Just wandering how many of you map-makers/designers (or even potential map-maker/designers) are sitting on boards that you've started  ..or even ideas that you haven't started -- and possibly include why they're still sitting in mothballs.

I can say that in my case, I'm sitting on a few boards that are all but complete but for designer features I hope we'll see someday in the future.  I made them knowing full well they aren't currently supported ..as kind of a proof of concept.

M, what is the point of the thread? To light a fire under Tom? As if he wasn't busy enough?

I'm currently sitting on five reasonably complete boards.

Two are completely ready for release, and I haven't only because I worry the gameplay will be stalemate-prone and hence boring; in addition, one of them has a slightly difficult-to-decipher graphical distinction for continents that I haven't figured out how to satisfactorily resolve.

One is in play-testing, so I guess doesn't quite count. I find play-testing to be a slow process, as I get tired of playing the boards so I take breaks.

One needs a large number of factory bonuses added, and I don't feel like doing it by hand so I'm waiting until Ozy releases a script for it =)

And the last needs some graphics work and gameplay re-working and play-testing and is overall just a lot of work away from release. And I just haven't felt like putting in that work. I also have another handful of partial ideas waiting in the wings, but those mostly lack the graphics right now (that's the slowest part of the process for me in some ways, and the most likely reason a board will get bogged down).

I'm sitting on my Qwerty board until border-specific viewing modifiers are available.  I think you got a chance to test that one, M.

I've got a couple ideas that I'd like to do, but I haven't had time, mostly because I've been trying to get a map done for each competition.  I also have a couple ideas I've had and are basically waiting on per territory minimums and random capitals, but I'm waiting patiently because I also have a few ideas that I'm still working on and can be completed with the current feature set.

I find play-testing to be a slow process, as I get tired of playing the boards so I take breaks.

I completely agree with this.  Sometimes I have to make a simple board just because the play-testing is so much faster/simpler.

One needs a large number of factory bonuses added, and I don't feel like doing it by hand so I'm waiting until Ozy releases a script for it =)

I'm kind of glad that you are waiting on this, because it gives me more incentive to get it done.  I just need a couple of hours to put it all together.  Maybe this weekend.

Thingol wrote: M, what is the point of the thread? To light a fire under Tom? As if he wasn't busy enough?

Yes, and no..

Tom lights his own fires.

Tom is asking about priorities going forward now that the native player is up and running.  It only benefits Tom if he has a better sense of the wants and needs of designers, who by the way, represent a small minority of the WarGear community.  Moreover, there are only a handful of us that push the edge of designer's capabilities and have vision for future capabilities, and these are important for the success of the site.

It occurred to me that the number of hanging designs (coupled with the reasons they're in limbo) might be a gauge that helps us all get a handle on things. If there only a few designs out there hanging for lack of designer support, I suspect Tom might feel much less of a sense of urgency to work on that aspect of the site.I have outlined 5 or 10 features that I would like to see in the designer.  Some are much more important to me than others because I have outstanding designs that require them.  Some of them are simple toggles for things like " elimination by last territory OR unit" (Actually, I haven't asked for that one until just now), while others are game changers, like Movement Count, which would be much more involved and time consuming to integrate into the designer, and that's why I have a number of boards outstanding for proof of concept of that particular feature.

I am happy with the site right now; if I wasn't, I wouldn't be playing and designing.  I'm perfectly happy to wait for features I want, and I realize that some will never see the light of day. 

I agree with M.  The sheer number and variety of Designer tweaks/mods possible might give Tom a fuzzy picture of what the highest priority is.

M57 wrote:

Just wandering ..

While it's likely I was 'wandering,' I meant to say 'wondering.'   :^}

I have 4 or 5 boards I'm working on in the few minutes a week I have time..  Including a WW2 board based on my Civil War design and another board that's way bigger than it should be but I like it anyway..

I got like 15 boards/ideas that have all stalled for one reason or another.  Mostly that they need some work, and I haven't put the time in or solved the problem/s. 

Some of them are good and ready to go, like "Balance", but just need some communication clearing up... others I'm saving for the right time (for the competitions and all) and some require more playtesting to get it right: Biomes

It's a process for sure. 

Thanks M for the expound. Viper, always looking forward to a new WW2 game. ;)

Maybe a Board Designer's development priority list would be a good idea as well?

Yes. How might we/you go about doing that?

A new forum thread would work