Overlords...The New Campaign!

[CurtSibling]

Hello, SL mates!

RAF Bomber guy plans to drop 20,000 pounds of smug on Germany.

I am making good progress on the Overlords Update, which is on track
to bring this WW2 scenario up to the Lua standards of Imperialism III.

Done:
New tech tree.
New units stats.
New rules and support files.
New artwork for resource tiles.
New artwork for improvements.
Unit placement on game map.
Object and CanBuildSetting Lua files.

To do:
New city set artwork.
Civitas reworking of the city improvements.
Creating Legacy events for various war situations.
Creating Lua events for various unit/terrain situations.
Adding Lua events to make sure enemy attacks launch on enemy's turn.

Like with my original plan, I am aiming for a base mod, and then WW2 faction versions of the scenario.
Since this might very well be the last WW2 scenario for now, I want to make this one something special.
Think along the lines of Red Front, but if you could play from the other factions too.

It means I can easily tailor the challenge for each faction, without nightmarishly wrestling with trying
to make all events work with all civ. The AI can be boosted with extra strong units and attacks happening
to test the human player's command skills to the limit.

ToTPP allows the designer to remove all choices civ to of play, except the one the mod is built around,
so when playing as the USSR, that will be the only option on startup. Same goes for the difficulty!

Also, thanks to ToTPP, we can have scenario-centric faction-flavoured city screens, like the ones
I have posted in SL. The events will be faction-tailored too, with text messages in the theme of
the civ you are playing. I think I can use many of these recent ToT advances to give a really fun
and immersive CIV2 campaign, as each of the major factions. With reward units and renamed content
to suit each one.

So basically, you would have a choice of six scenarios, each major faction, with the challenges
and events designed with the human player in mind. It means the AI can be turned from a buffoon,
to a serious threat if not kept at bay...Enmy firepower stats will not be your friend!

Now for the thing I want to ask my colleagues at SL. I'd like your feedback on this proposed path.
I think this is the best way to create a great WW2 collection of scenarios, or giant mods, really.
Taking advantage of the Lua build settings and ToTPP features to offer an addictive WW2 campaign.

I will still have the WIP base Overlords update as a possible MP version, if there is a demand.

So, if anyone is interested, let me know what you think. I am confident this will be fun.

 

[techumseh]

It sounds great, Curt. For single player scenarios, events tailored to make the human-played civ especially challenging is just what's needed. Don't forget that allies can also be challenging, as well as enemies.

Consider the possibility for events modules to allow for coalition scenarios as well, eg. a single player game of all allies or all axis civs, or say US and Britain,with the USSR played by the AI.

 

[CurtSibling]

Cheers, Techumseh - !
In this one, the Germans control the European Axis, which is more out of CIV2's limited choice of tribes than anything else.
The USA and Brit Empire are allied permanently, with the Brits able to call upon various armies from Canada, Australia and India.

I'm maybe missing something, but what is the advantage of coalition scenarios? Is this an MP thing?

 

[techumseh]

Only that an allied civ controlled by the AI would still need more events to operate realistically and historically, than if it were played by a human.

 

[civ2units]

This sounds all very interesting and I'm looking forward to this scenario. It was already fun playing the basic ToT version, so I'm sure the LUA improved version would be a blast.
Japan will be ready to invade the US.

 

[CurtSibling]

Only that an allied civ controlled by the AI would still need more events to operate realistically and historically, than if it were played by a human.

Yep - This is why I am looking to create a special version for each civ, that way I can make the AI give the player a proper fight.
Trying to bundle everything in one package leads to compromises.

 

[civ2units]

One thing I was thinking about, I assume you would like to use LUA for restricting unit recruitings to certain cities. For example as Japan I think I can only build all units in the Japanese core area.
During my playtest I used for example Palembang in Indonesia or Wladivostok, both away from Japanes core areas as an industrial center for mass production of units, mostly bombers, tanks and navy units. Would it with LUA recruiting restrictions still possible to build powerfull units in cities like Palembang or Wladivostok?

One solution could be maybe only generic units? I remember that you used beside the Japanese units also had generic bombers, fighters, tanks in your units roster.

 

[civ2units]

On the other hand it would be a real challenge, if the player can only build all units in his own core areas. Invasions in other countries would be very hard but much more realistic. Perfect running supply routes would be mandatory for a sucessfull invasion.

 

[Prof. Garfield]

One thing I was thinking about, I assume you would like to use LUA for restricting unit recruitings to certain cities. For example as Japan I think I can only build all units in the Japanese core area.
During my playtest I used for example Palembang in Indonesia or Wladivostok, both away from Japanes core areas as an industrial center for mass production of units, mostly bombers, tanks and navy units. Would it with LUA recruiting restrictions still possible to build powerfull units in cities like Palembang or Wladivostok?

One solution could be maybe only generic units? I remember that you used beside the Japanese units also had generic bombers, fighters, tanks in your units roster.

On the other hand it would be a real challenge, if the player can only build all units in his own core areas. Invasions in other countries would be very hard but much more realistic. Perfect running supply routes would be mandatory for a sucessfull invasion.

If you're talking about tribe specific units, then it is easy to restrict them to certain cities. If, however, what you mean is that Russia should be able to build a "Generic Bomber" in Vladivostok, but Japan shouldn't be able to build Generic Bombers there, even with the correct improvements, that is a little trickier. It can definitely be done, since one option in canBuild is to provide a 'conditionFunction' which can check any arbitrary condition you like (In this case "Is this city a 'home city' for the current tribe?"). Another option might be to use the 'requireSomeAsAlternateProduction' flag, and use a list of national infantry. So, the Japanese can only recruit Japanese Infantry in Japan, and thus they wouldn't be able to build the Generic Bomber in Vladivostok. Meanwhile, since the Russians could recruit Russian Infantry in Vladivostok, they could build a Generic Bomber there.

