beta: dramarti (fictional land)

[brunom]

Well, hey ho again

This might just be a short return, but I spent some time in the last weeks goofing around in the single map I had in my archives that had never been shared here (it wasn't even close to half-made when I posted the "box of unfinished goodies" some months ago), and wanted to share it now.

This was initially a "modelling terrain / tectonics in RRT3" experiment, which then turned into a geography study, which, much later, turned into something that actually seemed and worked as a RRT3 scenario. So, here is, unfinished, as almost always, but in working condition. I can see arop has been posting new maps like mad, so the usual testers may have the hands quite full already, but nevertheless... and take your time, no rush, all is well.

dramarti_beta.zip

(5.76 MiB) Downloaded 381 times

Have fun and let me know what you think.
Regards,
B

[Blackhawk]

Welcome back. Hope you stick around for awhile. I never did get to finish my modification of your other map into 1.06. I haven't played too much RT3 lately, partly because of yet another computer issue with my sony laptop. (a few months ago the video card died, which nvidia admitted had issues and would pay the costs to replace, but sony failed to recall my laptop even though it was one of their more expensive ones, they only recalled the cheap ones, now the fan is dying so anything too graphics intense causes the computer to heat up)

Anyway welcome back, stick around for awhile and give Arop some scenario competition

[Sugus]

Dramarti (beta) seems to be a little dramatic!

After two successless tries I risked a third one and - wow - won the first war already in 1875. Thereafter, nothing happend and I went on and connected all (at this moment) reachable cities. This was done in, I think, 1881, by finally connecting the very little village Parrat. Consequence: THE FALK WARS started! Of course, from now on I tried to haul weapons and troops to this little Parrat, but without success within the first five years. Then - entering 1886 - the FALK WARS job suddenly disappeared from the ledger! Hmm - what now? Shall I go on and hope, that the job is survived furtheron by big brother, so that the access to West and South Falkland will be given? Knowing that brunom is an experienced map creator , I stopped playing. And - also, to save further fun - I didn't make any inspections by means of the editor.

This way, I think that:
- It's not worth to go on, if there is no steel mill available just at the beginning. (In my third try a steel mill appeard later on near Captal, but it was outside of the stations range).
- The resources to fulfill the jobs (troops and weapons, at least at the beginning) are too scarce. Playing on normal I would not imagine, how it behaves on hard or even expert.

BUT: it's a really interesting and challenging map. Impatiently waiting now for a gamma ...

[RayofSunshine]

Well Sugus,
Guess I will give it a try. Actually I am waiting for some unpdated beta scenarios of Arop. Even had a chance to get involved with some scenarios in the RT2 web site.

And Blackhawk. My son is a computer technician. The problem he has found with overheating, is that there is not an adequate amount of air circulation via the blower fan in the bottom of the laptops. To help save guard overheating, he recommends that a person props up that end of the laptop, to help get more air space on the bottom, as well as ascertaining, that there isn't anything obstructing the intake of the fan.

[RayofSunshine]

First, I like the concept and challenges of this scenario. But I keep running into the same problem with RT3. I have 3 citiies which has 6+ troops, sitting drinking alcohol I guess, and don't want to be disturbed. LOL However, there is a city which needs the supply of both troops and wpns as a requirement of the challenge. BUT, I cannot get the troops off their butts, even with a "custom" consist. Lots of other supplies are being hauled, but no troops. Well, not to the intended destination.
Now I know that in order to rectify the solution, I can redirect troops being hauled to "different" locations, but being that there are usually on 1 or maybe 2 troops being hauled from those cities, that they will have to be "stopped" short of the desired destination, and the requirement of "5", have to arrive within the same year, WITH the "4" wpns during that same year.
Seems to me, and it is part of the programming, that the creators missed the point on such demands, but maybe it was done on purpose.
Playing in year 7, and have not run into any programming problem as yet.

[Blackhawk]

Not scenario related, but thanks for the advice Ray. That's one of the reasons they say not to use your laptop on something like a bed or carpet as it further blocks airflow.

Hopefully I'll get a chance to play some RT3 over this weekend and catch up on some of the scenarios I never finished playing or designing.

[RayofSunshine]

Well I screwed up. Once I got to Kirch City, I laid track to the borders of other territories, and also laid track to other territories already conquered, as well as the Homeland territory. Nothing was happening, but then on checking the "territories" map, I found that both the Inner Falkland and East Coast showed "green", as accessible. But time was too short for anything but to lay track, acutally build several tunnels, to get to the East Coast. And as usual, the last few years went into a Recession, which I have found to be very consistant with previous scenarios. So although I lost my $10+M, I had enough for a BZ.

