A Primative Star Trek Holodeck in the Making.

BoingBoing has a post about an omni-directional treadmill that some geniuses have come up with for Virtual Reality applications. Imagine playing one of the Battlefields with this thing! It may actually bring recreational exercise to video games. Eat your heart out Wii! Science marches on!

The iPad might be the perfect board game platform.

Bumming around on the internet today, I came across an old Wil ("one L will do") Wheaton post.

http://wilwheaton.typepad.com/wwdnbackup/2010/03/in-which-the-case-for-buying-an-ipad-is-almost-made.html

Ah ha! Like Wil - and no doubt many others - I had not been able to think of a single use for the iPad for which I would be willing to pay the asking price for it. And now I see Wil's very good suggestion (Are you listening, Steve?): playing old fashioned board games on it. And not just chess, Go, or Sorry either. Think Settlers of Catan, Risk, and Axis and Allies.

In fact, imagine being able to play Monopoly with others while having the iPad be the banker who doesn't cheat or get tired of keeping the records. The ipad would also be the referee who makes sure no one cheats and makes sure all the rules are followed. It would also be the guy who spends the time setting up the board and the pieces, as well as the guy who puts them all way when you're done. And as Wil points out, the pieces would not fly all over the place if something knocked your table over.

The iPad is the perfect platform for this kind of application. It might even give a new lease on life to computer gaming in general. I can even see the old hexagon favorites like Avalon's Hill's D-Day making a come back. Great old boardgames like these never really succeeded well on the PC because the computer itself was always stood in the way of the players.

Which brings me to another consideration. There is also the sociability factor. With a iPad flat on a table between you and another player, computer gaming would become a social activity in a way it has not been since people started looking at cathode ray tubes. The difference between the iPad and the PC is like the difference between having a conversation with someone versus watching TV with them. Its a difference that will make a difference. The iPad might even be a tool for helping extreme computer game addicts get re-integrated back into human society.

And lets not forget what it can do for children!

Dis-announcing: EasyierCamp mod for Soulstorm - An Embarrassment.

If you've been waiting and waiting on this mod (which I think is unlikely given my Sitemeter stats) then I am sorry to announce that I can't post it anywhere. Right after my announcement I discovered it had a random tendency to screw up its graphics and crash to desktop. I've since played around with it some more and it keeps happening. It seems to happen in the long, drawn out stronghold maps, but not always where my mod has made changes. So its Not Quite Ready For Prime Time. This is one of the embarrassing hazards of being a maintenance programmer that I remember so well from my previous life. I am not skilled enough in the language the game is based on, so I cannot do what is necessary to debug this. But if enough of you still want this mod, make a post and tell me and I'll look into some way to get it to you for your own private use. I still enjoy it even when I have to do checkpoint saves on the stronghold maps.

Using DOW II Skirmish Maps to Enjoy a Second Single Player Campaign.

With some graph paper and a little record keeping, you can use the setup below to turn DOW II's skirmish maps into a second Single Player Campaign. The best thing about it is that you do not have to repeat any of the maps if you don't want to.

1. ) First create your new campaign map.

On a piece of graph paper with 13 x 6 squares, assign 2, 4, or 6 squares to each skirmish map as outlined below. The skirmish maps for DOW II are for two players, four players, or six players. So on the graph paper campaign map below, one square of the graph paper is assigned to one player of a skirmish map. For these skirmish maps, the rectangular maps are arranged long-side down. I've already fitted the skirmish maps together to make a new campaign story out of the game which is below.

If the squares of the graph paper you are using are not large enough to let you write down information about each skirmish map you will use, then make the squares larger by assigning four of the smaller squares to a larger square and marking these new larger squares lightly in pencil. When you have all skirmish maps listed on the new 13 x6 campaign map, use a pen to boldly mark the borders of each skirmish map and write its number below on each skirmish map.

[xx][01][01][02][02][03][04][04][04][06][06][06][19][19]
[xx][01][01][02][02][03][04][04][04][06][06][06][19][19]
[xx][17][07][07][08][08][09][09][09][10][10][10][11][19]
[05][12][12][12][13][13] [09][09][09][10][10][10][11][19]
[05][12][12][12][13][13] [14][14][14][15][15][15][16][16]
[xx][18][18][18][18][18][14][14][14][15][15][15][16][16]

2.) In each skirmish map listed on the graph paper campaign map, write down the new name of the skirmish map (for the purposes of this new campaign) and then, in parentheses, write the original name of the skirmish map as listed in the game.

