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| Arulco Revisited Revived?[message #344518]
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Sun, 13 March 2016 21:57 
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 CVB |
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Messages:129
Registered:September 2014
Location: Berlin |
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The Facts
Arulco Revisited (AR) by Beka and JAsmine is a well regarded mod, judging from the feedback in this forum. However, the last update from
the original creators was released in January 2013.
Strohmann updated AR in November 2014 to work with the stable 2014 release (7609), but that update was mostly only for technical compatibility and didn't make use of many of the new features and items.
Basically, AR is stuck in the age of Release 4870.
Beka last visited here more than four years ago. In January 2013 JAsmine stated that he was all that was left of the AR team. He last
visited here in December 2014. Strohmann's last AR activity was in November 2014.
I tried to contact JAsmine several weeks ago via email and PM, but received no response. So at the moment, AR can be regarded as abandoned.
The Proposal
I think it's a shame that such a fine mod should become increasingly obsolete. To do something about that, I would like to take over care of AR for the time being. To prove that this is not just idle talk, I have uploaded a patch that fixes many bugs of AR1.4
What you can expect from me:
- Update of AR to make full use of the current (81xx +) set of features
- Consolidation of updates, bug-fixes etc. into a single installer
- Updates of items used in maps, merc starting gear, army and IMP choices to the current item set
- Map updates to better accommodate new features such as more water areas for SCUBA diving
- More grass and undergrowth in wilderness maps
- Some additional maps and underground sectors
- stronger defenses at military bases
- tile-set changes to adapt to new features such as creating fortifications and to enhance visual impressions
- changes to the strategic map such as more varied travel times and modified SAM coverage
- additional factions, some allied, some neutral, some hostile
- less clear-cut decisions and more consequences to player actions
- additional vehicles
- much enhanced usage of facilities
- additional NPCs, RPCs and merchants
- tweaks to mercenary stats, traits and backgrounds
- new items, mostly for immersion and role-playing purposes
What not to expect:
- many new weapons. AR has always been a map mod, not a weapons mod
- radical changes to game play and balance
- enhancements that need code changes
The Question
I'm looking for feedback from the BP community if I should actually go for it.
- Thief, how dare you steal the hard work of others!
- I don't care either way, I won't play AR
- Do it, such a great mod should be kept alive
- Something else
If you have any questions, feel free to ask.
[Updated on: Sun, 13 March 2016 22:31]
Peace is a purely theoretical state of affairs whose existence we deduce because there have been intervals between wars.
J. PournelleReport message to a moderator
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Sergeant
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| Re: Arulco Revisited Revived?[message #344526 is a reply to message #344518]
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Mon, 14 March 2016 08:10 
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| Deleted. |
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Messages:2657
Registered:December 2012
Location: Russian Federation |
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I think it's better to keep it a pure map mod (+ necessary XML tweaks like facilities etc) and to avoid changing items, mercs, gear kits etc. This will allow it to be compatible with item mods like SDO/IoV/AFS etc.
I personally prefer to always play AR+SDO, as it's the best item balance mod for 1.13.
My opinion:
+ Update of AR to make full use of the current (81xx +) set of features (always good to support for new features)
+ Updates of items used in maps, merc starting gear, army and IMP choices to the current item set
+ Some additional maps and underground sectors (more secret or underground sectors is good)
+ stronger defenses at military bases (maybe add snipers/machinegunners at roofs, add more complex minefields with tripwire etc that require high level sapper to disarm)
+ tile-set changes to adapt to new features such as creating fortifications and to enhance visual impressions (improvised fortifications like in Aimnas are great)
+ changes to the strategic map such as more varied travel times and modified SAM coverage
+ additional factions, some allied, some neutral, some hostile (more factions is always good)
+ less clear-cut decisions and more consequences to player actions
+ additional vehicles (why not?)
+ much enhanced usage of facilities (a good example is AV mod)
+ additional NPCs, RPCs and merchants (why not, especially since the BR is moved to later stage of the game)
- Map updates to better accommodate new features such as more water areas for SCUBA diving (I don't like water sectors, especially because AI cannot play with water well)
- More grass and undergrowth in wilderness maps (we have wildfire for that, AR maps have their style)
- tweaks to mercenary stats, traits and backgrounds (leave it to stock 1.13 or specialized mods)
- new items, mostly for immersion and role-playing purposes (avoid changing items, as this will break compatibility with item mods and you will have to support all changes in 1.13 later by hand)
In general, it would be good to add support for recent features, fix known problems (both tactial and strategic) and improve strategic balance and replayability without changing the original concept of the mod (pure map/strategic balance mod) and existing map style.
