BattleTech - The Board Game of Armored Combat
BattleTech Game Systems => General BattleTech Discussion => Topic started by: Fear Factory on 18 July 2017, 23:15:45
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I want to build a big map-based campaign using multiple worlds... are their maps available for any of these planets?
Radstadt
Alshain
Al Hillah
Kobe
Idelwind
Porthos
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My first guess is probably no for all of those. Only a fairly small number of planets have maps, mostly from the Touring the Stars and Turning Point Series, however Sarna is a great place to start if you want to do some research to find out for sure. The Commando Quarterly also had some semi-official maps but it's been out of publication for awhile and the its issues are scattered across the internets.
If you don't mind making things only semi-canonical you could take the planetary data and input them into a world generator. While only a few planets have maps a surprising number have full planetary descriptions. You can input the data into this world generating program and then add in any critical cities or locations by either printing and drawing it in or editing the image in an art program based on the planetary fluff from Sarna.
Planetary Map Editor:
https://donjon.bin.sh/scifi/world/
Sarna:
http://www.sarna.net/wiki/Main_Page
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Wow. That map editor is pretty wicked.
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Might be able to get a look at Alshain through the old MW2 Ghost Bear's Legacy, I think they did the spinning world in one of the command centers. Maybe some of the DS flight scene.
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Any chance you can periodically keep us informed on the forums? I'd like to follow along to see how things progress.
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Wow. That map editor is pretty wicked.
Yeah, I've had a lot of fun with it :) I also would like to second wantec's request for updates on your campaign, it sounds really nifty.
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Any chance you can periodically keep us informed on the forums? I'd like to follow along to see how things progress.
Yeah, I've had a lot of fun with it :) I also would like to second wantec's request for updates on your campaign, it sounds really nifty.
I'm working on my Radstadt campaign right now with a prologue scenario that affects the beginning of the game.
The Attacker and Defender have pre-determined units. The Attacker will have a reinforcements pool from their contractor supporting their command lance and a pursuit lance. The reinforcements are part of the cadre conditions of the contract, so they're green and it would be frowned upon if they are used as meat shields. The Defender has a command lance that is hidden from play along with randomly generated forces. My idea involves a map. Probably not the entire world, but a continent. There are set objectives for the campaign with multiple tracts labeled on the map. The attacker moves to these objectives and has a chance to run into randomly generated conflicts with the defender in between tracts.
Some of the objectives are static, some of them have time limits because they move on the map from 1 point to another. Both sides are basically going to know the conditions for each tract, so there is a sense of balance in that the Attacker can weigh their options, but the GM/Defender has the ability to place the objectives on the map as "blips" so there is a "hidden unit" kind of setup.
It's an open world with set objectives. It sounds good in my head, but we'll see. Right now I'm figuring out how to use campaign ops for this and it's a lot of work. It's a bit confusing trying to figure out how much money will be needed on both sides to balance it out among other things.
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Here you go. (https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B2t6hk3Ijrm2WlVVUDZsNTUtSE0/view?usp=sharing)
Go easy on me. Please.
It's for this. (https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B2t6hk3Ijrm2cHJXUHFFZ2Y2WjQ)
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Looking great! Love the way it mimics the format of the traditional products, even has a barcode ;D
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https://mapmasterbattlemaps.com/
Might have something that would work.
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Looking great! Love the way it mimics the format of the traditional products, even has a barcode ;D
Thanks! I was trying to keep it similar to the old books.
https://mapmasterbattlemaps.com/
Might have something that would work.
I might consider this. I am always amazed by your work every time I see it.
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Thanks! I was trying to keep it similar to the old books.
I might consider this. I am always amazed by your work every time I see it.
Thanks!
It's taking longer these days to get orders out. My printer has minimum order requirements now so I sometimes have to wait for multiple orders in order to meet the requirements. I'll be working on getting a new printer after this summer, but that may be too late for your campaign.
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Also, your pdf is amazing. great work.
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Also, your pdf is amazing. great work.
Thank you. Once I figure out the balance of scenario building I am going to have probably 6 or 7 total campaigns in it. All linked together.
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You know.....if you ask me really, really, REALLY nice, and send me a PM, I may be able to help you out.
Even with maps that Look like this:
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Here you go. (https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B2t6hk3Ijrm2WlVVUDZsNTUtSE0/view?usp=sharing)
Go easy on me. Please.
It's for this. (https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B2t6hk3Ijrm2cHJXUHFFZ2Y2WjQ)
Man, that is really really cool!
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And ultimately, like this:
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Man, that is really really cool!
