Making Custom QB Maps

[Treeburst155]

It seems to me that good custom QB maps would require the mapmaker to design the map for a particular size and type of battle. For example: Axis Attack, 1,000 points, medium map; or Allied Probe, 1,500 points, small map etc..

There are two reasons for this:

1) Although you can import maps, you cannot import the setup zones. Knowing the dimensions of the zones that will be superimposed over your custom map can help prevent map design problems like over-exposed setup zones.

2) In order to preserve the balance of a typical QB, the VL points used in an auto-generated QB should be known, and your map designed with the same amount of VL points.

A valuable service someone who enjoys making maps could provide to the community would be to create custom QB maps with the proper dimensions, the proper amount of VL points, and careful consideration of where the setup zones will be.

Considering all the types of battles (7), map sizes (4), and defender point choices (13), you would never run out of work.

What, no volunteers? I shall begin work immediately.

Prepare for the weekly release of Treeburst155's Custom QB Maps, carefully designed for specific battle types and sizes.

The first map will be for an Axis Attack, 1,500 points, medium map.

Treeburst155 out.

[ November 05, 2002, 11:18 PM: Message edited by: Treeburst155 ]

[Berlichtingen]

Originally posted by Treeburst155:

It seems to me that good custom QB maps would require the mapmaker to design the map for a particular size and type of battle. For example: Axis Attack, 1,000 points, medium map; or Allied Probe, 1,500 points, small map etc..

There are two reasons for this:

1) Although you can import maps, you cannot import the setup zones. Knowing the dimensions of the zones that will be superimposed over your custom map can help prevent map design problems like over-exposed setup zones.

2) In order to preserve the balance of a typical QB, the VL points used in an auto-generated QB should be known, and your map designed with the same amount of VL points.

Uh... what version of CMBB are you playing? Setup zones are imported. And since the VLs are also imported, why do they have to conform to what a QB would create?

[Warlord69]

I think Tree means that you can't adjust the setup zones on a QB map to the same as a normal Quickbattle sets up zones for MEs, Probes, attacks. So we should conform to what the QB engine uses, and then tell people ahead of time, when they download the map, that a certain map is designed for 1250 pnt Attacks.

And the number of small flags and large flags that show up depending on the scale of the QB should be conformed to too.

[Berlichtingen]

Originally posted by Warlord69:

And the number of small flags and large flags that show up depending on the scale of the QB should be conformed to too.

Why?

[Michael Dorosh]

I am having great fun working up some solitarie campaign game rules, the basis of which is the QB generator. You most certainly CAN import setup zones, and with some tweaking, there are all kinds of excellent QB scenarios one can come up with besides a plain old attack/defend - you can do relief in place, defend against airborne drops, clear a road from one board edge to another, have a casualty evacuation mission, fight a hedgehog defence (ie enemy setup zone surrounds your set up zone), relieve an encircled friendly force, destroy an enemy HQ, etc., etc. With a bit of imagination, the import map and forces feature is terrific, especially since you can mix prepurchased troops (on the map) and those purchased at random as part of the QB.

Now, if we could only edit saved game files, but I won't beat that dead horse again.

I would like to see, however, and Mike you know what I am talking about, maps formatted with the proper amount of turns per game - so that one isn't forced to rush through a QB like you and I are right now.

[Treeburst155]

Hmmm...you're right about the setup zones importing with the map. I could have sworn when I checked that it didn't work for me. Maybe I imported a north/south map when I checked that?

As for the rest, in order to retain the true nature of a given QB type and size it is necessary to duplicate setup zone dimensions, map dimensions and VL points.

I'm assuming here that the map dimensions, VL points, and setup zones of auto-generated QB maps have been carefully chosen by BFC for any given type and size of QB. In order to preserve this, custom QB maps should duplicate these map features.

If one does not do this, you don't really have a QB. You have a custom scenario where purchasing units can be done. This is a great thing, but it's not a QB by nature.

Also, loading just any map into the QB could very easily result in an inappropriate map for the battle size and type chosen. It would be nice to know that the human designed map I'm importing into my 1500 point Axis attack QB is a suitable size, and that it contains a proper amount of VL points. I wouldn't want the setup zones to be too far off of QB norms either.

So, there are two ways to look at importing maps. One, I'm going to play a custom scenario and choose my own forces. Two, I'm going to play a typical QB with a better looking custom map.

Treeburst155 out.

[Treeburst155]

More thoughts on this....

In a QB, the player makes many choices. If he wants to use a custom map, he will have to make those choices based on that map.

With maps designed specifically for a certain type and size of QB, the player need only choose the right battle type and size to know the map will work, and yield a fairly even game like any other QB.

With a map that does not conform to QB norms, balance in the battle could be way out of whack, unlike a standard QB.

Treeburst155 out.

[Treeburst155]

and more thoughts.....

If I design a map for QB import that does not conform to QB norms regarding size, VL points, and setup zones it will be the equivalent to a half finished scenario where the player finishes the job with a very limited editor. It's like using the QB feature of the game to act as a third party to purchase troops, but not as flexible.

I guess my main point throughout these posts is that play balance could be seriously disrupted with a map that does not conform to QB norms. I'm always thinking balance and competition play here.

Treeburst155 out.