Dev. Blog: Finish Line For V1.0

We're quickly running out of beta version numbers, so it's becoming obvious we're going to hit 1.0 pretty soon, whether we want it or not. What does it mean for the game? Well, the most important thing we hope to accomplish before removing 'beta' from the title is stability - no bugs, no problems, good balance, smooth gaming experience. Then, there are a few new features which we hope would improve the gameplay, and we want to finish them before v1.0. Here are some of them:

Clans - a way to organize players into groups, with own forums, chat channels, stats and so on. Clan vs clan team games should be a lot of fun, besides, we hope clans would bring in more player interaction.

Collectable cards - I always loved the cards in Risk, a great way to quickly collect a combination and get reinforcements at a particularly crucial moment. The cards we plan to introduce work quite differently, but the idea is similar - you get cards as rewards during battles or at the end of the game and can trade them during the game for various benefits.

Each card will be featuring one of the game's cities and (random) benefits will range from a temporary boost to reinforcements in one city to receiving a rare unit to detecting stealth across the map etc. In addition to that, it would be possible to collect the cards on a special world map in you profile - essentially filling your personal map city by city.

Automatization - a much needed feature to allow buying units automatically or in bulk, by city/country/empire. Also, an option to disband units.

Rare units - as with the Robo-Santa, rare units will be awarded randomly after taking over cities. Perhaps some of them will only be found regionally, other across the map. We constantly have suggestions for new units on the forum - well, we're not planning many more 'base units' (the ones you can buy in cities), but there definitely be dozens more of rare units!

Improved battle mechanics - we think we have a solution to the imbalanced battles. Read more about it here: http://afterwind.com/forum/topic.php?topic_id=121