My intent was to conquer the Kareille territory, and come up the back side of the mountain range, and then conquer the East Coast. I did not believe that the Inner Falkland was important, as it only had a couple of Dairy Farms. And there were enough other territories for the required 15 for the GOLD. Guessed wrong.

However had a problem. Although I had $8+M PNW, and 8 regions, I did not get a BZ medal.

Will be interesting on my next attempt to see how the other "regions" are conquered. A very interesting concept of immagination to obtain the goals.

[brunom]

Glad you fellas liked the overall idea and the map. The map is a little larger than it needed to be and covers a diversity of landscapes, but that was the plan since the start.

The way the economics and geography of the region unfolded in my mind though, a lot of the landscape is just there to be "hovered about".

So, here's an updated version (and I'm hoping it's finished as, unfortunately, the real world drains all my time nowadays):

Change log:
gold, silver, bronze and lose events are added
messages pop up when an war-expansion opportunity times out
a few territories will open up independently of wars, to help out the average player
some war triggers have been reviewed
the village formerly known as "off-road valley" now has a proper name
... can't remember if I changed anything else

Now, this should be fully playable. And yes, wars are winnable, Sugus and Ray, at least I managed to win 4 of them in one of my tests and I'm no great player - still, you need to know what's coming so it won't happen on first attempt.

Final note: even on Medium, I don't think this scenario isn't a straight gold medal for anyone. If you have the time, real experts, please have a shot and share your thoughts.

B

[Wolverine@MSU]

I'll have a go at it as soon as I finish Arop's Tunesia map.

[Wolverine@MSU]

Have progressed well through the scenario, but as noted above, Troops don't want to go to the target cities, at least not enogh of them in time to meet the deadlines. The only way I could meet the marks was to search (in the cargo overlay) for troops, find some that wanted to go SOMEWHERE, get them to board trains to their indended destination, and then once they leave the station, redirect them to the target city. It often takes several trains, departing from different cities, to make the quotas, but I had no trouble in "mustering" enough of them to meet the goals. The Weapons train was much easier by using custom consists. In order to get them all to arrive in the same year, I watched each train and stopped it just before reaching its destination. When I had all the needed trains waiting outside of the destination city, I made sure there was enough time left in the current year to get them all to arrive on time (due to congestion at the target station) and then let them go. Works like a charm, but takes a little micro-management and strict attention to the progress of the trains. I give them all "priority" staus so it's easy to find them in the Train List window.

The only glitch I came across was that I was not given access to the territory needed to lay rails to the final city (Autun). I couldn't find an event that granted access to Kissin Valley/Autun like there was for the previous "wars". I wound up using cheat codes to give my company the money to buy access in order to proceed with the game. I have my trains poised just outside of Autun to make the deliveries, but time ran out this morning and I had to leave for work. I'll have at it again as soon as I can and let you know how the rest of the scenario goes.

I have had no trouble making the PNW goal (I'm currently at about $28 M, but we're in good econimic times right now).

Since Troops are a difficult thing to control (as the scenario creator) I suggest having a Newspaper shortly after the first Weapons/Troops delivery is made to Eridu stating that "Troop Trains Miss Their Mark" in the main headline and "Many soldiers redeployed after leaving their home base" as a sub-headline (or some such things) to "remind" the player of the "bait-and-switch" tactic.

[RayofSunshine]

I had some similar problems with the "troops", as well as getting access to Autun. In other scenarios I also find that I have to "hunt and peck" to find where the "barracks" are located. Troops do not make such an indication, but I have found the best, is to target them by "alcohol, ammo, and weapons". I am sure that other members know of this solution, but just to make some of us "dummies" more aware. LOL
A great scenario, and will have to give it another attempt when there is a lessor expensive cost for the access to Autun.

[RayofSunshine]

Was this scenario ever taken out of a 'beta' criteria? The last posting is a Beta 3, and I am not able to find it in the "other lands".

[Hawk]

Was this scenario ever taken out of a 'beta' criteria?

To the best of my knowledge, no.

[RayofSunshine]

Thanks for the info Hawk. Just thought that I had missed a final version. I have a few others in my inventory which are still in a beta condition, and am going to check of them as well.