Exilian

Game Design and Project Resources: The Workshops Quarter => Total War Mods - The Engineer's Shed => Mods, Maps & Game Add-Ons - The Bazaar => A Game of Colleges: Total War => Topic started by: Jubal on January 25, 2013, 01:37:11 AM

Title: A Game of Colleges: TW - FAQs, requests, and discussion
Post by: Jubal on January 25, 2013, 01:37:11 AM
A GAME OF COLLEGES: TOTAL WAR

About the project

This is a mini-project I'm knocking together to answer the question of what would happen if the different colleges that make up Cambridge University went to war.

For those who don't know, Cambridge colleges are separate institutions from the University. They are academic centres to which "fellows" of the university belong as well as being places of residence for students, and organise a lot of Cambridge's supervision-style teaching (which is a major reason for its high academic reputation). A lot of them are also very old (my own college was founded in 1347), and some are very wealthy - but all are enmeshed in a network of rivalries and snide remarks dating back across the generations. This mod will allow students and non-students alike to enter the fray between the different colleges in a way never seen before.

Please ask questions and they'll be added to the FAQs, request features here, and discuss updates!

FAQs:

Q: What do I need to play this?
A: A "clean" unmodified copy of Rome: Total War patched to version 1.5. The mod is in a separate folder and just reads the files it needs from the original game, so you'll still be able to play normal RTW as well.

Q: Where can I download it?
A: Currently it's still in development, so nowhere. You can, however, chat and urge us onwards to finish it on this forum, and even join the team by looking at the thread here: http://exilian.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=2387.0 (http://exilian.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=2387.0)

Q: How can I help?
A: Excellent question! Take a look here, there's plenty to do: http://exilian.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=2387.0 (http://exilian.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=2387.0)

Q: Is my college in there?
A: Check the "faction list" here: http://exilian.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=2385.0 (http://exilian.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=2385.0). If it's not in a faction it's not there but may be included in the form of a special troop choice. Do join in and chat, the more interest we get in the non-central colleges the more likely we are to get round to including them!

Q: Will you eventually get round to including Homerton/Girton etc?
A: We hope so, and the more interest we get the more likely it is. With a very small number of us working on this and only one person doing the majority of the coding and all of the graphics, progress will be slow on some fronts.

Q: Will there be bicycles?
A: Unlikely, sorry - we don't have the software to make new 3d models which restricts the units we can use.

Q: Why is my college lumped with college X? We don't even like each other!
A: Some of the college groups are based on old rivalries, others on new strategic necessities. Magdalene and John's, for example, both have a very strong interest in keeping control of Magdalene bridge and not being dominated by Trinity or the Hill - there's a strategic logic that outweighs the fact that deep down they don't really like one another!

Q: Why don't you use (another game) instead?
A: Human resources. We know RTW well and can knock the mod together really pretty efficiently.

Q: Why don't you use Facebook not this stupid forum?
A: Forums are better for finding information on and organising topics. Try it, you may even like it.

Q: Will this mod cost anything?
A: No! We're not legally allowed to sell it to you even if we wanted to.

Q: Are you completely mad?
A: Yes. Next question.

THE TEAM:
 
Spoiler (click to show/hide)
Title: Re: A Game of Colleges: TW - FAQs and Discussion
Post by: TTG4 on January 25, 2013, 03:26:38 AM
Perhaps use townies as mercenaries (if at all possible)? Also, you mention certain places being wonders, perhaps we could have a section to discuss the effects they'd give?
Title: Re: A Game of Colleges: TW - FAQs and Discussion
Post by: Ezrael on January 25, 2013, 08:32:00 AM
As suggested in the thread, ASNaCs as a special mercenary unit, maybe linked to holding a certain area? The other ASNaCs seemed keen to be some sort of Varangian Guard when I mentioned it to them...and it reflects the intense ASNaC loyalty to their course  8)
Title: Re: A Game of Colleges: TW - FAQs and Discussion
Post by: nickwizzo on January 25, 2013, 08:53:02 AM
The Engineering Department should provide a construction bonus as well as bonuses to siege weapons.

Sainsbury's a farming production bonus?

