Test Game (pre-beta)

[Frost Lord]

You already have a tool for 2nd Cycle that works and you have both sets of code written.  I do not understand why you cannot add an IF/ELSE statement to the PHP script in the old application...

IF 2nd Cycle game selected THEN
   validate with the frozen 2nd Cycle code
ELSE
   Link to 3rd Cycle server & validate with the new 3rd Cycle code

I assume that this is running on a SQL Server 2008 r2 or later.


If that is not do-able, what is the effort to replicate that tool on the new server?  It looks like the new tool is written in what I assume is java script.  Not sure if that is compatible with PHP, but if not, how hard would it be to replicate your HTML from the old app on this platform and rebuild the PHP logic there?

For example:
The populateKingdomListbox() function in the new app looks very similar to what you had before.

[unclemike]

Funny. I can fill out an order in 4.32 seconds but if it takes 7.86 seconds then it's unbearable!! It's unbearable I tell you!!

But on the serious side, if using dropdown lists really bothers you that much then just sign up for 2nd Cycle games. I've mentioned the same thing when people complained about moving from Clipper to Java (and all of the different game mechanics that went along with it), you can always sign up for an older legacy game if you prefer that version.

I personally like the new site compared to the older one as I think most people will as well. Some won't like it however so the older games are available for them. Hopefully in 2016, we'll have a third version having an interactive map with all of its pros and cons of people loving/hating it. Those dropdown lists won't go away although some of them will be reduced in size due to the additional information from the server area (like smaller spell lists according to wizard level). But that new version is a bit aways yet...

Back to the test game. New brigade-level special effects will be in place before Wed's turn so feel free to recruit based on special effect if you like. For example, Northmen get +10% bonus to defense/charge if 2+ of them exist in a group and they fight in a region that's experiencing winter effects. However, Wildlings are a bit better where they get +5% bonus per wilding brigade for all combat phases during the winter. Check out all the brigade special effects in the 3rd Cycle Rules Supplement doc (towards the end).

[Frost Lord]

Rick, would you like to find someone to take over my Amazons? It looks like I will not be playing 3rd cycle. I hope that the 2nd cycle queues continue to fire.

[HeadHoncho]

FL aside, I think most people will play Third Cycle even if the adjustment to the new order entry system takes a bit of time. This is one area where content does trump form, in my view.

I have zero interest in making more work for UM, especially given his limited time. Thanks for everything you're doing.

[Netstrider]

2 pages ago I posted what I thought were issues with the turn processing. Did anyone see that? Did I send/post that info to the right place?

I think the UI can be made much less annoying with a few relatively simple changes. But I'm not sure how to communicate that info.

[VballMichael]

HH, what level was your 970 agent? Curious as to why my L4 died on counter .

[unclemike]

HH, what level was your 970 agent? Curious as to why my L4 died on counter .

Interesting dynamic on this one. The standard procedure is if an agent is successful in their mission will either wound or kill the counter-agent on duty. The interesting part of this is that recons have an unnaturally high level of success (past 100% before subtracting counteragent) so the agent doing the recon will probably succeed in their mission most of the time. This in turn will wound/kill the guard every time. Need Ry Vor's help on this one on how to change recon success/failure/capture...

[Ry Vor]

HH, what level was your 970 agent? Curious as to why my L4 died on counter .

Interesting dynamic on this one. The standard procedure is if an agent is successful in their mission will either wound or kill the counter-agent on duty. The interesting part of this is that recons have an unnaturally high level of success (past 100% before subtracting counteragent) so the agent doing the recon will probably succeed in their mission most of the time. This in turn will wound/kill the guard every time. Need Ry Vor's help on this one on how to change recon success/failure/capture...

The current The Choosing Rules Supplement is not perfect, or final.  Probably won't be until January after we see many more turns and new / changed orders executed.

A couple things on the above:
1.  A successful recon mission will not result in the death of an agent on counter espionage, however an agent conducting a Recon in a PC or group with counter espionage does have a chance of being captured.  So the reconning agent is at risk with a #970, but the counter-espionage agent is not at risk of death from a successful recon.  On page 20 of the Rules supplement, it says:
"There is risk in this mission: if an agent is able to successfully complete an espionage mission (not recon) in a PC or group despite the efforts in counter-espionage, there is a 20% chance that an agent, and a 30% chance for a Fanatic on Counter-Espionage to be killed during the mission."
2.  All agent missions have a 10 point lower chance of succeeding, including Recon, and all agent missions have a 10 point lower chance of the agent team being captured in 3rd Cycle than in 2nd Cycle (including Recon).  So if there was an agent that in 2nd Cycle had a 100% chance of success and 20% chance of capture would now have a 90% chance of success and a 10% chance of capture.
3.  Counter espionage has a base 10 point reduction in success chance and a 10 point increase in capture, plus 5 points per level of the agent on counter espionage.  It is stated that way on page 10 but page 20 has the base chance at 5%.

[VballMichael]

Not a huge deal, but does that mean I get my L4 agent back  ?

[unclemike]

Not a huge deal, but does that mean I get my L4 agent back  ?

I wish I could especially for the Necromancer who lost an entire group from an erroneous sea battle but I won't have the time. I have two days remaining and I have to get all of the following completed by then:

1) finish coding the new brigade-level special effects (which are cool and I really want to get this done)

2) adjust agent success/failure/capture values (see Ry Vor's previous post), guards immune from dying in successful enemy recons (this only considers order 970, not other agent recon-like orders as trail group, learn group's attrition, or recon seapower)

3) investigate kraken and sea patrol problem

4) add new kingdom custom names (for turn 0 setups) - new handling for rulers/leaders/wizards

5) incorporate new kingdom dossier values for the remaining 12 kingdoms that are not in this test game

6) address the "late" effect of certain orders on the new website regarding transferring leaders/wizards - will require the use of the Extra Orders button to be more free-form in the sense of allowing the user to select a wizard then a group rather than tying them together as at the start of a turn

7) allow new website to change ruler's name/sex on turn 1 (will be a new order to issue on turn 1, will count towards your order limit on turn 1 until we have a procedure setup to change all of the kingdom's names)

8) update new artifact weapon (and other) stats

9) enable old website to be used to submit orders (not verify since only the new website will be able to verify 3rd Cycle games) - don't know if this is possible yet but if able then it will allow users to manually enter their orders for a 3rd Cycle game (then they should login to the new website and press Verify Orders to check for any errors)

Which is a long list to do in a short period of time so no adjustments will be made for the test game if you lost something...