Notes, Bugs and Credits

Comments to pchoo@netvigator.com

 AUTHORS NOTES

I began thinking about making this scenario when I wanted to play a multi-player WWII game but could not find many scenarios that suited this role. Civ2 WWII scenarios in general have evolved to become excruciatingly detailed board games along the lines of many battle simulation games in the market like East Front and Panzer General. They utilise multiple stages, rules and event files and complex events to give the AI  free units.

I made a concious effort to move ZWK back towards the civ2 mainstream game and away from the tactical war game genere (not that the tactical war scenario is a bad idea). In that sense, ZWK is a simple, straight out of the box, scenario with nothing to cause confusion among multi players. The overall complexity (number of cities, number of different active units) has been toned down so that turns do not take half an hour to complete. Imagine waiting a hour between turns in a multi-player game and you can appreciate the concept.

Ultimately, traditional civ scenarios are about finding the right mix between historical accuracy, balancing units and in this case ensuring a viable research theme. It was very difficult to make a scenario that can be played as single or multi-player and I have gone to great lengths to balance the major races and yet ensure that the AI provides credible opponents. Please keep this in mind when comparing ZWK to games specially made for single player only.

I have taken the liberty of changing things here and there to give both the Axis and Allied players an even playing field. For example, the Axis can build the A-bomb while the Allies can build the V-1. On the other hand, I have incorporated salient features and inherent advantages and disadvantages of the Axis, Allies and Soviets to ensure the scenario doesn't lose too much of its WWII flavour.

 

 KNOWN BUGS & OTHER PROBLEMS

Torpeodes have a range of 1. If you fire a torpedo and there is no target, it will get lost in the water and you will need to disband it or it will continue to take up support. Of course you may leave them lying around everywhere to improve your recon if you wish. Do not build them in non-coastal cities.

If the Allies is played by the AI, it will have no qualms about launching and retrieving bombers from its carriers.

If you are not playing the Axis or Allies and you get a message saying 'the war between the Axis and Allies has ended', its not true, the war between them can never end till one of them is dead.

 

 CREDITS

I can take credit for doing all the tank, plane and submarine units. They have a little kb marked at the top right corner. I also made all the city and terrain improvement graphics myself and a dozen new city improvement and wonder icons. The two anti-aircraft sounds are kobayashi originals as is the terrain type known as 'grove'. Any art that I drew myself you can use without asking me, just give due credit.

Many of the other icons were taken from Cam Hills gangster scenario. Most of the remaining units and icons were taken or modified from existing sources, including Harlan Thompson's world war II units collection and terrain3.gif.

The blank map and Ju-87 sound were taken from the Third Reich scenario by Michael Jazenski as were the city flags. The Panzer Grenadier (and I think typhoon straffing sound) was taken from Red Front(Captain Nemo). Many pedia entries were extracted from the Encarta Encyclopedia. The main theme music is from the movie 'The Right Stuff'.

Thanks to my tester, Kevin Leung who played many multi-player games with me to iron out all the problems. Many thanks to ideas and opinions given by Chris Poulos, Willemvanoranje,  Dreadnought, Kull, Cal and many others on the civfanatics scenario creation forum and on the S-League forum. Also thanks to those who played earlier versions, whose comments have allowed me to make several improvements.