Dragons Hobbies Forum
Gaming => Conquest Of The Empire Online => Topic started by: Dragon on November 19, 2010, 00:40:10
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It's been nearly 5 years since I developed my first web-based game - Conquest (http://www.6sided.com). Earlier this year I had been talking with TylerChuit about creating another web-based game, however, I haven't made much progress on that yet this year. Due to some interesting situations at work, and some discussions with my wife, I've had a little extra time this week and managed to uncover most of the Conquest game in my backup archive. I've spent a little time restoring the files and correcting some coding problems that made the old code incompatible with current requirements, but aside from that, the game is pretty much right where it was 5 years ago. I know it's not anything that was planned, but I decided that it might give me a bit of a catalyst to get back into the web-based gaming thing again and try to learn from my previous mistakes.
Before the game is made available to everyone on the site, I'll still need to update the user verification. Once that is complete, anyone with an active account on the forum will be allowed to participate in the games. I hope you are as interested in this as I am, since I had always planned to make the game available to the public for any players interested, on an open enrollment basis instead of the "invitation only" method that I was using back when the system crashed.
By the way, TylerChuit was our previous champion of the game. I don't remember his exact stats, but I do know that he had participated in many games while the system was running before, and he had won most of the games that I remember seeing him in.
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Great to hear that it's coming back! I'm very excited about being able to play games with you guys again. Especially since Robo Runner was such a bust.
Not to give away all my secrets, but I would credit my high win rate on alliances. A lot of times I would get stuck in one of the land locked areas and would have to ally with the other land locked player to survive. :-*
That, and there might have been an exploit involving moving a general with one army, then transferring the general to another army to move him his second space. Each individual soldier and general had their own counter as to how many spaces they had moved. Just something you might want to look into before relaunch. :-[
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Generals are allowed to move two spaces, even though infantry can only move one, so that is a legal move in the game. Where it wouldn't be legal is if a general moved a space and then got on a ship that moved. I believe that may have been an earlier exploit in the system but I'm pretty sure is corrected with this version.
I hope to relaunch the game soon, once I make some modifications for it to work with the current login system. Once the game has been relaunched, I hope that you will let me know if you come across any exploits. In addition, I will try to make other improvements to the game, including features that allow transferring captured generals for ransom.
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So is it okay for infantry A to move with general A one territory, then have infantry B and cavalry A move with general A one territory, then have cavalry A move with general B one territory?
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Yes, that's legal. When my uncle first introduced me to COTE, he showed me those kinds of moves. That's one reason why each combat unit needs to keep track of their own movement points, even though they aren't allowed to move without a General.
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I think it's all ready to go:
http://dragonhobbies.com/games/cote/index.php... or 6sided.com (http://6sided.com) for short. ;)
Please, let me know if you come across any issues.
By the way, there still isn't a confirmation system for starting new games, so please check with people before adding them to a new game. Eventually I'll add that, but I just wanted to get this old version back online.
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I'm unsure how to join a game.
I'll try messing around with it some more.
Cool idea, I look forward to trying it again.
Mac
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There is no way to join a game that is already in progress, but since Ernie hasn't taken his turn in Game III yet, I've created a new game with you and TylerChuit. (Sorry if I incorrectly assumed you guys would be ok with this.) Setup New Game (http://dragonhobbies.com/games/cote/setup.php) allows forum members to start a new game with people from their Buddies List.
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Ok Mac, you're up.
The first thing you'll need to do is assign each of your Infantry units to a General, I'd suggest assigning each of the 4 Infantry that you're starting with to a different General, then move those 4 Generals in different directions to claim 4 new territories.
There is a button at the bottom of the Map page to Finalize Movement and Battle. You need to click that button to go to the next stage of the game, where you'll claim the territories that you've moved into, then collect your income, purchase new units (which will all go to your home territory), and then Finish Your Turn so that Chris can play.
You have 3 days to complete your turn, but finishing earlier will allow the next player to get going right away.
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That's a little odd... now that I'm thinking about it, the system appears to have us playing in the wrong order. TylerChuit should be after Ernie (Squee). I'll have to take a look at that.
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I'm okay with being added to any game, although I was surprised we had started. :)
Alrighty. Two things right up top...
1. It appears to be my turn, but all my troops show that they have no movement points available. There is the option to finalize movement and battle.
2. someone has sent me a message that reads:
To: in Game V
From: on 2010-11-23 04:03:31
(The message was there, but not who it was from or to.)
Ok... I see the to/from on the map screen once I scrolled down to it, but it wasn't showing up in the game info screen.
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Sorry about that. Since I manually switched who's turn it was, I had forgotten to add the movement points for your infantry and generals. It's an automatic process and should happen properly from now on.
