EIA Setup - "View Available Counters" (Full Version)

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Greyshaft -> EIA Setup - "View Available Counters" (1/6/2005 12:36:42 AM)

Here's a quick overview of setting up to play EIA. I'll skip the "Select Scenario", PBEM v. AI etc and jump straight into the screens. We're playing Russia and the game is open before us...What do we do?

First I click on the "View Available Counters" button which is the 5th button along at the top left of the screen. (Note it is not the 4th button which has an image of a mouse pointer... that pointer is part of the button art. My mouse pointer disappeared during the screencap). This shows what units I have available.

[image]local://upfiles/10508/Jg142356854.jpg[/image]



Greyshaft -> RE: EIA Setup - "Available Counters screen" (1/6/2005 1:11:48 AM)

When that screen opens I select 3 Infantry corps (note they have no troops in them yet) plus Kutusov then right-click to return to the map

[image]local://upfiles/10508/Pn360380536.jpg[/image]



Greyshaft -> EIA Setup - "Place unit on map" (1/6/2005 1:24:41 AM)

The map returns and I left-click on the desired province to place the selected units there.
The legend at the bottom of the screen shows me a picture of Kutusov with his Strategic(4) , Tactical(3) and Seniority(B) ratings.

I use the buttons in the bottom left of the screen to refine my setup. THe buttons perform the following actions:
TOP ROW
* Add forces to unit - add troops from the Force Pool to the selected Corp/Fleet Counter
* Add forces to Garrison - add troops from the Force Pool into a city on the map
* Remove counter from Map - delete selected counter and move it back to the "Available Counters" screen
* Save Current Forces Setup - once you have finished your setup you can save those deployments for use in another game
* Load a saved setup - reuse the startup deployments from another game
BOTTOM ROW
* Give unit mission orders - tell an allied minor nation what you want their troops to do
* Place/Remove depot
* Move unit into City - units in cities do not take part in field battles in that area but the city can be seiged or assaulted.
* Move unit out of City

[image]local://upfiles/10508/Fd914050275.jpg[/image]



Hoche -> RE: EIA Setup - "Place unit on map" (1/7/2005 3:15:33 AM)

We're not worthy [&o], We're not worthy [&o], We're not worthy [&o], We're not worthy [&o], We're not worthy [&o]



Hoche -> RE: EIA Setup - "Place unit on map" (1/7/2005 4:52:19 AM)

I do have a question. Do the leaders not have a tactical maximum rating?



gazfun -> RE: EIA Setup - "View Available Counters" (1/7/2005 6:25:32 AM)

Thanks Mate, We really appreciate you doing this
[8D]



Madcombinepilot -> RE: EIA Setup - "View Available Counters" (1/7/2005 7:11:43 PM)

What game functions are in place for the Leaders Corps Commading rating? Nappy could command 6 corps, Wellington 3, etc.

Is this version taking that into account?



Madcombinepilot -> RE: EIA Setup - "View Available Counters" (1/7/2005 7:12:05 PM)

Looks great by the way ;)



Greyshaft -> RE: EIA Setup - "View Available Counters" (1/8/2005 9:26:51 AM)

quote:

ORIGINAL: Madcombinepilot
What game functions are in place for the Leaders Corps Commading rating? Nappy could command 6 corps, Wellington 3, etc. Is this version taking that into account?

quote:

ORIGINAL: Hoche
I do have a question. Do the leaders not have a tactical maximum rating?


MCP and Hoche have basically the same question. The game rules state the following:

4.4.3.7 Tactical Maximum Ratings
Each leader has a “tactical maximum rating”. If commanding more corps than this rating, the leader's tactical rating is reduced by “-1”,. Regardless of the number of corps commanded, the tactical rating can never be modified to below zero.

For example, if Napoleon, with a tactical maximum rating of “6” and a tactical rating of “5”, commands from seven to twelve corps, the tactical rating is reduced from “5” to “4”. He cannot command more than twelve corps.

All corps participating in a battle are counted for determining a commander's tactical rating.

No leader may command more corps than twice his tactical maximum. If additional corps are present in the location, they do not participate in the battle, but must retreat as per 0 if their side is required to do so.

