BA Skirmish mode with unit production (Beta updated v2)

[rf900]

Ha ha, that means you won, sorry didn't take too much care about the graphics.

So how was the game? Too easy I guess, any comments about the new mechanic in general?

[leci]

Hi Carlos - got the same screen playing on an iPad. Great mod! Enjoyable!

Some thoughts:
- Nice to be able to reduce the bonus values i.e. just not increase them
- play as the Axis?
- nice if a brief description came up when choosing a purchase
- nice if one could cancel a purchase
- will you be using other maps?

Still, superb. Nice to have the playing edge for once.

Btw - now on my Directory. Let me know if want me to change anything.

Gilles

[LandMarine47]

Hi Carlos - got the same screen playing on an iPad. Great mod! Enjoyable!

Some thoughts:
- Nice to be able to reduce the bonus values i.e. just not increase them
- play as the Axis?
- nice if a brief description came up when choosing a purchase
- nice if one could cancel a purchase
- will you be using other maps?

Still, superb. Nice to have the playing edge for once.

Btw - now on my Directory. Let me know if want me to change anything.

Gilles

I agree with Gilles. It would BA fun to do this through the eyes of British and German troops through the entire war! I'd love to drop some Fallschirmjägers from the sky onto American Troops great mod you should make an MP of this (people are going to abuse the Paradrops I just know it) also can you add a Priest? The Germans love to spam Wespe's and Specials for a bit then reverse to Volksgrenadiers and Regulars. (I spam Rangers and WASPS lol) also we should use Amaris's engineers to place tank traps blow hedges and cut down trees. And in the event of an MP for the fabulous mod limit the Paradrops. Or add them to both sides. I have more ideas and if you want to hear them PM me but other than that this is your best mod yet! Thanks LM

[rf900]

Thanks for the feedback, applying the code to other maps is fairly easy, if you have a specific one in mind let me know and I can do it. To play with other nations requires plenty of changes of unit names all around the code, so I will probably end up with separate mods for each. I am improving the AI in the next version, the one in the Beta is too buggy, also I changed paradrops to be used only on half part of the map closer to your base, so you cannot abuse capturing points or enemy base.

It probably fits better for multiplayer, just waiting for the next patch in which the UI panels can be used in MP matches.

[LandMarine47]

BTW can the Germans Paradrop as well? This happened to me in the Village I was moving a 50 Cal to the Church and all of a sudden in front of the truck were some fallschirmjägers! Lucky for me they spawned right next to some Rangers and f they can Paradrop I don't see any Parachutes! Is it that there was never a code for the initial animation but they still have ability to do this?! If so it going to be very annoying when you walk into town and next turn random Paratroopers kill you (yes the AI seems to drop them at the small house near spawn and both the VPs around the village as well as the village itself.)

Man do NOT give the AI a bunch of bonuses! They literally laid me under Siege inside the Village! They also laid down Dozens of Fallschirmanjägers all over the place! They spammed AT Guns. To stop my Airforce and used their 150MM on the Village. Luckily the Rangers held off an entire Armored Assault force with a Firefly and my AA guns taught the Lutwaffe a lesson or two. In the end the Airborne decided the fate when I dropped 4 units into the forest and assaulted the Germans at the VP near the crossroad. This was soooooo epic thanks for this mod hope you make more maps and some MP maps too

[rf900]

Yes, Axis can use the paradrop bonus but had no animation. I will add the animation and also the parachute object so you know someone landed there. I have set different levels for AI bonus usage,you can check the differences in the options panel help icon, but I will reduce them a bit in next release.

Will include some other maps in next version also to give more variety.

[LandMarine47]

I must say the AI is smart! i expected them to camp around VP"s but they are Highly Aggressive. They usually drop Paratroopers near VPs and reinforce them with Stugs and Marders. then they spam out AT guns to keep your Aircraft under control. for a while they bring out WESPEs and Panzerwerfers to keep infantry pinned and once that doesn't work they call upon he Luftwaffe to rain death onto the unsuspecting Americans Below. i counter them with the spam of WASPS and Rangers. No wonder Slitherine doesn't give you Rangers they are soooooo OP! 1 Ranger Squad held off an entire Tank assault then a Volksgrenadier Charge. but i am experiencing glitches 1. starting resources go into negatives for some reason. 2. Once you make a decision you cant take it back exp i wanted to put the difficulty on 1 but it went forward not back. but there are good things like 1. the AI is always aggressive and doesn't sit at a VP. 2 the AI doesnt know where your troops are so artillery strikes are random as what a real player would do. But one more thing you NEVER know where Airborne are you only see them drop. Can we have chutes left on the ground like in Husky? And when the Paratrooper Code was made it was based off a B-17 Bomb Run. Can we change this to a Fighter Bomber so I can be shot down? Think about it get a 3D Model of a C-47 Transport and replace the Typhoon with the model. Then Boom you have a C-47 that can be shot down. Same Rule for the Germans and British (possibly Canadian?) this will Limit Paratrooper drops in future MP and AA Guns will be VITAL. And to limit Specials on the field so we don't get Waffen SS/Ranger Spam. Now this is my personal ideas you don't have to follow them but they are good to balance future MP games.

