Acebloke's site

Server and Update Times for Wargames

Tue, 31 Jan 2012 02:47:51 +0000

Wargames is regularly hosted by myself and others. In this topic I will list whatever regular hosting schedules I keep. Please note that I'm not responsible for servers hosted by other people.

Updates are usually regular either at the end of a round I host or just before one. Currently updates tend to go through a phase of 1 content-addition update and 1 or 2 Patch releases (usually represented by + or ++ in the version name).

My current schedule for hosting is as follows:

1) 10 day game from Friday to following Sunday
2) Occasional 2-4 day game between the Monday to Friday to test new features.

Make sure to take advantage of the bug report and feature request sections.

Wargames Update

Sun, 29 Jan 2012 20:23:36 +0000

Ok so haven't done a post during the BYOND transition, so here is my first since. I was hosting short rounds as you may have noticed earlier this week with a new gametype, 'Set Nations'. This switches the regular creation screen with a country select based on real countries. Several short rounds was done to patch and fix bugs. I'll be working more on this gametype to improve it for another round after the current standard round hosted right now.

Alongside this new gametype I've improved the level of money from civic factory use possible, as well as balancing the power of large nations by reducing their combat effectiveness. Various other balancing has also been included in these updates.

* Fix: On the subscription window, it would incorrectly label the United States as the United Kingdom.
* Fix: Crusader and Cavalier units would be covered up, fixed.
* Fix/Change: The actual Space Station has been removed again until a time in which it doesn't crash the server.
* Change: Certain windows like the startup screens will now display where the map is saving vast amounts of screen space (especially when the map area isn't needed).
- Others include the Subscription boxes and the alliance list.
* Change: Money from Civic use of Factories can now be double the ammount of before.
* Change: Att and Def values in battle are now effected by size of nations. A nation at full size can have a reduction of 50%.
* Change: Increased the base rate of turns for most research.
* Change: Changed the way the Leader board works during game by having up to 5 users instead of 3.
* New: 4 new flags to represent Crescents.

Subscribers:

* Change: Changes to Algeria, Azerbaijan, Libya and Pakistan flags.
* New: New flags for several new and existing regions: West Africa, North America, South Africa etc.
* New: Subscribers can now have a larger colour range when setting alliance colours if alliance leader.
* New: Set Nations gametype. Technically been in already for awhile, it now contains enough options for a small game. You can choose in this gametype nations based on real countries, as opposed to setting your own.
- Note with this, flags and mottos can't be changed in-game. However, you can still change government types.

Patch:

* Fix: Starting in Interwar period would prevent advancement.
* Fix: Various Set Nations bugs fixed.
* Fix: Reincluded some station features.
* Change: Bunker buster timers have been lengthened due to their preference over regular conventionals.

Wargames Update

Sun, 29 Jan 2012 20:19:44 +0000

Wargames 2 Update

Wed, 18 Jan 2012 07:58:45 +0000

So I was a little late in posting this, as I was a little late in updating. I had hoped to get it done before the arrival of my son's birth, but it turns out he came a little early himself.

So it took me a bit longer, but a few days ago I released a new version of Wargames 2. Its not a great deal of difference, a few improvements and changes as well as a very necessary bug fix for alliances. The main update though is really with the Scenario editor, I've added additional editable parameters for towns. You can now build additional towns, villages and also decide the level of towns.

I had hoped to make some changes to AI levels but this is going to have to wait for another update where I'll do it properly. I hope to have alterable AI levels for both military and economic sides of AI players in the next update so there is variation on how they play as well as making scenarios more interesting.

The other main addition to Wargames 2 is I've finally jumped the fence and released some actual horse units. That means you'll need to use that buildings menu to build a stable now.

Non-Subscribers can use the Map and Scenario Editor to view what others have done, but can only effect the random map generator. That runs much like the one in the main game, although there are a few special tiles not yet included. Still this update makes sure that the basic terrains Mountains, Forests and Deserts are now included (before, the M&S Editor only included the land-sea generator).

