Idea: In the games setting screen the GC can choose to play an APU game rather than selecting settings/map as per normal.
The game then picks factions and settings from a database and the game is played.
The database is updated with the winning faction when the game ends.
The database is linked to a graphical map which shows the large scale sectors and who owns them. The map is updated at the end of the game.
Requirements: A database to hold the information about the sectors and the game settings for the links between each sector and the faction ownership of each sector. A map can then be generated from this information and displayed.
An option in allegiance to poll the DB, select a possible game (pick two adjacent sectors with different factions) and insert the setting into the game.
TAG will then need to report these games back to the APU DB.
Potential problems: Where two games are played at the same time they need to not overlap. If Game 1 is sectors A and B then Game 2 should not feature either sector.
Allegiance – Persistent Universe
an automated version of AW4 would be cool (though without the upgrading factions, i want that in a non-automated version /smile.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":)" border="0" alt="smile.gif" /> ).
another cool feature was if the factions overall would get money from the sectors they own, and then they can decide to use that money to give give a team a additional miner or start with a con or additional money at the start (sure they could give a team loads of money, but then they wouldn't have any to give them the next game).
much more complicated than yours though.
a problem yours faces though is people would only play it to make the map change, they wouldn't feel any reason to try ann win a faction more sectors, since they wouldn't always be playing for a certain side, you might play as giga vs dreg, but then later play as dreg vs giga and un-win the sector you won earlier.
if you always played as the same faction then you would be more inclined to try and play more "my faction's better than yours /tongue.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":P" border="0" alt="tongue.gif" />", but then you might not have enough people for the right faction unless it was an organized event. you could have alliances so a player could play for one of a set of factions, and never for any others.
appart from getting to watch a picture change, what is someone's motivation to play the persistent universe instead of a normal game? (might be an interesting way to do random settings though)
another cool feature was if the factions overall would get money from the sectors they own, and then they can decide to use that money to give give a team a additional miner or start with a con or additional money at the start (sure they could give a team loads of money, but then they wouldn't have any to give them the next game).
much more complicated than yours though.
a problem yours faces though is people would only play it to make the map change, they wouldn't feel any reason to try ann win a faction more sectors, since they wouldn't always be playing for a certain side, you might play as giga vs dreg, but then later play as dreg vs giga and un-win the sector you won earlier.
if you always played as the same faction then you would be more inclined to try and play more "my faction's better than yours /tongue.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":P" border="0" alt="tongue.gif" />", but then you might not have enough people for the right faction unless it was an organized event. you could have alliances so a player could play for one of a set of factions, and never for any others.
appart from getting to watch a picture change, what is someone's motivation to play the persistent universe instead of a normal game? (might be an interesting way to do random settings though)
I was thinking that random settings was a good bonus as well MadP and there seems to be some demand for map based games going by posts in the events forum. However this would not suit the zone games but may be appropriate as an alternative game mode.
Spidey: Can't think of a reason I'd need to know anything
yeah, the whole map thing would be totally awesome, but it needs to be done in such a way that people actually want to try and take the map or hold onto sectors.
and i think the only way to do that is to have people only fighting for one or maybe a small group of allied factions.
it would need some more infrastructure to work well.
allowing people to choose their allegiance to a faction. then in the game lobby have an extra column with an indication of each players chosen faction/allegiance.
then if enough people from two factions are together then they could have a game between their factions provided they have some adjacent sectors on the map. if they don't perhaps they could choose to contest a random sector in the others territory (they tp in or something).
though then you would need quite a lot of people online because if a large group of people decide to have game between their factions, then everyone else would be locked out of that game and there may not be many of them left to have a good game.
also you would need to have a minimum game size of say 15 v 15 before you could have a map game, else you will log in one day and find the map was taken by some (#) overnight in several 2v1's (i was going to say out9/2.5 too, but settings are controlled by the map).
and i think the only way to do that is to have people only fighting for one or maybe a small group of allied factions.
it would need some more infrastructure to work well.
allowing people to choose their allegiance to a faction. then in the game lobby have an extra column with an indication of each players chosen faction/allegiance.
then if enough people from two factions are together then they could have a game between their factions provided they have some adjacent sectors on the map. if they don't perhaps they could choose to contest a random sector in the others territory (they tp in or something).
though then you would need quite a lot of people online because if a large group of people decide to have game between their factions, then everyone else would be locked out of that game and there may not be many of them left to have a good game.
also you would need to have a minimum game size of say 15 v 15 before you could have a map game, else you will log in one day and find the map was taken by some (#) overnight in several 2v1's (i was going to say out9/2.5 too, but settings are controlled by the map).