King's Chapel a public happiness bonus?
Title: Re: A Game of Colleges: TW - FAQs and Discussion
Post by: TTG4 on January 25, 2013, 10:31:03 AM
'The Engineering Department should provide a construction bonus as well as bonuses to siege weapons.'

And perhaps New Museum could improve weapon quality owing to the material science department being there?

The UL should do something too, perhaps lower agent training costs or increase their chance of success (if that's possible)?

Could perhas make the chorpus clock do something a bit silly, put a chronophage on top of the banners perhaps, no particular reason.
Title: Re: A Game of Colleges: TW - FAQs and Discussion
Post by: Jubal on January 25, 2013, 10:52:10 AM
ASNACs will be a special late-game unit only trainable on the Sidgwick site.

I'll look at bonuses for individual colleges. Engineering is off the map I'm afraid, though there will certainly be many engineer units trainable by the colleges (I can give them plenty of types of artillery etc so they'll probably be resultingly over-represented as a subject).
Title: Re: A Game of Colleges: TW - FAQs and Discussion
Post by: Ezrael on January 25, 2013, 11:25:45 AM
Quote from: Jubal on January 25, 2013, 10:52:10 AM
ASNACs will be a special late-game unit only trainable on the Sidgwick site.

I'll look at bonuses for individual colleges. Engineering is off the map I'm afraid, though there will certainly be many engineer units trainable by the colleges (I can give them plenty of types of artillery etc so they'll probably be resultingly over-represented as a subject).

Excellent! Churchill should have some bonus relating to the high concentration of Compscis; superior agents maybe? (Able to hack computers etc)
Title: Re: A Game of Colleges: TW - FAQs and Discussion
Post by: Ezrael on January 25, 2013, 03:00:21 PM
Peasants can be tourists?
Title: Re: A Game of Colleges: TW - FAQs and Discussion
Post by: Jubal on January 25, 2013, 03:36:48 PM
Tourists as rebels/brigands I think, would fit well with them annoyingly sitting in the mountain passes/streets so it's damned difficult to get through.  :P

Good shout for Churchill.
Title: Re: A Game of Colleges: TW - FAQs and Discussion
Post by: TTG4 on January 25, 2013, 04:26:39 PM
Quote from: Jubal on January 25, 2013, 03:36:48 PM
Tourists as rebels/brigands I think, would fit well with them annoyingly sitting in the mountain passes/streets so it's damned difficult to get through.  :P

That is an amazing idea, too bad you can't lead a small army of students to force the tourists out of the way in reality too...
Title: Re: A Game of Colleges: TW - FAQs and Discussion
Post by: Jubal on January 25, 2013, 06:41:45 PM
What you mean, in fact, is that there are adverse consequences for doing so in reality and so one shouldn't. Objectively speaking, I'm sure one can.  :P
Title: Re: A Game of Colleges: TW - FAQs, requests, news and discussion
Post by: Jubal on January 27, 2013, 10:11:38 PM
Merged FAQs and requests

Anyone got ideas for what should go in the FAQs?
Title: Re: A Game of Colleges: TW - FAQs, requests, news and discussion
Post by: Ezrael on January 27, 2013, 10:13:30 PM
"Why is my college not included?" might be a common one. Are we talking gameplay or general background in the FAQs?
Title: Re: A Game of Colleges: TW - FAQs, requests, news and discussion
Post by: Jubal on January 27, 2013, 10:17:38 PM
Both, if we get too many FAQs I'll just section it up.
Title: Re: A Game of Colleges: TW - FAQs, requests, news and discussion
Post by: TTG4 on January 27, 2013, 10:18:56 PM
Download instructions might be useful, and making it clear which discs/versions/softwarey-stuff someone needs to run it.
Title: Re: A Game of Colleges: TW - FAQs, requests, news and discussion
Post by: Ezrael on January 27, 2013, 10:21:00 PM
Definitely. I'll be broken-hearted if after all this I can't work out how to get the damn thing on my laptop ;)
Title: Re: A Game of Colleges: TW - FAQs, requests, news and discussion
Post by: Jubal on January 27, 2013, 10:27:20 PM
OK, that's a start on the FAQs.
Title: Re: A Game of Colleges: TW - FAQs, requests, news and discussion
Post by: Whorefinger on January 27, 2013, 10:27:47 PM
"How can I help?" in the FAQs?
Title: Re: A Game of Colleges: TW - FAQs, requests, news and discussion
Post by: Jubal on January 28, 2013, 10:24:34 AM
Good shout, added.
Title: Re: A Game of Colleges: TW - FAQs, requests, news and discussion
Post by: TTG4 on January 28, 2013, 10:31:17 AM
Just a quick suggestion for buildings, would it be possible to replace arenas with bars? Then instead of daily/monthly/yearly games, we have bops instead? Same effect of increased public order, but fits nicely with the theme.
Title: Re: A Game of Colleges: TW - FAQs, requests, news and discussion
Post by: Jubal on January 28, 2013, 10:34:12 AM
I think that should be possible at some point, good call.  :)
Title: Re: A Game of Colleges: TW - FAQs, requests, news and discussion
Post by: Ezrael on January 28, 2013, 09:49:52 PM
Quick request, looking ahead somewhat - is it possible for the ASNaCs to have a battle-banner of a resplendent hedgehog? There is a reason...
Title: Re: A Game of Colleges: TW - FAQs, requests, news and discussion
Post by: Jubal on January 30, 2013, 11:24:47 AM
Should be able to - why?

