Fortress Europe

[McMonkey]

Fortress Europe ToT Beta version is available to download (see signature link below) at the Scenario League Wikipedia page.

EDIT: Please ignore this post. The game is not at the testing stage just yet!

[McMonkey]

This project now has a long history. From the original MGE version I converted it to the ToT format, added extra units, fixed bugs, created a brand new tech tree and a brand new events file.

It is now ready to playtest. I have a list of things to do to get it polished to a point where I can call it finished and move on.
One of the things I have noticed from playtesting is the need for focused objectives. At the moment it is pretty open and the player just needs to take the major objectives somehow by the end of the game. I would like to find a way to make the gameplay more frenetic and pressurized to keep the player on his/her toes.

Any feedback or good ideas would be appreciated

[AGRICOLA]

Sorry, Werd, but Fortress Europe is not what I would call a beta version of a scen. I may be spoiled by the last 3 scens I've beta-tested, El Aurens, Frederick the Great and Lord of the One Ring, all of them polished, designer tested and ready for outside testers but FE is an alpha which, I'm positive, has not been played for 30 turns by the designer.

If someone had actually taken the time to play it, he would have discovered that the scen is economically impossible for the Allies. The numbers are simple:

No Freights can be built but one is created in New York every 2 turns by events.

The maximum return on delivering a freight to the best destination, Rotterdam, is 300 gold, or an average of 150 gold/turn, provided that all freights make it safely across the Atlantic.

Even with all possible inhabitants converted to bean counters and taxes maximized, the Allies run a tax deficit of 200 gold/turn.

Together with 150 from freight deliveries, there is a continuing net loss of 50 gold/turn, provided no additional city improvements are built. The more needed improvements one builds, the sooner the money will run out and they will have to be sold.

As for other things that might be used to increase cash flow, Capitalization does not exist in the scen and the tech for Banks is at the end of the tech tree, way out there with Jet Fighter and Future Tech. I would question its position in the tech tree.

I usually don't complain about terrain graphics but in FE plains and grassland are virtually indistinguishable if they have been irrigated or converted to farmland. Also, a grove of birch trees seems like an unusual icon for an orchard. Catfish's collection of TOT terrains has one that shows shrubs? planted in neat rows. It would be easy to convert it to an orchard of fruit trees.

[McMonkey]

I don't have time to answer fully now. Just a few comments.

Beta test
Sorry, I should have said Alpha test. To be honest I did not know the difference

You are correct, I have done little testing!

I want the game to be very difficult economically and therefore the Battle of the Atlantic and strategic bombing would be essential. I need help (Alpha) testing to try and get a working balance.

I will reply more fully after work

[curtsibling]

Good to see this in ToT - If you need to use any cities or other icons, feel free to ask.

The Allied cash flow could be solved with events, give them a cash bonus each turn.

....

[McMonkey]

That could work. I could also increase the number or regularity of trade units appearing in the US (BTW there will be a house rule forbidding trade with the enemy!). The bonus for destroying factories could be increased. Banks etc could be made available earlier.

As I said above this is really an Alpha test, my mistake about Beta!. I am willing to listen to any ideas to improve on the original. The biggest problems are the economic aspect and making the game more focused and difficult, though not impossible!.

The plus points of this ToT version are that I can fix all the mistakes of the first version while adding a brand new tech tree, events and more units plus a few new ideas.

At the moment most of my effort is going into the Balkans game but as soon as that is finished I will be trying to finish this off so please carry on giving feedback, I will store up the notes

[McMonkey]

While converting Pablostuka's Spanish Civil War and playing Dictator 7 I have been inspired to go back to work on Fortress Europe.

I know I keep changing between projects but that is just the way I work. After finishing the multiplayer version of Aeterna Civitas II I am burned out on ancient scenarios and will take a break before I attempt a single player version.

As I learn new tricks and gain experience I revise my ideas for my current projects. The Balkan Wars is another one I will go back to soon, hopefully after finishing off Fortress Europe!

I have decided to scrap the MGE version again and go for a ToT version of Fortress Europe. The extra units, rules and events, plus the fact that I am feeling more comfortable with ToT mean it is time to make the jump!

I have had a new idea for strategic bombing. Not 100% sure if I will use it yet:

The Strategic bomber is spy and can destroy improvements/poison water supplies. This way they can target German industry. I may create an event to help the Germans rebuild factories in vital cities such as Essen. Obviously the game text will be modified to prevent bribing etc...

This is a novel idea but I will need to test it to check whether it works and if it will be worthwhile in a game with lots of event created German units. Also, if the Germans decide not to build units then it may be a bit pointless. Worth looking at though!

Another question. Is there a way of telling how much event space is left or do I just have to keep adding events until the game gives me an error message?

And on a totally unrelated topic. Beware CCTV is watching you, and criticizing the way you park

[fairline]

The link leads to an MGE scenario (?) ....

Is that you in the fetching stripey hoody?

[AGRICOLA]

Originally posted by McMonkey

I have had a new idea for strategic bombing. Not 100% sure if I will use it yet:

The Strategic bomber is spy and can destroy improvements/poison water supplies. This way they can target German industry. I may create an event to help the Germans rebuild factories in vital cities such as Essen. Obviously the game text will be modified to prevent bribing etc...