Left this community.Report message to a moderator
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| Re: Arulco Revisited Revived?[message #344531 is a reply to message #344530]
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Mon, 14 March 2016 13:21
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| Flugente |
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Messages:3507
Registered:April 2009
Location: Germany |
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Way to many mods get gradually outdated, so this is very good news. As long as the original mod creators are okay with this (I'd just assume they are, seeing as you tried to contact them and still credit them and all), I see no problem with this.
I second sevenfm's opinion regarding items - the less changes from stock 1.13 you have in there, the less problems someone will have getting this to work with additional pure item mods (which seems to be one of your intentions).
I know now that it could never work between us, as much as we wanted to, it could never be! Not because you're a rabbit, but because you're black.
If you want, you can donate to me. This will not affect how and what I code, and I will not code specific features in return. I will be thankful though.Report message to a moderator
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| Re: Arulco Revisited Revived?[message #344703 is a reply to message #344518]
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Fri, 25 March 2016 20:25
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| CVB |
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Messages:129
Registered:September 2014
Location: Berlin |
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First of all, thanks a lot to all who read my post and especially to those who took the time to write an answer. From almost 700 views of the thread there was not a single negative response, and some of the most active developers and modders gave me their encouragement.
Thank you all for your confidence. So I will take over responsibility for maintaining and updating AR from now on. Of course, should JAsmine and/or Beka return, I will gladly hand it back over to them.
Your input lead me to reassess my proposal a bit. Per your suggestions, AR will stay a pure map mod (loosely speaking, for this purpose I regard tilesets, facilities, item placement, NPC placement, civgroups, strategic travel times etc as part of map design).
I will probably still do some new items sooner or later, even if only for my own gratification, but this will be clearly separated as an optional add-on, a kind of showcase or proof of concept mod that will not bear the Arulco Revisited name to avoid any confusion.
For the changes I have in mind regarding Merc traits and backgrounds I will resort to lobbying for the inclusion into basic 1.13. For example, I think that there should be some more radio operators, and I am a big fan of edmortimer's crusade against The Teacher Syndrome. (Read about it here)
I would like to address some of your concerns and comments in detail.
@sevenfm:
water sectors: I'm not proposing to have battles in the water or sectors predominantly composed of water. What I have in mind can be best explained by looking at the D2 (Chitzena SAM) map from Wildfire. This sector can (and has been for years) obviously be tackled w/o any SCUBA gear, but such equipment offers an optional way to attack the fortress. Of course adapting sectors for new features works both ways, it's not only about giving the player new options, but also e.g. soldier placement, orders and patrol way points have to be set in such a way that the AI actually watches its backside. New features and equipment should have uses and give some benefits - otherwise, why should you lug around those oxygen bottles? - but not become magic wands that make any tactical problem disappear.
undergrowth and grass: I agree that each mod should retain its character, but I still feel that some AR maps could be improved by a slight dose of additional vegetation. For example let's compare forest sectors A15 from both Arulco Revisited and Wildfire. While in WF, about 50% of the open (non-tree) tiles are covered with tall grass, in AR there is not a single bush, not a single stand of tall grass and less than 5% of the open tiles with small grass. I think that adding 20-30 bushes and about twice as many tall grass tiles (of 25600 tiles overall!) will visually and tactically improve the AR map without compromising its character and becoming a WF clone.
@yarco
The plan is to first make any technical updates necessary to play with current releases, hardening AR a bit against further basic 1.13 changes in the process, to update item placement for items introduced since AR1.4 was released and to improve a couple of maps to fix balance issues.
The next step will be to implement tileset changes and fix any regressions that might introduce. Only then will new maps and substantial changes to existing maps follow.
@ATigersClaw
I would love to get help, especially regarding testing for bugs and balance. Details via PM
Peace is a purely theoretical state of affairs whose existence we deduce because there have been intervals between wars.
J. PournelleReport message to a moderator
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Sergeant
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Re: Arulco Revisited Revived?
