Scenario Design Contest

[LDiCesare]

An early version of "Prince of Darkness" is released for comments.

Thread is over there:

http://forums.civfanatics.com/showthread.php?p=7802258#post7802258

Any feedback is welcome.

 

[MagisterCultuum]

Only 1 week left to get your scenarios done!

 

[Kael]

Hard to believe that its almost 3 months since 0.40 released. Time flies. Im looking forward to playing all your scenarios.

 

[Lutefisk Mafia]

@ Kael -

First off, thank you for putting together the scenario system. I have been having a lot of fun with it!

Just wanted to check in regarding the rules of the scenario contest. So far, my entry has/changes only these files:

1. A World Builder save game file
2. ScenarioFunctions.py
3. CIV4EventTriggerInfos.XML
4. CIV4EventInfos.XML
5. CVRandomEventInterface.py
6. A supplementary TXT file called CIV4GameText_Z_DA.XML

My question, though, is about the scenario picker screen. Right now, as a part of my .zip file, I am including an altered CvEspionageAdvisor.py file that lists the new scenario as a pickable option.

Is this okay for a contest entry, or should I remove that file before final submission?

Thanks!

 

[LDiCesare]

Since I received zero feedback on my own scenario, I think it will remain "as is" and if I don't post something new by the 16, you can consider the link below as my submission. I'll probably have to upgrade it to the latest patch, though, so the important question:
Do you plan to make another patch before the end of the contest?

 

[Lutefisk Mafia]

I am going to assume that the answer to my question above is to just comply strictly with the rules as stated in the first post of this thread.

Accordingly, I have added another .zip to my scenario entry thread that removes the CvEspionageAdvisor.py file from the scenario files. This second file should be considered the official entry.

It will likely remain unchanged, unless Kael and team release patch "z" before the 16th!

 

[Kael]

"z" will probably be released after the 16th.

 

[LDiCesare]

Thanks for the "probably"... I'll wait for sunday before I upgrade to y just in case then.

 

[Kael]

Thanks for the "probably"... I'll wait for sunday before I upgrade to y just in case then.

It will be after the 16th for sure.

 

[Kael]

The final day is here. Please provide a link to your scenario in this thread so the team and I can download and try it out. You have until midnight EST to enter your submission.

 

[Lutefisk Mafia]

Thread for my entry is here:

http://forums.civfanatics.com/showthread.php?t=309917

 

[LDiCesare]

My entry is here:

http://forums.civfanatics.com/showthread.php?p=7802258#post7802258

Kael, if you read that thread, you'll notice someone has been experiencing crash to desktop and posted a save. I don't have access to aby pdb's or source code to get a stack trace and understand what's going wrong. If you could give me some pointers on how to debug (like where I could retrieve FfH2 modified C++ source code and some pdbs if you have any), that would be great (unles you want to check it yourself which would be even better ). I suppose my tampering wiht the Riders' nationality might hurt a bit but I'm not sure.

 

[Kael]

Im looking forward to playing the entries this weekend and announcing a winner. Thanks for taking the time to do this guys, Im looking forward to it.

 

[Psychic_Llamas]

only 2 entries?

 

[LDiCesare]

I think most modders kept to what they were doing. cyther for instance seems to be busy with his modmod. I entered the competition because I was starting a scenario anyway, so instead of making it modmod I restricted myself.
So people with time were already busy doing something else, and those without time or skill won't have found the time or picked up the skills even if interested.

 

[Skitters]

only 2 entries?

I was toying with a scenario that would be described as basic in the extreme when you consider what Lutefisk and LDi were working on! Unfortunately over the last couple of weeks I've lost home tinterweb connection, and my home PC seems to be having performance issues. I've come to the conclusion after a number of failed diskchecks, virus check, malware checks that I need to do a bit of an XP reinstall but need to do a fair amound of backing up

Anyhow I digress. The basic premise was that the player is part of a Svart colonisation programme of what is thought to be the "New World". They've already had a tustle with a Malakim colony, successfully capturing their outpost.

The player starts with a single Svart warrior - gifted a few extra abilities - who is on a mapmaking mission. Anyhow at game start the warrior has come into sight of a Ljosalfjar horde with a handfull of Malakim allies (who have basically sold out the Svart colony location). Therefore the Svart warriors mission is to return back to the Svart colony (which would be the point the colony (and ex-Malakim colony), plus other Svart units come under player control) and prepare for it's defence. Ideally I would set it so that as well as being able to build troops, there would be a chance each turn of some defending units to spawn

However, I wanted to add a few extras....

