"Risk" /Basic Version for Newbies and Time-limited people?

[Also]

Now this might be possible with a mod, and I've also searched for a few key words in forums but not found the suggestion...

Basically there are a new range of players out there, people like me who *love* what you've done here, but I'm sorry, I don't have the time to learn all these development trees etc. That's why I never got in to World of Warcraft and yet something like Travian was just about doable.

If we think back to the board game Risk, Monopoly and even the old Civilisation/Colonisation/Populous and even Warcraft II and the original Command and Conquer they worked because you could learn almost ALL the rules within an hour and play against people who'd been at it for years.

As such I would love there to be a "Basic" mode, maybe with a pre-set list of weapons etc, that people could then just get up and run with. That way people could join in the occasional game or get friends to play Warzone for the one off few hour game who'd not seen it before.

Just so long as we don't have someone like my little brothers gf who in Warcraft II would set her army to pretty much auto build/defend an area, and fall asleep... Where upon the others playing would waste a lot of troops killing each other- then go to attack her to find a huge untouched army!

[BunkerBlaster]

When you select a map to play, below the maps you will see T1 T2 T3. Selecting T3 will give you the more advanced technologies without having to research up to that point. This might give you more of a feel of what the game is capable of and makes for easy game play without knowing the research tree (you still need to research to advance more). Also put the Base on Advanced, this will give you a pre built base if the map includes one.

[Per]

T2 and T3 are just even more bewildering in the sheer number of options immediately throw in your face. They break one of fundamental rules of game design - start the game simple, expand the number of options as you go. By the time a newcomer to the game has navigated through the maze of options to pick something that seems usable, he is likely already under bombardment and has lost the game.

I sympathize with the request, and hope to make such a mod/mode one day, if nobody beat me to it.

[NoQ]

Probably something like this is in this direction. Not starting at high techlevel, but ending there instead.

[BunkerBlaster]

And perhaps something with more tech also, like another noresearch mod.

[Iluvalar]

well that would need a bigger, more complex mod. At any given moment T there is only 1 or 2 weapons that are really effective. We'll talk about "timing". There will also be 1-2 more design, that will play the roll of the best counter vs thoses 2 weapons.

So basically if we freeze at one moment, we'll end up with 3 weapons and 1-2 bodies effective. All the remaining of the game can be thrown in the garbage.

I dont say that the mod request is impossible, but only that freezing the research is not a sufficient solution. Will turn into a boring '"do you know the winning design" game.

[NoQ]

I believe if we stop at, for example, HMGs, cannons, minipods and flamers, it's possible to ultimately balance up the endgame by varying the number of upgrades available for them.

[Zarel]

I believe if we stop at, for example, HMGs, cannons, minipods and flamers, it's possible to ultimately balance up the endgame by varying the number of upgrades available for them.

Way back in 1.00, T2 and T3 didn't exist yet. The tech tree only went up to:

- MG, TMG, HMG
- LC, MC, HC
- Minipod, MRA, Lancer, BB
- Mortar, Bombard
- Cluster Bombs
- Flamer
- Truck, Commander, Repair Turret, Sensor Turret, VTOL Strike Turret

- Viper, Cobra, Python
- Bug, Scorpion

- SLDA3

(This is from memory, so I might be off a bit)

1.00 felt a lot more balanced than 1.10 because of the shallower tech tree (I think that's why they did it originally, though Rman probably has more to say here). Endgame weapons were Lancer, MRA, and HC.

Lancer and HC are T2 now, though, so that might need a bit of tweaking.

I think our new cap should be at something like T1.5. Take Pumpkin's 1.00 tree, and add Heavy Repair Turret, CB Turret, Phosphor Bombs, Assault Cannon, and that should be good.

[Per]

Perhaps it would be less chaotic if we split the research of new stuff from the improvement of old stuff.

At the research lab you develop the mg tech. Then at the engineering lab you can improve the mg damage. (Click 'mg' then 'damage'?) Research lab can be cheap to build, but expensive to use. Engineering lab can be the other way around - expensive to build, but upgrades start out cheap then increase rapidly in cost.

Just some brainstorming from me...

[matthewfarmery]

that sounds like a good idea, and would act like a good filter, but wouldn't another bulding take up a lot more space? where space on some maps are pretty finite, but I think it would help to know what is major research and what are upgrades

but anyway, the idea isn't a bad one

edit

not sure if this helps, but maybe to solve the above problem, and you need less research structures (so you can have more space, and have two or 3 research structures tops

maybe speed up the research time, maybe by 20 / 30% so that you can easy research the same tech if using 5 research buildings, as 2, maybe make this an option, and enable / disable the engineering lab, so those that want to use 5 research buildings or 3 research buildings and 3 engineering labs

anyone else has some thoughts on this?

[Also]

Now you see this is an interesting question on game play which won't have a yes/no answer:

Option 1 - Sweet and Shallow
Simplified and heavily limited tech tree.
Each vehicle type: eg Flamer, limited to say two levels of how good.
NO faffing about choosing wheels/body/turret design wise.

Now this creates an interesting sub-dimension possibility:
- You could then do something ala Warhammer Ultramarines vs Blood Angels vs Space Wolves etc
They would be distinct because one team have slower heavier armour, one more long range but lower armour etc because of the wheel/body options/turret upgrades.
Physically ingame it would also help the visuals as each team could use different graphics set, even if the actual stats were kept the same.

Option 2 - Applying the T1, T2, T3 principles
As I understand the T1-3 idea this simply states do I need to research to build.
This could therefore be used to create the "Risk" style effect where a shallow tree instantly implemented means that you significantly lower the learning curve.
This forces the people to work on basic strategic skills rather which appeals more for the time-limited player as they can get stuck in for a 1-2 hour game.

I think the key to remember here is that this is a slightly different demographic.
This isn't a "Unix for techies vs Windows for Dummies" style argument , more of a I can cook in a hurry competently with 4 basic spices , but you chefs want a whole wall full to choose from .
The more I play, the more I might want to take the time to learn how to cook with the Cluster Bomb, but at the moment I'm quite comfortable with a Machine Gun, a Flamer and a few other bits.

[Iluvalar]

I made a new mod for you. look for the "noob friendly mod" in this topic :
viewtopic.php?f=5&t=7987

I hope you'll like it.