no clues about where i came from. i'd love this. it would make fog much more entertaining.

[Coleman]

I think the engine would probably have to change a lot to evaluate other people's territories at the start of your own turn.

Otherwise I'd like the option.

[DiM]

I think the engine would probably have to change a lot to evaluate other people's territories at the start of your own turn.

i have no idea how the engine works. i'm just asking. it would be fun.

Otherwise I'd like the option.

glad you like it.
i hope lack likes it too
and i also hope the engine can deal with it.

[Lone.prophet]

could there be an option that

when you have a continent
the bonus is autodeployed to a certain territory

[yeti_c]

When you click begin turn, it sets any respawning neutrals that you hold back to their neutral value.

wouldn't it be better if the neutrals were respawned whenever somebody clicks begin turn?

i mean let's say it's you me and yeti on aor: magic map with fog. and all the decay terits are also respawning.

i make a run from 1 place to another under the darkness of fog and i get to yeti_c's castle. he still has troops in the vicinity of that castle to attack me but when he presses begin turn all my trail of 1's reverts back to neutrals thus leaving no clues about where i came from. i'd love this. it would make fog much more entertaining.

The only problem with this - is Freestyle...

C.

[Night Strike]

When you click begin turn, it sets any respawning neutrals that you hold back to their neutral value.

Wait a second. When I first read "respawning neutrals", I thought it meant that a neutral territory would go back to its starting value if it hadn't been conquered (i.e. The neutral armies had decreased through attack/decay but had not been taken down to 0). I didn't think it would turn conquered territories to neutral.

[yeti_c]

could there be an option that

when you have a continent
the bonus is autodeployed to a certain territory

Already asked for - and a Maybe on the list.

C.

[Coleman]

When you click begin turn, it sets any respawning neutrals that you hold back to their neutral value.

Wait a second. When I first read "respawning neutrals", I thought it meant that a neutral territory would go back to its starting value if it hadn't been conquered (i.e. The neutral armies had decreased through attack/decay but had not been taken down to 0). I didn't think it would turn conquered territories to neutral.

The way WidowMakers wanted it was that it would reset to it's neutral every turn regardless of what had happened. This is to simulate a trap or an otherwise very nasty territory you shouldn't leave any armies on but may need to move through.

[MrBenn]

If you hold territory x, autodeploy deploys n troops to territory x.
If I wanted a player to hold territory x+y for an autodeploy to terr x, is that possible now, or is that the amendment that is coming?

(just an idea for a map that is currently in my head...)

[MrBenn]

And I'd been wondering if you could code some sort of limit for autodeploy, so that you don't get the autodeploy troops if you have >n armies there already?

I've also been thinking about some sort of auto-redistribute, using a -1 decay with a +1 autodeploy elsewhere. Not too sure how it would work, but I've been contemplating it...

[Lone.prophet]

^^ thats what i have been asking so much and noone answers me

[yeti_c]

^^ thats what i have been asking so much and noone answers me

Read my post.

C.

[Night Strike]

When you click begin turn, it sets any respawning neutrals that you hold back to their neutral value.

Wait a second. When I first read "respawning neutrals", I thought it meant that a neutral territory would go back to its starting value if it hadn't been conquered (i.e. The neutral armies had decreased through attack/decay but had not been taken down to 0). I didn't think it would turn conquered territories to neutral.

The way WidowMakers wanted it was that it would reset to it's neutral every turn regardless of what had happened. This is to simulate a trap or an otherwise very nasty territory you shouldn't leave any armies on but may need to move through.

Oh. I think I like my idea better, but at least you explained WidowMakers' well. There will have to be some detailed instructions on that because I bet a lot of people would read "respawning neutrals" the same way I did.

[rebelman]

I haven't discussed this with Andy yet, but would anyone be mad if I went through this topic and deleted everything that wasn't an xml suggestion?

I'd also delete repeat suggestions.

Or maybe I could copy them into a new topic and lock this one?

It's a lot to go through with all our random chatter mixed in.

this should be done as soon as you get a chance (although instead of deleteing leave the posts on this thread so this becomes a discussion one but put the actual suggestions on another locked thread that only you and the other staff edit with ideas from this thread and their status.

[Coleman]

I haven't discussed this with Andy yet, but would anyone be mad if I went through this topic and deleted everything that wasn't an xml suggestion?

I'd also delete repeat suggestions.

Or maybe I could copy them into a new topic and lock this one?

It's a lot to go through with all our random chatter mixed in.

this should be done as soon as you get a chance (although instead of deleteing leave the posts on this thread so this becomes a discussion one but put the actual suggestions on another locked thread that only you and the other staff edit with ideas from this thread and their status.

What ended up happening is I copied out the suggestion posts and made a condensed topic backstage.

After this xml update I could release this one and move something similar to that post out here with the ones we still don't have.

[Herakilla]

dont make respawning neutrals at beginning, make it so it happens when the player hits end fortification, all his territories that would respawn then respawn. this allows some coolness to freestyle since you can "track" a player down by following him fast enough but if you are too slow the tracks left by his army go away!

[Herakilla]

dont make respawning neutrals at beginning, make it so it happens when the player hits end fortification, all his territories that would respawn then respawn. this allows some coolness to freestyle since you can "track" a player down by following him fast enough but if you are too slow the tracks left by his army go away!

any thoughts?

[WidowMakers]

dont make respawning neutrals at beginning, make it so it happens when the player hits end fortification, all his territories that would respawn then respawn. this allows some coolness to freestyle since you can "track" a player down by following him fast enough but if you are too slow the tracks left by his army go away!

any thoughts?

I just read this suggestion. I need respawning neutrals for the next two levels of the Dungeon of Draknor maps. I at first did not like your idea but it makes more sense to have it thi sway. For the exact reasons you explained.

Respawning neutrals should occur at the end of your turn instead of the beginning of the next. or maybe there is an way to allow it to be chosen an a map by map basis.

respawn beginning of turn

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<neutral respawn = begin>5</neutral respawn>

respawn end of turn

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<neutral respawn = end>5</neutral respawn>

WM

[yeti_c]

dont make respawning neutrals at beginning, make it so it happens when the player hits end fortification, all his territories that would respawn then respawn. this allows some coolness to freestyle since you can "track" a player down by following him fast enough but if you are too slow the tracks left by his army go away!

any thoughts?

I just read this suggestion. I need respawning neutrals for the next two levels of the Dungeon of Draknor maps. I at first did not like your idea but it makes more sense to have it thi sway. For the exact reasons you explained.

Respawning neutrals should occur at the end of your turn instead of the beginning of the next. or maybe there is an way to allow it to be chosen an a map by map basis.

respawn beginning of turn

Code: Select all

<neutral respawn = begin>5</neutral respawn>

respawn end of turn

Code: Select all

<neutral respawn = end>5</neutral respawn>

WM

That's an intersting idea...

One query - if it's beginning of turn - is it before or after you calculate the territories held?

C.

[lackattack]

As Night Strike mentioned, "respawning" can be ambiguous, so instead how about calling them "killer" neutrals?

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<neutral killer="yes">4</neutral>

It is easiest to code respawn at the beginning of turn, only for the player in question. To code it for the end of turn I'd have to worry about players running out of time. Let me take a closer look at the code...