In the scenario there are several other colonising powers also establishing themselves in this New World - each represented by 1 city (Settlers switched off) where upon entering that city you would get to play the Leader in a game of Somnium so that you could earn gifts such as;
-Lanun: play Somnium to win a boat - allowing you to cut a chunk of your journey out.
-Hippus: play to upgrade your unit to horseman
-Khazad: play to upgrade your unit to Mithril weapons
-Amurite: play to win fireball spell.

But also, by spreading the Council of Esus religion to these other colonies, it would mean that each turn after you have arrived back at the Svart colony there would be a chance that units from these civs would spawn under direct Svart control.

So the player is in the position of whether he/she beelines directly back to the Svart colony or takes a longer route in the hope of drafting in extra support/improving the start unit.

Of course I say all this, but the actual technical bits (units spawning, Svart colonies not coming under direct control until the start unit returns home, playing Somnium for something other than gold and only if the unit is in the city I would still have had to figure out - though I'm guessing they could have been done through events)

 

[civplayah]

What does the winner get?

 

[Kael]

I wish there were more entries to the scenario contest. But Im amazed at the quality of the 2 scenarios that were entered. They are both easily as good, if not better, than the official scenarios that we made.

If you haven't tried them. If you think that you prefer random games and believe that scenarios are typically boring premade maps or unbalanced setup, then you haven't played these scenarios yet.

The two submissions are:

The 133rd K.R.A.G by Lutefisk Mafia
Prince of Darkness by LDiCesare​

Here is my feedback for both:

Pros:

1. What you've done from a technical perspective is amazing. Switching out maps, going in and out of dungeons is incrediable. In Civ4 so much of the terrain is scenery, with this mod you really begin to feel like the terrain is a real world and each valley and mountain range may hide a labyrinth of dungeons and hidden locations.

2. Switching the units stats when in and out of dungeons is inspired. Its so well done that I didnt even notice it at first world exploration and dungeon exploration just felt different (as they should) and I didnt notice it was changes in my character that was making the real difference.

3. Its hard to really see this as a FfH scenario because I think you are creating a new game type here. Its as different from FfH as FfH is from Civ4. I list this in the pros column because I think this is a very good thing. You have a ton of potential to develop a new game type here, Im honored you are using FfH as the engine for it.

Cons:

1. There are significant pacing problems. At times the game is just slow. Civ4 and FfH handle this by having a wide variety of actions all going on at once (though even FfH runs into this at times). Turn based games need strategic options each turn, otherwise you should be playing real time and getting through it faster. I dont know the solution for this other than to offer that you should be very aggressive about cutting slow periods and getting right to the action.

2. Obviously a lot of RPG type functions have been ported into this model. In many cases that is brilliant (thats kinda the point), but it isn't enough to just simulate RPG sort of actions unless they are also fun in this format. Killing the flat tailed rats (that was funny btw), for example, is a great simulation of what RPGs have characters do. But it isnt very fun in this sort of a game.

I hope that makes sense. And that it comes across as amazingly positive feedback. I like providing critical feedback for people to consider and make their games better. But I dont want you to think that Im not increidably impressed with what you have done. Great work

I thought this scenario was a lot of fun. The best part about it was the pacing. Specifically the balance of nearby things to do and remote things to do. I had my global quest stuff that I could work on when I had time, but I also had a normal host of roudy neighbors to keep under control. It makes for a great mix and I was never bored.

The map design is also excellent with lots of interesting places to explore. The starting location is especially interesting and gives the player a lot of ways to expand his empire, and different strategies to consider.

On the negative side the starting hero is so powerful that I felt like the game became about running around with him and beating everything up. Thats a tendancy of FfH in general, but I thought it was even more pronounced in this scenario. I would recommend making him less powerful and maybe allowing him to be rebuilt or respawn if killed. Nikis-Knight did that with Decius in the Decius line scenarios and I think it worked really well. Allowed you to use a reasonably balanced hero without be over-punished if he dies.

And the winner is...

Spoiler :

The 133rd K.R.A.G by Lutefisk Mafia. What he has done is amazing. More than a scenario its a new way to play Civ4. Though I don't think its perfect (not that FfH is either) is a strong base for a new type of game that pushes even closer to the unit based RPG aspects.

Making a game like this set in godswar with warring gods and angels rampaging across the map, or set in the eternal war of Camulos's hell could both be interesting scenarios based on this concept and a lot of fun to play through.

Congratulations to both contestants. I really enjoyed playing through both of them.

 

[Thunder_Gr]

Well done!
Congratulations to both of you and 3 cheers for the winner!

EDIT: I assume the scenarios do not work in patch z, so you need patch y to play them(?)

 

[cyther]

Congrats to all who participated!