Wavinator:

I think I can uncover a bit of what I''m putting into my games, ideas are cheap compared to actual coding:

There is no tactical module as in Age of Wonder, because as you have read in my first post, turns are processed in parallel by the hosting application. So combat must be automated. This is not to say that it is uninteresting and as simplistic as in the warlord serie. My combat module support up to 192 units, and you can define flags for your armies that dictate part of the behavior of your units in battle (and units can be smart, I''m particularly proud of my targeting algorithm for the clerics healers, they don''t heal the first wounded they see, but who is the most important to save).

Additionaly there is several advantages to automated combat (think of this like a tape that you can play, rewind or fast forward). The main one is to enable players to battle with dozens of units in a single combat without spending one hour on each. Second, you are sure there is no exploit from the player (invisibilty is a cool ability to put, but surely lead to exploit by players in tac combat for example).
Anyway as I said, 64 players playing together in a game prevent hand held tac combat, so there is no other choice.

My question: do you find this lack of tac module a great downside of the game, or do you understand the advantages it has? Additionaly, programming a tac module is a monumental task by itself, and we are mostly one person team here

Master of Magic: I can point you on abandonware sites that possess it. Email me if you want an URL. You can also send me email dealing with anything related to fantasy TBS design


CodePlayEatSleep: Master of Magic has no sequel, so if you speak of MOM 1-3, you are perhaps speaking of Heroes of Might and Magic (HOMM)... I don''t really like these games in fact, but I won''t discuss here why (I still played them a lot )


Null and void: steal if you want, you are far from knowing the main features of my game... the parallel turn processing is already existent in at least two sucessfuls strategy games on the market you know, but this is a GREAT feature. I engage all strategy fans out there to think about it: this is the sole system that enable a huge number of players to play in a turn based strategy game, without any burden. Look at crisium.com, stars one of them, and the 16 players parallel turn processing was a great part of their success (this is why games in stars can be completed whereas I have yet to see an after action report of civilization, alpha centauri or any other turn based games)...






Delphi::Athena

To tac module or not to tac module:
As long as there is sufficient decision-making in the way you put your army together (i.e., avoid the "Build only the biggest and best units" syndrome), then I don't think it matters. Warlords II and III where great examples of simple, elegant systems were the composition of your armies mattered a lot.

In general, tac modules only really work if you can make them such that the player cannot exploit them to win battles at ridiculous odds. An excellent example is the very simple tac module in "Conquest of the New World" - simple, fast, and the AI will beat the hell out of you if you don't have at least parity of forces.

Stealing:
Can game ideas really be stolen? Are there any original game ideas left?

Simultaneous turn-based is a great idea (use it myself for Imperium) - just make sure to include a customizable timer for multiplayer.

/Strategy
Imperium - Rise of Rome

Edited by - strategy on September 15, 2000 4:24:42 AM