My essay is done! Standard 5:10am completion and 7am hand-in. Unfortunately I'm also doing the emergency debate at the Union so I need to speechwrite, but I'll try and get a unit or two done today sometime.
Title: Re: A Game of Colleges: TW - FAQs, requests, news and discussion
Post by: Ezrael on January 30, 2013, 11:57:50 AM
Quote from: Jubal on January 30, 2013, 11:24:47 AM
Should be able to - why?

My essay is done! Standard 5:10am completion and 7am hand-in. Unfortunately I'm also doing the emergency debate at the Union so I need to speechwrite, but I'll try and get a unit or two done today sometime.

That's fine, don't prioritise this too much, as fun as it is :P And there's a mascot now that the ASNaCs are very fond of...
Title: Re: A Game of Colleges: TW - FAQs, requests, news and discussion
Post by: TTG4 on January 30, 2013, 12:09:50 PM
5:10, nice! I tend to stop at 4 myself, otherwise lectures are just naps
Title: Re: A Game of Colleges: TW - FAQs, requests, news and discussion
Post by: Jubal on January 30, 2013, 06:22:03 PM
Historians are in-game, screenshots later this evening hopefully.  :)
Title: Re: A Game of Colleges: TW - FAQs, requests, news and discussion
Post by: Jubal on January 31, 2013, 11:19:18 AM
Did quite a lot of text editing this morning, sorted out one of the main files for taglines, mouseover text, etc etc.
Title: Re: A Game of Colleges: TW - FAQs, requests, news and discussion
Post by: Jubal on January 31, 2013, 04:21:54 PM
Bio NatScis and Social Scientists are in and working!
Title: Re: A Game of Colleges: TW - FAQs, requests, news and discussion
Post by: Jubal on February 01, 2013, 01:34:14 PM
English students and engineer scorpions are in, that's all my planned second level troops.  :)
Title: Re: A Game of Colleges: TW - FAQs, requests, news and discussion
Post by: Ezrael on February 01, 2013, 05:45:51 PM
Any chance of a screenshot? And what did you end up doing for the English students?
Title: Re: A Game of Colleges: TW - FAQs, requests, news and discussion
Post by: Jubal on February 01, 2013, 10:01:01 PM
Screenshots are up.  :)
Title: Re: A Game of Colleges: TW - FAQs, requests, news and discussion
Post by: Jubal on February 08, 2013, 10:25:04 PM
What should the UL bonus be? Struggling with this one, since it doesn't have any obvious subject associations so I can't use it for that... maybe a special line of librarian troops?
Title: Re: A Game of Colleges: TW - FAQs, requests, news and discussion
Post by: Ezrael on February 08, 2013, 10:27:48 PM
Hmmm that could work, but what would they entail? There aren't exactly many library staff to justify a major military impact. I'd say something like research bonus but RTW doesn't have anything like that...
Title: Re: A Game of Colleges: TW - FAQs, requests, news and discussion
Post by: Jubal on February 08, 2013, 10:34:00 PM
Not many, but they could be extra super elite I guess? Or I could let you train mythical/fantastical units that have been summoned via L-space from the hidden depths of the bookshelves.
Title: Re: A Game of Colleges: TW - FAQs, requests, news and discussion
Post by: Ezrael on February 08, 2013, 10:42:39 PM
Whatever happened to keeping things simple and not having too many ideas? :') Maybe the UL could provide a morale bonus?
Title: Re: A Game of Colleges: TW - FAQs, requests, news and discussion
Post by: Jubal on February 08, 2013, 10:50:42 PM
Ironically, trying to make the UL give a morale bonus would be more difficult than making it spawn hordes of eldritch daemons.  :P
Title: Re: A Game of Colleges: TW - FAQs, requests, news and discussion
Post by: Ezrael on February 08, 2013, 10:54:56 PM
Do you have models for Eldritch Daemons of L-Space? I'd ask for an Orangutan but I know there are limits...