Ivan | 03.01.2011

Comments

Comments: 28 Visited by: 175 users

BZoods Victis Honor Posts: 11 From: USA	03.01.2011 - 21:34 BZoods Automation = thank you very much. Loading... Loading...
Mathon Posts: 16 From: Canada	03.01.2011 - 22:24 Mathon Automation/Clans a much needed feature Loading... Loading...
Calber Posts: 10	03.01.2011 - 23:10 Calber All great ideas, keep up the good work Loading... Loading...
specter Semper Fi Posts: 390 From: USA	04.01.2011 - 00:18 specter "you get cards as rewards during battles or at the end of the game and can trade them during the game for various benefits." what would the benifit of geting cards at the end of the game? are cards transpherable between games? Loading... Loading...
Ivan (Admin) Squirrels! Posts: 2238 From: Finland	04.01.2011 - 03:46 Ivan (Admin) Written by specter, 04.01.2011 at 00:18 "you get cards as rewards during battles or at the end of the game and can trade them during the game for various benefits." what would the benifit of geting cards at the end of the game? are cards transpherable between games? Yes, should've made it clearer - cards stay with you after the game and you can use them in the next one. Loading... Loading...
FailureFace Posts: 50 From: UK	04.01.2011 - 11:27 FailureFace I don't see City Decline up there If it isn't too much trouble, I really think it would be a great way to disolve a number of issues people have brought up in the past, and create a new tactic in gameplay. Most significantly for me though would be for Bombers to be able to cripple cities relativly quickly, so that rather than having to capture a city with fresh land units, your 100 strong bomber force can obliterate a city, making it valueless to the opposition. As I've said before, this would go nicely with popultaion growth/income increasing, the rate to expansion increased the longer a player holds a city. This would make holding onto certain cities more important, as they will become an ever more significant source of cash/troops and destroying/taking such a prolific source could undermine the success of bigger powers. Maybe you could even add this as a component to stratagies, the rate at which a players cities regnerate, and the devestation they themselves can cause. Looking forward to the changes, and the 1.0 release of course, thanks! ---- peveyom heekaht setuh ei iqeht eineta kelah gohk seluxah gohk Loading... Loading...
Ivan (Admin) Squirrels! Posts: 2238 From: Finland	04.01.2011 - 16:30 Ivan (Admin) Written by FailureFace, 04.01.2011 at 11:27 I don't see City Decline up there .... Yes, this is my favorite pet project actually, but we talked with Amok, and I had to agree that it's not exactly a priority. Though I can see it adding quite a lot to the gameplay and realism - having declining population, being able to move citizens between cities and tally the losses in the war... Oh well, one day we'll get to it, I can promise that. Loading... Loading...
FailureFace Posts: 50 From: UK	05.01.2011 - 11:51 FailureFace Written by Ivan, 04.01.2011 at 16:30 Oh well, one day we'll get to it, I can promise that. Good to know! ---- peveyom heekaht setuh ei iqeht eineta kelah gohk seluxah gohk Loading... Loading...
Iron Guard IS-IS Posts: 6 From: USA	05.01.2011 - 21:48 Iron Guard You guys also gotta make it so we can disband units. You know, upscaling and downscaling the military etc ---- "Knowledge without understanding is like life without death, purposeless and incomprehensible" Loading... Loading...
Ivan (Admin) Squirrels! Posts: 2238 From: Finland	06.01.2011 - 04:01 Ivan (Admin) Written by Iron Guard, 05.01.2011 at 21:48 You guys also gotta make it so we can disband units. You know, upscaling and downscaling the military etc Coming up very soon Loading... Loading...
TP_MLD Posts: 61 From: Netherlands	06.01.2011 - 05:12 TP_MLD Written by Ivan, 04.01.2011 at 03:46 Written by specter, 04.01.2011 at 00:18 "you get cards as rewards during battles or at the end of the game and can trade them during the game for various benefits." what would the benifit of geting cards at the end of the game? are cards transpherable between games? Yes, should've made it clearer - cards stay with you after the game and you can use them in the next one. This, I think, is a very bad idea. Loading... Loading...
Ivan (Admin) Squirrels! Posts: 2238 From: Finland	06.01.2011 - 06:08 Ivan (Admin) Written by TP_MLD, 06.01.2011 at 05:12 Written by Ivan, 04.01.2011 at 03:46 Yes, should've made it clearer - cards stay with you after the game and you can use them in the next one. This, I think, is a very bad idea. Care to explain why? Loading... Loading...
TP_MLD Posts: 61 From: Netherlands	07.01.2011 - 08:17 TP_MLD Yes. It allows several exploits. 1. Save up cards in games you don't care about to have disproportiate power in games you do care about. 2. Dislevels the playing field: if I want to play against someone, his amount of playing will determine his power build-up: this makes volume of play more important than playing skill. 3. I want the playing field to be level when I start a game. This is why I'd prefer games against similar-level opponents, without hidden stockpiles of power. There are more examples, but they all derive from this basic principle. Loading... Loading...
Cardinal Squirrels! Posts: 161	07.01.2011 - 08:25 Cardinal I think card should stay in current game and do not migrate into next one with you ---- Very vicious moderator Loading... Loading...
Nethest Posts: 5 From: USA	07.01.2011 - 13:52 Nethest I have to agree with TP_MLD and Cardinal. Risk cards do not carry over to other games. they should be unique to only that game. Collectable cards for show and medals could be fun. Gotta catch them all! Loading... Loading...
leacasas Posts: 1 From: Argentina	07.01.2011 - 19:28 leacasas Yeah I think that disband units is great, but has to be some king of penalty or taxes to pay for the disband... a couple of bucks I dont know... Special units by city is interesting... it makes me think on the special buildings on Rise of Nations... And maybe also some kind of a distant attack, a missil, bombs,etc... And also put tramps on some cities... Loading... Loading...
Perilous Posts: 4 From: USA	04.02.2011 - 21:24 Perilous Written by Ivan, 06.01.2011 at 06:08 Written by TP_MLD, 06.01.2011 at 05:12 Written by Ivan, 04.01.2011 at 03:46 Yes, should've made it clearer - cards stay with you after the game and you can use them in the next one. This, I think, is a very bad idea. Care to explain why? this would lead us to have to pay and people who play more than others would have a huge advantage on the field. so you would drive away people who only have time to play a short game. Loading... Loading...
