WildWeazel
Carthago Creanda Est
WE'VE MOVED.
BfNY is now located at Strategic Command Center.
BfNY is now located at Strategic Command Center.
Warning: large post ahead, Matrix and those with short atthention spans need only read the third, fourth, and last paragraphs
Some of you may remember last summer when I came up with the idea of a semi-sci-fi "urban warfare" mod, and started working on a scenario dealing with New York City. There was some interest in it, but only kulade, who has since returned to lurking (and may be reading this ), helped me create the mod/scenario. It soon died out, and I later lost most of the work I had done, including 2 versions of a map, in a HD crash.
Original Thread
BfNY Planning Thread
TO-DO LIST
GRAPHICS COMPILATION
Enough epic history, let's get to the point. I think this idea has potential. Escape from Zombie Island has been the only mod even remotely similar to this to reach completion, but it has been widely popular. That tells me 2 things: 1) This is hard to do, and may very well die out [again], but 2) if we can pull it off, people will play it.
What I am proposing is about as close to a full conversion as the editor will allow. I have most of the major concepts mapped out, or at least considered, but I'm still open to new ideas. Some things don't quite make sense because of game limitations, but I've done my best to make everything logical.
I wrote a background story, but it was long, complicated, and unbelievable. Basically, WW3 breaks out in the Middle East, Russia rebuilds the Soviet Union, and America falls apart. several groups battle for control of NYC, one of the last major cities unclaimed by invading Soviet forces. (The story could use work too, as long as I can keep all my civs I'm happy )
This is what the mod will look like:
Civs: (called Factions, names can be changed)
NYPD (or NY National Guard)- police state attempting to preserve order as region collapses
American Resistance Movement (ARM)- militia/patriot forces reorganizing America, seek alliance w police forces
some crazy cult group- massive new religious cult, wants to cleanse world of all unbelievers, uses suicide bombers and covert attacks, allies w nobody, yada yada yada
Undergound Alliance- large gang alliance, defies police, effectively runs inner city at beginning of game, can't match power of other factions later on
Neo-Soviets- most militarily powerful, invading from outside, smaller than normal force early on due to heavy fighting in region and long global "peacekeeping" war. (invading every weakened country including Americal, Canada, and EU)
Technology:
Technology will be treated very differently. Instead of scientific research, it will represent the industrial, commercial, and political development of a faction, as well as important events. For example, a tech may represent new National Guard units being deployed to the area, allowing the police force to build a new type of unit. I am also considering the use of special AI techs as in RFRE, to add a dynamic passing of time, giving the impression that the outside world is progressing and you are fighting against time. There will be a lot of civ-specific techs, because each faction will have a style of play and everything it does will enhance that.
Units:
Many units already made can be used for this mod, but more will doubtlessly have to be made. I'm sure there are many that I have overlooked. I don't have specific unit lines in place, just general ideas, so I can work in almost any appropriate unit. I need any modern/near future infantry units that don't look to "professional" or advanced. Think gang wars, terrorists, militia, mercs, and commies.
police/NG- expensive but good
ARM- average
cult- cheap, expendable (suicide and cannon fodder), no upkeep on some, but weak
gangs- cheap, average at first but don't get much stronger, lots of starting units
Soviets- very expensive and very strong, the best spawned (deployed to area), powerhouse later in game
Governments:
I think I'm going to go the WH route and give all factions locked governments to keep some control over diplomacy. I need discussion here.
police/NG- expensive upkeep, low corruption (I can hear the sarcastic comments already...), MP, no draft
ARM- lots of free units, moderate corruption, big draft, low MP, trade bonus
cult- xenophobic, low upkeep, no free units (forces to use crappy no-upkeep units as main force), high corruption, good spies/diplomats
gangs- high corruption, tile penalty (unorganized), no free units, generally bad gov
Terrain:
This is where I really need help. Little to no existing graphics are usable without some modification, except water and maybe some buildings. However, after many trial-and-error configurations, I came up with a setup that uses every terrain type: (I know there are some problems with certain LM terrains, but they are mostly optional)
Desert > Trees/foliage
LM > Grass
Plains > Road
LM > another road (flavor gfx- highway? brick?)
Grassland > concrete
LM > dirt
Tundra > impassable black emptiness (I'll explain this later)
Hills > medium sized buildings
LM > flavor
Mountains > tall buildings
LM > flavor
Marsh > small removable buildings
Forest > barricade (expensive worker action, imp. to wheeled, can be removed by engineers)
LM > rubble (imp. to wheeled, only light infantry can pass until removed by engineers)
Volcano > damaged tower, collapses slowly, spreading debris
Pollution > debris
River > concrete walls (I don't know how to explain the free city size 2, or what floodplains are)
Road > trade link, represented by arrows, no mp bonus
Mine > industry (need suggestions)
Irrigation > housing (food > population, "city" grows as locals join faction)
Disease > crime/resistance, causes desertion
Railroads > probably unused, may be used with Tundra secret
Did I forget anything?
As you can see, I have a lot of ideas (still more specifics that I haven't described yet), but I still need help. Specifically, I need:
1. a team of modders and artists
2. a map of the downtown NYC area (this can be disputed but I'm thinking this or this.
3. A new terrain set (I have some graphics skills but I can't make anything from scratch.)
4. UNITS (made or found, I'm not too picky)
5. interface grapics, not essential, but it would be nice