WISHLIST - American Civil War

[JohnD]

If you had to pick one thing that you would like to see in a tactical-level, American Civil War game, what would it be?

[Beagler]

Better command and control rules. I would like to see more delay in orders being issued, and an even bigger delay in execution. I know some gamers want total and instant control over their digital gravel agitators, but I want more realism. I should not be able to start an attack and then be able to change the axis of advance on a moments notice without missing a beat.

[MarkT]

That is a difficult question Wrangler. There is no easy one line answer.

everyone wants multi-player, more fog of war, and a strategic system.

Multi-player has to be Multi-army (more than 2) as well as multi commander within army. Two players (or more) on the same side.

More fog of war. Jump maps for finding your position, or all you can see, but not all your side can see. What good is \"in the saddle\", when you have a jump map to see that you are safe. Fog of war relates to your troops too.

Strategic system. Here is the bomb. How many options to do this are there? to make a hex based system is easy. (I have written one for miniatures, and found I can output to MMG format and resolve one sided in TC2M... Great, but no multi player... But it is the transition down to the Tactical level (the maps) that is the killer.
you would need a boatload of maps to do the eastern theatre.

Genaric maps??? well how much historical accurace do you wish to yeild?

ideally, movement like TC2M. click a spot and march there. When a conflict occurs, \"zoom\" down and load the tac engine. Maps have to be created somehow...

There is a game by matrix that handles this well 1805 Danube (fog of war and stategic)

I have some theories... but have to run.
If you are open to discuss I will look in later....

this forum doen't like the word \"multi player\"
Mark

[MarkT]

Multi-player hmmm it doesn't work from home either

Anyway... Map creaton has to be easier...
historical maps... fine, But when you go into a strategic encounter 30 miles from nowhere, you got to have a map.

So, now that we know this is a problem, how do you solve. You cant create maps on the fly with this system...

For example, how about creating:
10 3d maps with no features just elevations
10 road/building layouts that fit elevation
10 field layouts that fit elevatios
A 100% wooded map that can be randomely toggled to \"miss roads/fields/buildings ect.
Basically you can toggle trees now, do it for map generation. once a map is generated, it can be saved as a specific location on the strategic grid...

Of course you can make specific maps of river crossings / passes etc.

But basically, have more features controled by the game and not fixed into a near impossible amount of hours of mapmaking.

[MarkT]

Wow there aren't many of us here, and I still can't strike up a conversation... See you tomorrow

[JohnD]

MarkT wrote:

Wow there aren't many of us here, and I still can't strike up a conversation... See you tomorrow

Yep. Change is scary. This is just another PCS for me.

[norb]

Since we are sticking to the same engine as TC, the map making will probably be mostly the same. I just don't have the time to write my own tool

For MP, first goal just has to be to get it working. No bells or whistles, just get something that works, no matter how small. Once the base exists, we can build on it.

Strategic system just requires design and time. I have a ton of ideas on this, but just have too much on my plate to put much of it in. We just need to get the solid base working, then we can add onto it with every release.

[norb]

This forum is weird, I'm not sure why it's tagging some words. We'll figure it all out in time.

[norb]

MarkT wrote:

Wow there aren't many of us here, and I still can't strike up a conversation... See you tomorrow

It takes a while and a lot of TLC to build a community. Give us time. Hopefully we can draw some of the MMG crowd as time goes on. But we don't want to hurt the MMG modding scene, because that's where the action is for now...

[MarkT]

Unusual... the reply to my rant was not posted here but, to my e-mail.

ok I guess...

The engines to be similar - Thats nice, it is a good system.

Muti-player - Getting the basics going as a start is the way to go. I can only imagine the potential traffic on a network.

Maps - no time to create a tool.. That is ok for I think a new mapmaking utility will be pushed by the Strategic end, whenever that gets generated...

after posting, your messages show up, hmmm

I will continue to post here and am available for whatever...

In the spring, I will be writing a scenario creator/editor for TC2M in VB. so I am going to dig into mapmaking pretty heavy.

My first priority is being worked on, MP, my next Strategic...