New Research:

* Segmented Armour: Acts as a pre-request for the Legionary Unit.
* Chariot: Is the pre-request for the chariot unit. Will also open up cavalry tech in future.
* Peace Treaty: An Iron Age research, this allows an alliance leader to offer an ultimatum to a player. They can keep their original town (given that the invitie or themselves already hold it) in exchange for servatude in the alliance. All other towns are given to the alliance leader.

New Units:

* Horse Drawn Supply Wagon: Using existing research, I've finally added in a horse unit. Bronze Age supply unit with double food capacity of the standard supply unit.
* Chariot: A Bronze age unit and the first cavalry unit. Should act as an early powerful, albiet still slow unit.

Map&Scenarios:

* Scenarios are now capable of having more than one town aligned to countries.
* Scenarios are now capable of loading villages aligned to countries.
* Scenarios are now capable of set town populations to influence town levels.

Other Changes:

* Like research, units will now clump rather than leave spaces.
* Research will divert rightwards if it hits the bottom of your screen to avoid the window realigning.
* Speed optimisation by better coding.
* Improved the border/unit colour selection.
* Technology tree will now display name at bottom.
* Game now records the starting towns of nations as capitals.

Bug Fixes:

* Capped Ram could be researched an era early, fixed.
* Port town tiles wouldn't upgrade era graphics when being taken over, fixed.
* Expanded town tiles that were taken over, and then upgraded era wouldn't upgrade graphics, fixed.
* Fixed bug where inviting to alliances didn't work.
* Fixed minor bug with towns not reverting to grey borders when selected.
* When setting a flag it would appear floating around as you moved.
* The units menu would appear below certain map objects.
* Sea Routes should have required Shipyard first, fixed.

Version 0.5 Updates for Map and Scenario Editor:

* Put a cancel option when editing player options.
* Editor now starts without a terrain option selected, so one doesn't accidently click on squares when loading maps.
* You can now cancel out of an option, for much the same reason as above.
* Added option to include more than one town per player for scenarios.
* Added option to include villages as well.
* Added option to alter town populations for different levels in-game.
* Added option for subs and non-subs to generate mountains/forests/deserts in editor.

A New year, changes to the way Wargames is run

Sun, 01 Jan 2012 19:09:56 +0000

So its a new year, and BYOND is moving in a new direction. Coincidently, so is Wargames. Although I've briefly announced it elsewhere, and is already set-up in-game and around the hub and (soon to be defunct) blog; its about time I released information on the future of the Wargames series.

Wargames has now been around for longer than 6 years, and for around 4 of them there has been a Wargames subscription service for those that want extra features. When I released Wargames 2, I doubled the price and set subscriptions as a double pack.

Now I'm going to reverse that and allow separate purchases; although going for both will still be cheaper. In addition, the 'complete' pack is a new replacement for the double pack which will include both Wargames 1 and Wargames 2 as well as some beta access to potential new sequels. These betas should be available over time for all those who take up the complete pack soon. I'll mention more about it after the new BYOND transition.

If you are a current Wargames Subscriber, you are already set for the complete pack and any remaining subscriptions will continue under this pack. If you are a GBP£ payer then the price is the same, if you want to continue paying £5 a year you won't lose out on any features and still get the beta access. If you are a USD$ payer then you might wish to cancel your current subscription and restart it in the newer lower price of $9*.

You can view a full list of prices including a lifetime offer of £14 / $25 by going to the related page:

United Kingdom or United States / Worldwide

You can also view this in-game using the Subscription button/menu there.

As for the main game itself, I updated it recently with a potential fix to the crash problem. I believe I have either nailed it completely or at least know where the problem lies in the event it happens again. Thanks to everyone involved in tracking it down. In addition to that, I've added new bombs to include bunker busters specifically designed for missile silos (now immune to nukes and regular missiles) to make Nuclear stockpiling more easier.