Yeah, I have a few SB-like set ups like that but I need to learn some of the touches to put in borders and other professional touches to make it look sharp. All non-canon of course, and some borrow ideas- first one was using a lawless world that featured in a novel series I liked, fits the Periphery- though I do credit the sources of inspiration. I use them in my campaigns but when I am satisfied with the final version I will share them around.
Fear Factory, looks great and the touches for borders, footers & headers are nice.
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You know.....if you ask me really, really, REALLY nice, and send me a PM, I may be able to help you out.
Even with maps that Look like this:
[drool] Oh man... I don't know if I'm going to go the world map route yet. I was considering that for the last campaign on Porthos and using BattleForce rules.
Man, that is really really cool!
Thanks a lot.
Fear Factory, looks great and the touches for borders, footers & headers are nice.
Thank you.
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I'm sorry for resurrecting this... but I've had a second wind thanks to the new Alpha Strike book (https://drive.google.com/open?id=1rUp8DUUiZ_Zx1gotPgPncnhee3YoSFRp).
It's cleaned up a lot. I'm trying to understand the campaign system a lot better too... I'm working on a ton of them. So any advice here would be greatly appreciated.
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Top notch stuff as usual. You’re a like a band that produces nothing but hits :thumbsup:
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I'm sorry for resurrecting this... but I've had a second wind thanks to the new Alpha Strike book (https://drive.google.com/open?id=1rUp8DUUiZ_Zx1gotPgPncnhee3YoSFRp).
It's cleaned up a lot. I'm trying to understand the campaign system a lot better too... I'm working on a ton of them. So any advice here would be greatly appreciated.
It's so nice...it's just missing....ONE THING ;)
https://imgur.com/p6u0GYb
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It's so nice...it's just missing....ONE THING ;)
https://imgur.com/p6u0GYb
I want to use that for the Kobe campaign (spoilers... sorry not sorry).
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Well...gimme a few moments here and I'll make ya one of each of the following:
Radstadt - Done (I tried best to try and match the Land mass in the image on SARNA)
Alshain
Al Hillah
Kobe
Idelwind
Porthos
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Well...gimme a few moments here and I'll make ya one of each of the following:
Radstadt - Done (I tried best to try and match the Land mass in the image on SARNA)
Alshain
Al Hillah
Kobe
Idelwind
Porthos
Dude, you're awesome! I'm going to have to redo a lot but this is great stuff.
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OK, So other than Al-Shain which has SARNA details (85% water, 5th planet, etc).
Any Details you want for the others?
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Honestly, I would say do whatever is comfortable for you and I'll work with that. I can adapt.
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ALSHIAN
https://imgur.com/lUZMcnx
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Al HILLAH
https://imgur.com/lfKQ2xJ
IDLEWIND
https://imgur.com/oGMii4n
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PORTHOS
https://imgur.com/8TLod5z
KOBE
https://imgur.com/8TLod5z
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HE'S A (supremely helpful) MADMAN
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Thank you, NeonKnight. This is going to be fun, and kind of crazy, because I've never done something with this much detail before. :D
HE'S A (supremely helpful) MADMAN
I know!
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Honestly...not that hard ;)
I used the following software:
https://www.profantasy.com/products/ft.asp#&panel1-1
And I made a blank Map template in:
https://www.profantasy.com/products/cc3.asp
the Main Software
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Still, much appreciated.
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ProFantasy is on my list to buy after retirement. I fear if I bought it before then, I'd never get enough sleep to do my day job...
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The only other thing I want to ask: Any advice on making an Alpha Strike campaign?
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consider that losses are going to be much higher than in CBT. AS chaos campaign only gives a mech a chance of not being slagged on 7+ if destroyed during the mission.
battle size is important - how long do you want the game to be? i'm not as familiar with the pacing of AS games, but I always try to keep my campaign missions finisable in three hours with a way to have clear objective resolution if time runs out.
planning is important - i start with the big picture: setting, background, and major objectives (e.g. find who in the AFFS is selling arms to capellan-backed rebels in the chaos march or capture a key spaceport to support the main allied landings on Cor Caroli). then make sure you create a reasonable framework to get to that objective. I usually do three phases of 4-6 missions... but for a book, maybe three phases of three or two of four to keep yourself sane.
missions should have clear consequences for objectives completely / not completed. didn't destroy the spy's rotunda? he got back to report your position and now an enemy armor company shows up turn five of the next game. Successfully destroy the ammo depot? Enemy units can't use their LRM, SRM, AC, etc abilities (or spotrule a -25% damage to non-ENE mechs for the remainder of the campaign phase). branching missions can get messy but the above is doable with an IF/THEN paragraph in the next scenario.
if you plan on releasing it for others to play without you, playtest the scenarios.
i'll add more if i think of anything
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I'm just wondering how easy or hard it is to use the Chaos Campaign system in the long term.