Random scenarios - parameters

Discussion on game mechanics, balancing etc.
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Trilarion
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Random scenarios - parameters

Post by Trilarion »

A good number of games with the old Imperialism I played on random scenarios. There were lists on the internet telling you the good starting seeds for the random number generator to generate nice countries. It was fun.

Now I guess we want to have that too. For this I would like to discuss what should be the range of parameters that we change during a random scenario. I think we should make it a bit more detailed than in the original, so people do not have to try different seeds of the random generator.

My proposals would be:
  • Size of the map in terms of tiles or in terms of major/minor nations
  • Two-three continents or one united mass of land or one island for each nation
  • Different sets of names for naming nations, provinces (historical europe, fantasy, ...)
  • Resource distribution balanced (every country has everything) or unbalanced (you don't have everything but you might have a lot of something)
  • Resources rich or scarce
That way people can better determine what kind of random game they would like to play.
Veneteaou
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Re: Random scenarios - parameters

Post by Veneteaou »

I agree with this. Games like Civilization (that give options before a map is generated) is far better than the random map generator of Imperialism 1.

I will think about it, but at the moment I think you covered the list. Except difficulty level, we do need to be able to adjust that.
Alias72
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Re: Random scenarios - parameters

Post by Alias72 »

how about the ability to upload your own names via a text file. this way I can set the names of AI countries to whatever I want.
perhaps another option for the ruggedness of the terrain.
Veneteaou
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Re: Random scenarios - parameters

Post by Veneteaou »

how about the ability to upload your own names via a text file. this way I can set the names of AI countries to whatever I want.
perhaps another option for the ruggedness of the terrain.
We could just have the game pull nation names from a text file. That way, people could just edit the file to whatever they choose.
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Trilarion
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Re: Random scenarios - parameters

Post by Trilarion »

Alias72 wrote:how about the ability to upload your own names via a text file. this way I can set the names of AI countries to whatever I want.
perhaps another option for the ruggedness of the terrain.
yes, uploading names via text file is not a problem, adding another option also isn't one. :)
ForFunAndProfit
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Re: Random scenarios - parameters

Post by ForFunAndProfit »

I had an idea. Why not have one of the parameters give you the chance to form new nations? Annex or colonize enough minor nations or enough of provinces from another major power to have your nation (potentially) renamed and/or picking a new flag.

Would be a neat little goal to have in virtually any random scenario.
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Trilarion
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Re: Random scenarios - parameters

Post by Trilarion »

This idea would add to the flavor of the game while not changing the game mechanics rules. Maybe could you say more about when there should be a chance for rebranding a nation? How many provinces/minor nations have to be colonized or annexed before getting this chance?

Anyway I wrote it down on a list of ideas to be included at some point.
ForFunAndProfit
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Re: Random scenarios - parameters

Post by ForFunAndProfit »

Trilarion wrote:This idea would add to the flavor of the game while not changing the game mechanics rules. Maybe could you say more about when there should be a chance for rebranding a nation? How many provinces/minor nations have to be colonized or annexed before getting this chance?

Anyway I wrote it down on a list of ideas to be included at some point.
Perhaps that could be adjustable in the options? I was thinking maybe having a naming scheme to it as another possibility - a major nation being worth two minor powers.
2 minor nations or one major power - a nation uniting a peoples, more or less. Just a namechange and change of flag.
4 minor nations or two major powers - [Name] Empire
6 Minor Nations or their equivalent (3) in major powers - Great [Name]

Or something like that. Nothing that changes gameplay mechanics save for possibly the text file used for naming/numbering regiments or ship squadrons.
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Trilarion
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Re: Random scenarios - parameters

Post by Trilarion »

Something like this might be possible.
ForFunAndProfit
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Re: Random scenarios - parameters

Post by ForFunAndProfit »

Another parameter I was meditating upon had to do with the map size and/or amount of water vs land. Dunno, playing FreeCiv earlier had me mulling that over.
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