I'll check out the Game Info for the usernames. This version of the game was modified slightly to use the forum usernames, so I may have missed sections in the changes.
Unfortunately I didn't catch all the bugs before. It's tougher when I'm testing things in games played by me and my alternate account. Maybe I need to get a BETA sticker on the site, like Gmail had stamped on their page for a couple years. ;)
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Beautiful. Your turn, sir.
Also, FYI, I've named my generals after Ca$h & Gun$ characters.
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Hey guys, I'm not sure if the email notifications are getting sent out at the start of your turn. It's another thing that I'll need to check into, but due to holiday events, I'm not able to fix this today.
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I had a hard time falling asleep last night, so I did some more work on this game.
Here are a few things I did yesterday:
- Corrected problems with Generals moving away from ships that they are not off-loaded by removing the "Move" button.
- Added icons of each unit present on territory page.
- Added functions for players to set and pay ransoms.
- Removed some clutter by setting priorities on battlelog information - only High priority information is display (shows battles where the was at least 1 unit defending).
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Sweet. I can't wait for it to be my turn again so I can try the new stuf out... whenever that happens. ;)
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I haven't modified the code to enforce the 3 day time limit, but I've already sent Mac an email to remind him.
One other thing that I've been wanting to do, for years actually, was to make a "simultaneous-play" which would allow players to make 1, 2, or maybe even more turns each day. I know that would change the dynamic of the game, possibly mixing up strategies, but the main idea that I like about it is allowing people to jump on and have something that they can do each time they come. I still haven't figured out how I'd want it all to work though, but I know it will require code changes to practically every page, so it's not going to happen tonight.
<<Edit: Grammatical/spelling error>>
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You mean simultaneous and multiple turns in a single game? I'd be interested in what you come up with for two or more people wanting to attack the same territory at the same time.
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My first attempt is a total failure. I'm having visions of Robo Rally with this game.
I'll try to take another turn when it comes around.
Somehow I went straight to end my turn, instead of getting an option to move.
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I updated the instructions, so there is a Quick Start section now. Hopefully this will be helpful.
By the way, I found a list of Roman generals... Wondering if I should use them for populating the Generals' names fields randomly instead of using just a Roman numeral. :-\
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I was out of town since last Tuesday so I missed my turns alot, so sorry bro! :(
Suggestion on the reminder email: How about adding a quick link to reference?
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Did you get the reminder email for your turn? I haven't gotten one yet and I thought it was completely broken.
Do you mean that a link should be provided to get you to your game? I thought one was already in there.
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I got lucky and clicked on a soldier link. It took me to a page where I could attach generals to the troops.
I think I can duplicate it, I'll find out later.
Just waiting on a turn again to try actually moving.
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OK. Have you taken a look at the Quick Start instruction? Let me know if they need something more.
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I didn't find the quick start instructions, I looked around but didn't see them anywhere.
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They are right at the top of the Instructions page. The Quick Start section was added after you mentioned having problems with your turn.
http://dragonhobbies.com/games/cote/instructions.php
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Ok. TylerChuit and I just finished a game. One thing I think I really need to change is the way that the system handles finished games. It basically locks everyone out... well not exactly, but since there is no longer a link to view the map or game info, it's pretty much just quietly ended. I think minimally I need to leave the button that allows people to go back to that map. In addition to that though, I'm thinking that maybe putting the last entry from the Battle Log onto the index page might be worth trying.
On a side note, I'd be interested in starting up another game if anyone is interested. Maybe a 3- or 5-player game?
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I'm perpetually in.
Grats on the win. Well deserved. I spread myself way too thin and payed the price.
Yeah, some way to view finished games besides going into an open one and editing the address would be good. Although seeing how you played both sides of that one test game was enlightening. ;)
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Ok. While I was in Plant City today I introduced 6sided.com to my youngest brother to try to gauge his interest. I've played another online game with him that had some similar methods of play in the past, so I had hoped that he'd be able to catch onto how things worked pretty quickly. I did have the benefit of showing him in person how to take his first turn, so hopefully he'll stick with it.
Meanwhile... back in Game V, we're still waiting on Mac. I have sent him a couple messages, so I'm hoping that he hasn't forgotten about us there.
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Heads up sir. I've noticed that when moving from Syria, that Cappadocia and Armenia are not options, and don't show up as connected from the Syria page even though they are adjacent on the map.
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Ok. I'll get that corrected right now. Thanks for letting me know.
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One wish list item: a possible way to number the rounds. This would be great for clarifying treaties, and also a point of interest for seeing a 'Round per week' ratio. Possible, or would that involve a major reprogramming?
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I agree and think it is something i could add without too much.
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OK. I had a little time this evening and I was feeling well enough to sit down and do a little programming, so I made a little modification to the Conquest index page.
