Rat Maze

[DarthFrog]

Not sure what are the rules on updating the original post, so I'll just link the ealier image, and update the status of the map here with the lastest draft image.

Updated: Rat/Cheese/Trap bonuses

Click image to enlarge.

Earlier versions:
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad30 ... 1301072468

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ORIGINAL POST:

The following map has 93 regions broken into the following:

8 starting points (Rats) which can not be assaulted. They can one way assault the first region of the maze. Each starting point gets a +1 auto deploy.
24 "Winning Path" regions which is the only regions that gives bonus. Hold 2 and get +1.
60 other maze regions.
1 Killer neutral region which is the middle of the map which resets to 7 neutral. From that region, you can bombard the rats.

Take a look at the rough draft map:

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad306/darthfrog/Ratmaze.jpg?t=1300316295

The map could easily have regions, but the winning path would have to mean something more. With 60 regions, it would be easy to have from 5 to 15 different regions for bonus. The winning path could be one single bonus, but 24 regions across the map is not really something someone would go for. Perhaps if there are region bonus, the winning path could give +1 for each held. But then, that could really mess up the initial drop.

Side note: I am finding out really quickly that my artsy part of my brain is dead. So, if there are any artists that like the concept of this idea, I would love your help/contribution/assistance/co-op/;-)

[natty dread]

I either love it or hate it... I'm not sure yet...

[TaCktiX]

Everyone starting in the same spot unsettles me. I see it potentially turning into a big huge dice battle for who holds the first section, and whoever keeps a hold of it then skirts through the maze to victory. Perhaps instead of 8 positions all going to one, you change it around to 8 positions going to 4 different ones? That way you have pairs and the chance of a dice luck battle ensuing are smaller.

As for the Best Path bit, that's fine, but low-bonus maps have never been very popular on CC. Add in some other tricks and twists, like cheese (+1 bonus), dead ends (+1 autodeploy on account of needing to turn around), and the like. Essentially, take it from a Rat Maze and turn it into a CC version of The Incredible Machine, with odd and silly bonuses all over but the overarching "reach the center to be assured victory" goal.

[WILLIAMS5232]

not sure i'm "allowed" to post on here with my ideas or not. but after reading some of the threads i think it is desired.

i like the concept, but it's kind of seems like a circus maximus type game. there is no real purpose for taking any territrory other than the winning path. kind of makes it real straitforward in my opinion.

maybe it would work better with a route 66 type bonus system

[DarthFrog]

I will take a look at the route 66 map for sure, as I've never played it I'm not familiar with it.

As for the starting points, it's not the only place where troops are dropped. The only neutral in the game is the center spot, so it's not a run for the middle. I do want to stay with the one starting point and one end point to have that winning path. Perhaps take it down to one rat who has +2 auto deploy that starts off as a neutral? Or even better, have the rats placed through out the map, and still have the middle being a way to bombard them?

As for the low bonus maps not popular comment, that will just make me add a bonus structure to the map, whether it is regions throughout the map, or the idea of silly bonuses throughout the map.

[DarthFrog]

maybe it would work better with a route 66 type bonus system

Took a look at the map, and that is a pretty wonderful idea.

[squishyg]

I think I kinda love this map. Perhaps it could be an objective map and if you get through the maze (hold the territories that make the path to the center) you automatically win. And maybe change the name to Rat Race, just to make it catchier. I agree that there should be 8 starting points.

[Army of GOD]

I'll endorse this map if you name one of the rats "Army of GOD"

[DarthFrog]

Okay, I have made some changes to the map and the idea as well. Instead of the rats being a starting point, they are an auto-deploy bonus. The rats have been located in corners far away from the winning path. So, what do you go for? The rats that are lost in the maze, or will you go for the winning path? There are now 7 territories that give out bonuses. The bonuses may seem low for some of the large territories, but the borders can be few and far between to keep, plus each territory has a lost rat, with the lagest territory having two.

The winning path plays like Route 66. For each three regions of the winning path you hold, you get a +1 bonus, and if you can hold the entire winning path for a turn, you win the game.

The center region is a killer neutral who can be used to bombard the rats. So, while the rats give you that +1 auto, they can also be used to break your bonus.

