Korrun wrote:Sounds to complicated to me to scale with the fog. I think that would be confusing. I'd say just 2 attributes with 3 possible values each to keep it as close as possible to current fog that everyone is used to, but still give flexibility:
- See Ownership
- Don't See Ownership
- Default Fog View for Ownership
- See Unit Count
- Don't See Unit Count
- Default Fog View for Unit Count
Good call, this makes a lot of sense & gives you great control.
Ozyman wrote:And it's just complicated (the 'lighthouse-factory' workaround) - for the designer and for the player. Players generally prefer simpler boards - these machinations just make things harder to understand and make boards more intimidating to new players.
In my old WarGear age, I tend to be wary of suggesting or endorsing features that are kludgy. If the final fog solution is apparent, as unwieldy as it may be, then one-offs really only make sense if they serve that goal. That said, if the add-on is an easy one, and Tom is game, go for it.
Re: the comment that players may prefer simpler boards: many of these advanced features, used in the context of a primary theme (i.e. not in conjunction with 1/2 a dozen other advanced features) do not necessarily make the board more complicated - they simply define the 'twist' or characteristic that make boards unique and supports their backstories in an easy to understand manner.
Semi-OT I seem to remember when I was designing Anarchy and the neutral territories created by booted players would pile up with armies, ruining the game, Tom came to the rescue with - and + Auto Neutral Factories. I don't remember the specifics, but I feel like that feature request was just for me. I've used it since then - with boards like Ren Wars to populate the crown differently for each player, but it was a response to an individual need.