Antarctica [Quenched]

[natty dread]

Thanks for the swift response eipi.

So, the offer for gameplay makers is still on: anyone who wants to design gameplay for CC:s new antarctic map, here's your chance to go the easy way where you don't need to bother with pesky details like graphics and such.

[carlpgoodrich]

Well, there are a few gameplay ideas I have, but I am not positive that Antarctica is the best theme for them. My favorite is where there is a normal gameplay map, except that there is one region that can be one way attacked by EVERY other region. This special region begins with a very low neutral count and is an objective. Anyways, the idea is that anyone can easily attack this objective from anywhere at any time, but if you are going to, you better be ready for every other player to attack you with everything they have. It also introduces a sort of "chicken" strategy: say P1 conquers the objective region. P2 can attack P1, or P2 can assume that P3 will attack P1, and therefore choose not to. There are many other ways in which this gameplay would be unique. A map like this wouldn't be for everyone, but it is different enough in gameplay that I definitely think there is room for it in CC. But like I said, can this be applied to Antarctica? If so, Natty, I would be happy to work with you on it.

If not, anyone else who wants to pursue a map with this game play is more than welcome. I should note that although this idea is original, it has its origins in a thread started a while ago about a small continent whose bonus was disproportionately high.

[ender516]

It seems obvious to me that your special region would be the South Pole itself. "Race to the Pole!"

[army of nobunaga]

this site needs an antartic map... it needs to be epic though guys... dont make it yet another same ole same ole..

Antarctica is one of the lat realms of adventure and unexplored land. Come large or dont come at all. There are satellite science bases, whalen stations, one gove post (that I know of) historic monuments....


Just do It justice. And hats off to natty once again.

[Industrial Helix]

To be honest, I'd like just a standard gameplay Antarctica map. Show me the geography to conquer and I'll be pleased.

Click image to enlarge.

[The Bison King]

Well, there are a few gameplay ideas I have, but I am not positive that Antarctica is the best theme for them. My favorite is where there is a normal gameplay map, except that there is one region that can be one way attacked by EVERY other region. This special region begins with a very low neutral count and is an objective. Anyways, the idea is that anyone can easily attack this objective from anywhere at any time, but if you are going to, you better be ready for every other player to attack you with everything they have. It also introduces a sort of "chicken" strategy: say P1 conquers the objective region. P2 can attack P1, or P2 can assume that P3 will attack P1, and therefore choose not to. There are many other ways in which this gameplay would be unique. A map like this wouldn't be for everyone, but it is different enough in gameplay that I definitely think there is room for it in CC. But like I said, can this be applied to Antarctica? If so, Natty, I would be happy to work with you on it.

If not, anyone else who wants to pursue a map with this game play is more than welcome. I should note that although this idea is original, it has its origins in a thread started a while ago about a small continent whose bonus was disproportionately high.

No not for Antarctica. Good Idea though... hold on... you know what that would work for... hmmm maybe something like California gold rush, or uh... El derado or uh... Kuwait. I'm not sure but you get the picture.

To be honest, I'd like just a standard gameplay Antarctica map. Show me the geography to conquer and I'll be pleased.

I'm more on this page for Antarctica, maybe with 8 starting points from boats, like Chile, USA, Britain, and other countried that have a stake in Antarctica.

[natty dread]

Standard gameplay, conquest, whatever, it's all good to me. I just need someone with a solid idea for a gameplay to work with...

Carl P, your idea is a good one, but like you said it wouldn't fit Antarctica. South pole as the special region wouldn't work... If every territory on the map could attack south pole directly, it would just be odd, because south pole is supposed to be a hard place to reach...

Here again is the graphical draft of antarctis, gameplay designers can doodle the gameplay on top of it if they like. The blue area is land area, the white shiny areas are ice shelves.

Click image to enlarge.

[The Bison King]

Word, I'll do a draft when I have the time.

[natty dread]

Ok, but remember, if you participate on this project, you will have to stay with it at least until the gameplay stamp is earned... I'm just saying, if you're short on time, you know...

[natty dread]

fixed the image a bit. now the ice shelves look a bit more as they're supposed to...

Click image to enlarge.

[natty dread]

Actually, there's a gameplay type I've been thinking about, which just might fit to this map, I don't know... so I'll just throw this out there...

There would be 12-16 "base" territories, and all the rest would be normal territories. The "base" territories would be player starts, and the normal territories would all start neutral.

But here's the catch: all the normal territories would have decay. Only the base territories would be without decay. Bonus areas would be like in standard gameplay, so each bonus area would contain 1-3 bases and the rest as normal territories. No base would be on a border of a bonus area.

Anyone think this kind of gameplay would make for an interesting map?

[Evil DIMwit]

I think it could, certainly. How many territories are you shooting for? You'll want to have a good physical configuration for something like this.

[natty dread]

I think it could, certainly. How many territories are you shooting for? You'll want to have a good physical configuration for something like this.

I don't know... I was hoping to leave the details to the gameplay designer

Anyway, I'm not even sure if gameplay like that would be good for this map... it might be that something like that would be best done without a fixed geography restricting it...