The "N" regions are single regions along the winning path that don't belong to territories and are not part of any bonus.

In total, there are 86 regions, which include the one killer neutral, and the 8 rats which most likely I would like to see start out as neutrals, possibly as low as 3 or as high as 5. So, in total, there would be 75 regions that would start with a active troops.

Here is the map. What do you guys think?

Click image to enlarge.

[WILLIAMS5232]

i like the idea, sounds like a good map,

but it does seem like a waste of a good "rat" themed map to not have any cheese or mousetraps. or cats,

maybe you could make the center square a sleeping cat. just to add to the whole theme,

i'm not trying to make you change your map, just throwing some ideas out there.

i'd play with or without the cheese.

and a clarification on the route 66 map, the route bonus goes as follows;

hold 3 connecting cities on the route, get +1 bonus, hold 4 connecting cities on the route, get +2 bonus, 5 connecting cities will get you a +3 bonus, so on and so forth.

also you get +3 bonus for up to 7 territories, then at 8 you receive +1 army bonus for every two. so at 8 you get 4, 10 you get 5, 12 you get 6, and so on and so forth.

so for instance if you held 19 territories, and 6 of them were connecting cities on the route, your bonus would be

19 total cities would equal +9 for the territory bonus.
6 connecting route cities would bring in +4 for the connecting city bonus.

9 + 4 = 13 bonus armies.

again, i'm not telling you to change this, just better explaining the route 66 map bonus system.

[squishyg]

The second draft is definitely a step in the right direction in terms of gameplay.

I agree that when you start punching up the graphics, there needs to be cheese.

P.s. Plugged your map on twitter & Facebook!

[Riskismy]

I like it!

Is there any particular reason why the N-territories aren't part of any bonus or used for something else?

[DarthFrog]

but it does seem like a waste of a good "rat" themed map to not have any cheese or mousetraps. or cats,

I agree that when you start punching up the graphics, there needs to be cheese.

Any suggestion for how to put cheese on the map? I could make the "N" regions cheese regions, and have a bonus for holding both a rat and cheese. This would also tie the map together in sorts as the rats are far from the winning path while the "N" regions are the single regions that are blocked in by the winning path. So, someone who is all over the map could still have good bonus without holding any regions.

maybe you could make the center square a sleeping cat. just to add to the whole theme,

I like that idea actually.

and a clarification on the route 66 map, the route bonus goes as follows;

hold 3 connecting cities on the route, get +1 bonus, hold 4 connecting cities on the route, get +2 bonus, 5 connecting cities will get you a +3 bonus, so on and so forth.

also you get +3 bonus for up to 7 territories, then at 8 you receive +1 army bonus for every two. so at 8 you get 4, 10 you get 5, 12 you get 6, and so on and so forth.

so for instance if you held 19 territories, and 6 of them were connecting cities on the route, your bonus would be

19 total cities would equal +9 for the territory bonus.
6 connecting route cities would bring in +4 for the connecting city bonus.

9 + 4 = 13 bonus armies.

again, i'm not telling you to change this, just better explaining the route 66 map bonus system.

Yeah, but the Route 66 map does't have territory bonus though right? I like the "you have a piece of the winning route, you get a bonus, but own it all and win" but for the rest, I figured going with regular bonus territory might make it more interesting and more worthwhile to play away from the winning path.

Is there any particular reason why the N-territories aren't part of any bonus or used for something else?

As stated above, the reason there is no bonus, it's because they are regions that are not part of the winning path, but are blocked from being part of any other region. I will look at the possible idea of making them cheese regions (maybe a mouse trap or two as well) and see if I can make them worth taking.

P.s. Plugged your map on twitter & Facebook!

Thanks man!

..... Also, to note, I'm not a graphics guy, but I have been working pretty hard on making a nicer official draft of the map. Keep the suggestions and comments coming, it's much appreciated.

[WILLIAMS5232]

i don't know how to do the quote things. or i'd be doing them. but anyway....

i like the hold rat, and cheese get a bonus.

maybe you could have it also like this;

hold rat and cheese get bonus,
hold cheese and mouse trap get bonus,
hold rat, cheese, and mousetrap get a negative bonus.

i like your bonuses fine. i was just explaining how the route 66 bonus works, it's a little different than how you have it stated for the winning route.

your winning route has +1 for "every" three held

route 66 has +1 for 3 "connecting" tert. held. then +1 for each additional "connecting" tert.

i actually like them both, so i'm not saying change it, just making you aware of the bonus on route 66 in case you do want to change it.

