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kingdom turn reports - unclemike - 11-22-2017

Starting today, I added a game summary box on the title page of the kingdom turn report (all games). It'll help players remember what particular options apply for the game (e.g., pagan, random cities, etc.). Also, I just noticed something strange, if you view the HTML kingdom report in Edge (Windows 10 browser), the Ice Age picture is much clearer than in Chrome. Heck, the picture is clearer in Firefox than Chrome as well. Compare them yourself side-by-side if you wish. I'll try to investigate why Chrome loses some of the image quality when presenting the pictures on the page.


RE: kingdom turn reports - Mad Hatter - 11-23-2017

I noticed it with my turns this week and appreciate it. Have a Happy Thanksgiving UncleMike!!!


RE: kingdom turn reports - unclemike - 11-24-2017

Thanks. Normally, I play one game at a time but I'm in several games at the moment and I don't remember all the game specifics between them so I hope the boxed summary display helps people in that regard.

Also, I'm playing in my first team game and I don't remember what kingdoms were on which teams so I added a Team section on the kingdom report. I don't know how you guys played this game without that info (or the boxed section) but it helps some of us.

I also considered having the program automatically declare all teammates to be allies on turn 0 so that players in team-oriented games (magic, warlord, titan, confederation) wouldn't have to issue an order to do so among their kingdoms but Rick mentioned that something like that really should be a strategic decision among the players so the auto-declare idea was nixed.

So let me know if anything else should be included in the kingdom turn report to make your life easier or the game better. I'm waiting for Rick to get done with his Maelstrom design so I have some time now during the holidays to add stuff if the players want. Not the website though but changes to the kingdom turn report if something is missing or something that you would like added to help out with the game.

For example, I'm looking for more images to display when your group attains certain achievements. Currently there are only two, a blue dolphin shield when your group conquers a city and a death-like skull if you kill 2+ brigades in battle, but the kingdom report really should have more for that effort to be worthwhile.

A bigger change would be to convert the kingdom report to the HTML5 standard which would look nicer than it's current version. Presently, the report is printed out in preformat fashion which limits the font to be Courier New (blocky type) to preserve spacing. I originally wrote the Alamaze software as a pet project of mine years before I contacted Rick about replacing his older version with mine in order to automate the system (and to get better results and updates). So the output of the kingdom turn report is still pretty much the same as the original that uses preformatted text to align elements on the page.

If I convert the kingdom report to HTML5 standards, I will be able to use any font and color to make the kingdom report more presentable and nicer in appearance. Much like how the initial title page has Verdana font (which is easier on the eyes) than the font used elsewhere on the report like the text of an emissary's actions (which is the blocky Courier font).

So unless someone has a request for the kingdom turn report, I'll try to find the time during the holidays to convert to using HTML5 standards but that will take a while to do...


RE: kingdom turn reports - Wookie Panz - 11-24-2017

(11-24-2017, 04:10 PM)unclemike Wrote: Thanks. Normally, I play one game at a time but I'm in several games at the moment and I don't remember all the game specifics between them so I hope the boxed summary display helps people in that regard.

Also, I'm playing in my first team game and I don't remember what kingdoms were on which teams so I added a Team section on the kingdom report. I don't know how you guys played this game without that info (or the boxed section) but it helps some of us.

I also considered having the program automatically declare all teammates to be allies on turn 0 so that players in team-oriented games (magic, warlord, titan, confederation) wouldn't have to issue an order to do so among their kingdoms but Rick mentioned that something like that really should be a strategic decision among the players so the auto-declare idea was nixed.

So let me know if anything else should be included in the kingdom turn report to make your life easier or the game better. I'm waiting for Rick to get done with his Maelstrom design so I have some time now during the holidays to add stuff if the players want. Not the website though but changes to the kingdom turn report if something is missing or something that you would like added to help out with the game.

For example, I'm looking for more images to display when your group attains certain achievements. Currently there are only two, a blue dolphin shield when your group conquers a city and a death-like skull if you kill 2+ brigades in battle, but the kingdom report really should have more for that effort to be worthwhile.

A bigger change would be to convert the kingdom report to the HTML5 standard which would look nicer than it's current version. Presently, the report is printed out in preformat fashion which limits the font to be Courier New (blocky type) to preserve spacing. I originally wrote the Alamaze software as a pet project of mine years before I contacted Rick about replacing his older version with mine in order to automate the system (and to get better results and updates). So the output of the kingdom turn report is still pretty much the same as the original that uses preformatted text to align elements on the page.

If I convert the kingdom report to HTML5 standards, I will be able to use any font and color to make the kingdom report more presentable and nicer in appearance. Much like how the initial title page has Verdana font (which is easier on the eyes) than the font used elsewhere on the report like the text of an emissary's actions (which is the blocky Courier font).

So unless someone has a request for the kingdom turn report, I'll try to find the time during the holidays to convert to using HTML5 standards but that will take a while to do...

I have noticed the difference, Mike, and find it both useful and attractive.  Thanks for all of the continuing upgrades you do for the game.


RE: kingdom turn reports - Ry Vor - 11-24-2017

Mike has made a number of changes, all for the better since he took over development sometime in I think late 2014.  I like the new images and the new box to better describe the particulars of the game.  We've long discussed enhancing the appearance of turn reports and moving to HTML5 but its his work doing these things beyond just the occasional suggestion from me. 

As Mike said about himself, I too normally are in one or no games.  We don't intrude on games, although we love Alamaze, but we play mainly to see if everything is working as intended and to get the temperature of the player base, which is why I like Alliance games over Anonymous games. 

