Ok, have messed around with the playtest version and have a few observations/notes:
#1: IMO, there are too many resources, particularly unique resources that only one faction can even see... I'm not entirely sure how best to go about addressing this problem, but one step in the right direction would be to merge Coffee with Soda to create a "Caffeine" resource.... Another might be to make some of the strategical ones visible to all (like Chase's "Epic Trees")....
Granted, the tons of resources isn't such a big problem on large maps or pre-set scenarios, but small random maps it is rather problematic (One example: I started, as the LEGO Republic, next to the only sources of Nintendo on the entire map, and Freak attack started next to the only sources of Flowers)...
That was one of the reasons I completely got rid of two Strategic resources in the Final Fantasy mod and changed one to a bonus resource... Those three resources were only good for 8 units and 3 improvements, thus, eliminating them or downgrading the status from Strategic to Bonus freed up the random number generator to place more critical strategic resources such as Iron.
#2: Why, I repeat, WHY do LIBRARY BOOKS generate POLLUTION?!
#3: In a related vein, would it be possible to change the Mass Transit and Recycling bin so that in addition to reducing pop and building pollution, they also produce -1 pollution.... A VERY useful trick that I learned from the Medieval European Mod and Fallout Mod... As a matter of fact, if everyone had negative pollution buildings and the negative was greater than the total pollution being produced, it will actually reverse the effects of global warming (making it actually worth while to build such buildings, or at the very least, have a city with over 12 pop since you'll actually be able to produce stuff without pollution popping up ever 3 turns)...
If that was the case, then the Lego Republic would be able to build hospitals without polluting, provided the city had Mass Transit in it (Mass Transit reduces pop pollution to 1 and with the -1 Pollution flag, it will completely eliminate it)....
#4: I've found Palette Issues on at least one tech icon, but I'm going to go through ALL the PCX files, one folder at a time, and fix any errors I find as I go... I'll then create a zip file with the proper folder tree and corrected PCX files, which I'll try to upload here ASAP, which should save you guys some work.
Now to the specific points/questions I have with "my" faction:
#1: The Lego Halberdier should be called the "Lego Castle Guard", which is the technically correct term for pole arm equipped LEGO Castle minifigs, and as a bonus, also fits in with the general trend of units available with the 4th Grade tech.
#2: Bebro's
"Generic Knight Late 15th Century" with the Lion on the shield and Barding would be a better representative of the Lego Knight... I had some Lego Castle Knights that looked almost exactly like that (and I can even link pictures of/scan the instructions for one of the sets I had that had that exact style of Knight).
#3: I've been having major problems with happiness and was thinking that maybe the Gossip Tent could be moved back to Female Nature, since I won't have the tech to allow, or the units to sacrifice, but the happiness would be a major help.... I do believe that I did mention that during school, I did tap into the girl's information network (and even was a source for said network)... Saved my skinny rear-end a couple times (thanks to timely warnings that the local bullies were waiting in ambush along my usual route, so I was able to go a different way and avoid getting beat up).
#4: I've thought up a better flag LH for my faction: The Lego Imperial Guards Flag from the pirate sets (since my brother and I DID use that as the National Flag... The Jolly Roger was merely the Navy Jack
)... I'll try to get it finished and upload it along with the pallette-corrected PCX files that I've fixed sometime this weekend.
#5: About the Lego Cannon pedia entry: I'd like to ammend the description to read as follows:
The Lego Wars, at the beginning, were haotic affairs, with ad-hoc rules, bickering and fighting over the results taking far longer than the actual battles. That all changed with the Introduction of the Legoland Pirate theme and it's spring-loaded cannons in 1989. The introduction of these Lego Pirate Cannons revolutionized the way that the battles were fought: Both sides lined up their troops (a la Napoleon) and were given at least one Lego cannon each and equal amounts of 1x1 round bricks that the Cannons fired. After a coin-toss, each side would take turns using their [Lego Cannon(s)] and Brick Ammo inventory to attempt to knock down as many of the opposing side's Minifigs as possible.
^
^Combat would run in alternating turns until one side was completely wiped out. Granted, this resulted in the Lego Wars having a casualty total close to that of Verdun, but it eliminated the rules-lawyering and fighting the went with the previous methods of resolving battles.
I just wanted to stress how the mere introduction of one lego element completely revolutionized our Lego wargaming.
Also about how Blissful Anarchy worked for us (even though we were mostly guys).... Three Words: Rule By Committee
(As Prachett pointed out In Making Money, Lord Havelock Vetinari realized early on that what an Iron Maiden was to the stupid tyrant, the committee was to the smart one: Committees were a lot less messy, only marginally more expensive (the only cost being biscuits and coffee) and people never volunteered to go into the Iron Maiden.
)
That's all I have for now.....
