What has defeated me.

Nygma: So you just need somebody to add the continents?

berickf: If someone has the expertise to do it easily, that would be awesome. I don't know if that would be via python or WGAME, but, it has defeated me. Once those continents are added it'd be pretty easy to tweak the neutral counts to have a very playable board that, I think, should be a decent game? So, back to play testing and then submitting my first board for review!

Nygma: Let me look at the contients. I might do it by hand, as crazy as that sounds...

berickf: Very Crazy! I'm a patient person who can put their attention into mundane tasks like that, and, it blew my mind. Unless you have a trick using xml that can make it less cumbersome then using the designer directly... I can't help but think that this might require a python/WGAME expert.

The good thing is that if someone like say Ozy were to take on the task, I bet he could make it a very flexible tool that could be used for many blanket effects on many boards with variable effects depending on the fields of input made available.

Nygma: Doing this in XML might not be that awful by hand... If it were a grid it would be signifcantly easier. If you can devise a spreadsheet with 3 columns, the second is the territory, the third is every territory that territory borders. So there are gaps in the second column. The first column is the "Territory ID" which you can get from the XML. With that info, it might not be that hard to do. It would be even more helpful to make a list for each singles, pairs, triples, and quads (however big you want to go), but that's a lot of work on its own. It just ensures that the XML will be correct.

I do a lot of blind editing. I know how it's supposed to look and where the numbers go, but I don't always know what exactly it's doing while I'm in the XML, I just know it's right and what numbers to replace so the rest are right too. On a 10x10 grid, this is super easy because, if placed carefully, the territories go up logically. a1=0 a10=9 b1=10 b10=19. So you can find and replace memebers=" for members="1 Then find and replace members="1 to members ="2 and now you've laid 30 continents when you only really worked on 10. So now the members=0's are members =10's. So everything that affected a1, now affects b1 equally.

This you can't find and replace, but you can follow the list. As long as those numbers are correct, you just copy and paste the line, Keep the memebers, factories, and bonuses accordingly, and make sure none of your territory id's match. That's the most annoying part. I like to make them count from 0-9, then do the same thing with find and replace to add a number at the start for the next 10, so they next overlap.

I kind of want to do a skype call or something where I can share screen and show off my tricks to whomever is interested.

berickf: So, after I spread sheet column 1 = territory id's. column 2 = territoy name. column 3 = all adjacent territories to that territory... Then I'd have to list all two territory, three territory, four territory, five territory, maybe even 6 territory and 7 territory combinations that might be occupied by any player around that territory...

So, maybe make an example territory bonus with 4-5-6-7 neighbours and then for each new territory I'm looking up I pull up the 'same number of neighbours' example and start 'find and replace' all the new territory id's in... Probably best to just find and replace all the territory names with territory id's and work directly with the territory id's all over that spreadsheet... Also must be careful that if the example doesn't have the same territory as one being put in the new set... So, probably best to have an example that has 'terr 1', 'terr 2'... etc and then find replace 'terr 1' with 1023948 (territory id) and do that for each new territory that is being programmed.

I can see what you're getting at here. It sounds easier then directly editing the board with the designer.

berickf: update: ozy told me he'd look into creating a tool in WGAME that could create this effect, amongst others.

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In play testing this board, it became apparent that the first player to eliminate another went into a run-away situation and that it was able to be done too soon.

To combat this tendancy I devised that it would be good to increase neutrals, but, so as not to have a neutral bashing situation, instead to create a board wide hordes type effect that would naturally reduce the native neutral population - aka small pox.

So, any player held territory will reduce the neutral adjacent territories by 1 at the beginning of their turn.

If two adjacent territories are held, then, those two territories will be applying a -1 each, so, every pair of adjacent territories will need to have a +1 effect to maintain the -1 over all effect to the adjacent neutral territory.

If three adjacent territories are held then -1, -1, -1, +1, +1, +1 = 0, so, every set of three adjacents has to apply a -1 to offset the neutralization caused by singles and pairs of territories before it.