In addition, I've finally made the host options easier to deal with by making it an interface. I'm trying to eradicate my overuse of text boxes and output box text for things that can go else where; which makes the game far more tidier and presentable.

Wargames will continue to see updates and hosting in 2012, and will also be updating Wargames 2 in the near future. For those that now have the complete pack or those who subscribe in 2012; the first playable beta should start being released sometime this week.

* Fix: Video Tutorial button now follows interface colours.
* Fix: Minor bug, A Space Odyssey Medal added last version wouldn't count as a medal when logging in.
* Fix: Upgrade Science Equipment was working the wrong way round.
* Fix: The Americas region fighter units were not showing the proper icons on MoW, fixed.
* Fix: Conventional Weapons can no longer remove radiation.
* Fix: Attempted fix of server crash which keeps running but doesn't let players do anything.
* Change: Improved the balancing of alliance games to be more reflective of the total number of players.
* Change: Changed the mentions of Subscribing to include an in-game short list of features and methods of paying in-game.
* Change: Missile Silos can no longer be destroyed by nukes and conventional missiles.
* Change: Slight modification to the way nukes are bought and handled. Makes it easier for modification later.
* Change: Your vision in Station spy now follows your satellite and tells you where you are when switching maps.
* Change: Polished the game a bit by preventing players from zooming and moving during bits they aren't supposed to.
* Change: A sweet change for hosts, host options for server is now interface instead of HUD/pure windows. Its much the same before but looks prettier and easier to change.
* Change: Made Anti-Tank dogs do something.
* New: Bunker buster bombs. These are low-radius conventional missiles capable of taking out silos. Will probably be used for other underground buildings later too.
* 3 New Medals: In your Face. Find a face on the Moon. Alternative Vote + Proportional Representation, stockpile 60 / 300 Nuclear Weapons.

* In general, the US prices are less than their old equivalent due to the changes in currency conversion in the last few years.

Game crashed, appologies

Tue, 27 Dec 2011 19:58:19 +0000

Unfortunately the Wargames server experienced an unexpected crash. I'm looking into it now, but due to no error messages it might take me awhile.

For that reason, its down for now until I can recreate the problem. The contest round will be rescheduled for another time.

Contest Round Again for Wargames

Thu, 22 Dec 2011 22:25:24 +0000

Its time again for another Wargames round. I've updated it again to include the tutorials (you may have already seen it) which is now accessible via the interface. In addition, I've added a new way to gain money and a progression in the Space Race.

This round is a Cold War game lasting 10 days, and will finish on Sunday the 1st of January. Its a contest round this time, and I'll be offering a Wargames Subscription pack to the winner. In addition, I'll be giving smaller subs (3 Months to Wargames Original) to the leading players of the losing alliances and a month Sub (to Wargames Original) to the 2nd place positions in each of the 3 alliances. That means there is 6 prizes available and it doesn't matter if you aren't top of the board, you still have a chance.

The usual rules apply, current Subs are exempt and ranking will apply in the event of a tie for any of the positions.

In addition to the Video Tutorials, there is a new addition to the Space Race, building a Space Station will give you the prestige of a floating station. A new spy option is added to check it out once you've built it.

The most important addition is a change to the way factories work. You can now use unit production buildings to make money. You can decide the level of civic/war use by the divider in the Ministry of Industry. The payoff though is that it'll use some of your metal supply. When you aren't building units, or going offline, it might be a good idea to switch to make some extra money.