[DarthFrog]

Alright, here is the look at the latest draft. This one was pretty much maxed out my (non-existant) artistic talents. Explanation of the changes below.

Click image to enlarge.

With all the good ideas, here are the main changes.

Cheese and mouse trap added. And a cat was added for theme reasons.

Rats and mouse traps are auto deploy bonus. Because there are only 2, traps get +2.

The combos as stated on the map are:
Rat+Cheese = +1 (Rats like cheese, so it's good)
Trap+Cheese = +1 (Traps work better if you have cheese for bait)
Rat+Trap = -1 (Why would you want to own a trap if you have a rat?)
Rat+Trap+Cheese = Cancel Auto Deploy (Don't know if xml can do this, so that may have to change) (easily attract your own pet to the trap? Bad!)

Notice that the rats are placed away from the winning path for the most part. The cheese and traps are in the regions that are alone along the winning path. So, that means that you can get bonuses being all over the map.

With the bombarding from the Kitty Cat to the Rats, you can whipe out all bonuses on the board except the winning path and trap/cheese bonuses.

To have fair drops, I'm thinking of starting all rats, traps, and cheese at 3 neutral.

I think I will make an official submition in the hopes someone can give me a hand graphics wise to make this as nice as possible.

edit: forgot to put on the map the rule of holding the entire winning path for one turn to win the game.

[grifftron]

very interesting. I like it!

[40kguy]

Alright, here is the look at the latest draft. This one was pretty much maxed out my (non-existant) artistic talents. Explanation of the changes below.

Click image to enlarge.

With all the good ideas, here are the main changes.

Cheese and mouse trap added. And a cat was added for theme reasons.

Rats and mouse traps are auto deploy bonus. Because there are only 2, traps get +2.

The combos as stated on the map are:
Rat+Cheese = +1 (Rats like cheese, so it's good)
Trap+Cheese = +1 (Traps work better if you have cheese for bait)
Rat+Trap = -1 (Why would you want to own a trap if you have a rat?)
Rat+Trap+Cheese = Cancel Auto Deploy (Don't know if xml can do this, so that may have to change) (easily attract your own pet to the trap? Bad!)

Notice that the rats are placed away from the winning path for the most part. The cheese and traps are in the regions that are alone along the winning path. So, that means that you can get bonuses being all over the map.

With the bombarding from the Kitty Cat to the Rats, you can whipe out all bonuses on the board except the winning path and trap/cheese bonuses.

To have fair drops, I'm thinking of starting all rats, traps, and cheese at 3 neutral.

I think I will make an official submition in the hopes someone can give me a hand graphics wise to make this as nice as possible.

edit: forgot to put on the map the rule of holding the entire winning path for one turn to win the game.

i dont think you can lose auto deploy

[natty dread]

Conditional autodeploys are not possible with the current XML.

[DarthFrog]

Well then, that can be removed or changed.

[40kguy]

Well then, that can be removed or changed.

how about minus 2?

[DarthFrog]

Okay, so I have updated the bonus structure for the rats/cheese/traps since I can't remove the auto-deploy.

Changes:

• Traps: Changes from +2 Auto Deploy to -2 Auto Decay.
• Rat+Cheese+Trap: Changes from removing auto deploys to +2 Bonus.

Explanation:

• The Cheese/Rat/Trap bonus can be set up to work in a way like Age of Realms maps where they stack.
• Because there are only two traps on the board it gets an auto decay
• Holding all three is +2 to offset the -1 of holding just the Rat+Trap.
• The negative part of this is that the bonuses could end up being confusing.

Click image to enlarge.

[natty dread]

I forget... are you using GIMP now?

If so I think you could also benefit from my tutorial: viewtopic.php?f=466&t=140723

[DarthFrog]

This official draft is done using Paintshop. I have the GIMP program on my computer as well. I will read your tutorial when I have a chance.

[natty dread]

I recommend using GIMP. Paintshop is really outdated software.

[DarthFrog]

Sorry, I meant Photoshop