For four, -1-1-1-1+1+1+1+1+1+1-1-1-1-1=-2, so, another +1 bonus for every set of 4, and so forth and so on as each set increases following this same pattern of -1, +1, -1, +1 for every additional layer of adjacent territories held.

I once talked to Ozy about this and he said it was probably possible to create a script with python, but, that is way WAY over my head.

I might have tried something crazy and started manually programming this effect continent by continent, but, I don't think I did that yet so the board should be clean to apply such a modification if someone has the know-how to apply this effect.

If anyone takes on applying this modification, then thank you so much!

The New World - Small Pox Edition

As European Monarchies sought trade routes to the Indies, they surged into the great unknown to traverse the Oceans which went to the horizon and beyond. Undaunted by the threat of Sea monsters or falling off the edge of the earth, as the first to reach the Indies would be blessed with a near unlimited wealth via a direct corridor to the silk and spice trade. What lay between these brave explorers and their ambitions, however, was something beyond their imagination, A New World.

While not being part of the great Eastern civilization that they sought, they quickly came to realize that they had stumbled upon a bounty in itself. Though wrought in mystery and inhabited by many indigenous people, each European monarchy competed in their own way to make their mark in this land. Through treaties and partnerships with the people that they found, or by exploring deep into the continent to control precious trade goods, each monarchy sought control of resources to back their expeditions and colonial ambitions.

You are the King of one of these Monarchies and deciding how you will balance the use of treaties with controlling resources will affect the way you grow your holdings and how it is defended.

Treaties:

Upon establishing your fort(s) on far away shores you'll have the opportunity to occupy territories with indigenous inhabitants. For such indigenous groups that have 4 or more territories in their colour grouping they will provide you with recruits to assist you in your efforts of trade and conquest. If you are the first to reach such indigenous territory, it is defended by neutral ones and you will be rewarded according to how much of the territory you occupy. A single territory in a group will offer you no additional recruits, but when you take a second, you'll be rewarded with a recruit! The third will reward you with three, the fourth with six, the fifth with ten, etc. The caveat of such alliances, however, is that the recruits will originate from their home territories a little here and a little there and it will be your job to bring them all together if you want to raise a force to explore deeper into the continent or go to war with a competing empire.

For smaller indigenous groups of two or three territories, they were indigenous people who were found to be warring upon your arrival. As of such they have greater numbers and are therefore harder to conquer, but if successful they will also offer you more recruits. A two territory nation starts with having four neutral defending each territory, but if both territory are occupied you will be rewarded two recruits each round, one in each territory. A three territory nation starts with five neutral defending each territory, but if two are occupied you will attract two recruits and six recruits if all three are held.

In summation, Indigenous alliances for 4 to 6 territory populations (placed within their homelands)

1 territory held = 0 recruits

2 territory held = 1 recruit

3 territory held = 3 recruits

4 territory held = 6 recruits

5 territory held = 10 recruits

Indigenous alliances for 2 or 3 territory populations (placed within their homelands)

1 territory held = 0 recruits

2 territory held = 2 recruits

3 territory held = 6 recruits

Resources:

In the continent there are a variety of resources/incentives that can be controlled. They vary in number from three to six.

These include:

3 - Atlantic shipping route for each homeland (deploy to the homeland they belong to alone)

4 - Pacific shipping routes, Seals, Otters, Tobacco, Missionaries

5 - Beavers, Rum

6 - Lumber, Fish, Sugar, Precious metals (mines)

The reward for holding resources is as follows (deployed to homeland):

Hold 1 of any resource = 0 recruits

Hold 2 of any resource = 1 recruit

Hold 3 of any resource = 3 recruits

Hold 4 of any resource = 6 recruits

Hold 5 of any resource = 10 recruits

Hold 6 of any resource = 15 recruits

The caveat here is that the proceeds from all resources are paid to the Monarchy and thus recruits paid for by these resources will all originate in your home country!