It'd make most sense if there was a unit limit of 1 for daemons so they aren't overpowered, if that's possible? Again, I realise the limits of poduction...just this is meant to primarily be an intercollege war, and commanding the depths of the Dungeon Dimensions is surely a very big advantage
Title: Re: A Game of Colleges: TW - FAQs, requests, news and discussion
Post by: Jubal on February 08, 2013, 11:05:24 PM
I certainly have some demons somewhere. Orangutan probably optimistic though.

Unit limits aren't do-able, long training times & high costs are as good as we can manage. It's not going to be imminent priority anyway, the third level student troops are the next step.
Title: Re: A Game of Colleges: TW - FAQs, requests, news and discussion
Post by: Ezrael on February 08, 2013, 11:09:23 PM
High costs make sense, if I were a librarian you'd have to pay me a LOT to venture into L-Space
Title: Re: A Game of Colleges: TW - FAQs, requests, news and discussion
Post by: Jubal on February 16, 2013, 11:49:24 AM
So I've been doing some things like faction icons and banners; done the Republic and Entente, several to go still.
Title: Re: A Game of Colleges: TW - FAQs, requests, news and discussion
Post by: Jubal on February 17, 2013, 01:44:10 PM
Alliance and Confederacy banners etc done, two left.
Title: Re: A Game of Colleges: TW - FAQs, requests, news and discussion
Post by: Jubal on February 17, 2013, 06:50:07 PM
All six done!  :)
Title: Re: A Game of Colleges: TW - FAQs, requests, news and discussion
Post by: Ezrael on February 17, 2013, 06:51:02 PM
Woooo!
Title: Re: A Game of Colleges: TW - FAQs, requests, news and discussion
Post by: Jubal on February 23, 2013, 01:14:20 PM
Loading screens are the last embellishmenty thing I want to do, then I'll go back to units I think.
Title: Re: A Game of Colleges: TW - FAQs, requests, news and discussion
Post by: Jubal on March 11, 2013, 02:21:04 AM
FAQs updated.
Title: Re: A Game of Colleges: TW - FAQs, requests, news and discussion
Post by: TTG4 on March 11, 2013, 04:25:01 AM
Didn't realise not selling mods was a legal thing, I thought it was just modders being nice people who wanted to share their work!
Title: Re: A Game of Colleges: TW - FAQs, requests, news and discussion
Post by: Jubal on March 11, 2013, 12:38:08 PM
Well, I wouldn't sell my work anyway, but it's also true that I couldn't because it relies on CA/Activision copyrighted stuff.
Title: Re: A Game of Colleges: TW - FAQs, requests, news and discussion
Post by: Jubal on March 29, 2013, 06:23:13 PM
Traits added in, thanks to nickwizzo for doing them.  :)
Title: Re: A Game of Colleges: TW - FAQs, requests, news and discussion
Post by: Jubal on April 03, 2013, 08:34:00 PM
General & captain models for ingame & the stratmap added  :)
Title: Re: A Game of Colleges: TW - FAQs, requests, news and discussion
Post by: Jubal on June 28, 2013, 09:46:37 PM
Back on the job! Done some UI work, basically doing a more thorough job on removing the original Rome TW symbols and replacing them with GoC ones.  :)
Title: Re: A Game of Colleges: TW - FAQs, requests, and discussion
Post by: Jubal on February 16, 2014, 10:12:21 PM
OK, just registered a ModDB page - worth it if only for the upload space.