XML Modifications and Variations

Coleman · Post by **Coleman** » Fri Jan 11, 2008 10:08 am

Yeah, lets get the necessary stuff out of the way and then the easy stuff before we tackle the potential end of turn neutral respawn (sounds hard) and other hard stuff.

Err, for those wondering what Coleman thinks is 'necessary' in order of necessity...

1) Continents/Collections inside Continents/Collections. (Nested Continents)
2) Standard Territory Bonus Adjustment
3) Starting Positions (per each player count)

lackattack · Post by **lackattack** » Tue Jan 15, 2008 10:12 am

I came accross a nice side effect of starting positions. If you make a neutral territory a starting position it will no longer be neutral. So if you divided up 6 "power territories" yet made them neutral, the game could still be balanced when you play > 6 players and starting positions are ignored. Nobody would get a "power territory".

Coleman wrote:Also with positions could we do a <positions count="2"> where count is a tag for how many people are playing. So we can have it be different for each count or maybe not have a positions for some counts?

At first I thought it's better to define 8 positions and let the engine split them up randomly if there are less than 8 players.

But if you have "North vs South" map with positions set as N1 N2 N3 N4 S1 S2 S3 S4 you might want it to be N1-4 vs S1-4 when played as 2 players. This could be done with a 2-player entry like this:

Code: Select all

<position>
  <players>2</players>
  <components>
    <territory>N1</territory>
    <territory>N2</territory>
    <territory>N3</territory>
    <territory>N4</territory>
  </components>
  <components>
    <territory>S1</territory>
    <territory>S2</territory>
    <territory>S3</territory>
    <territory>S4</territory>
  </components>
</position>

The down side is that you have to write a lot more xml. Do the rest of you think it's necessary to specify count-specific starting positions?

P.S. Sorry this still isn't finished, we had some distractions last week.

yeti_c · Post by **yeti_c** » Tue Jan 15, 2008 10:17 am

It depends on how you code it Lack...

If for instance - you have 8 starting positions - and 2 players...

Do you use the first 6 - or do you load all 8 and randomly assign?

If you have 20 starting positions - do you use all of them (divisible by X)? Or do you just use X? (Where X = Player Count)

C.

lackattack · Post by **lackattack** » Tue Jan 15, 2008 10:57 am

yeti_c wrote:If for instance - you have 8 starting positions - and 2 players...

Do you use the first 6 - or do you load all 8 and randomly assign?

load all 8 and randomly assign

You meant to say "use the first 2" right?

yeti_c · Post by **yeti_c** » Tue Jan 15, 2008 11:03 am

lackattack wrote:
yeti_c wrote:If for instance - you have 8 starting positions - and 2 players...

Do you use the first 6 - or do you load all 8 and randomly assign?
load all 8 and randomly assign

You meant to say "use the first 2" right?

Well I was assuming "Yes" was the answer to my second question...

C.

lackattack · Post by **lackattack** » Tue Jan 15, 2008 11:17 am

yeti_c wrote:
lackattack wrote:Well I was assuming "Yes" was the answer to my second question...

C.

Correct.... sorry

yeti_c · Post by **yeti_c** » Tue Jan 15, 2008 11:33 am

lackattack wrote:
yeti_c wrote:
lackattack wrote:Well I was assuming "Yes" was the answer to my second question...

C.
Correct.... sorry

OK - that's a good thing I reckon...

Then we could have 20 starting points and they all get shared out equally - then with the excess starters set to neutral - and then the rest of the non neutral territories get assigned?

That sounds perfect...

C.

PS - Do we still have the option to put set army numbers on the starting territories?

MrBenn · Post by **MrBenn** » Tue Jan 15, 2008 11:48 am

Code: Select all

<position>
  <components>
    <territory>A1</territory>
    <territory>A2</territory>
  </components>
  <components>
    <territory>B1</territory>
    <territory>B2</territory>
  </components>
  <components>
    <territory>C1</territory>
    <territory>C2</territory>
  </components>
  <components>
    <territory>D1</territory>
    <territory>D2</territory>
  </components>
.
.
.
.
</position>

Could the territories be grouped, and then assign the groups at random?
This way you could set 3 territories each for 8 players, for example...

My only coding experience is from BASIC programming as a kid, so am quite happy to be shot down in flames

yeti_c · Post by **yeti_c** » Tue Jan 15, 2008 11:52 am

That's what is already in the works...

C.

