Purchasing in Multiplayer

[Celeborn]

I very much like the new purchasing option for some of the multiplayer scenarios but thing that a few modifications would significantly ramp up the fun value:

a) provide the option for *all* multiplayer scenarios (why-o-why can't we purchase forces for historical scenarios? If issue is play balance then allow option for players to mutually agree on number of points available to one or both sides. If agreement isn't practical then a bid system can be used whereby player bid points to play a specified side and whoever bids the least gets that side)

b) allow purchase of all units available. This could lead to some ahistorical OBs for historical scenarios but it is a price worth paying to be able to use all of the units. (the optimal solution of course would be to limit OB options for each historical scenario to what was available at the time of the battle but that would require some research)

c) allow purchase of all effects like artillery, medic, etc.

With these changes I think the game would get a massive increase in re-playability with what I hope would be a minor investment of developer time. And yes, despite what Slitherine may have had in mind at first, this game (like CEAW) is absolutely, positively best experienced as multi-player.

PS. Hope also to see at some point the introduction of more fortifications (trenches, foxholes, mines, wire, AT-ditches, etc) along with ability to purchase and place them on map.

[pipfromslitherine]

All good ideas for sure. In fact, purchasing Bonuses was part of the original plan, it just never happened (which is code for "I never did it"... ).

While you are of course able to rejig existing scenarios for force selection, we wouldn't just flick a switch and turn it on for most of the existing scenarios, as they would certainly be unbalanced - the pricing wasn't set where it is now and the layout of forces wasn't designed for it.

Have all units available is a nice idea - to allow for ahistorical play. I will add it to the wish list.

The next update (any day now!) allows for objects which have effects (e.g. mines) and you could pretty easily add in-battle purchase of them if you wanted (hmmm, although it might be tricky to lay them unless they are from a unit thinking about it, but it is doable).

Cheers

Pip

[Celeborn]

Pip,

Many thanks for the quick response. I think I see your point re allowing wide open purchasing on existing scenarios, however could that perhaps be addressed by converting the historical OBs back into points? Put another way, if the current OBs in a scenario are deemed balanced then the attendant points one would need to purchase that OB should be about right. It might not be perfect but I wonder if it would be good enough, especially if coupled with option for players to bid points and thus let their own play experiences inform calibration of the point totals.

I am also quite happy to hear that additional fortifications will be allowed and hope that there will be a mechanism to add them at scenario start. The one exception I could see would be foxholes which I think infantry could create during a battle (perhaps with construction time dependent on the number of men in the unit)

Very much looking forward to next upgrade and next expansion which I will optimistically title "Fire in the East"

Steve

PS. Praying for smoke capability for off-board artillery, all ordnance >70mm and squads (with engineers and/or elite getting enhanced capability)

[veritas]

All good ideas. I especially like the suggestions for purchases on all MP scenarios, ability to purchase Bonuses, more fortifications, and smoke capability. "City River" is the only scenario I've seen so far that includes the option to fire smoke rounds from a mortar.