* Fix: A silly bug on my behalf, nukes were not being referenced properly and using wrong ones at firing, or not even at all.
* Fix: Being wiped out sometimes left you with a food drain despite not having any people anymore.
* Change: Increased money from Government buildings tenfold (still not much).
* Change: Motto is now shown in Ministry of Culture (was together originally, before split from Seat of Government).
* Change: When attacking, it should bug you less about cancelling certain actions you shouldn't have to worry about.
* New: Replaced the box that asks whether you want to host or join an online game when starting up for the first time with a nicer image option. Also added Tutorial.
- Tutorial mode will basically run a game with pre-set options, intended to be followed with the video tutorials. Its technically hostable, but you're obviously stuck with the options preset.
* New: Placed a new button on interface which links directly to a pop up that can display the video tutorials in-game.
* New: New Medals: Red Wings [E], Blue Stripes [M] and Green Chevrons [H] are all medals for the total medal counter. Reach the 3rd, 6th and 9th rank to gain each.
- Note, you may have to reload for this to work.
* New: Medal for Space Station, the next stage in the space exploration.
- When you have launched your space station, it will float about aimlessly across the globe.
* New: Use Station Spying in 'Other' tab to take a look at where your station is right now.
* New: Civic use of unit production buildings, take advantage of your blacksmiths, factories, assembly lines and yards to produce cash from your metal supply when not building units.
- You can set the % of either civic or war through the Industry Ministry. Note that you can never get more cash than you normally would from 'poll tax' (base rate from population) so you will need to build more towns if this is maxed.

Slide-o-Snake v1.2.6 update

Wed, 21 Dec 2011 00:58:26 +0000

You may have noticed me hosting Slide-o-Snake. Its a nice simple puzzle game with some 2 Player features added on top. I've updated it today for some graphical upgrades. For a start, the 'head' icon is now a unique shape, and the 'tail' end is now a triangle.

The significance of the second is more important than the first, as it gives the player an indication of where the next free space is coming.

In addition to this, the non-map area has been coloured in a dark red and black colour scheme which I think works a lot better than its black text on white which it was before. In addition, I also made sure I highlighted where the say box is, something I recently added to Survive This! when I hosted two weeks ago.

I find the game extremely addictive and often find myself playing it for a good half an hour whenever I boot it up. When I want a quick game of something, its always the game out of my own developed collection that I'll goto the most.

If you haven't tried it out yet, or if you've already got a highscore, take a shot at it as I'll be hosting still for another 40 hours or so.

Video Tutorials in Wargames (and Pricing changes)

Mon, 19 Dec 2011 02:09:24 +0000

So tomorrow I'll be updating Wargames yet again. This time though, there is some comic relief. Some of you have already seen it, but for the rest of you this will be new: I've included Video Tutorials now which is viewable either on youtube or in game.

What can I say, I'm probably the worst orator around, hopefully you can understand what I'm saying. If you want a bigger laugh, try setting the audio transcribe on and you'll see great lines such as "Hindustan erupting" and "selecting Peter Pan". I'll make an effort to set some real subtitles soon so its understandable outside of my own thick accent.

Other than this, there is also a change to the view when you log in. Rather than a crappy text box asking if you want to host or go online to join a server, you now get a prettier option with images, now including a 'tutorial' game. The tutorial game will pre-set the host options for you, so you can play along with the tutorial videos. What isn't done yet is some stronger following of what's going on. I intend to later add in some kind of checklist feature so you can be given some goals to fulfil.

There is only 3 tutorials so far, but I hope that will get many people who currently get overwhelmed the gist of what to do at the start. Wargames is very much a game you can pick up quite quickly, and most users online will help you out with the basics if you ask.

Don't forget that the reference files listed under the menu also gives you a text explanation on how to do certain tasks such as starting a game, building and attacking.

I'm hoping to get a couple more things in, and I'll be updating tomorrow at round end. In the event that I get more done before I host, I'll update before that too. I'm intending to host Wargames again after the end of this round on Thursday, and go on for 10 days ending on Sunday 1st of January.

That will then lead us to the next topic: Pricing changes to Wargames Subscribers.

I have already extended non-sub ability to pass 9801 recently. It is now possible for them to gain an additional 25% of the additional potential land for sub users. In a 151x151 map, this is an additional approx 3,200 land, bringing them to a potential total of 13,052.

From 2012 I will be addressing a couple of issues with Subscriptions. For a start, the level of content is going up, and the price is going down. I will also be addressing the two largest concerns people bring up, The ability to only pay for one game rather than both; and the ability to pay a one-off fee for a lifetime subscription.

