Idea for an \"SP Challenge\" game
 

Has anyone ever tried to create/run an SP challenge game? The game could have many variants but the gist would be to have everyone start and finish the same SP game (against identical AIs) in the shortest amount of time.

A few variants.

1. "Hand you're dealt" -- Where the game is set up with a fixed player nation/scales (e.g.) Nation "X". All players then see what they can do with Nation X against, say, 4 (identical) AI opponents. Again Map/pretender/nation/scales/"AI nations" and starting position for each player is the same.

2. "Roll your own" -- Same as above but players declare a Pretender scales before given identical maps/AIs and starting location. Again fewest turns wins. Only players that declared are elible for "Curtain #1".

3. "Stunted Rutabaga" -- As #2 except *no* declaring a starting nation/scales/pretender. Try everything. Could even be a follow up series from Variant #2 (same map). Make a case why your pretender/scales rock the casbah!

Certainly many will reload and replay bad battles (and that could even be allowed). Holler if I'm full of hooey here. Would not be the first time... http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/wink.gif

-SSJ

Re: Idea for an \"SP Challenge\" game
 

sansanjuan,

It is a very interesting idea but I am afraid it would only be a test of patience and tenacity instead of skill. With sufficient number of replays one can win battles against incredible odds and get good events that could be game-breaking even without any luck scale.

I suspect it would not be fun.

Re: Idea for an \"SP Challenge\" game
 

I've had an idea to post some of my tough SP games as SP challenge/puzzle scenarios. Can you prevail (or even, survive) against the AI in this situation?

Re: Idea for an \"SP Challenge\" game
 

I've recently taken to playing both sides in duel games. Just set it up as a hot seat game, and play both sides. It's quite fun, although you have to be a bit schizophrenic as you switch from side to side.

Re: Idea for an \"SP Challenge\" game
 

Hey now, I know a way this could work.

Either host the games yourself, or see if Gandalf or Llama would have room on their server for several small blitz sized maps, knowing that they're going to essentially be SP games.

But in any case, taking the hosting away from the players, so they can't reload old saves, or monkey around with things at all - they have to play the game through.

I'm intrigued by this idea..... Would be neat to do with a preset scenario, with some interesting encounters on the map that you would plan around, needing certain power to win them, but with nice rewards to gain in needed power as well.

Re: Idea for an \"SP Challenge\" game
 

Sounds like an excellent idea and JimMorrison expand that to something I have always thought about. Preset scenarios.

I've even started making my own scenario using the old game Warlords map and factions with preset scales and pretenders for every nation. The scenario would be SC and magic light and would more be focused on troops and battles between troops.

Anyhow I would welcome any challenge game regardless of how it's done. Since I don't have time to play MP games this would suit me just fine.

Re: Idea for an \"SP Challenge\" game
 

The idea sounds interesting, and more interesting again with Jim's suggestion if llama or GP can handle the hostings. Obviously, replaying battles shall be strictly forbidden, or they wo'nt be a lot of challenge at all...

I would give my preference on a #2.5 variant : the nation is fixed, maybe the pretender's physical form is fixed, but his magic and scales are left at the option of the player.

Anyway, the other options will also be fun in a challenge serie. Of course, AARs will be encouraged ^^

Re: Idea for an \"SP Challenge\" game
 

2 weeks ago i started my (unreleased) hunting ground mod to make some SP challenges. Its based on my also not revealed training ground mod where all non battle-spells cost nothing , all (incl. national) spells are available and some other approvements like typical equiped SCs and magicfull armies for the reason of testing.

Both are still in work at the moment. The hunting ground mod is something like gear up some adventures out of a big pool and clear the field with them. The opponent starts as a 'human' player and get scripted orders in the first turn. The mod delivers a savegame and starts on the second turn.

Main problem is i found no way to "save" the orders i gave in the first turn. So after any change in my mod i've restart the game and realocate all orders + positions on battlefield which is ...somehow stupid! Any hint here is welcome.

Re: Idea for an \"SP Challenge\" game
 

All,
Thanks for the feedback.

JM - Great thought. A controlled environment would make a win much more meaningful. Llama? Gandalf?

PvK - Also a nice idea. We could call that scenario "Go ahead and reload". http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/wink.gif
-SSJ

Re: Idea for an \"SP Challenge\" game
 

There have been a number of great idea threads. The game supports many more variations than most players ever experience. This is one of my favorite threads..
Sitting on the Fence

One that might work well for your idea would be a tower map. Really tall but only wide enough for about 10 provinces. All nations would be placed specifically with the player at the bottom. You would have to fight thru them one at a time (hopefully) and see how far up the tower you can get in xx turns.

I have created a few AI challenges and run them. I remember D.A.R.E. (Deadly Atlantis, Rlyeh, Ermor alliance) Where Ermor was in the corner of the map behind multiple castles, and allied with a water nation on each side of it. The players all could only start on the upper half of the map far from the deadly AI alliance.

Another created a bunch of little AI nations which were all feeding Eaters of the Dead. You were in a push to try and take as many out as possible before they broke loose.

Re: Idea for an \"SP Challenge\" game
 

Oh I meant to add that YES I can host a challenge designed game if you want, and provide the winning statistics.