The Slave Trade:

There is another way to get more out of some of your resource holdings, and that is by importing slave labour to The New World. For every Sugar, Rum or Tobacco resource you hold you can get an extra recruit out of each if you control the slave trade. These will deploy to your homeland. Since Africa needs to be visited to see if someone is controlling the ports, the slave trade can be taken and held on the sly if no one is caring to look!

Homeland and Forts:

Your homeland auto deploys two to itself each turn and each fort held will auto deploy one onto itself. Each Monarchy's primary fort is free to esablish, but the forts in the pacific will take a toll to establish your presence so far from home. They are initially defended by two units and, like all forts, enjoy a defensive bonus of 1. Your homeland and forts are capitals so when your last one is lost, you are eliminated. If you lose your homeland but still hold a fort, furthermore, all your resources are for not as the monarchy is now held captive. The occupier of your homeland, however, will be able to increase the market for their own resources and will start to conscript their own recruits from your homeland from the proceeds of plunder and trade. Luckily, homelands have a defensive bonus of two, which, if enough reserves stay home, should be able to help you protect it from unwelcome invaders.

Deployment Gameplay:

There is no per-territory bonus so it is up to you to determine how to manage your reinforcements (twenty) to collect your recruits and ferry them to the front lines to expand your territory. Return to attack and placement is on, so, you can manage your fortifications throughout your turn to get as much done as possible. Attacks are unlimited, so a big army can move far, but be careful not to extend yourself so far that you'll simply just lose all your gains before your reinforcements can arrive again to back up your aggression. The only time you will gain the advantage of manual deployment is for card trade-ins.

Visibility:

Being set to total fog, you'll not see what is in front of you as you move forward, but, once establishing a camp at the end of your turn, your men will have the opportunity to scout and reveal your adjacent surroundings for the beginning of your next turn. If you build up good relations with the Indigenous peoples, moreover, you'll be rewarded with information. Even if you are pushed out of your Indigenous ally's territories they will continue to report to you the movement and strength of your enemies until your enemy is able to build up their favour and steal the allegiance. (by holding the territory at the beginning of their turn). Homelands, Forts, and indigenous territory grant these visibility privledges, resources and shipping lanes DO NOT.

Diplomacy:

As you grow your economy and empire, once you hold 7 or more resource territories and/or forts, you'll begin to accrue diplomatic points. (one point for each owned from 7 and above) These can be used to either deploy Ambassadors to your rivals' nations or to assassinate the ones sent to yours. The importance of Ambassadors is that while they are living in the capital of your enemy they will be able to send you information regarding the strength of your enemy's homeland, their shipping lanes and their primary fort. If you're strong enough to mount an attack it could be important to know such details on their defenses. Ambassadors also inform you on who that enemy has deployed ambassadors to, Finally, it is diplomacy which is the route to developing espionage.

Espionage:

Once you have established your diplomacy you can also expand your foreign service to include espionage. Once you have taken control of your espionage center, then you'll be able to accrue espionage points for your own means. Espionage points are collected based on holding forts and homelands, but not your own homeland. So, forts and homelands additional to your own homeland will reward you 5 espionage points per fort and 10 espionage points per homeland. Espionage points can be used to weaken foreign forts and homelands at even dice, but cannot occupy. Being able to see your opponents homelands trough Diplomacy and then weaken them through Espionage will be the route for your continental armies to have a smooth passage towards the conquest of your enemies' homelands!

Resistance:

If your homeland is conquered, but you still have a fort on the board to harbour your interim government, then all is not lost. If you were able to build up a number of Espionage points, morever, then they will be invaluable for your resistance from foreign oppression. You can use your ability to conduct espionage on your occupier?s forces and pave the way for your own armies to mount a counter offensive to retake your homeland! You must act quickly though because once your capital is lost then if you are confined to but one fort on the board then your resistance will shrink in force each turn it goes unused. For your opponent to oust your ability to conduct espionage they need to take the civil route and quell your people through taking over your homeland's diplomacy and then exterminate the resistance. Alternatively they could seek out the fort(s) housing your interim government and stamp them out and eliminate you once and for all!

Good luck!