01 = Cliff Mines of Gath (Medean Cliff Mines)
02= Ruins of Gath (Ruins of Argus)
03= Outer Reaches (Outer Reaches]
04= Mirabilis Gate (Angel Gate)
05= Leviathan Hive. (Leviathan Hive).
06= Thorgun Outpost (Tiber Outpost)
07=Refinery Zone 1 (Calderis Refinery 2 player) Tyranid
08= Jungle of Gath (Green Tooth Junge) Orks
09=Capital Spire (Capital Spire)
10=Colchis Desert Gate (Argus Desert Gate)
11= Colchis High Stratum (Legis High Stratum) Eldar
12= Refinery Zone 3 (Calderis Refinery 6-player) Tyranid
13= Refinery Zone 2 (Calderis Refinery 4-player) Tyranid
14= Mirabilis Arena (Typhron Arena)
15= Colchis Plateau (Siccaris Plateau) Eldar
16= Demian Depths (Golgotha Depths)
17= Lake Gath
18= River of the Dead
19= Thorgun River

3.) Now for each skirmish map, write down which side currently controls the skirmish map, the difficultly you want to play the map at, and the starting resource level you want to use. My suggested side assignments are above. Write the side assignments in pencil so that you can erase them as the skirmish maps change hands during the campaign.


4.) You are now ready to play the new campaign. The Space Marines are the above the planet, about to drop ship into their first skirmish map. The other sides are assumed to already be on some given skirmish maps of the campaign map.

Some suggestions for playing the campaign:

You can either play one side, taking one skirmish map after another. This results in minimal replaying of maps.

Or you can simulate the other players by rolling a die to see which skirmish map next to their territory they will win next. (Roll one to determine which skirmish map they will fight, and then again to determine whether they win or not. Empty skirmish maps can simply be taken).

Or you can play each side in turn until one is predominate.

Or you can play the campaign as skirmishes against your friends. I'm sure you'll come up with variations of you own.

Here's the legend for this game.

---------------------------------

Space Marines, accept your orders!

The High Lords of Terra have determined that the planet Mirabilis must be reclaimed in the name of the Emperor. The name "Mirabilis" means "miracle." The miracle of this planet is that it contains an unbelievable amount of Prometheium deposits for a planet of its size. Recent events have caused this planet to be lost to the Imperium. Reports from the Capital Spire of Mirabilis speak of Tyranid infestations boiling up from the three Promethium refinery zones southwest of the Capital. How this is possible, we do not know. But the fact of it is confirmed. In addition, the Outer Reaches from the Capital have reported Orks manifestations emanating in a circle from the Gath Jungle. How they arrived, we know not. And last but not least, citizens attending the games at the Mirabilis arena have reported instances of a possible alien presence on the Colchis Plateau. As you know, any time the Tyranids put in an appearance, the Eldar are never far behind. In a word, brothers, Mirabilis is in a mess, and the Emperor has placed it in our capable hands.

Burn the Heretic! Kill the Mutant! Purge the Unclean! All hail the Emperor!

------------------------

Later on, it will be found out that eons ago Mirabilis had come into being by the collision of two planets, which just happened to seal a Tyranid hive ship into the upper layers of the resulting new planet. This is also why the planet has more Promethium deposits for a planet of its size. The extensive refining of Promethium on the planet eventually resulted in drilling down into the Tyranid hive ship, waking them. That brought the Eldar to the planet, and they brought the Orks there to distract the Imperials while they see to the destruction of the hive by destroying the planet.

-------

There are new skirmish maps created by the user community. You can make new campaigns for them by simply taking graph paper and assigning, first, the maps with the largest number of players, and then maps with the second largest number of players, and so and so forth until a big enough campaign map results. Pay attention to what stories the skirmish maps suggest as you put them together like a jigsaw puzzle. Happy campaigning!

RTS games: How to turn skirmish maps into a second campaign game.

Sometimes you just haven't gotten enough from an RTS after you've played through the single-player campaign scenarios. Or sometimes the RTS' campaign game is too short. Either way, it would be nice to have a second single-player campaign or a campaign frame work for playing against your friends. While playing Dawn of War Dark Crusade, I came up with a frame work for doing this. If you don't mind a little paper work, it works nicely.

First, simply look over all the skirmish maps and begin to imagine how they might fit together with what you know about the enemies you'll be facing. See what story ideas or themes emerge from each skirmish map.

Next, take a sheet of graph paper (regularly spaced horizontal and vertical lines making a field of squares on it.) Are the squares large enough to write three or four sentences of a title or description? If not, then take a bold marking pen and draw horizontal and vertical lines until you have larger squares consisting of four of the small squares. The idea is to have a page of regular squares with squares large enough to write some information on. This will be your campaign map that you will assign skirmish maps to.

