Looking for Advice/Artists/Etc for my next scenario "Rising Sun"

[DarthVeda]

Thanks to ToT, my latest scenario work had to be put on hiatus.

Which leaves me to my next project, another World War II scenario!

One note of warning first though, it will be for Civilization II: Test of Time

I will be calling it "Rising Sun". If the name doesn't give clues, here you go:

It will depict the course of the Japanese Empire from July 1937 to sometime around 1945 or later. It will only be playable from the Japanese side. I do not intend to make it easy for the player to win. I will tell you now that once 1944 roles around, it will become nearly impossible to achieve victory. I already have 6 pages of notes filled with original ideas, but I am some sort of maniac and need more.

Here's a sample of what I've developed so far:

• An AI that will employ over 6 different possible strategies according to situation (2 historic, and 4 developed by humans) and will adapt to the changing atmosphere of war
• Events structure similar to Red Front
• Necessity of capturing heavy resource areas and sending the raw materials home for use.
• Severe economic and industrial penalities when the U.S. cuts of trade in late 1941.
• Alternate history possible--If axis alliance had never been ratified
• Conscription drives available through research efforts.
• Ships available for production from certain naval cities only.
• An unrelenting American AI that will only get more difficult the longer the war proceeds.
• Many internal wonders available for construction, such as tonarigumi or kenpeitai.
• A vicious air campaign against the home isles if the player should allow airbases to be established within range of the isles.
• I have more, but I don't want to give them away.

Please post as many suggestions as possible to this post!

In addition, I need some artists. So far, I have drawn many units myself, but I realize they are somewhat lacking. I cannot stress how much I need artists to turn this into a first class scenario. I will be writing a few e-mail appeals to people I consider some of the best (if not THE best).

Production will begin in earnest around December 17th (When I get off from school), and should finish sometime in early 2000.

[Black Dragon]

Have you played Harlan Thompson's "WWII Pacific"? That seems like what you are doing, you should probably check that scenario out.

[DarthVeda]

There are a few differences I can notice right off the bat:

• This scenario is being designed with the intention of playing the Japanese. Not being designed and then intedended for play as the Japs.
• Harlan's scenario has about 62 units, mine will have damn near 80
• WW2Pac starts in 1941 (about 48 turns after mine starts).
• Conflict with america in Harlan's scenario is supposed to be secondary while you deal with the chineese. In my scenario, you'll have to pay close attention to china, but even closer to the american pacific fleet.
• There is no dynamic AI in Harlan's scenario, there will be in mine.

Looking at Harlan's events, I am already getting the impression that his scenario is going to be incredibly easy to win compared to what I am planning.

Trust me, the two are going to be as different as day and night. Thanks for the pointer though
[This message has been edited by DarthVeda (edited December 06, 1999).]

[Kull]

The problem with Pacific War scenarios has always been that the AI is completely incapable of handling two things:

1) Carrier-based Air - As Harlan said, it's "almost an accident" if a carrier leaves port with planes on board. And this theatre, more than any other, was defined by carrier ops. If you can get the US to use it's carriers correctly, I'll be impressed.

2) Island Hopping - Same basic problem. The AI does not know how to attack single-tile islands with marines.

Having said that, you may be able to overcome those fundamental problems by working miracles with the Events file. After all, "Red Front" proves that intelligent use of events can offset AI stupidity (to a degree). Good luck, because it's not going to be easy!

[MagyarCrusader]

Kull,

I don't think Darth will be able to get the carriers to work properly. I couldn't either in my own "Rising Sun" scenario (same name as Darth's). I was going to make a japanese version but got sick of the topic, and had to kick myself just to finish the americans. But I had plans for the japs. Giving the americans a lot of aircraft (via events) would basically simulate the carrier war. Of course I was also going to give the americans navy, including carriers (if carriers are killed it would equal a monetary benefit for the japs and a monetary deficit for the americans).

Island hopping is no problem at all to simulate, especially with ToT. In my Rising Sun, I was going to have an event that created several marines each turn that would do the island hopping. The first location would be on an ocean square very close to japan, and then preceding locations be farther and farther away. Certain events (either a historical date, or an island being captured) would trigger the ocean square to be converted into land, which would create the marines on the next island (in ToT you can use both as triggers). Also, tot allows you to create several units in 1 event, so you can create huge armies to do the island hopping.

------------------
Canada sucks

[DarthVeda]

The AI will be events driven. I've currently planned for about 6 personalities.

It will make a decision on which route to choose based on your previous actions. (Say you didn't bomb pearl harbor, perhaps it will use "Plan Orange", or if you are weak from a long war with China, it will seek to reinforce the Chinese allies.)

Using Give technology and Take Technology will be very good for giving and taking orders to or from the AI. In addition to my own AI personality, I've had 3 friends add their own AI routines to my notes.

I can get carriers to areas operating with fleets, but I'm not sure I can make the AI use them. (Outside the obvious "attack" role).

Even if the AI refuses to use Carrier Air, it will be incredibly difficult to beat their navy and air force.

I'm going to push around a few possiblities.

One of which is trying to use American carriers as Domain 0 units, making the land a restricted area, and allowing every other non-sea unit to pass through restricted terrain. Then give the U.S. carriers an aircraft receiving capability. I could try an air superiority or attack role in addition. (Perhaps the AI will mistake it for an Aircraft and when attacking with aircraft, move the carrier up along with the other aircraft--I know the attack role works well for explorers/scouts--so I'll make a carrier with no attack value)

Any other ideas on how to proceed with an "enlightening" of the AI?

And what I'd really like is names of projects (WoW) that Japan could build (Outside Hoover and Adam Smith--I have special purposes for those)

[Michael Daumen]

What about the Matsushiro Daihon'ei (the Imperial General Headquarters at Matsushiro), a complex of tunnels near Nagano that was planned as the hideaway for the Emperor in the event of US invasion? Perhaps as the Great Wall. In ToT you could even start it off as obsolete, then remove the obsolescing tech once the US gets close to home waters.

[DarthVeda]

(*BUMP*)

Thanks for all the ideas guys!!