Monster SCENARIO Project

[Gandalf Parker]

PROJECT

Im trying to gather all my thoughts and get some feedback on what would be the largest possible scenario project possible using all of the programmable features of Dominions 3. One big zip file which would include much more than usually offered.

[Gandalf Parker]

STORYLINE
I have no idea yet.
"Beware Global Swarming"?
"Dominions Civil War"?
"the TimeLine has Ruptured!"?
"We have created a Pantheon. Well we created one also!"?

[Gandalf Parker]

SCENARIO
A scenario is not just a mod, and not just a map, and not just a 3rd party program you can run to modify something. A scenario is a storyline chain of events, which in this case you can take part in when you play it.

It could be a mod with more storyline than usual, or a map with more storyline than usual. But in this case, Im kindof going for all of the above.

A desktop icon (shortcut) to start the game putting you right into it. Seperarate from your Dom3 shortcut. This would take you directly into this game when you click it. It would also insure that the correct parameters are run. The mod, the settings, preexec, postexec, stats, log, scores, backups, etc.

The pre-exec program (prior to each turn being hosted) would check to see if things have happened in the game which the scenario needs to act on. Im not sure yet what those will be. Maybe reaching a certain year, specific spells being cast, independents down to a certain percent meaning everyone has grown to a certain point, etc.

The map (graphic) might come in multiple flavors which will be used as the game progresses.

The map (.map) will mostly setup specifics such as AI players and independents.

The defaults mod will need to list everything that is not only modified for the game, but anything that we might want changed later in mid-game.

The post-exec program (after each turn is hosted) might just have places for each person to figure out and insert whatever method they want for making backups, notifying the player that the turn has processed, etc. But maybe we can figure out how to get some of the options to work in a generic manner.

Mod 1, Mod 2, Mod 3 would be variations and changes which need to happen later. Possibly, because I love to do such things, we will go with a program to randomize some of this to increase re-playablity of the scenario.

[Gandalf Parker]

SHORTCUT
An icon specific to this game.

A shortcut which calls Dom3 generically. Without an actual install program this might be difficult but generally something like...
"C:\Program Files\dominions3\dom3.exe" -fwacd --magicsites 65 --renaming --indepstr 7 --hofsize 15 --eventrarity 1 --
--statfile --scoredump --preexec pre.bat --postexec post.bat --mapfile scenario.map scenario

[Gandalf Parker]

PRE-EXEC
Some of the things that can be "seen" and reacted to would be:
1) what turn or year it is
2) what season it is
3) certain nations failing to upload turn files, or failing to upload a turn for X number of hostings
4) how many nations have dropped out
5) how many are owned by a nation or by all nations:
provinces, forts, income, gem income, research, dominion, army size, victory points
6) all of the above as it applies to Independents to gauge the progression of the game. Such as when there are less than 10% provinces held by indepts.
7) largest change in any of the above
8) how many of something has entered the game:
assassins, horrors, global spells
9) certain specific provinces being attacked (when the home of xxxx is attacked then act)
10) certain spells being cast (meaning a way to check if a certain research level has been reached, or to know that AI Ermor is now capable of xxxxx)
11) what random events have run
12) specific items gotten from combats
13) overkills (such as a 2000 army killing a 200 army)

[Gandalf Parker]

placeholder

[Gandalf Parker]

MAP (graphic)
The map can be changed after a game has started. However Dom3 does not reread the file between hostings. If you quit the game, and restart it, then the changed image will appear. I might be able to find some way to hot-swap it. But even as "the next days play" there might be some use of this. It does open doors for a time-progression map. That way we can not only alter units, but the image of the land too.

[Gandalf Parker]

MAP (.map file)
As always Im tempted to include my own scattered monsters. Or maybe something with Ballbarians SemiRand program.

Probably the storyline will involve some AIs with predefined pretenders, scales, etc.

[Gandalf Parker]

DEFAULTS MOD
Its very important that the initial mod at LEAST include a placeholder for each item, unit, pretender, independent that we plan to change later in the game. If the mild mannered lore master is going to become a huge raging demon later in the game, then the initial mod must contain the mild mannered lore master even if it only dublicates him with no changes. He must be in the mod.

[Gandalf Parker]

post exec