Lone.prophet · Post by **Lone.prophet** » Tue Jan 15, 2008 1:16 pm

lackattack wrote:

Code: Select all

<position>
  <players>2</players>
  <components>
    <territory>N1</territory>
    <territory>N2</territory>
    <territory>N3</territory>
    <territory>N4</territory>
  </components>
  <components>
    <territory>S1</territory>
    <territory>S2</territory>
    <territory>S3</territory>
    <territory>S4</territory>
  </components>
</position>

if you than set other condition for more players you just past it after the 2 player set up?

edbeard · Post by **edbeard** » Tue Jan 15, 2008 6:43 pm

so...I'm kinda confused

can we have two separate areas of say 8 territories each, where (in an 8 player game) each player will randomly get 1 territory from each of the two areas?

Coleman · Post by **Coleman** » Tue Jan 15, 2008 7:37 pm

edbeard wrote:so...I'm kinda confused

can we have two separate areas of say 8 territories each, where (in an 8 player game) each player will randomly get 1 territory from each of the two areas?

Yes and no. Right now you'd need to pair one from each side, but it would be random which pair you got.

mibi · Post by **mibi** » Wed Jan 16, 2008 12:08 am

WidowMakers wrote:
Herakilla wrote:
Herakilla wrote: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

I also need respawning neutrals for my Skyscraper elevators.

DiM · Post by **DiM** » Thu Jan 17, 2008 6:27 am

can this be done? if it can't then can it be implemented?

i have 8 important (I) terits and 24 non important (NI).

in an 8p game i want each player to get 1 I and 3 random NI
in a 7p game i want each player to get 1 I and 3 random NI plus 1I and 3NI to be neutral
in a 6p game i want each player to get 1 I and random NI plus 2I to be neutral
in a 5p game i want each player to get 1 I and 4 random NI plus 3I and 4NI to be neutral
in a 4p game i want each player to get 2 I and 6 random NI
in a 3p game i want each player to get 2 I and 8 random NI plus 2I to be neutral
in a 2p game i want each player to get 3 I and 8 random NI plus 2I and 8NI to be neutral

or to explain it shorter have 2 pools of terits that are divided among the players. instead of dividing the total number of terits.

yeti_c · Post by **yeti_c** » Thu Jan 17, 2008 6:40 am

Yep...

As long as your third pool of terits (VNI) are all neutral.

C.

Lone.prophet · Post by **Lone.prophet** » Thu Jan 17, 2008 7:02 am

is it also possible to do this for team games only?

yeti_c · Post by **yeti_c** » Thu Jan 17, 2008 7:36 am

Lone.prophet wrote:is it also possible to do this for team games only?

No.

C.

Lone.prophet · Post by **Lone.prophet** » Thu Jan 17, 2008 7:39 am

will it one day soon

yeti_c · Post by **yeti_c** » Thu Jan 17, 2008 7:43 am

Lone.prophet wrote:will it one day soon

Probably not - unless someone requests it...

C.

cicero · Post by **cicero** » Thu Jan 17, 2008 9:34 am

rebelman wrote:great idea - could i suggest it should also be posted on the XML Modifications & Variations Thread.

To see what rebelman is so excited about see http://www.conquerclub.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=40294

(If etiquette is that I should copy & post my entire original post here please let me know or copy & post it here yourselves.)

Cicero

yeti_c · Post by **yeti_c** » Thu Jan 17, 2008 9:37 am

cicero wrote:
rebelman wrote:great idea - could i suggest it should also be posted on the XML Modifications & Variations Thread.
To see what rebelman is so excited about see http://www.conquerclub.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=40294

(If etiquette is that I should copy & post my entire original post here please let me know or copy & post it here yourselves.)

Cicero

Actually - This shouldn't go in here (bad rebelman bad) as it's not a MAP feature... it is a gameplay feature.

C.

rebelman · Post by **rebelman** » Thu Jan 17, 2008 9:43 am

yeti_c wrote:
Actually - This shouldn't go in here (bad rebelman bad) as it's not a MAP feature... it is a gameplay feature.

C.

sorry

Lone.prophet · Post by **Lone.prophet** » Thu Jan 17, 2008 9:44 am

i think this is that you can make a neatral territory aggresive in the xml so it can be implanted without his gameoption in a specific territory.

so you have a seamonster that attacks boats

yeti_c · Post by **yeti_c** » Thu Jan 17, 2008 9:46 am

Lone.prophet wrote:i think this is that you can make a neatral territory aggresive in the xml so it can be implanted without his gameoption in a specific territory.

so you have a seamonster that attacks boats

That might work...

C.

Lone.prophet · Post by **Lone.prophet** » Thu Jan 17, 2008 9:48 am

so do i need a formal entry for that suggestion?