What should I work on next?

[Harry Tuttle]

With the fast approaching release of Gold Gulch I've started thinking of what I should do next, besides my little part in the Red Front: ToT update.

Should I work on:

1) Beach Assault!: A scenario that uses modified terrain files to depict an amphibious landing on a defended beach? (Somewhat quick and easy), MGE.

2) Tank!: A scenario based on squad combat in a canyon/wooded area with lots of cat & mouse play. (Very easy), MGE.

3) Trade!: A scenario with capitalism and adventure at its heart. It will use the ToT engine to depict a world ripe for the plundering and will also feature every strategic money making scheme I can think of. (Somewhat hard - but rewarding), ToT.

4) Atomic Eagle: The Price of Freedom: I have an idea for it, and I have learned from my mistakes with AE: HR. It would be from the American's perspective, as the story goes, and would depict events not to soon after the first scenario.

Problem is it will not be set in Europe and I have a real problem with the logistical problems of holding it anywhere else. Also, I don't think I have the energy to make it as ambitious as the Reaper in terms of a "pre-game" switch and then a post game mini-scenario.

[vodkakov]

I don't mean to sound stupid (but will do anyway ), but what was the Atomic Eagle scenario about?

[jim panse]

I´d love to see a sequel to Atomic Eagle, Harry!

Btw, is Gold Gulch now finally released? If yes, I will submit a new CivGroup news

[our_man]

Hmmm... I'm quite tempted by the Atomic Eagle scenario. The first one was a brilliant scenario, let down by one flaw - the middle segment. I guess now is as good a time as any to air my thoughts on this. The German civilization is running a large deficit, with no conceivable way to balance the books as improvements take too long to be built. As there's a shortage of money you can't even rushbuild the financial improvements to balance the economy. Consequently, it's hard to get the research rate lower, and I just wasn't prepared to wait that long for advances to be researched.

Of course, maybe it was just me and my entire strategy for the scenario was wrong.

Besides this, it was great. The entire setup of the scenario with the background story, the Abwehr missions and finally the mini assault scenario were awesome. Seriously, have you ever given any thought to writing, because based on AE you really have a flair for it!

So at the moment, a tentative AE II, but could you please elaborate on what your plans are for it before I commit my vote. I think it would be a shame not to have the mini-missions at the start, because they made AE for me.

If you don't feel like completing such a large undertaking, my vote goes for Beach Assault!

[Mercator]

Does that mean you've discarded the football scenario idea?

[curtsibling]

Atomic Eagle tactical scenario was one of the best examples of design I have seen in my CIV career!

No kidding!

I assume the sequel will be from the allied side?
It would be nice to explore just what the commies are doing with those skeletons!

A short synopsis of each idea will allow we hordes of CIV-freaks to make some opinions...

More to the matter, Harry -
What do you feel like working on?

[Leonidas]

My suggestion would be for a shorter type scenario such as Beach Assault! and/or Tank!

These haven't been done; they could be done quickly; and you could get feedback faster on them.

Sometimes it's good to be able to load up a short scenario and play it through in a day or less.

Plus it's easier on the designer (you).

[Harry Tuttle]

Thanks for the support guys!

@Vodkakov: This was a bit before your time, about January 2004 that I released it. It depicted a world where the Nazis never declared war on the United States and through a bit of "what-ifs" managed to break the Soviet offensive of 1942. It's 1947 and after being victorious in the East they have finally decided to take on Britain and the U.S. before the American atomic bomb arsenal becomes to much of an edge for the Allies. You can get it at the Spanish Civ site, or do a search for the thread here on Poly or its main literary faze on CivFan.

@Jim: No, not yet, I still have to finalize all the sounds and check out Agricola's last bit of advice. It'll probably be done this weekend as I'm nearing the completion of my new kitchen addition. I'll be sure to let everyone know.

@Our_man: Yeah, that's one of my regrets. The scenario is so unbelieveable large and is so intricate that playtesting only really resolved the Abwehr mission bugs. I had intended to make the scenario exceedingly hard for the Nazis so as to depict one last final gasp at the height of the Nazi regime, but I'm sure my settings were a bit absurd.

Also, the fact that the Nazi civ and all its production, unit creation, and unit placement was almost totally randomized due to having the player start out in the scenario as the Abwehr and then switching sides in the middle of the actual scenario did not create an easy time at finding the bugs. This little twist to the game made each game different every time it was played, which is kind of cool, but a real hell when bug fixing.

Maybe, when I'm really feeling industrious, I'll start a thread with the starting point being just after you make the switch and go from there.

