Lost Legions, scenario under development

[Cyrion]

Originally posted by Werd100
I think this scenario does have a lot of the "one more turn" factor already. It is difficult and I liked the way I was punished for being reckless with my units. I tried desperately to get my stragglers to the rafts but was cornered most skillfully by the AI Skythians.

Thanks

I agree that more text events would spice the game up and keep the player focused and feeling under pressure. Timed ones would really mean that the player feels like time is ticking away.

Sounds like a good excuse to keep it linear!

I think the Idea of a few scattered nomadic steppe villages would help add a bit of a feeling of progress through the game, like milestones. Allied villages to help heal (which cannot be captured by the Romans and produce no units) and some villages to pillage that would give either a bonus unit (barbarian scout?) or as you say cut off some of the attackers. Just an idea mind!

I don't know about "barbarian scout units", but allied villages and enmy camps to pillage seem like the way to go!

You could use minor rivers as bottlenecks by making them one ocean square wide with a limited number of crossing points. This could lead to an enemy ambush were you would have to fight a little battle rather than just pick off harrasing troops.

As I have not played all the way through yet I may have suggested some things that are already in the game.

I have a few places with bottlenecks where you need to fight! But it might be a good idea to strengthen those places to make the fight a bit more "epic"!

And maybe adding a ford somewhere? I'll see...

I'll do a minor modification to it first, and then I'll wait until you reach this part before I start anything major!

Thanks a lot for your help!

[fairline]

Vincent - I've PM'ed a link to the units file.

[Cyrion]

I'm back and can start working on it again!

Originally posted by fairline
Vincent - I've PM'ed a link to the units file.

I got it, thanks a lot: it's brilliant!

Now I'll work on the modifications suggested by playtest, integrate the new graphics and launch playtest number 2!

If all goes as intended, it should be ready at the end of this week or next week!

@Werd and Elensar: spare your playtesting time for version 2

[Elensar]

No problem. Hope to see it as soon as possible.

[McMonkey]

Hit me with it

[Cyrion]

Quick update

Here is where I stand:
- the new units (Werd, you'll love the new wagon graphics, among others!) graphics are in place
- the enemy villages are in place (with provisory graphics, but still good enough for testing)
- the allied villages (provisory graphics again) are in place

I still need to do:
- modify the barbarian generating events to take into account the villages
- change the "units cured by allied city" message, as well as a few other ones
- add a few messages according to your comments, to explain things + give more flavour

Originally posted by Cyrion
If all goes as intended, it should be ready at the end of this week or next week!

On track!

[Elensar]

You don't need to generate (most) of the flavor adders before we test it, though of course having some is good.

The reason I said the readme is that if you use that, people can look at it and keep that open as "Oh, yeah, gotta remember that." instead of a one time event text popup.

By all means, use both. : )

Out of curiosity, how attached are you to the Roman style infantry units?

Somehow they seem vaguely out of place for a Celtic force. I'm sure there's an explaination, so someone BS up a good line and we're good.

[Cyrion]

Originally posted by Elensar
You don't need to generate (most) of the flavor adders before we test it, though of course having some is good.

I know, but I at least need to have the "mechanical modifications" in place!

The reason I said the readme is that if you use that, people can look at it and keep that open as "Oh, yeah, gotta remember that." instead of a one time event text popup.

By all means, use both. : )

Sir, yes sir!

Out of curiosity, how attached are you to the Roman style infantry units?

Somehow they seem vaguely out of place for a Celtic force. I'm sure there's an explaination, so someone BS up a good line and we're good.

Just keep in mind that they aren't actually a true "celtic" force: they are auxiliaries to a roman army! So their officers are dressed as tribune (which was their rank), and their look has to be kind of "romanized", even if not a true legion!

But honestly, I'm not that attached to them (even if they look good!). Fairline told me he might draw an auxiliary infantry unit to replace them, so your wish might be granted...

And update: tonight I fixed a few "graphical" things + wrote and tested the first part of the event modifications, so the rest of it shouldn't be a problem as it will be quite close to that!

[Elensar]

Yay.

Its not that they should look completely like Celts, but they look too throughly Roman. Its a lovely graphic and useable until you find a better fit, however.

[Cyrion]

Originally posted by Elensar
Yay.

Its not that they should look completely like Celts, but they look too throughly Roman. Its a lovely graphic and useable until you find a better fit, however.

I fully agree on all of that!

So let Fairline do his magic...

[Cyrion]

New update

I have been busy working on the scen this week-end, and it's almost ready for the 2nd playtest!

Here is where I stand

Originally posted by Cyrion
I still need to do:
- modify the barbarian generating events to take into account the villages

Done!

I just need to adjust some last events to achieve the desired AI behaviour!

Things might not be much easier...

- change the "units cured by allied city" message, as well as a few other ones

Done!

- add a few messages according to your comments, to explain things + give more flavour

Done at 80%!

In addition to that:
- Fairline has been busy too: nearly all units are the final ones now!
- I have started to work on the sounds: I'll probably add them during playtest!
- I know what to do for the title screen: I'll do it during playtest!

I hope to finish my modifications between tonight and tomorrow!

[McMonkey]

Bon! Look forward to it

[Cyrion]

Technical question + update

Can I modify / suppress the message telling me that "civ X has discovered tech Y"? Where, how?


And the update:
- the barbarian generating + moving events are finished
- most messages are in place
- the new graphics are implemented

What I hope to do this week-end:
- write the last 10 (?) messages
- test the whole thing before I release the playtest files!

[Cyrion]

Re: Technical question + update

Originally posted by Cyrion
Can I modify / suppress the message telling me that "civ X has discovered tech Y"? Where, how?

No answer? I'll ask it again in a thread with more visibility

What I hope to do this week-end:
- write the last 10 (?) messages
- test the whole thing before I release the playtest files!

The messages are all written, the sounds have been taken care of, and most of the "triggers" have been tested!

I just want to play it through once before calling the playtesters back to the front!

[Elensar]

We're ready to test your skills to the limit whenever you're ready to be tested.