Perilous Posts: 4 From: USA	04.02.2011 - 21:27 Perilous Something exotic you could think about doing when the game expands a bit more is adding some new maps. a plain world map is one thing but if you could create maps like Atlantis or Pangaea or you could use a medieval model the game would attract a larger group of people with different interests. Loading... Loading...
Balthasar Posts: 25 From: Germany	05.02.2011 - 09:01 Balthasar Collectable cards - I always loved the cards in Risk,... Great news ---- I am not afraid of an army of lions led by a sheep; I am afraid of an army of sheep led by a lion. Alexander the Great Loading... Loading...
Garde Posts: 2842 From: Canada	06.02.2011 - 14:16 Garde Written by Perilous, 04.02.2011 at 21:27 Something exotic you could think about doing when the game expands a bit more is adding some new maps. a plain world map is one thing but if you could create maps like Atlantis or Pangaea or you could use a medieval model the game would attract a larger group of people with different interests. I agree with what he says, all you would have to do is take like...say europe, and draw lines corresponding to the region they belong to according to a map of lets say....ww1(which you could find on wikipedia). Loading... Loading...
Mahdi Posts: 278 From: USA	06.02.2011 - 21:27 Mahdi Written by FailureFace, 04.01.2011 at 11:27 Most significantly for me though would be for Bombers to be able to cripple cities relativly quickly, so that rather than having to capture a city with fresh land units, your 100 strong bomber force can obliterate a city, making it valueless to the opposition. I can easily create 100 bombers in East Asia/Western Pacific. With that I could demolish city after city leaving no challenge. I dislike the idea. ---- Our Mahdi will have a broad forehead and a prominent nose. He will fill the earth with justice as it is filled with injustice and tyranny. Loading... Loading...
Garde Posts: 2842 From: Canada	06.02.2011 - 22:20 Garde Written by Mahdi, 06.02.2011 at 21:27 Written by FailureFace, 04.01.2011 at 11:27 Most significantly for me though would be for Bombers to be able to cripple cities relativly quickly, so that rather than having to capture a city with fresh land units, your 100 strong bomber force can obliterate a city, making it valueless to the opposition. I can easily create 100 bombers in East Asia/Western Pacific. With that I could demolish city after city leaving no challenge. I dislike the idea. But what if somebody else can't? Bombers are underpowered. P.S. a carpet bomb option would be nice. Loading... Loading...
Mahdi Posts: 278 From: USA	06.02.2011 - 22:27 Mahdi Written by Garde, 06.02.2011 at 22:20 Written by Mahdi, 06.02.2011 at 21:27 Written by FailureFace, 04.01.2011 at 11:27 Most significantly for me though would be for Bombers to be able to cripple cities relativly quickly, so that rather than having to capture a city with fresh land units, your 100 strong bomber force can obliterate a city, making it valueless to the opposition. I can easily create 100 bombers in East Asia/Western Pacific. With that I could demolish city after city leaving no challenge. I dislike the idea. But what if somebody else can't? Bombers are underpowered. P.S. a carpet bomb option would be nice. Deuces :banger2 Bombers are an auxiliary force. Letting them destroy every city ruins the fun. ---- Our Mahdi will have a broad forehead and a prominent nose. He will fill the earth with justice as it is filled with injustice and tyranny. Loading... Loading...
Lucifer Posts: 18	07.02.2011 - 18:25 Lucifer Can there be a clear all auto-productions button? It would come in really handy as well. Loading... Loading...
Otokonoko Campfire Fellowship Posts: 65 From: Japan	07.02.2011 - 21:11 Otokonoko Written by TP_MLD, 07.01.2011 at 08:17 Yes. It allows several exploits. 1. Save up cards in games you don't care about to have disproportiate power in games you do care about. 2. Dislevels the playing field: if I want to play against someone, his amount of playing will determine his power build-up: this makes volume of play more important than playing skill. 3. I want the playing field to be level when I start a game. This is why I'd prefer games against similar-level opponents, without hidden stockpiles of power. There are more examples, but they all derive from this basic principle. I think a cool solution to this would make it so that cards dont disappear after you use them. Once you get a card, you have it forever. Systematically, it could work like this. A player chooses, out of the cards he has collected, which ones he wants to bring into a game. The limit could be 10 or so cards. Each of these cards can be used once in that game. This would solve the first problem that you proposed. It would also help to solve problems 2 and 3. While an experienced player may have more cards, and therefore have more options of which ones he wants to bring into the game, every player can only use certain number of cards each game. A secondary idea: maybe players can use excess SP to purchase cards that they want? Also, Written by Lucifer, 07.02.2011 at 18:25 Can there be a clear all auto-productions button? It would come in really handy as well. There already is. Click on a city or country and go to drop down bar in the bottom right of the menu that pops up. Loading... Loading...
Garde Posts: 2842 From: Canada	08.02.2011 - 17:33 Garde Just thought of sumptin...what if we used cards as like a random pick thing were if you do happen to get one, it has random stat bonusses (like +sp). Loading... Loading...
specter Semper Fi Posts: 390 From: USA	08.02.2011 - 18:50 specter Ivan and Amok seem to have had a good handel on things in the past if they want to take the game to this new cards frontier, I say load up the wagons boys. We always can turn around. Loading... Loading...
Garde Posts: 2842 From: Canada	08.02.2011 - 20:46 Garde Written by specter, 08.02.2011 at 18:50 Ivan and Amok seem to have had a good handel on things in the past if they want to take the game to this new cards frontier, I say load up the wagons boys. We always can turn around. Well just have to wait and see I guess. Loading... Loading...

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