My scenarios are too hard!

[techumseh]

While waiting for some playtest results from my new super-hard version of Red October, I've been passing the time playing another scenario of mine, Frederick the Great. And I find it's too hard! Not that it can't be won, but for casual play, it takes too much effort and a single mistake can cost you the game.

So I made a new version of the events, which gives the Prussians some modest reinforcements each spring. I also made a bat. file to switch the Introductory events with the Advanced (original) events, and packaged it as a patch for the scenario.

I haven't tried the new intro version yet, but I believe it will be somewhat easier for less than expert players (such as myself). If this is sucessful, I will do something similar for the new version of Red October.

[Heresson]

hm, I always considered my playtesters bad players when they told me it's too hard

Anyway, if it's for ToT, I can't play it, because no-one's found the reason why it doesn't start on my comp

[McMonkey]

Your scenarios are challenging but that is a good thing. I managed to finish Frederick the Great after a couple of attempts and OMG on my second go. I like the idea of a hard version to really test the player and a quick version for less experienced players or for when you just want a leisurely play through without sweating blood!

One bonus of difficult scenarios is their re-playability. Whats the point in spending months (and in some cases years!) slaving over a hot PC to create a scenario that people can crack in an afternoon!

The thing I really liked about Market Garden was the choice of plans and the unpredictable way that canal bridges were blown, meaning that no two games would ever be identical.

[Elensar]

On the other hand, a scenario that is so difficult that you feel one mistake will force a restart can get frustrating too quickly, too.

Its a matter of taste, and a matter of how interesting the scenario feels.

[AGRICOLA]

Your scens are definitely extremely challenging but are not impossibly hard, provided that one chooses a good line of play and uses some of the tricks of the trade.

I found Market Garden much more difficult than Frederick the Great and, as you know, only some unorthodox lines of play got me through it. Frederick seemed easier because one could operate with linear lines of defence and make good use of river defensive bonuses. Also, pillaging all possible roads connecting Russian bases to Prussian cities really slows down and spreads out Russian attacks.

I have not tried the latest version of Red October.

I suppose that there is also the possibilty of including 2 sets of events: easy and hard.

Please continue your superb work.

[curtsibling]

Getting a good challenge is tricky - And I like the excitement that tech's scens generate - !

You never know if you are going to hold out against the AI for another turn!

[Elensar]

The key, if Curt and I are having the same thought, is to make it easy enough that you may be able to salvage a situation gone wrong, but hard enough that you have to work for a victory. I've never played Techumseh's scenarios (shame, shame, I know) so I can't say where the balance is here.

[curtsibling]

Elensar speaks true!

It is the nail-biting 'will the enemy knock out my last defender?' factor that makes for exciting play.

[Elensar]

Civ, unfortunately, does not allow for much in the way of fine "tactical" play, so one has to do that more carefully than in some games.

But yes.

Strangely, this applies better when your goal is to defend what you have than to attack something else. Being frustrated by failing to expand feels like you were given impossible goals, losing cities and fighting desperately has a more...last stand feel. A get-you-focused-on-this feel.

Not sure why, its a psychological thing.

[techumseh]

I agree with you, Elsenar. It seems that the most challenging tactical games are ones which require active and vigorous defense as opposed to offense.

This is much easier to achieve with Test of Time events, mainly because multiple units can be created with a single event, and also because events can be turned on and off.

It's also possible to combine offense with defence to make it even more interesting (eg. Market-Garden), but unless the AI can seriously hurt you, the scenario play is not going to be very different than vanilla civ.

[Elensar]

Not just challenging, but interesting. Somehow, struggling to mantain a defensive line is more fun than the struggling to attack, all things being even.

Agreed. Very Hard (relative to the player's comfort level) Regular Civ is not fun, either. Civ 2 is a good game, but there's only so many times you can play research-expand-improve-explore-conquer before you get sick of it. There needs to be something to respond to, some goal to achieve, some sense of atmosphere.