Slitherine

Can someone clarify how the PC selects maps?

1. Does the initiative system work at all? I wonder because I often gain the initiative quite handily and, say, select very dense terrain and end up in an open field. Or selected very open and end up in a forest. I already know how the TT rules work and don't see any corelation.

2. I select an inspired command and the initiative panel may show no bonus or a bonus of up to 3 even though I'm almost all infantry.

3. I've found on the same maps several times and always start on the same map edge. Does it ever flip around?

4. Minor thing, but the PC decides on the green or tan motif often without regard to where the armies would normally fight.

5. Is it possible to plug user-created maps into the mix, because some of the pre-made maps can get bizarre.

Thanks,

Deeter

I agree the dense maps seem pretty open alright.

deeter wrote:Can someone clarify how the PC selects maps?

1. Does the initiative system work at all? I wonder because I often gain the initiative quite handily and, say, select very dense terrain and end up in an open field. Or selected very open and end up in a forest. I already know how the TT rules work and don't see any corelation.

2. I select an inspired command and the initiative panel may show no bonus or a bonus of up to 3 even though I'm almost all infantry.

3. I've found on the same maps several times and always start on the same map edge. Does it ever flip around?

4. Minor thing, but the PC decides on the green or tan motif often without regard to where the armies would normally fight.

5. Is it possible to plug user-created maps into the mix, because some of the pre-made maps can get bizarre.

Thanks,

Deeter

I concur/have observed/wishlist for all those items

4rth battle post SOA chose maximum density map, won initiative and was in absolute prairie dog country....

The density is a combination of both players wishes. The one who wons initiative has 2 times the effect on results. E.g. I pick Open and you pick Medium. I win initiative it will be either open or the one above. Not sure of the exact calculation. If you had won initiative it would be the medium or one below.

It doesn't seem to work 100%.
For example: I had a game with Morbio (the one with all the anarchy he has described) were I chosed very open and he open. We got a map with nothing but hills, rivers and fields.
I have felt several times that the map chosen was odd but that's the only time when I know what both player choosed so not much to make a case on, but still...

Fully support Hidde's comment. We were both Seleucid Pike armies and it couldn't really have been much more unsuitable!

What about the other questions? I'm most curious as to why when I play on the same map in several games I always start on the same map edge?

Deeter

I have found the same thing, same map same edge every time I get it. My guess is that if you are player 1 you get the same edge on that map and perhaps that is just how it worked out in the end.

How does one end up being player one all the time?

Deeter

I believe that means you won the initiative roll, but like I said that was just a lucky guess since I have noticed the same thing on the same map, never get to see it from the other side. I doubt it would be tied to who posted the challenge, which might also explain the oddity of it all

As far as I can see the challenger always gets the same side of the map, and the challengee always gets the other side.

Since I am usually the challenger in my games, I always get the same side of each map, except on the rare occasions that I accept a challenge. It would be a very simple way to increase the variety if a 50:50 random flip was added to the algorithm.

rbodleyscott wrote:As far as I can see the challenger always gets the same side of the map, and the challengee always gets the other side.

Since I am usually the challenger in my games, I always get the same side of each map, except on the rare occasions that I accept a challenge. It would be a very simple way to increase the variety if a 50:50 random flip was added to the algorithm.

Not only would I like to see the maps flipped 180, what about 90 on occasion?
Would be interesing to fight on a deep narrow frontage once in a while.... (likley not much fun for a HA army though)

TheGrayMouser wrote:

rbodleyscott wrote:As far as I can see the challenger always gets the same side of the map, and the challengee always gets the other side.

Since I am usually the challenger in my games, I always get the same side of each map, except on the rare occasions that I accept a challenge. It would be a very simple way to increase the variety if a 50:50 random flip was added to the algorithm.

Not only would I like to see the maps flipped 180, what about 90 on occasion?
Would be interesing to fight on a deep narrow frontage once in a while.... (likley not much fun for a HA army though)

I think a deep narrow map would be bad in almost all circumstances, the only question would be 'how bad?'. A narrow map would restrict most flanking moves (some may argue that that's not a problem), but the big killer is how long it would be to get the armies to engage. A lot of my games are over by move 10, in a long narrow map then they would only just be meeting.... and then they'd all be sitting down trying to get their breath back before the big charge!

Morbio wrote:

TheGrayMouser wrote:

rbodleyscott wrote:As far as I can see the challenger always gets the same side of the map, and the challengee always gets the other side.

Since I am usually the challenger in my games, I always get the same side of each map, except on the rare occasions that I accept a challenge. It would be a very simple way to increase the variety if a 50:50 random flip was added to the algorithm.

Not only would I like to see the maps flipped 180, what about 90 on occasion?
Would be interesing to fight on a deep narrow frontage once in a while.... (likley not much fun for a HA army though)

I think a deep narrow map would be bad in almost all circumstances, the only question would be 'how bad?'. A narrow map would restrict most flanking moves (some may argue that that's not a problem), but the big killer is how long it would be to get the armies to engage. A lot of my games are over by move 10, in a long narrow map then they would only just be meeting.... and then they'd all be sitting down trying to get their breath back before the big charge!

Yeah, that was kind of a whimsical suggestion, likly would be bad in practice, although there are quite a few canned scenarios that feature deep narrow maps...

deeter wrote: 5. Is it possible to plug user-created maps into the mix, because some of the pre-made maps can get bizarre.

I agree, sometimes you have to fight on very "unrealistic" maps.

I wonder if they have reversed the map check where open is dense and vice versa, by accident. Seen some odd results. Ormaybe certain maps were miss marked. SHould be open and are dense.