The Rood and the Dragon - the Anglo-Saxon scenario

[Plotinus]

I agree with TLC here - I think of the lack of artillery as a "feature" of this one. It provides a better sense of Anglo-Saxon warfare, which really was about getting in there and sticking sharp things into the other guys rather than hanging back like a wuss and throwing stuff. You'll remember that the Anglo-Saxons didn't typically use bows for warfare, although they did chuck spears.

The revisions are basically done. However, the reason I haven't posted it yet is that I seem to have broken the Vikings! I tried to make them *more* belligerent but now they don't attack anyone, ever. So I'm trying to solve that problem. It takes a long time because every time I make a change I have to play the game all the way through to see what happens. Other than that, I think everything is in place, and it does play better than before - other than the Vikings, all the civs are much more warlike. So I'm hoping to get this problem sorted and then I can post the damned thing...

 

[7ronin]

In all my games the Vikings have been somewhat wimpy, but this may be because I'm a crummy player and play on the easier levels. When they do attack they never attack Ireland and the Hebrides, something they did historically. Usually it's the Picts, Kent, or East Anglia that get the most attention.

Is the Viking belligerance primarily based on their need for the secret Viking resources or are there other factors?

 

[johnnyjal]

The revisions are basically done. However, the reason I haven't posted it yet is that I seem to have broken the Vikings! I tried to make them *more* belligerent but now they don't attack anyone, ever. So I'm trying to solve that problem. It takes a long time because every time I make a change I have to play the game all the way through to see what happens. Other than that, I think everything is in place, and it does play better than before - other than the Vikings, all the civs are much more warlike. So I'm hoping to get this problem sorted and then I can post the damned thing...

More warlike?!?!?
You mean those D--- Powys are gonna be even more pyscho than before, lol.
What's a poor Kentlander to do?
Anyways eyes still be lookin forward to playing it.
Still my favorite.

Thanks mucho for your efforts..

 

[Plotinus]

As it stands, their belligerence is based upon not having enough land in their homeland, having a truly awesome army, and the presence of secret resources in England to attract them. But it's something of a touch-and-go affair at the best of times. I found that the Vikings actually always do seem to attack Ireland - apparently regarding the Irish as their main competitor - so one of the many changes to the map in the new version makes Ireland a bit smaller. But this seems to have discouraged the Vikings from attacking anyone at all! Still, I'm trying a few more tricks. If I really can't get it to work then I may just post it as it is (since I think everything else about it is now better) and hope that someone better at this sort of thing than me works out a way to do it, so that I can post a corrected biq.

 

[7ronin]

I think that the map as is has been a perfect fit for the game. If you tinker with the map too much then you might trigger the law of unintended consequences and wind up with an entirely different game.

My only question concerning the map has been the placement of Iona which seems to be too close to Ireland and too far south. Of course if you put it in its actual location it might be too easy a target.

 

[killercane]

Very nice scenario. I am currently playing Lindsey on Emperor, since it was considered a challenge somewhere in the thread. The real beauty of Lindsey is they are agricultural/commercial (probably why they only had one settler to begin with I take it), allowing for 3 turn worker factories right off using the game forest, and a settler factory in the capital without a granary. The real problem is unit support for the number of workers and covering Ealdormen for my Franciscan stack of doom. Capturing the enemy warrior hall and having it produce Thegns is a bug or isnt it? I dont even have the tech yet but it is pumping out those monsters and I started a golden age with them.

 

[The Last Conformist]

What level are you playing on?

 

[killercane]

Emperor. I am looking forward to the Viking invasions, but I am largely isolated. The coastal capital you start with was taken by a Mercian soldier dropped from a boat, retaken the next turn. Really beneficial as I now have a centrally located palace.

 

[Plotinus]

Yes, the fact that enemy Warrior Halls (and Ealhs) can be captured and continue to function is a bug, in that I haven't the faintest idea what causes it when it should be impossible, but hey ho. It doesn't really matter. If you don't even have the tech for it, but you still manage to capture theirs, it's their own lookout for defending it so poorly!

The main problem with Lindsey is that you may have difficulty generating enough culture to stop Ireland winning. In fact I'm looking to address this by giving Lindsey slightly better starting tiles which should make it possible for a good player to stave off Ireland and go on to win.

 

[killercane]

I will see, dont know about the culture problem as of yet. I will let you know how it turns out. 0 culture right now, but isnt there a wonder that yields culture for every city a la Temple of Artemis?

 

[Plotinus]

Sutton Hoo and the Great Synod will both do that.