Maelstrom was probably too ambitious, and I like to introduce elements incrementally, both to move things along and for player adaptation, while Mike wants the whole kabob.  I may prevail on a test game on the Maelstrom map with just that as the change, while wrapping up the rest.  So for example we will move to any kingdom in any of 12 regions, initially to get going we may still have either Elves or Druid in a given region.  I just want to make sure the map works as I think it will.


RE: kingdom turn reports - unclemike - 11-25-2017

Yep so send in your suggestions if you have any to improve the kingdom turn report. The turn 0 kingdom setup file is already HTML5 so you can reference that to see how the new turn report may look like. It'll be easier to read, look nicer, and I'll be able to add more pictures and color to it for a cleaner presentation.

For example, scroll all the way to the bottom of the kingdom setup and you'll see the brigade chart. I can do something similar to the pc production section to make it look nicer and easier to read. That's the difference that HTML5 will bring to the game.

I can also add other stuff like coloring the pc red (much like how the Dark Elf long range missile value of Renowned is red) to indicate that an enemy group is located at your pc. Currently, you only get an indication that an enemy group is at your pc in the Encounters of Note section (the text between the group and production areas) which isn't that clear. So unless you happen to have one of your own groups there (which will get a blue indicator that another group is at your location), it's actually hard to pick up if an enemy group is at your pc.

Actually, I was just burned by that in a game. I was in a rush to fill out my orders and missed the enemy group at one of my pc's. Instead, if the pc production section displayed the pc in red (or some other indicator) then I would have noticed that a bad guy is there and scrolled up to see what's going on.

I can also add images to the pc section like having one to represent siege. First-stage siege may display a somewhat broken stone tower on the pc line. Second siege may be a tower broken in half and third siege could be crumbled stones. So with this change in appearance, the kingdom report could look pretty cool and be informative at the same time!

Another improvement could be to add a flying symbol to groups with a flying status (which would be helpful for groups with the Red Bats or Pegasus artifact). Some people may forget that those artifacts only support up to 5 brigades so if you add more troops with a transfer command or receive turn 5 reinforcements, your group will lose its flying ability. So if I add a wing symbol (much like the former Pegasus Productions logo but without the horse), players will know better when a group has flying or not.

BTW, some may not know but if a group consists entirely of specters (from the wizard summoning spell), that group gains flying. That means being immune to earthquake, wall of flame, flash flood spells, +20% bonus in pc battles, and the ability to issue the fly command (order 727 that the artifacts use). You may not think that jumping up to 7 areas away is a big deal but in an Ice Age campaign, that's pretty useful.

So don't be shy about making suggestions to improve the kingdom turn report. Rick and I will try to consider all during this development change before Maelstrom.


RE: kingdom turn reports - unclemike - 11-25-2017

Another idea that I thought about doing is to include an updated map along with the kingdom turn report. The map display will be a different HTML5 file for your kingdom so on turn 0, every player will receive an email that will have three attachments (kingdom setup, kingdom turn report, and the new updated map file).

The map won't be interactive in the sense that you can click on it to generate your next turn's orders but it could display an updated version of the map of areas explored, encounters found, enemy groups nearby, .etc.  I can even add some of the Fall of Rome icons to the map (see attachment for an encounter example).

Developing and including an updated map with every turn is a more ambitious effort than just improving the kingdom turn report but it's something that is possible to do for the game. Let me know what you think or if that'll be just a waste of time compared to getting Maelstrom out quicker...


RE: kingdom turn reports - JonDoe - 11-25-2017

Not even sure possible but I would like the turn fonts to be scaleable. When I have multiple items open to do an alamaze turn. Sometimes I want to make my turn smaller but the sides just collapse in and I miss some of the text. Likely tricky, some items would be nice to have the text word wrap while others if wrapped would get confusing. I am sure some limit on smallness would also be needed.

I and use a lot of the recent changes. I was a bit mixed on listing the teams because I know that was part of the fun especially in warlords to figure out the teams but was normally all figured out by T5 anyway.

-Since the text already inticates if an Emmies name was given during a control effort. Perhaps give a red spotted text/pic next to the Emmy name.
-could indicate if an Emmy in a not in a kingdom controlled PC is strong enough to control or make neutral the PC they are in. Factoring in kingdom traits and owners traits considering owner is friendly. Something like Green can control, yellow can drive neutral, red nothing without help
-maybe list a groups total artifact bonus without wizards or tactics in the group strength area.
Just thinking maybe some of the player aid items could be included in the turn to speed up some of the thinking about actions to take.


RE: kingdom turn reports - RELLGAR - 11-25-2017

I would like to see a random world report of battle and rebellions/ userping of PC. To let everyone get an inkling of whats possably going on in different regions. The bigger the battle or the larger the PC changing hands the greater chance of news spreading, word would spread throughout the lands. A basic report of 2 army groups fighting in Amberland and who the victor and the loser was, but no leader names.


RE: kingdom turn reports - Ry Vor - 11-27-2017

We will have more universal results, as we currently have when a region becomes controlled.  Such as when a Ruler dies, a Warlord emerges, a Power 7 Wizard comes on the scene, a Level 14 agent is discovered.  All to make the world a bit closer, instead of sometimes 1v1 isolated conflicts, although I think the Maelstrom map changes that to an extent. 

So this will be a more advanced game, rather than trying as much to gain newbees.  It's kind of ultimate Alamaze. 

The Maelstrom
Alamaze > Advanced