[The Bison King]

OK here's my draft. Here's how it would work. Each player starts at least one of the starting points (France, Australia, so on and so on) The starting point would be a +3 or +4 auto deploy. Potentially every other territory (all on the actual continent) would start neutral. If not at least all of the territories on the center white bonus worth +7 would be neutral. Also all the territories in that white central region would be diminishing territories.

Victory conditions:

Now there's a couple ways we could do this...

1)standard gameplay eliminate all other players

2)Hold 5 starting locations and the south pole (the center territory for sure, maybe the whole bonus)

3)IF the starting locations are one way attacks (they would not be in any other condition) Holding the entire continent could be a condition (In an 8 player game you would have to defend against 7 +4 auto deploys(actually that probably wouldn't work because players could stack and the game would never end(yeah scrap this 3rd condition it was a good idea but it could never work))

Any way those are my thoughts. I know this has nothing to do with the last idea you suggested Natty but I came up with it before I read that.

Ok, but remember, if you participate on this project, you will have to stay with it at least until the gameplay stamp is earned... I'm just saying, if you're short on time, you know...

yeah... If you like this idea I think I'll stick with it, but I kind of do want to get started on that Celtic 7 Nations idea I had put on the back burner (there is a 2 map at a time limit right?) So if you don't want to run with this It's cool cause it'll free me up for that, but between Thyseneal already being in graphics and this just being a gameplay obligation I don't suppose I'll be tied down for too terribly long. Any way tell me what you think.

[natty dread]

Well I certainly am intrigued by the gameplay dynamics of your suggestion... It looks like it would be fun to play... However, you didn't put in any territory names or bonus names, so I'm just wondering how you came up with the territories and bonus areas... are they based on actual real life borders in some way? Just curious...

Also one thing I'd critique, is that you didn't use the ice shelves for anything... those could have interesting uses, perhaps as territories that don't belong on any bonus area, or territories with decay... although, these things could be worked out in the gameplay workshop phase...

Anyway, I'm not completely sure about this yet, so I'd like to wait a while to see if anyone comes up with any alternate plans/drafts/ideas before I make a final decision...

[The Bison King]

Well I certainly am intrigued by the gameplay dynamics of your suggestion... It looks like it would be fun to play... However, you didn't put in any territory names or bonus names, so I'm just wondering how you came up with the territories and bonus areas... are they based on actual real life borders in some way? Just curious...

No, I pretty much just made them up arbitrarily, but the Countries that are starting locations are based upon the actual countries that have a stake in Antarctica (except the US, but I was 1 country short and apparently they have "officially reserved the right to make a claim")

Also one thing I'd critique, is that you didn't use the ice shelves for anything... those could have interesting uses, perhaps as territories that don't belong on any bonus area, or territories with decay... although, these things could be worked out in the gameplay workshop phase...

well I didn't use them for any grand purpose no, but I did make paths that go over them.

Any way keep it in mind. If you don't use it I won't be offended, but hopefully I've raised some of the competitive spirit out there in some other cartographers.

[natty dread]

Yeah... I was kinda hoping for something that's based on the actual territories...

[The Bison King]

I was kinda hoping for something that's based on the actual territories...

What actual territories?

[natty dread]

You know... the actual political divisions of the antarctic... like the chilean claim, norwegian claim... queen victoria land...

[natty dread]

Here's what I mean:

Click image to enlarge.

[The Bison King]

Oh yeah, well I was aware of those (hence the starting points) I just don't think they would translate well into bonus regions so I ignored them. It seems to me like you have more of an idea of what you want out of this map than anybody else, maybe you should just do it when you're free too, but franky I'd rather see you working on the Pacific rail idea you had with the age of steam map pack.

[The Bison King]

not to mention there is a lot of over lap on the claims

[natty dread]

Oh yeah, well I was aware of those (hence the starting points) I just don't think they would translate well into bonus regions so I ignored them. It seems to me like you have more of an idea of what you want out of this map than anybody else, maybe you should just do it when you're free too, but franky I'd rather see you working on the Pacific rail idea you had with the age of steam map pack.

Well, I just feel that if we're doing a geographical map, then we should use the real geography for the gameplay...

I don't really have an idea for the gameplay, I'd just like if the gameplay reflected the real geography of the area. For example, how would we name the territories in your gameplay plan? For the record I hate territory names with numbers on them, like on Feudal. I'd just prefer the territories to be named by actual locations or geographical features.

So anyway I think your gameplay plan could work, but perhaps you could refine it a bit more to the direction of following the actual geography? It doesn't have to be hugely accurate, you can take some "artistic license" to it, but some small adjustments, like making the bonus areas around the central area follow the claims somewhat... The central pole area could stay the same... Then if you would figure out territory names that are at least loosely based on real geographic names, I'd be more than satisfied

(As for the pacific rail map... I'm still working on it, but before I continue with it I want to get orient's gameplay finished... because then I'll have a better idea of how to do the gameplay on the other 2 maps. Also Transsib will be coming before Pacific )

[army of nobunaga]

Dont forget the Iceflows...

giant state size ice chunks that flow during the warm water season.

[natty dread]

Dont forget the Iceflows...

giant state size ice chunks that flow during the warm water season.

Hmm.. how do you suggest implementing them to the gameplay?