 

[CurtSibling]

One thing I was thinking about, I assume you would like to use LUA for restricting unit recruitings to certain cities. For example as Japan I think I can only build all units in the Japanese core area.
During my playtest I used for example Palembang in Indonesia or Wladivostok, both away from Japanes core areas as an industrial center for mass production of units, mostly bombers, tanks and navy units. Would it with LUA recruiting restrictions still possible to build powerfull units in cities like Palembang or Wladivostok?

One solution could be maybe only generic units? I remember that you used beside the Japanese units also had generic bombers, fighters, tanks in your units roster.

Don't worry, dude - I have it all covered. Various zones can build garrisons, colonial rifles, or muslim troops. Depending on who controls the area.
This is to back up your shipped in armies, like recruiting "local talent". Good for defending conquered cites. Easier than bringing in troops from
the homeland! Japan can recruit armies from occupied China, but can only recruit Imperial marines and paras in the Japanese home isles.
I'm pretty happy with the variety of troops that can be gathered when your empire rules differing parts of the map.

 

[CurtSibling]

Here is the current unit line up, with the generic and national units mentioned.

 

[civ2units]

Don't worry, dude - I have it all covered. Various zones can build garrisons, colonial rifles, or muslim troops. Depending on who controls the area.
This is to back up your shipped in armies, like recruiting "local talent". Good for defending conquered cites. Easier than bringing in troops from
the homeland! Japan can recruit armies from occupied China, but can only recruit Imperial marines and paras in the Japanese home isles.
I'm pretty happy with the variety of troops that can be gathered when your empire rules differing parts of the map.

Yes, the possibility of restricting units recruiting for certain areas and therefore only allowing local units there is indeed a big advantage of LUA.

 

[civ2units]

If you're talking about tribe specific units, then it is easy to restrict them to certain cities. If, however, what you mean is that Russia should be able to build a "Generic Bomber" in Vladivostok, but Japan shouldn't be able to build Generic Bombers there, even with the correct improvements, that is a little trickier. It can definitely be done, since one option in canBuild is to provide a 'conditionFunction' which can check any arbitrary condition you like (In this case "Is this city a 'home city' for the current tribe?"). Another option might be to use the 'requireSomeAsAlternateProduction' flag, and use a list of national infantry. So, the Japanese can only recruit Japanese Infantry in Japan, and thus they wouldn't be able to build the Generic Bomber in Vladivostok. Meanwhile, since the Russians could recruit Russian Infantry in Vladivostok, they could build a Generic Bomber there.

Very interesting that it is possible to prevent a nation recruiting generic units in certain cities even if another nation it can. I didn't know that this is possible.

 

[CurtSibling]

Just an update: With excellent help from our SL experts, I've managed to make same-turn triggering of Lua invasion events for the factions...A big breakthrough.
So I am busy with inputting the triggers, unit spawns and text messages in Lua for each faction's big attacks. I am still using Macro for textual info on when generic
wartime techs are discovered, as the control over the text layout is far better. I do want to explore the text boxes with images as recently shown by @civ2units .

The map is more or less fully populated for Dec 1940, and in the few turns I took to test invasion events, with the new stats and sound FX, the battle action is wild!
I plan to release the playtest version with all the big unit-spawning events for each faction, but can swap in tailored events/rules of each faction that is tested.
It's easy to exchange a faction's invasion unit reward with half the units, or just gold, or make a Lua condition that the event only fires for AI, and not player.

We can see what suits people best. The invasions could be removed altogether, but what is WW2 without Barbarossa or D-Day?

With all the Lua build controls and new graphics, this is shaping up to be a worthy next generation of the old Dictator scens.

It's definitely fun at this stage, very promising.

 

[Prof. Garfield]

So I am busy with inputting the triggers, unit spawns and text messages in Lua for each faction's big attacks. I am still using Macro for textual info on when generic
wartime techs are discovered, as the control over the text layout is far better. I do want to explore the text boxes with images as recently shown by @civ2units .

If you want to start a new line in a Lua specified text box, you can do it by using

text.simple(textBody,boxTitle)

and using \n^ to make the new line.

If you want to do it with civ.ui.text, you'll need the splitlines function along with the \n^ for line separation.

local func = require("functions")

civ.ui.text(func.splitlines(textBody))

 

[CurtSibling]

@Prof. Garfield

The way Macro does text though, is extremely elegant. That said, I'll look into this, as the added images on Lua text is a definite draw.

 

[CurtSibling]

OVERLORDS UPDATE!

Well, the events are...Finally done! A mix of Lua and Legacy, many of the city captures are done with macro, but
Lua steps in to cover what would be very tedious events (like taking out enemy trade units for a cash reward).
All in all, Overlords has the most extensive and complex events I've ever done. I'm happy it's done at last.

Lua has totally transformed the way I do scenarios now. It offers so many amazing ways to simplify what used
to be annoying ToT problems, like restricting unit types to certain cities, enforcing negotiation settings, and as I
mentioned, making certain events into global types, where in the old days, dozens of events would have to be
typed for each civ and every situation...

The new attack events which use Lua to kickstart the unit spawns, and uses macro to support the invasions,
I am hoping these work like they did in the testing phase, where the units do not appear until the AI's turn is
ready...I do plan to tailer each civ to have their own version of the scenario, so these events will be tailored.

Now I am ready to playtest, which is daunting, after all the work. I am sure there are bugs to be ironed out.
If anyone is up for helping out with a play through of any civ, let me know, and I will upload the files.

 

[CurtSibling]

Screenshot - USA East coast.

 

[CurtSibling]

Screenshot - Battle of Britain:

 

[CurtSibling]

Screenshot - Russian Far East: