Hello all, I hope you are well! I used to frequent these forums many years ago (I wonder if anyone remembers my risk-style experimental scenario, or my terrible Romeo and Juliet cinematic ). I don't think I've ever had a computer since the 2000's that didn't have some version of AoE2 installed. But for a few years it became something I rarely played, until DE started becomming a staple among my online friends. I recently took the plunge back into the scenario editor and I'm now getting myself back up to speed.
So I wanted to say hello, and also to share some ideas I have, in case anyone has some suggestions...
I've always been obsessed with the idea of 'conquest' / 'risk' scenarios where instead of razing everything to the ground, you can conquer enemy towns and cities and have to try to hold on to territory... and unique units and bonuses also spawn in different places. I'm once again working on such a scenario, pretty hype about all the possibilities that have been added to the game with HD and DE editions.
The idea is there is little or no economic units. You can't build buildings (apart from perhaps some special events via triggers), and the map is pre-populated with pretty-looking settlements. You need to make clever use of your starting resources to be able to expand and gain more riches.
Small villages will have a watch tower. I can use triggers to make the area captureable when the watch tower HP goes below a certain level, and a player has 1 military unit in the area, AND doesn't already have buildings in the area (thank you to the new 'object has HP' and 'invert condition' options!). The capture action also gives some HP back to the tower so (in theory) it will never be destroyed, and if multiple hostile factions are fighing for one spot, it will cycle between them until someone wins out.
As the AI tends to prioritise watch towers and castles, it tends to work out, from what I've tested so far, and areas will change hands before all other buildings are destroyed. Maybe a few outlying buildings get destroyed or damaged, but it adds to the aesthetic buildings can in fact be healed over time using the new triggers.
Cities and forts will have a castle, but otherwise work the same way. It's fun being able to actually capture castles. Big cities can also be split into seperate districts, each with a defensive structure.
The new Fortified Towers are pretty cool because of the long range, attracting the interest of the AI from a wide radius (they also look cool!).
I'm thinking that captured villages, towns and cities send resources back to your capital in the form of ox carts / wagons, so you have to guard supply lines.
Another idea is that of expensive and slow tech progression. Since you have no villagers and can't make buildings, I'm thinking to use stone as a 'tech' / 'wisdom' resource. It will increase slowly over time... The idea is meaningful choices, between going for Arbalester or going for Long Swordsmen, for example.
Well thanks for coming to my TED talk! Regards and please do let me know if you have any suggestions for this kind of scenario.
So I wanted to say hello, and also to share some ideas I have, in case anyone has some suggestions...
I've always been obsessed with the idea of 'conquest' / 'risk' scenarios where instead of razing everything to the ground, you can conquer enemy towns and cities and have to try to hold on to territory... and unique units and bonuses also spawn in different places. I'm once again working on such a scenario, pretty hype about all the possibilities that have been added to the game with HD and DE editions.
The idea is there is little or no economic units. You can't build buildings (apart from perhaps some special events via triggers), and the map is pre-populated with pretty-looking settlements. You need to make clever use of your starting resources to be able to expand and gain more riches.
Small villages will have a watch tower. I can use triggers to make the area captureable when the watch tower HP goes below a certain level, and a player has 1 military unit in the area, AND doesn't already have buildings in the area (thank you to the new 'object has HP' and 'invert condition' options!). The capture action also gives some HP back to the tower so (in theory) it will never be destroyed, and if multiple hostile factions are fighing for one spot, it will cycle between them until someone wins out.
As the AI tends to prioritise watch towers and castles, it tends to work out, from what I've tested so far, and areas will change hands before all other buildings are destroyed. Maybe a few outlying buildings get destroyed or damaged, but it adds to the aesthetic
Cities and forts will have a castle, but otherwise work the same way. It's fun being able to actually capture castles. Big cities can also be split into seperate districts, each with a defensive structure.
The new Fortified Towers are pretty cool because of the long range, attracting the interest of the AI from a wide radius (they also look cool!).
I'm thinking that captured villages, towns and cities send resources back to your capital in the form of ox carts / wagons, so you have to guard supply lines.
Another idea is that of expensive and slow tech progression. Since you have no villagers and can't make buildings, I'm thinking to use stone as a 'tech' / 'wisdom' resource. It will increase slowly over time... The idea is meaningful choices, between going for Arbalester or going for Long Swordsmen, for example.
Well thanks for coming to my TED talk! Regards and please do let me know if you have any suggestions for this kind of scenario.
[This message has been edited by Daftpanzer_2021 (edited 10-07-2021 @ 09:47 AM).]