Nice work Nuke, I like the flag. And just an FYI, Warhawk has quite a few preset factions up and running for those whom writing one from scratch might seem a bit daunting.
Because it seems that a lot of people will only join after the game has proven to be worth the time and effort, I've decided to allow for that by correcting a few design errors with the game map. Namely: I've fixed Glukhovsky's 2005 map by adding stations built between then and mid-2013, and adding overland passes between the most easily navigable stations. This includes following broken monorails and major roads. Among other changes are more links at the extreme ends of lines. In addition to increasing the number of available start positions, these new connections prevent the game from stagnating into a gigantic "push" map where a new player joining in one of the ends has no choice but to deal with whoever is there at the base of the Ring. They can now "flank" around the city, bypassing some lines with others. While this still does not give you absolute freedom to walk overland from point A to B, it certainly increases the area along a "frontline" between factions, and can result in interesting problems if key areas have, I dunno, radiation problems? My next objective is a comprehensive rules and rules discussion topic. The main issue is describing it in simple enough terms without adding all of the detail involved in the design process. In the meantime I've also tweaked a few rules regarding neutral stations: After all of that bickering, yes, you will finally be able to buy resources for MGR. Neutral stations that have a bonus resource will be able to sell 1 per turn to a player faction in exchange for a fixed amount of MGR. Between this and the existing rules, there will now be more excuses to keep neutrals in the game, adding "players" where there are none, and causing more complex issues to arise ("Well we can't just gas them because X, Y, Z...")
Actually I just realized that wasn't fair: If any of you guys want to change your starting positions based on this new expanded map, for future planning, let me know. I'll re-shuffle your station's environment and conditions. I'm staying put, half because of roleplay, half because the start is so terrifically bad that it's proof I'm not cheating!
The rules thread is up and about half-way complete. It's open for questions and comments now, since I won't need any more posts for the index.
The rules are up and effectively done. If it makes it easier on the eyes I can upload a bunch of pictures as visual aids, but really this is the kind of game that's easier to play than describe. I've changed some things from what's been seen in this thread. Some numbers swapped, a few nuances. That thread's info will be the authority; the info in this one will be available as a backgrounder or a reference for how things are done. My weekend, and next week, are going to be incredibly busy due to work, so it may be better to just wait for Bamul to get back anyway. Now would be the time to ask questions, post example turns, kick off initial roleplay threads, that kind of thing. This is a pretty big project, I know, but once everyone gets into the swing of it things should progress smoothly. Depending on the pace, we may have days where we cram several turns at once, but I think at first we'll have day on-day off, so one turn every 2 days.
The weekend was hectic. This week may be even worse, but we've waited long enough. When I get back to my house I'll update the game thread with the first turn's map. You'll finally get to see what you have to put up with. I intend to cycle each turn around 8pm EST, since that gives me time to get back from work and crunch the numbers. I'll cycle the first turn on Friday, and the next turn on Sunday, and from then on every second day (Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday). It should give time for people to see how it works and also give Bamul time to join in if he wants to. The schedule is subject to change. I'll include a calendar forecast in the main thread, first post so people are aware of it. If you feel pressed for time because of RP, don't worry about it: the game will go on whether you write up stories in RP threads or not. Edit: The thread is up. Go for it.
Following advice from Potarto, I've updated the rules to reflect the following: - Stalkers only require filters when in hostile/hazardous/impassable locations; they can stay on the surface to avoid detection and harmful effects otherwise. This means you do not need to worry about Filters for Stalkers moving in unowned, hazard-free territory. It also means that Stalkers will not automatically die just because you ran out of Filters: you will just lose your invulnerability and will suffer hazard effects or get attacked when in hostile territory. (see rules section on Stalkers) - Issues with Plague have been clarified: Military units without Filters will be killed as if it were a Virus Bomb. Otherwise the hazard is considered "passable". This makes using the Virus bomb a bit tricky since the most economical way is to immediately clean it up afterwards, otherwise you will need filters. (see rules section on Hazards) - Issues with Exploration have been clarified: Exploring with units other than Stalkers is now possible, but very dangerous. Depending on what is encountered, there is a chance your men will get killed. Impassable hazards will simply cause you to turn around. (see rules section on Exploration) - Line of Sight for exploration should be obvious based on the map: You only reveal adjacent tunnels and bunched Transfer Stations. If you cannot occupy a station (collapsed, radiation, etc.) then you won't see past it until you send a Stalker or another military unit over the surface to check it out. This results in dead zones that you cannot see past.
And another update.. Good thing I gave it until Friday. So two players (Potarto and rolfwar) are adjacent to Neutral stations which are very small. Technically speaking they've started the game with double the population and military strength in their "adjacent" station. That's too bloody easy, so I'm revising that rule to exclude the 1 STR of Stalkers. You'll have to build a Militia unit to bring about a peaceful annexation.