 

[The Last Conformist]

Yes, the fact that enemy Warrior Halls (and Ealhs) can be captured and continue to function is a bug, in that I haven't the faintest idea what causes it when it should be impossible, but hey ho.

I think it's related to requiring a gov't.

 

[mrtn]

Hey, I finally got around to try this one out.
It seems good (haven't played too long, just started a game), but my brain is hard wired to look for bugs possibilites for improvement, so here's a little list I compiled while playing.
Firstly, I'd like to remind you of the Delete buttons sprinkled through out the editor. Use those, and delete everything that's not used in the scenario, like resources (coal, uranium, et al), specialists and so on. I'm not gonna open the biq and look for more of these ATM, I don't want to spoil the map.

*The Fyrd big and small tech pic is not the same, the small flag isn't specially fitting.

*A bunch of the small tech pics should be anti-aliased IMO. I could do this...

*The modern marketplace gfx has parking lots... Replace or rename.

*I can use Civil Engineers from the start? Delete or rename.

*F8 screen talks about United Nations... This is in one of the text files, should be renamed. Is this the Brethwalda victory condition? I haven't thought too much on victory yet, seeing as how I'm the worst civ on the map at the moment.

Believe me, I don't enjoy beating you, I do it for your own good.
Or something like that , the critisism is meant to be constructive.

 

[Plotinus]

Thanks, mrtn. In fact all the points you mention have been addressed in the revised version, which has been imminent for far too long now. The United Nations doesn't come in this scenario at all, under any name. Diplomacy in Anglo-Saxon times? Pah!

 

[Asclepius]

Diplomacy in Anglo-Saxon times? Pah!

What are you talking about? The Saxons were very good at diplomacy. They made many treaties amongst themselves and the Britons... and would break them and alter them any time they felt like it.

 

[Depravo]

What are you talking about? The Saxons were very good at diplomacy. They made many treaties amongst themselves and the Britons... and would break them and alter them any time they felt like it.

It's how the West was won

 

[Maccabee]

Wow. Can't wait to download it. Unfortunately, here in "them thar hills", I will have to wait until I can make a trip to the library and its broadband connection. Looks awesome.

 

[Plotinus]

Well, the updated version is now, at last, available for download. Head over to the first page of the thread to get it. I'm afraid it's a full download rather than a patch, but there's lots of new content so it's just simpler this way!

Here are some of the things that are different in the new version.

There are lots of new unit graphics (no more Civil War pikemen) and LH graphics (no more Abe!). Thanks to the great artists who have produced these new works since I did the original version. Note: be aware that I've re-used some of the old unit graphics for different units!

There are lots of new improvement and Wonder graphics, most of which are brand new (no more Sistine Chapel!) and look much more authentic, I think.

The tech tree has been rejigged, with six new techs.

There are new resources, new Wonders, new improvements, and new units.

There are two new (non-playable) civs.

The different culture groups now really are different culture groups, and each culture group has its own flavoured units - no more Celtic Ealdormen.

There's an optional music download, with lots of funky Dark Ages stylings to pile on the atmos.

Armies are now generated directly from combat, rather than being converted from military leaders. This means the AI will use armies.

There are lots of little tweaks to gameplay. The map has been altered slightly, partly for realism but mostly for gameplay, to discourage some of the weird AI settling patterns. Ireland's cultural lead has been very slightly reduced, to make it easier to catch up with them, especially if you're playing the weaker Anglo-Saxon kingdoms. It should, in theory, be possible to win with Lindsey. The minimum time to research techs is five turns, not four, to slow down slightly the ferocious development pace in the first era.

The only thing I couldn't improve significantly, though I tried very hard, was the Vikings' aggressiveness. If anyone wants to inspect the biq and make brilliant suggestions for this, I would be all ears!

 

[killercane]

It should, in theory, be possible to win with Lindsey.

In the emperor game, there are several AIs with over half the culture of Ireland, so that has not been a problem. The scenario still plays a level and a half harder (emperor reminds me of deity a little bit, partially due to the large number of civs on the crowded map). I would guess that emperor and above you wont have to worry about culture as some AIs will always be half of Irelands. Maybe on Monarch you will have to balance culture with military a bit more.

i will try the new version.

 

[Plotinus]

That is a good point. Of course, winning with Lindsey at that level of difficulty will carry its own challenges! Although you seem to have got the hang of them pretty well - how about giving Hwicce a whirl?

One of the changes I made was to make Dumnonia less prone to building cultural improvements, as I found that on occasion they seemed close to preventing Ireland's victory all by themselves (even on lower difficulty settings), and naturally that's not what we want.