Now look at the skirmish map list. Notice how many maps there are that have the maximum number of player slots (starting positions) the skirmish mode allows. (In Dark Crusade, this was 8 slots). For each of these maximum number maps, assign a graph paper square for each player-slot the skirmish map has and then pick a place on the graph paper to outline the skirmish map on the graph paper campaign map. Use the general shape of the skirmish map as the general shape on the graph paper campaign map. For example, http://www.strategyinformer.com/pc/dawnofwardarkcrusade/map/31907.html is a 6-player map that's is a rectangle. On your graph paper campaign map you could put it in the center and assign it six squares. The six squares would be a rectangle that was either long-side horizontal or short-side horizontal. Don't forget to write on the graph paper map the name of the skirmish map as it appears in the game's skirmish map selector so you will know which graph paper campaign map assignment refers to which skirmish map in the game.

Now assign the other maximum player slot maps. Spread them out enough to leave room for the other, smaller skirmish maps that come later. As you are deciding where to assign the skirmish maps on the graph paper campaign map, consider what theme or story you want to develop and position the maps accordingly. Sometimes a large skirmish map and some seceding smaller maps share a theme and can be grouped together to develop that theme. Again, don't forget to write the name of the skirmish map as it appears in the game's skirmish map selector

When you are finished assigning the maximum player slot skirmish maps, go on and assign the skirmish maps with the next lower number of player slots. In Dark Crusade, the next lower number of player slots in a skirmish map was six, and the next after that, four. The four player maps took the form of a regular sided square. On the graph paper campaign map, I assigned them four squares in the shape of a regular sided square. Position these skirmish maps on the campaign map so that they connect the maximum player-slot maps you've already just assigned. Again, while you do this, pay attention to themes and stories you want to develop for the campaign.

In Dark Crusade, the next lower number of player slots was three, but they were squares. So I assigned them to the graph paper campaign map as squares consisting of four squares.

Now you fill in some more space on the graph paper campaign map by assigning the skirmish maps with the next lower number of player slots. In Dark Crusade, this number was two, and the maps were rectangles with either long side horizontal or short side horizontal. I fitted them onto my campaign map by assigning them two squares, either long side horizontal or short side horizontal. Again pay attention to the themes and story lines you are trying to develop.

By now you should have filled up most of the squares on your campaign graph paper map. If any are left, assign impassable terrain (like mountains) to unassigned inland squares and assign a "sea" to any squares that are next to any squares that can form a "coast."

You now have the basic outline of your campaign map on the graph paper. The next thing you should do is rename the skirmish maps on the graph paper campaign map according to the themes or stories you have developed for each area of the campaign map. Put these new names on the squares of the skirmish maps on the graph paper map. Do not erase the original skirmish map names, because they can't be renamed in the game and you will need to recall what the original name was to select it in the game's skirmish map selector. So each skirmish map outlined on the graph paper campaign map should have its original skirmish map named in parentheses and its new name for the campaign not in parentheses.

Now you are ready to write a few pages of history or rationale for the graph paper campaign map and each of the skirmish maps on it. Have a lot of good creative fun with this.

And then after that, you can annotate (in pencil) which side (or race) is in control of which skirmish map to start with. (If one of the forces or races is an invader, then it can be assumed that they can begin a fight anywhere by dropping in by a drop ship, (or bubbling up from underground to the surface like the Atlantians in Universe at War). You can further annotate the graph paper campaign map with the skirmish map options to be used (i.e. high or low starting resources, easy or hard difficulty, Victory by annihilation or points control, etc.)

As the forces on the graph paper campaign map battle for ultimate control, the ownership of each skirmish map can be erased and rewritten in pencil. You should define before hand what the victory conditions are for the campaign map. You can play one race or force and just go through the campaign maps defeating each owner, skirmish by skirmish. (In this mode you can simulate a response from the enemies by rolling a die to see which skirmish map they will attack next.) Or you can rotate through each race or force doing a skirmish for one before going on to the other.

Now why go through all this trouble of book keeping and fiddling with graph paper? Well, even when playing alone, I find that this way of playing through the skirmish maps tends to add a direction and purpose to each skirmish that makes them much more fun to play. I find that it adds "personality" to each skirmish and to the campaign as a whole.

One way this method can be improved upon is by having a friend work up a graph paper campaign map for you while you work up one for him. You each become a sort of "Dungeon Master" for the others user-generated single-player campaign. Of course, this can also be adapted for creating multi-player campaign maps where one non-player really does act as a DM for the campaign. This can be a lot of fun and extend the replay value of any RTS game that has skirmish maps. And then there are other campaigns that can be made out of skirmish maps created by various user communities.

Tomorrow I will post part of the Dark Crusade campaign I created for myself so you can see what I am getting at.