So, we're three turns in and already stuff is getting kind of hairy. Let me fill you guys in on what's going on now: - Since expansion is taking a while, and since resources are initially 'very' strapped, I've taken the liberty of skipping the random plague/mutant attacks on our starting capital stations. I'll start applying it to the first station you colonize (Fort Novos right now) and then to all three once you've occupied a third. This gives you breathing room to gather enough resources to counter such disasters. - The percentage breakdown for resources, both during exploration and for stalkers, was adjusted in favor of more resources. Before there was a 55% chance of getting absolutely nothing, which was ridiculously harsh in practice. That has been reduced to 30%. With stalkers above-ground, it's 20% with a 10% chance of getting killed. - I neglected to handle the mutants correctly when it came to other NPCs: they should have attacked Kievskaya-B because it had equal or lesser military strength. In a 2:1 ratio, not only did the militia end up beating the mutants but they flat out wiped them out as well. I'm kind of embarrassed since that is completely in my favor, so if anyone wants me to roll that back, tell me. - I also neglected to consider the ramifications of having plague tunnels next to your starting stations. The rules state that adjacent stations with plague will increase the chance of it in your station, so that rules out tunnels. But it occurred to me that a plague station at game start would basically screw you over at once, so I've clarified that as being "plague station with a dying population in it." An empty plague station will not "share the love." - Paranormal locations have a 5% chance of turning dormant or active. Our first dormancy just so happens to the one that almost killed Nuclear's soldiers. Weird how that turned out, but hell, it's an anomaly isn't it? I take that as a good sign that it's in the spirit of Metro. - Rolfwar's been inactive the past two turns. I can't blame him. He'll be given the promised 3 turns of MIA before his station is converted into a Neutral. The map around him will remain visible.
Whew, the turns are starting to get a little more hectic now. But it can be done within an hour, so it's not that bad. Among some interesting updates: - Please welcome our new player, VSV, who's taking the reins of the Spartan Rangers. I wish him luck. - That curious anomaly that went dormant last turn actually came back. There was a 5% chance of that happening on both counts, put together a 0.25% chance of it happening back to back. That's some paranormal stuff right there! - One of Potarto's stalker teams was 1% away from getting butchered. Close call. - Rolfwar's Reich faction will be expiring as of this turn. It'll be converted to a neutral without his input.
That picture made my day. Note that when rolfwar's faction goes neutral, it'll retain everything it has. It won't be so simple a matter to annex them.
Everybody was already done so I cycled the turn 4 hours ahead of time just to get it out of the way. Well, two of our greatest fears came true: A Stalker team finally got killed (the first player unit in the game to die), and Polis is... well, Polis is a den of death and radioactive decay. Sorry, VSV, but it looks like the Spartans will actually have to 'work' to make Polis great this time! Also, the Lenin Library is radioactive, which is a 'major' impediment to travel in the future. You'll have to go above-ground to continue down the Red Line (which to be fair was already cut by the radiation near my faction), but more importantly Trade is screwed. On the other hand, we're finally getting close to actually bumping into each other, provided we can hack and slash our way through the last few stations.
Getting a little impatient again. I know the cutoff was tomorrow at 10pm, but I figured since everyone posted so quickly, and since nobody is fighting each other (no need to double-check moves) that it didn't hurt to just cycle the turn. I kept the next expected date, though, so it's Friday the 31st. Things are starting to get interesting. We're one station away from having a clear line from one end of the Ring to the other. Many neutral stations popped up, curiously with 8 pop, 4 militia as the standard. And wouldn't you know it, as I'm playing this song that comment I made in PMs about there not being any Research bonus on the map yet creeps up on me... and lands in a freaking Paranormal spot, our fifth so far. Creepy. VSV lucked out with an easy grab that can be annexed next turn. As for Nuclear... sorry, buddy, but the dice are just not with you when it comes to bonus resources! But at least there aren't a bunch of mutants like we're seeing elsewhere.
Nah, I don't mind, gives me a chance to check before work. Also Jesus, that plague spot is... pretty brutal. There's approximately a 1% chance he just dies in two turns, which is already higher than our chances of that anomaly doing its thing.
I'm not sure where this plague misunderstanding is coming from; did you mean that twin-station transfer hub with one neutral and a plague station? Stations are considered separate, regardless of being hubs. That plague area has no effect on anything not sitting in it, just like the haunted house near my capital has no effect on me. - A station with plague cannot be colonized - A station with plague will instantly kill any military unit in it without a filter applied - A POPULATED station that is suffering from plague and hasn't totally died out will increase the chance of plague appearing in neighboring POPULATED stations - All stations have a random chance of getting plague, but at this point, between low pop counts and a temporary crutch for low-station counts, it's usually only 1% - Units do not get plague
Ah. I see a few things that were probably confusing: 1. Technically, the neutral stations are populated. You never said that they didn't count. 2. He probably figured it was a chance to just spread to the nearby station, since they are neighbors. We also have no idea how big this chance is; if it's something like an extra 1%, it's practically irrelevant, but if it's big, like in the tens of percentage, then clearly that's not a risk worth taking.
If there's no plague icon (triangle) ON a populated station, then it doesn't have plague. An empty station with plague just has the full symbol. There's no provision in the RNG to create Neutrals, or any other station, with plague at the same time. The other station in the transfer hub is its own section, with nobody in it but remnants of plague. You stay out of it and you're peachy. IF the neutral, or a player, had plague, then the rules state that it would increase the chance of an adjacent station to get plague by 10%. At max population of 20, you have a 15% chance. So putting the two together, the highest possible risk is 25%. The lowest possible risk, which is all that applies right now, is either Zero (those who don't have more than 1 station) or 1% (10 Pop and under). The risk scales with population above 10 until you peak at 15%. It's the same principle with Mutants, though at slightly higher rates. The percentages are really low in the front end to encourage spreading out and growth, but higher on the back end because these are meant to be late-game effects when big factions are duking it out.