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Looks good. Thanks for adding the round number. Very handy.
One question about ships. Can a ship, loaded or empty, pass completely through an ocean territory occupied by another players ships?
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If the enemy ship has troops, I don't think ships should be able to move past enemy ships, but I don't remember exactly how the rule was in the original CotE game. Even though those were the rules that intended to use for most of this game, the backup copy of this game had some holes, so things that I had fixed years ago were not necessarily fixed with this copy. I'll have to check the original rules of the game and see where this is being enforced (or not) in my code.
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Ok, I had been tempted to try it once or twice, but didn't want to end up stuck in a battle I was trying to avoid.
Edit: okay... nope. Last point of movement went away, and I couldn't even see the empty ship on the map until I moved my other troops in to support it.
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Is it normal for an army to retreat when it's winning?
When exactly do the prices double for purchases?
I'm confused on these issues.
Mac
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An attacking army will retreat if it does not defeat the defending army after each unit in the attacking army has attacked once. I realize it is a flawed system, and planned to modify it so that the attacker had more control over that, but this was how the system originally worked back in 2005. The board game actually allowed the attacker to continue attacking or to retreat at any point after any dice roll, which was done one at a time. Although I originally devised this system so that the attacker and defender could play out a battle without being online at the same time, I probably should change it so that the attacking player can make that choice.
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Just put in some warning before implementing that change since correctly calculating how many troops we need to defend a territory is such a key strategy.
Also, Mac, the cost doubles for everybody the instant one player's income goes OVER 100. I'm assuming that is also true if a player buys a city during their purchase phase to make the 100 -> 105 bump, but I would need Dragon's confirmation on that.
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It has been brought to my attention that there is a problem with troops showing up on the map page, but when viewing the specific territory they are no longer shown. The problem appears to be due to some reassignment after moving into enemy territory but prior to the attack. If the attacker is forced to retreat, during retreat troops and generals are sent back to their previous location. At that point, the system is looking for which general these troops are assigned to and although they are assigned to a general, that general doesn't exist in their location.
So... basically, the system is allowing you to reassign troops to another general while in enemy troops are present, which should not be allowed. Until the system is corrected to block such situations from happening, please do not reassign any troops to generals that are from different territories when you go in to battle.
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Good to know...
I'd like to propose that there'd have been no need to reinforce my ground forces with troops from my boat if the auto-retreat weren't drawing battles out way too long... just saying.
p.s. Finally won that battle. What is supposed to happen to all your generals I captured? It just says they are prisoners in my home territory and I have no options to change that.
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You should have the option to release them from prison. Check the bottom portion of your Game Info page.
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... nope.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/53804047@N07/5381845860/sizes/l/in/photostream/ (http://www.flickr.com/photos/53804047@N07/5381845860/sizes/l/in/photostream/)
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Any thoughts on this? I'm kind of stuck strategically speaking.
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I could do a manual release in the database... unfortunately, I'm having some PC issues at the moment. Hopefully I can get it fixed tomorrow. I'm using my wife's PC (and the web browser on my phone) tonight.
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I've released your new Generals. Good luck.
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Thanks... I appreciate the many long hours you've put into making the game work. I know it has to be a bit frustrating when you're having to remember how you did stuff the first time and also having us complaining about things seeming unfair.
Having tried to make a few games myself, I sympathize with how incredibally hard it can be to balance game play, and even changing a few simple things can throw the numbers way out of whack.
Speaking for myself, I do like the original game this is based on, and I think your efforts to recreate it for us on the forums without any thought of compensation is a great and generous thing. It has been fun to play games with you guys again, even if only by proxy for a few minutes a day.
Also, personally speaking, I hope the comments I've made about things that have been happening in the games can ultimately be seen as constructive, even if they were sometimes delivered with an undertone of frustration... or overtone... :-[
Anyway, thanks again for the site and thanks for the game. Your hard work is appreciated.
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I had originally put this next paragraph in the above post, but in rereading the finished product, it interrupted the flow of my intended compliment with a hint of dickish alterior motive...
"That being said, In game IX it seems Ernie's 3 captured generals somehow broke out of my prison. I had no ransom set, and I did not release them. Indeed I actually intended to see how much of their skin could be removed while they were still able to fight ravenous lions in the arena. These lions are terrible man eaters. Or rather 'bits of man' eaters, having been feed on a steady diet of the skins of my enemies. That's how your Caesar died incidentally... made my lions sick from all that milky skin made pale from generations of Roman inbreeding. Seriously, they were throwing up entrails for days."
So you could see how I would want to isolate that from the previous post. ;D
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I posted twice about issues I'm having with the game I'm in.
Just a few things that should probably be looked into.