Re: Idea for an \"SP Challenge\" game
 

I've created two "SP Challenge" games, yet I haven't released them because at this time they encounter the commander and unit limitations.
These maps are 705 provinces or less and do not use the mass unit producing nations, yet they still encounter the commander and unit limitations.

This next patch might be enough to avoid the limitations currently encountered.

Re: Idea for an \"SP Challenge\" game
 

Awesome NT. I wonder if to get our feet wet it might be best to start with a small map. This might bring in more players. Might be useful to hand pick the AI opponents (including pretenders and scales) and bump up the supply feed (work around the AI starvation issue). Make the AIs/Scales as strong as legally possible. Throw down the gaunlet NT! What do you think about allowing players to play the same game more than once (though only the first one counts for score to minimize leveraging preknowledge of sites, etc )? I'm psyched. This migth involve significantly more SP players in the forum/community.


My $0.02,
-SSJ

Re: Idea for an \"SP Challenge\" game
 

Thanks GP!

Want to stress that whoever submits the game makes the rules! Didn't want to sound like my suggestions are anything more than that.
-SSJ

Re: Idea for an \"SP Challenge\" game
 

Totally.
I HOST games but I dont tend to RUN games. I think that most of the hosts end up in the same boat. Its enough hassle to do the hosting. Its VERY helpful if someone else starts the game thread, debates the settings, sets the rules, gets the players, checks the thread multiple times a day (or at least daily), and then is the one person who PMs me of anything needing a change. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/laugh.gif

Re: Idea for an \"SP Challenge\" game
 

This topic made me think of "Secret Mission Risk". Anyone play it? It's a game of Risk, but each player has a different objective to complete to win. For example, My mission may be to eliminate blue, your mission may be to conquer all of North America, and our friend's mission may be to conquer 40 territories. First one to complete wins.

I think that would be a cool twist to see in Dominions.

Re: Idea for an \"SP Challenge\" game
 

Itchykobu,

You can do that in MP already. You just need some way of proving to the other players what your secret mission was, without showing them the card.

-Max

Re: Idea for an \"SP Challenge\" game
 

This seems to be taking shape and becoming more and more interesting. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/smile.gif

Re: Idea for an \"SP Challenge\" game
 

I would eventually like to take a crack at hosting an "SP Challenge Game" on your server. Having never hosted before I'm curious how we'd run such a game(s). Would we create a dozen clones of the game on the server (game1,game2,game3, etc) and have each player assigned to a specific cloned-game where the game would act exactly like an MP game except all nations would be AI (except the player's of course)? Is there a way to do this with a single game and behind the scenes each games would save in a subdirectory named the specific username of the player? e.g. a filesystem redirection based on the user's submissions.

-SSJ

Re: Idea for an \"SP Challenge\" game
 

I would also be interested in hosting two or more types of "SP Challenge" on Gandalfs server. I believe having a sticky in the Multiplayer and AARs forum called SP Hall of Fame/Scores would also generate interest in participation. Greater methods of SP game balance can also be achieved using a MOD which removes spells and items which cripple AI opponents. Spells like Astral Corruption and Utterdark quickly kill AI opponents since the AI is unaware. Players should be allowed to play the game more than once, but only their first play counts as the score. Also if Gandalf has a method for identifying the IP address or MAC address of the individual logging into the server we can greatly decrease cheaters using multiple names. My large "SP Challenge" maps use victory points otherwise the games would take almost a year or more to finish.

Some maps remove optional game settings such as Dawn of Dominions where the research level or other settings cannot be chosen. I wonder if there's hidden commands for specifying these settings within the .map file and then locking them... probably just my wishful thinking.

Another suggestion for drawing the greatest interest is by providing a small map, a medium map and a large map for the SP challenge. If KO or JK were also to complete one of the SP challenges it would also draw interest from other members to participate.

Re: Idea for an \"SP Challenge\" game
 

NT,
That would be the cat's pajamas if you could set things up for the SP challenge. Your mod skills are well known and will be indispensable. I would be happy to assist in anyway I can (even if I'm just waving pom poms most of the time). Given enough participation it might be statistically significant to measure the relative strength of different nations more meaningfully than is currently possible. I would like nothing more that to see Nief/TC/Ermor's aggregated scores eclipsed by a brilliant strategy by a supposedly weaker nation. I would predict that scores for fewest turns would generally get much better as new players absorb AARs and fine tune strategies to attack the map. This is all good stuff. My second prediction is that MP participation would rise as some SP only players might become emboldened by the "DOM on a server" experience.

Note: I'm not saying SP-only players are wall flowers or anti-social. Only that some may perceive multiple barriers to MP play where one such barrier is setup and playing on a hosted DOM server (really quite easy). I Know I was quite hesitant myself at first being an older guy with zero PBEM experience.

Victory Conditions on the large map sounds very interesting and now makes sense to me.
-SSJ

Re: Idea for an \"SP Challenge\" game
 

Dominions is very efficient at being a server. Having multiple instances of it running is not a problem. Especially if its not on Windows (in this case Linux which is also very efficient for being a server)