There are many compromises which occur in translating a boardgame into a PC game and as a humble betatester I can't promise whether this will be in the final game or not. We need commentary from Marshall to confirm/deny/explain all design decisions.



max_h -> RE: EIA Setup - "View Available Counters" (1/9/2005 10:52:43 AM)

how suited is the game for SP yet? will the ai be scripted for "Historical play" (french aggression, hist. alliances) or will it play a different strategy each game (even if its just 4,5 ...7 predefined scripts)?

(I hope for the later, else the game is too predictable)



Greyshaft -> RE: EIA Setup - "View Available Counters" (1/9/2005 10:09:18 PM)

Each nation controlled by the AI can be given either an "Easy", "Medium" or "Hard" AI.

So if I want a vaguely historical solitaire game as Russia I would probably set France and Britain to "Hard", Spain and Austria to "Medium" and Turkey and Prussia to "Easy".



ktotwf -> RE: EIA Setup - "View Available Counters" (1/10/2005 1:31:14 AM)

I'm pretty sure Austria would be on Easy. They never won anything.



CICERON -> RE: EIA Setup - "View Available Counters" (1/10/2005 8:54:18 PM)

quote:

ORIGINAL: ktotwf

I'm pretty sure Austria would be on Easy. They never won anything.


What?[X(] And Leipzig? The Campaign of France?



Greyshaft -> Heretical views (1/10/2005 11:02:27 PM)

quote:

ORIGINAL: CICERON

quote:

ORIGINAL: ktotwf

I'm pretty sure Austria would be on Easy. They never won anything.


What?[X(] And Leipzig? The Campaign of France?


Uh oh... I smell a religious war approaching. I'm staying quiet on this one [:D]



Wandering Eye -> RE: Heretical views (1/10/2005 11:21:49 PM)

Does the difficulty level of an individual AI-controlled nation influence that nation's stance towards (specifically) the player?

In other words, do you know if something like 'hard' vs. 'easy' means that

(1) A 'harder' difficulty means that the nation is more likely to be better run, less of a pushover for anybody, more likely to compete well for control over minors, perhaps get manpower/tax bonuses as a handicap (?), and not be restricted to more simple strategies, or ...

(2) A 'harder' difficulty makes that nation specifically more hostile to human-run nations, and more likely to collaborate with other AIs, while perhaps otherwise using similar strategies?



ktotwf -> RE: Heretical views (1/11/2005 12:50:10 AM)

quote:

What? And Leipzig? The Campaign of France?


Austria was...if I recall correctly...heavily, heavily supported by allies in both of those. However, Austria did have the priviledge of being the country with the greatest number of at Bats against Napoleon, and the greatest number of losses.



Greyshaft -> RE: Heretical views (1/11/2005 12:56:55 AM)

quote:

ORIGINAL: Wandering Eye
Does the difficulty level of an individual AI-controlled nation influence that nation's stance towards (specifically) the player?


Sorry, I have no idea... you need to ask Marshall what is the effect of differrent AI settings.



jhdeerslayer -> RE: Heretical views (1/11/2005 10:09:02 PM)

Such teasing...



Greyshaft -> Sharing information (1/11/2005 10:41:15 PM)

quote:

ORIGINAL: Deerslayer

Such teasing...


No teasing involved. There are three classes of information in beta-testing:

* Don't know therefore can't tell - pretty self-explanatory. I suggest you ask Marshall to talk about it in the Forums.
* Do know but won't tell - current bugs in the system and the potential Release Date. That's all.
* Do know and will tell - everything else.

Part of a beta-testers role is to help drum up enthusiasm for the game by explaining the game systems in these Forums so I see no point in teasing the avid readers. If I knew about the AI I would tell you.



CICERON -> RE: Heretical views (1/11/2005 11:51:39 PM)

quote:

ORIGINAL: ktotwf

Austria was...if I recall correctly...heavily, heavily supported by allies in both of those. However, Austria did have the priviledge of being the country with the greatest number of at Bats against Napoleon, and the greatest number of losses.


Let's Napoleon reply. [:D] To his counsellor whom prefered Great Duchess Ann to Archduchess Mary-Louise of Habsbourg because Ausria coudn't be considered as a great power, he said: " You weren't at Wagram!" In fact, Wagram was a Pyrrhic victory :

- Austria: 23 744 losses+7585 prisoners,

-France: 33 854 losses+4000 prisoners.[:'(]

So to my mind, Austria was a greater power than Prussia, for exemple.[;)]



Wandering Eye -> RE: Heretical views (1/12/2005 12:49:47 AM)

Hm. Another question.