Mac
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Hi guys, sorry I haven't been on lately. I'm not even on my pc now. Posting from my phone. I have had little access to my pc lately due to complaints from my wife and from being very sick. I will try to correct those thing that are screwed up... Sometime . :(
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Mac, sorry about the trouble you're having. Regarding the cavalry, they are not stopped in opposing (or neutral) territory unless there are opposing units, but they will only capture a territory that they battle in. If you lost a an infantry unit, it was more likely because he didn't have a general with him, regardless of who controls the territory. The only time any unit can be left without a general is if they are in a friendly city.
Regarding the lost movement points, I'm not certain. If it is during a turn that you're still taking, I'll try to look into it and might be able to correct it. If it is in one previously, there's nothing that I'm able to tell.
Unfortunately, I have to leave right now. I'll try to check in again later tonight or tomorrow.
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My issue was the general I was using to transport troops to the front line, was also going to bring one home sick soldier to the capital. I wasn't able to move the general a second move with the returning soldier. And the same happened when I brought troops back to the capital, I could not move the general back to his original spot. Yes, I unattached all the troops, still no second movement point.
Mac
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OK. If you notice that again, let me know right away and don't finish out the move until I can look at it.
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Very strange... but I've finally since what you guys may have been dealing with. In Game V, I tried to move General Crouton from Numidia to Africa Procons with 3 Infantry that I had just assigned. After the move, the wrong general was in Africa Procons, without any infantry, and General Crouton was still in Numidia with no movement points available. General Crouton had just recently returned to Numidia from Africa Procons. I'm not sure what's causing it yet, but at least I've got some more clues.
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Got the following message when I was taking my turn.
Belgica: 1 warrior of Hispania vs. 0 warriors
Victory! : Resistance is futile. Hispania claims this territory.
Mare Libycum: 0 warriors of Hispania vs. 3 warriors of Galatia
Failure : The army of Galatia has defended it's territory with a crushing blow to the army of Hispania.
Mare Rhodus: 0 warriors of Hispania vs. 4 warriors of Galatia
Failure : The army of Galatia has defended it's territory with a crushing blow to the army of Hispania.
Mare Cantabricum
Generals and Ships cannot capture territory without warriors!
Until you bring at least one warrior to this territory, you will not get any income for this territory and your General or Ship has no protection. You should always have at least one warrior.
Mare Narbo
Generals and Ships cannot capture territory without warriors!
Until you bring at least one warrior to this territory, you will not get any income for this territory and your General or Ship has no protection. You should always have at least one warrior.
Problem is I only moved to Belgica. Just thought I'd mention it.
Mac
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OK. You might notice that those other territories are all sea territories. It's harder to deal with those because they aren't really claimed. At one point, I made the system claim sea territories just because it was hiding ships that were sitting there in an unclaimed territory. Obviously that needs to be changed... but that's what I did way back when. Thanks for the reminder.
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Found this post in Game IX:
"I was wondering if it was possible to set priorities for what troops are eliminated in what order. If so, I'd suggest catapults attached to generals be taken out last, while catapults generated by cities would be taken out first. Since I don't think anyone would do it differently if they had a choice. Also, the city thing more accurately represents the destruction of the outer defenses of a city before reaching the soldiers inside."
Sounds like a good suggestion. However, int the original board game, the attacker chose which unit would be destroyed before rolling, so this game was really built with casualties random so that there wouldn't be any biased deaths. However, I'll look into how the updated version works and take your suggestion into consideration when I get back to updating this.
By the way, I do believe the forum would be a better place for problems and suggestions rather than the in-game messages since this is less likely to get lost when a game ends.
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While I do understand the reasoning of choosing your targets, I want you to take a moment and imagine a large battlefield with two opposing armies. Are you imagining it? The ocean of grimy faces poised at opposite ends of a large smoke filled field. The flags and banners whipping furiously in the rising wind... Now, in your mental picture... are the catapults in front where they can easily be destroyed by footsoldiers, or tucked safely in the back heavily guarded by the grunts, or "meat shields"? I'm just saying...
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That's a great bit of writing there. Nice visual. Regardless of how any of the rules state it, you're definitely persuading me here.
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Well, regardless of what game you've originally based yours on, there are already changes you've had to make in order to translate it to web format. In the end, it is YOUR game, and you should be able to make it any way you feel it works best.
However, if you're looking into stuff from the updated version of the board game, I'd be interested in the roads. :)
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Roads were in the original, just never used them much. I do want to add them though.
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Given that no one has made a move for over two weeks in any of the remaining games, I'm guessing we're done for now...
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Yeah, I guess so, especially since there's nothing to force the game to move along. That's similar to the way it died out before.
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Ernie, your turn. I thought I was dead, so never looked into it until now.
Sorry for the delay.
Mac