I will announce the details of the new pricing sometime this week. Thanks to continued support of Wargames 6 years on since its inception, prices is going down and content is going up, so its win win for everyone.

Lots to talk about, Wargames and Survive This

Wed, 30 Nov 2011 16:59:22 +0000

I've had far too much going on lately to really blog about the last bunch of updates and round results. For those that still care, the last round results are available here:

http://aceblokeswargames.wikispaces.com/271111

For the rest, there was an update to Wargames before I hosted a new server. It included a new option which is hopefully a mid-way between warmonger and auto-unpun limits. With the Unpun Era option you can decide whether a country is unshackled at a certain era. You can have auto-unpun turns on as well, but this way you can guarantee some development before going into the wilds.

There has been some major nerfing of the cashflow from schools. Basically, an intended effect of increasing towns is a balooning effect on your economy if its well educated. It has long been overflowing for people hitting 100 million citizens so I've decided to knock it down. It is still proportional, but big nations should see income reduced to about a 1/3 of what it used to be. I've included a new tab in the MoEconomy now to show where your money comes from, be it schools, commercials etc. In addition, the MoWar now has a back-to-first-page button, as clicking anything else wouldn't let you return without coming out of MoW and back in again.

I also attempted to improve town images in the early eras and diversify it a bit. God knows if its any better than before.

I've also started work on some video tutorials, which the first is already on youtube but I'll post more about them at a later time (namely, when there is something interesting worth watching). I might go as far as fully implementing it into the game and creating a "single player" section so you can practice and learn the game (was my original intention, but went against it).

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Brettpenzer hosted Survive This! last night, so I had a chance to look at the game under multiplayer. The game sure needs a lot of work still, and not being able to play in Multiplayer often has obviously effected the way the game looks. For that reason, I've made a 'patch' last night which is now uploaded which improves the interface slightly and informs the player a bit better about what is going on.

There is one major change which I attempted in this patch though, and that is in non-Survival modes the barricades is no longer in a default line. Instead, you have to place them yourselves. How and where is up to you.

Usually I would only bother updating Survive This once a year, but people hosting and subscribing give me a chance (and reason) to update more often. Subscriptions to Survive This is a one off fee, check its hub page or in game for more details.

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Wargames update:
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* Fix: Minor text bug said that revolutionising to President was a Dictator.
* Fix: Attempted fix at a combat land bug.
* Change: Benefit of B and A Education ratings have been nerfed.
* Change: MoWar now has a button to return to the Ministries front page, so one doesn't have to click out of it and back in.
* Change: Tried to improve and vary the early Town icons for both Western and Eastern styles.
* Change: Infamy from nuking and bombing should now raise much quicker.
* New: MoEconomy now has an additional tab which gives you a breakdown of how you raise your money. It is split into:
- Poll tax (based purely on population), Commercial Tax (based on upgraded towns), Income Tax (based on educational grade) and Government Services (Government Buildings).
* New: New host option, Unpun at era. Once you have reached this era, you auto unpun. This could be future, or could be WW2, or whatever you want to allow semi-free development.

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Survive This! Update
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* Rearranged layout and tried to make the say box clearer.
* Player is alerted when the horde is moving on the local minimap, in case people thought it was lag or something.
* Cleaning Zombie guts now caters for the square above and the square below you, rather than just the square on, left and right of you.
* Instead of losing the game at the destruction of a barracade, it now happens when a Zombie reaches the reload zone. This means a barracade can be destroyed and not result in a game over.
* You can now build barracades, as opposed to just having a set thin line of it as before. This makes it both easier to use to your advantage, and due to its starting maintainance costlier to waste metal.
* To help with this, the starting # of metal has raised from 10 to 50.
* Made selecting region slightly more helpful.
* Minimap Horde mechanics starting to be formed, long crops will potentially confuse and delay Zombies, while roads will make their journey shorter.
* Increased the base effect of Zombie blood to make it more noticeable.