This is a novel idea but I will need to test it to check whether it works and if it will be worthwhile in a game with lots of event created German units. Also, if the Germans decide not to build units then it may be a bit pointless. Worth looking at though!

Not quite a new idea. But I'd love to see it tried out in a scen. The recce unit is being incorporated in Red Front 1.4 TOT.

http://apolyton.net/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=115641

[McMonkey]

@Fairline
The link was for the Fortress Europe Alpha (not beta as stated!) which is now obsolete. The ToT version has a LOT of changes already. I intend to make a lot more. I just thought I would reuse this old thread.

And that is me in the stripey hoodie. The guys in the control room saw my imprecise parking over the weekend and e-mailed the picture to all my colleagues
My parallel parking is even worse!!!

@AGRICOLA
I had thought about using the recon option for the Mosquito or the strategic bombing idea for the B-17/Lancaster. I suppose I could use both if I edited the GAME file in a creative manor.

IE:
Spying on city = Take recon photo (Mosquito only)

Poison water supply = Bomb civilian population (Strategic Bombers only)

Destroy improvement = Bomb Industrial target (Strategic Bombers only)

Not an ideal solution but something to work on and test out. The downside could be that the player could either destroy cities completely which I don't really want, or they may not think it is worthwhile using these types of units at all as the cost of the unit is more than the effect of the bombing is worth.

I will need to test it out and decide what works best. I don't want strategic bombers to just be very high attack value super weapons that are used to clear a path for the tanks to follow. On the other hand, if they are too weak they may be too expensive to risk losing and will be passed over in favour of cheaper, more expendable units.

The knowledge I have gained about flags has helped me solve the Battle of the Atlantic U-Boat spawning dilemma I was having in the MGE version.

One big thing I need to get right is the economy and science rate. I don't want the Allies to be bankrupt but I would like the Battle of the Atlantic to be essential for the Allies to be able to win the war. Lose in the Atlantic and you will probably lose the game. Win in the Atlantic and you stand a decent chance of invading Europe and taking Berlin.

I will also beef up the Axis and use the flags to help create a domino effect via events. If Malta falls then Spain may attack Gibraltar. If Tobruk falls the Germans will press on in the Middle East. If the Allies capture Benghazi then Torch will activate and so on.

Lots of ideas to implement.

[Boco]

Originally posted by McMonkey
@Fairline
And that is me in the stripey hoodie. The guys in the control room saw my imprecise parking over the weekend and e-mailed the picture to all my colleagues
My parallel parking is even worse!!!

Take lessons from this guy?

[McMonkey]

@Boco
Classic. Makes me feel a bit better about my misdemeanor!

Re: Strategic Bomber
I tested this out and to my dismay found that air units cannot function as spies. Tested it with a ground unit and they were fine to investigate, sabotage etc...

Someone mentioned this being used in Red Front. Is there a workaround to get this idea working?

I may be wrong but I am sure I tried out this idea in MGE scenarios and it worked. Is it just ToT that is stopping this?

[curtsibling]

Originally posted by AGRICOLA


Not quite a new idea. But I'd love to see it tried out in a scen. The recce unit is being incorporated in Red Front 1.4 TOT.

http://apolyton.net/forums/showthrea...hreadid=115641

Excellent article, AGRICOLA!

[McMonkey]

Just read the article. Its a pity that the bomber/recce idea won't work for this scenario. I was sure I had seen it used before but that must have been some pleasant Civ II dream I had!

Not the end of the world as I was not 100% sure about this model for strategic bombing in a game where a majority of the AI's units will be produced via events.

I may well include an armoured car recce unit in place of the Mosquito. I will also revisit some of my (possibly not original!) earlier ideas for strategic bombing.

EDIT: I did add a Spy unit for Bonaparte III multiplayer who could only investigate cities. I think this type of unit may work for Fortress Europe as it designed solely for play as the Allies. I guess giving this type of unit to the AI would allow them to steal techs and bribe units no matter how you tried to manipulate the GAME text!

[McMonkey]

I have been making good progress on this project. Sounds and Icons are sorted. Eliminated all the farmland terrain I had placed which was a tedious job! The unit stats are coming together and I have started some playtesting.

A couple of questions:

1) If I use the semi colon to make notes on the events after the unit co-ordinates will this have any negative effect on the game?

I have tested it and it does not crash the game but I was wondering if it took up any space in event memory?

EG:
locations
130,64 ;Berlin
endlocations

2) Whilst compiling the icons I noticed that the wonders seem to be out of sync. I have not worked out exactly what has gone wrong but it seems that they have all shifted along one space. Is this a common problem when converting from MGE to ToT?

For example, the Red Cross (UN) seems to be in the Apollo Program slot. When I check in the Civlopedia the Red Cross shows the UN picture on the left but the text says it allows the construction of spaceships!?

I have checked the rules file and I have not missed out any lines. I tried replacing the PEDIA file but that has no effect!

Help!

EDIT: Just tested and the Wonders are fine in the game. Its just the descriptions that are wonky! Can't work out which file needs to be ammended.

Also, what is the best way to keep the Great Wall wonder in the game for its City Walls effect while ignoring its diplomatic effect? Do I pick the Total War option and/or Specal WWII-only AI in the cheat menu?