[rf900]

I basically tried to give it a varied selection of units, but it can be improved as it does not take into account losses. The AI will play to win so it will try to hold 3 or even more VPs, glad it is presenting a challenge, although I must admit it has a few advantages over the player apart from the options you set in the beginning. Resources can go into negatives if you first buy a unit and then use a bonus, as the bonus check is done at start of turn only, will try to fix it.

To decrease numbers in the options panel you have to right click, is it not working? Also the AI setting (last setting) in that version will do nothing, I am working a lot on the AI not deploying AT guns in defensive positions and fast capturing points with quicker units.

I have already added chutes on the ground where enemy lands. Will work more on the paradrops, like the idea of using AA to bring them down before they fall.

Thanks for the great feedback, Carlos.

[LandMarine47]

Another thing that is kinda lol is the AI use their Artillery as tanks! I'm constantly seeing Wespe's and Panzerwerfers being the first unit to enter the town.... LOL but the Paratroopers are a constant threat since the AI seems to Drop them near the church use it a a base of operations.
As for the negative I literally start with -200 points every time no matter what option for starting resource I put in. I think it's the units that you buy before the game starts renders into the game thus giving the player negative resources. Remove this and see if it still has negative resources. Will check back later with more bugs of I encounter them
Thanks LM

[LandMarine47]

Ok I tried right click and it didn't work. When I Paradroped no chutes were found. And also I think 2 VPs should be removed so it can be 5 in total. Since the Player captures around 5 VP's and is able to receive a steady flow of points against the AI. Sure you may lose 1 or 2 but I always take them back on a few turns. So say remove the VP's surrounding the Village and then the AI would be MUCH more aggressive. By attacking from all sides except the Road leading to your base. And paratroopers would be even more effective as I would assume they would drop them all over the Village. Once again this is just my opinion so don't remove something just cause I said so. Try it for yourself and see if you like it or not
Thanks LM

[rf900]

I need to improve the behavior of support units for AI, will try to make them more cautious and stay behind. The chutes will be in next version, will try to post it before leaving for some holidays.

About the VP number, changing it right now is complex as the AI code will need to be revised a lot. For MP it is no problem to have 3,5 or whatever number of points (probably limited to 8 in total by game), that can be useful for large maps. In the next version I will include some bigger maps that will prove if the gameplay fits any kind of map and if the AI is able to play a decent game.

[leci]

Just a thought, 'right click' will not work on an iPad.

Gilles

[rf900]

Yes, I came to that conclusion after reading your comments. I have added another button to decrease the numbers in the options panel. I have also redone the paradrop code entirely, it now has a cooldown time and it can be shot by AA, I increased the cost to 90 also with these 3 changes it probably is no longer overpowered.

Trying to add an animation of the plane flying by before the parachute lands, but it is the kind of detail that I always leave for the last. Now I am testing other maps to see if the AI is ok, and thinking on how to add "easily" other nations so that you can play any map with different combination of nations.

[LandMarine47]

Yes, I came to that conclusion after reading your comments. I have added another button to decrease the numbers in the options panel. I have also redone the paradrop code entirely, it now has a cooldown time and it can be shot by AA, I increased the cost to 90 also with these 3 changes it probably is no longer overpowered.

Trying to add an animation of the plane flying by before the parachute lands, but it is the kind of detail that I always leave for the last. Now I am testing other maps to see if the AI is ok, and thinking on how to add "easily" other nations so that you can play any map with different combination of nations.

This is all great so when do you plan a releasing this all sounds so great! Can't wait

[rf900]

Soon, has to be ready before the 31st. Have added 3 more maps, but need to improve the AI on larger ones as it moves too slowly towards the points.

[jcb989]

wow! this is a great mod. The AI whopped my butt on the first game I set up, lol. I guess I gave them too many points, thinking I could hack it, lol.
Very interesting mod you've made here. It could make some killer MP action if set up well for that. The option to call new troops of your choosing for the situation is very intriguing...

[GottaLove88s]

Hey Carlos!

Have finally had a chance to play this... It's probably the best mod to come out for BA in the past 12 months... Totally love it!!

One small question. The starting menu shows my starting resources at 150. But when I start the game, my resources start at -197. Am I doing something wrong?

Can't wait to play this in MP version...

[jcb989]

I found you can adjust that by doing the arithmetic on force selection screen points summed with the UI dialog starting points slider.

[GottaLove88s]

I found you can adjust that by doing the arithmetic on force selection screen points summed with the UI dialog starting points slider.

You mean spend 197 points less in FS?

[LandMarine47]

Hey Carlos!

Have finally had a chance to play this... It's probably the best mod to come out for BA in the past 12 months... Totally love it!!

One small question. The starting menu shows my starting resources at 150. But when I start the game, my resources start at -197. Am I doing something wrong?

Can't wait to play this in MP version...

I reported that too. I think it's the force selection that puts you into the negatives. Haven't had the time to replay.