Author Topic: Map stuff  (Read 5075 times)

Offline Arthanor

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Map stuff
« on: November 16, 2015, 08:54:38 pm »
So after playing a (game) year of Piratez, I've come to some pretty solid feelings about maps:

1 - F*cking caves!!! Why are there so many? I agree that they are a cool little addition, but much like in real life, finding one should be a "ooh! There's a cave there!" rather than, "yup, that's the 3rd cave of the map, like every other map". It's like you can't step outside without stumbling on a cave network. Checking them is very often a waste of time, but you gotta do it for the 20% time when some enemy waits in to ambush you. Checking a cave once in a while is cool spelunking, 2-3 times a map is tedious. Isn't there a way in mapscripts to restrict the occurrence of certain map blocks? I'm thinking [0 0 1] or maybe [0 0 0 0 1 1 2].

2 - I really like how Piratez maps are smaller than usual, but somehow the supply ship's is really big. Is that another way to discourage supply ship farming? (If so, that's totally fine, if not, then it makes those maps really annoying to scout for the lone baby nuke rpg-dude). In fact, making the maps smaller might be a different deterrent, as you will get a good number of very well armed foes in a tight area, so it should be a very intense battle where they defend the ship, instead of this weird search.
« Last Edit: November 16, 2015, 08:57:16 pm by Arthanor »

Offline Dioxine

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Re: Map stuff
« Reply #1 on: November 16, 2015, 09:07:44 pm »
1 - F*cking caves!!! Why are there so many?

Ask Hobbes, I'm pretty much parroting his choices & happy with it (making these maps must be an enormous job, I leave it to the choices of the wiser man).

2 - I really like how Piratez maps are smaller than usual,

? - no, they're the same or bigger (same for most ships, larger for Pogroms and Cruisers). But in a way, they're 'smaller' since your soldiers are 25% or so faster.

Is that another way to discourage supply ship farming?

Yes. It's not about sheer difficulty or just the risk factor, it's about making people who play these missions as miserable as humanely (not 'humanly') possible (without crossing the line of being a savage).

Offline Arthanor

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Re: Map stuff
« Reply #2 on: November 16, 2015, 09:42:45 pm »
Ask Hobbes, I'm pretty much parroting his choices & happy with it (making these maps must be an enormous job, I leave it to the choices of the wiser man).
hum.. well, as cool as the caves were when first introduced, I will make a "map mod" to reduce their occurrence now. Really tired of them.

Quote
? - no, they're the same or bigger (same for most ships, larger for Pogroms and Cruisers). But in a way, they're 'smaller' since your soldiers are 25% or so faster.
Really? The maps for regular UFO crash/landings "feel" smaller. Meridian said something to that effect in his episode 3 as well, which made me think about it. Maybe it's just a feeling based on TUs of the gals, you're right.

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Yes. It's not about sheer difficulty or just the risk factor, it's about making people who play these missions as miserable as humanely (not 'humanly') possible (without crossing the line of being a savage).

lol ok! Maybe assaulting landed supply ships should be very likely to cause a retaliation? That would make it less interesting to farm ;) I get so many supply ships (I have.. 7 bases or something? 6 in Europe..) and they're from the church too, so have a few chryssalids! it's annoying to see them zoom-by and have to restrain yourself because they're too risky. Maybe I need to try to shoot them down. If they blow up, that might make things more manageable, especially with the additional entry point. But I guess no engine takes away the main draw.. but baby nukes and gauss weapons are nice too..! Especially since I can't make ammo.

Offline Dioxine

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Re: Map stuff
« Reply #3 on: November 16, 2015, 10:09:02 pm »
Shooting them down disables the bomb and indeed makes things easier. But they're not that easy to shoot down - they will try to flee :)

Offline Arthanor

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Re: Map stuff
« Reply #4 on: November 16, 2015, 10:13:51 pm »
uh.. I better get the brainers to whip up something better than rocket launchers for the crafts then..

My main worry isn't the bomb (it doesn't take 20 turns) but the baby nukes hiding in the forest (you REALLY have to spread out if you don't want to lose more than 1 gal/dog) and the (#%#)!^)$&@ chryssalids in the craft. I expect the trader and academy supply ships I should see soon will be easier to "farm" (they decided to build bases after the church infiltrated the countries.. my major factions are really into colonizing in this game!).

Offline Cristao

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Re: Map stuff
« Reply #5 on: December 10, 2015, 10:09:46 am »
Pet peeve. Terror maps. I really need to check if 'Sneaky AI' is on. There are always 2 or less enemies hiding. It is really difficult finding them. I had to mass produce Aye Phones.

Offline doctor medic

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Re: Map stuff
« Reply #6 on: December 26, 2015, 04:27:25 pm »
Pet peeve. Terror maps. I really need to check if 'Sneaky AI' is on. There are always 2 or less enemies hiding. It is really difficult finding them. I had to mass produce Aye Phones.
If the map has buildings then you have to go inside each and every one of them,even if 20 turns past there can be some mercenaries fallen asleep inside hotels and it just makes me lose my patience and fire a china dragon at the damn thing.

Offline Solarius Scorch

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Re: Map stuff
« Reply #7 on: December 26, 2015, 05:07:22 pm »
If the map has buildings then you have to go inside each and every one of them,even if 20 turns past there can be some mercenaries fallen asleep inside hotels and it just makes me lose my patience and fire a china dragon at the damn thing.

https://youtu.be/QOVDxAJFiY8?t=3m10s