A couple of leaders have dates on them instead of strat/tact values -- are these the dates these leaders become available? And if so, do you have to wait until then to find out their stats?



Greyshaft -> Leader Arrival dates (1/12/2005 1:50:14 AM)

quote:

ORIGINAL: Wandering Eye
A couple of leaders have dates on them instead of strat/tact values -- are these the dates these leaders become available?
Yes. The arrival dates are static.

quote:

ORIGINAL: Wandering Eye
And if so, do you have to wait until then to find out their stats?

No. The stats will be freely available in the EIA documentation... once we finish writing it. In the meantime just pull out your cardboard EiA counters and look it up.

What? You don't have cardboard EiA? Shame on you



rhodopsine -> RE: Heretical views (1/12/2005 2:16:29 AM)

quote:

ORIGINAL: Wandering Eye

Hm. Another question.

A couple of leaders have dates on them instead of strat/tact values -- are these the dates these leaders become available? And if so, do you have to wait until then to find out their stats?


Yes, they are leaders that will be available later in the game.
If you click on the leader, its ratings will be showed in the Selected Unit Info at the bottom of the screen.

Martin Paradis

[image]local://upfiles/9509/Wt589898664.jpg[/image]



max_h -> RE: Leader Arrival dates (1/12/2005 11:54:50 PM)

quote:


No. The stats will be freely available in the EIA documentation... once we finish writing it. In the meantime just pull out your cardboard EiA counters and look it up.


hmm... how moddable are those stats? are leaderdatabases etc. easily accesible?



1LTRambo -> RE: Leader Arrival dates (1/21/2005 6:08:12 PM)

My question is similar to max_h, are leader stats changeable based on their victories or losses? In other words, commander A becomes more experienced by winning several battles and can now command more troops or his tactical rating increases.



donkuchi19 -> RE: Leader Arrival dates (1/21/2005 7:49:21 PM)

It wasn't like that in the original EIA. Unless you count that Nappy's stats went down as time progressed in an optional rule.



rhodopsine -> RE: Leader Arrival dates (1/21/2005 8:36:55 PM)

Leader's stats stay the same all along the game.

Martin Paradis



Marshall Ellis -> RE: Leader Arrival dates (1/25/2005 1:33:31 AM)

Hey guys:

Just a slight summary and a little help to Greyshaft who is doing a WONDERFUL service by doing these AARs! Let's all remember him and put him on our Christmas card list for next year!

The AI is still rather simple today. The difficulty setting does a couple of things. It allows the AI to be a little more smart about battles and movement i.e. it is less likely to attack a stack of 10 with a stack of 5 BUT the higher settings also allow the AI to collect VPs on a slightly faster pace than the rest. We do have scripting in place but not a lot of scripts AND each game will have a random script selected for each nation. These scripts give the AI suggested nations to take, spending policies and the leader's attributes such as loyalty and sanity. Theoretically, you could get an insane leader from Russia that is hell-bent on conquering the world BUT this is unlikely! The odds are that Alexander will be the tentative switch-hitter that he really was, until he was left no choice, of course but I digress. Suffice to say that the AI will NEVER be finished and scripts can be added and modified through out the versions of he game to add to the unique qualities of the game!

One note, The AI does not cheat in its moves or its strategies! It knows what a human knows and NO MORE and it fights itself (AI vs AI) in full combat and not simple die rolls. We made certain of this to make sure that the AI was TRUELY AI. At the same token, I don't think the AI will EVER be able to take place of a human. Please understand this!

The images above on the leaders with the dates listed? Those are the leader's arrival dates in the game BUT you should still notice that the leader's attributes are still listed!

Leader stats stay constant in the game!

Hope this helps a bit...

Thank you



eg0master -> RE: Leader Arrival dates (1/25/2005 3:59:42 PM)

quote:

ORIGINAL: Marshall Ellis

BUT the higher settings also allow the AI to collect VPs on a slightly faster pace than the rest.
[...]
One note, The AI does not cheat in its moves or its strategies!


I'm happy with the fact that AI will never be able to replace human players. That is fine with me, but extra VPs sounds like cheating to me... [;)]



Marshall Ellis -> RE: Leader Arrival dates (1/25/2005 10:44:56 PM)

Greyshaft:

Not necessarily cheating but forcing you to play differently due to VP "acceleration" ;-)

Thank you



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