As for the AEII setting, you would play as the Americans and I'm seeing a fight on North American soil. In AEI we saw the Nazis hold a coup within Colombia, setting the stage for an eventual military action close to American shores. My immediate thoughts would be that the scenario would start with the Nazis making headway into Texas after invading Mexico.

The American atomic bomb production is still hurting after the attack on Oak Ridge and the whole country is still reeling after the near miss over NYC with the Reich's first atomic weapon (Yes, the final mission in the middle game was to nuke NY with one of the flying wing bombers, but "American air support" (SDI defense) shoots down your plane) - You are successful at landing a bunch of troops at Oak Ridge of course, which is what the Mini scenario at the end is about (an idea taken from the book "1945").

As for writing, well I have thought about it, but I just can never find the time.

As I've mentioned countless times before, if someone wants to work out the bugs then please, go ahead and do so. You or anyone else has my blessing.

@Mercator: No, but that's another scenario which would require a lot of time to build, a lot of excess unit drawing, and a lot of tweaking. Don't worry, it'll sit on the hotplate.

@Curt: Thanks! Now remember, it wasn't really the Soviets who had the skeletons, they just had to be under Soviet control for the little event to work properly. They were in fact the defenders of the Tibetan monestary. Though, if you made it far enough in the game, or just read the text files, you would see that Rommel bows out for awhile, to work on an extra secret mission so important that running the war (!) is a secondary concern. So yeah, if I do decide to do AEII then the occult might just show up.

@Leonidas: I think I might like to do a "quick" scenario. Something that could use mainly pre-existing graphics and be made in a month or two. I've got a few really neat ideas dealing with bending the rules on the traditional terrain ideas and making a pure "kill the enemy or they'll kill you". Could be fun

[curtsibling]

Harry - You have a real talent for scenario concepts!

AEII just sounds too damn cool not to create!
Even if you don't pick it as your next project, you must do it sometime!

[Sarsstock]

I for one am in favor of the sequel to Atomic Eagle. Though I have to admit Harry I'm intrigued by the beach assult scenario.

What period would this beach assult scenario take place? Early industrial? WW2? Modern day? Any of the three would be great to play.

As I said though, out of thouse choices Atomic Eagle wins by a small margin.

[Harry Tuttle]

Originally posted by Sarsstock
I for one am in favor of the sequel to Atomic Eagle. Though I have to admit Harry I'm intrigued by the beach assult scenario.

What period would this beach assult scenario take place? Early industrial? WW2? Modern day? Any of the three would be great to play.

As I said though, out of thouse choices Atomic Eagle wins by a small margin.

The beach assault scenario would use Fairline's WW2 era units and would most likely be a fictional battle between two ficitonal foes. It'll be tactical, and will be played in SP or MP.

[our_man]

Right, you've hooked me. An AEII vote here!

[Leonidas]

Originally posted by Harry Tuttle


The beach assault scenario would use Fairline's WW2 era units and would most likely be a fictional battle between two ficitonal foes. It'll be tactical, and will be played in SP or MP.

I like the idea of Beach Assault!

It also sounds like you have already worked out a clear idea of how you would like to have it setup.

I think it would be quite interesting, and since it is fictional, then that gives you a very wide latitude in what you can do with it.

I think it would be quite interesting, forcing the player to rely on strategy to take the beach and the fortifications.

You could have:

* barbed wire
* fortifications
* ships for bombardment
* planes
* special assault tanks, etc

[Harry Tuttle]

Well, I officially hate you all.

Alright, if Atomic Eagle II: The Price of Freedom is what you want then it's what you'll get. And yes, I'm sure Beach Assault and Tank will make it in as mini-scenarios at its side.

What I need from you fine folks is some way to depict the Nazi invasion of America. Most notably, I need to know how the hell I'm going to pull it off.

Should the scenario be:

1) Like Red Front, with the Nazis driving up from Mexico, with no units being produced by cities only events? A gigamap of The U.S. and the lower part of Canada? A total "kill the SOB's for attacking the Bastion of Freedom"?

2) Have almost the same map as AEI, with the west coast of North America showing and units being produced mainly out of Mexico with Europe being a simple blip on the map? Please note, this would be a very hard scenario to make happen, especially when dealing with units crossing the Atlantic.


I will make a thread on the creation of this scenario after I am done with Gold Gulch.

[curtsibling]

I would vote for the map being of the land of the Free.

A sort of 'Star Spangled Front' instead of 'Red Front.'

Fighting a rising tide of Axis invaders would be fun...
But make sure you can play from both sides!

And perhaps a few allies flung in too?
Japanese special marine units?
Canadian sabotage troops?
Or Brit fighter ace units?

PS
Any icon/city help that you need, gimme a shout!