Tour de France (2012)

[spacewrekker]

hi all,

i'd like to create a map of this year's Tour de France route. i think a map idea similar to the USA-series of maps by WidowMakers would work best as the Tour de France consists of stages with different routes in certain areas of France and Belgium *all the stages begin in different locations and thus are not connected. i'd like to separate Stage 1 from Stage 2, each with their own route(s). routes within each stage will be connected by a thin line. in order to connect the different Stages, a larger line can be used.

here is a map that outlining this year's Tour de France that i'd like to work with:

http://about-france.com/tourism/tour-de-france.htm

*i will message WidowMakers to see if he will support the idea. please let me know if you like this idea and woul'd also like to help.

-SW

[natty dread]

How does a bicycle competition fit in to the framework of a war game?

[QoH]

Hmmm... interesting route they have this year. All the previous years I've had an interest in it all the stages were sequential...

[isaiah40]

Unfortunately, WidowMakers is not really active on the site anymore.

[Butters1919]

How does a bicycle competition fit in to the framework of a war game?

About the same as a baseball game, cricket game, crossword puzzle, poker game, or chinese checkers I would guess.

[DiM]

How does a bicycle competition fit in to the framework of a war game?

About the same as a baseball game, cricket game, crossword puzzle, poker game, or chinese checkers I would guess.

cycling is a war game:


i haven't seen chinese checkers players fighting

[natty dread]

No, but chinese checkers is still a game of strategy, it related well to CC gameplay (in that it's easy to adapt, although the end result sucks, gameplay-wise)...

But how would you make a bicycle competition into a CC map? How would you create a gameplay that reflects the theme of bicycle competition? I'm not saying it can't be done, I'm just saying some thought should be put into the gameplay design.

[spacewrekker]

No, but chinese checkers is still a game of strategy, it related well to CC gameplay (in that it's easy to adapt, although the end result sucks, gameplay-wise)...

But how would you make a bicycle competition into a CC map? How would you create a gameplay that reflects the theme of bicycle competition? I'm not saying it can't be done, I'm just saying some thought should be put into the gameplay design.

i appreciate the concern, natty_dread, and will give the gameplay some real thought. however, i do not want it to end up being overly-complicated like some of the other maps, and am really aiming for something similar to the USA themed maps, which i find really straight-forward and very fun as 1vs1 and no spoils.

i'd like to add bonuses for not only for holding Stages but perhaps also for King of the Mountain, Sprint Champion, Best Young Rider, and La Maillot Jaune - perhaps symbolized by their corresponding jerseys off the map. OR i'd also be interested in creating a series of Tour de France maps where those could have their own individual maps.

either way, i'd like there to be 2 bonuses worth +2 on opposite ends of the map if possible, which i believe makes for a better 1vs1 game. AND/OR if i can implement the jerseys into the same map as the Stages, perhaps they can all be worth +1 (2 on east side of map, 2 on west side of map). this'll make, hopefully, for a more balanced auto deploy.

*i've emailed Joel and yes, he's no longer creating maps for CC, so please, if you know anyone who can do XML design please let me know.

thanks!

[spacewrekker]

hey guys,

i've made a really rough design using GIMP. let me know how you think the gameplay would pan out. personally, i think it'd be great for a 1vs1 or 2vs2 no spoils game.

the single lines symbolize each stage's start and finish - the double lines connect finish lines with start lines.

let me know what you think, but please be gentle!

[J_Indr]

How does a bicycle competition fit in to the framework of a war game?

Eh, in the same way as that Roman amphitheatre chariot racing map?
Just because it's two millennia ago, in a military state, and with no health & safety, it doesn't make it a better theme for a war game?

[spacewrekker]

i don't play this game because it is a "war game"; i play it because it is a "strategy game". in many ways life involves risk management and lessons learned in-game can certainly apply to the real world.

[natty dread]

Ok, to be honest, that looks really boring and generic. The map gameplay says nothing about tour de france to me, it looks just like another standard gameplay map with some bicycles plastered on.

The point is, the gameplay must be appropriate for the theme. It doesn't have to be overly complicated, but there needs to be a certain synergy between the theme and the gameplay. And if you're going to try to do a map of a bicycle competition, then the gameplay has to be something that really gives the feeling of a bicycle competition.

Look at other sports maps on CC, like Baseball or Cricket. Those maps have really captured the spirit of those sports in the gameplay, although both maps are very different.

Someone mentioned Circus Maximus, and that is a good example as well. It's a crappy map IMO, but at least the gameplay of the map is really appropriate for the theme.

[J_Indr]

What is the general reception of the Circus Maximus gameplay?

Because I could imagine a cyclist map with a) a central ground with cyclists and their team OR with a simple map of France and b) a couple of race stages which could be attacked from the central ground.

From either the cyclists OR regions where TdF takes place, you could attack the race tracks. Race tracks could be, let's say, 5 territs long, 2 territs wide, working in the same manner as Circus Maximus. On one side on 3rd or 4th field, each track would have a fan (autodeployment). From the end of the track, you would get to the EITHER recovery building at the end of track OR some central region in France.

There would be a WC - for holding all fans along the various race tracks.

I like the TdF idea, so this is just a brainstorm of ideas of what you could think about, spacewrekker.

[DiM]

What is the general reception of the Circus Maximus gameplay?

crappiest gameplay ever, but it does have some fans.

that being said i'm not opposed to a tdf map as long as it captures the theme and has a cool gameplay and graphics.