Great Invasions II

[sniedermeier]

Will there be a sequel to GI? With a new map maybe?

[PhilThib]

Why not We are open to suggestions...what kind of new map you have in mind (and what would be the scale then?)

[alexander seil]

Concerning the map, if I could make some suggestions -

Scope - the map should cover what it covers already, but perhaps it also depict Nubia/Ethiopia and all of the Arabian peninsula? Historically, the Eastern Mediterranean had quite a few links with modern-day Yemen (Arabia Felix). The map should *not* be expanded eastwards, though (including just a part of India would lead to strange results).

Scale - the current one? I don't really see why it would be changed, I think it works pretty well...in a real-time game. The problem is, if you were to do a Great Invasions II, would it use the same engine other AGEOD games use? In a WEGO system, provinces as large as those in GI may be awkward to deal with, unless you have 6-month turns. I think a slightly more "granular" map with half-month turns would be appropriate for this time period.

Everything else - just make sure everything that's in GI right now is in GI II, I'll buy 2 copies of the game

Seriously, though, how likely is such a game? Since so much of the research/design is already done, I would think it can't be *that* difficult to develop.

[PhilThib]

The real point is WHO will do it...in fact all the data is available, a lot of the graphics too (what remains can easily be done at low cost) and if we decide to use the AGEOD engine or even a TBS-variant of the GI engine, this is feasible...

What we need is threefold:

1 - A volunteer who is ready to (and has the time and will) create the new map, adapt the DB to the selected "new" engine (either AGEOD's or TBS-GI). The guy does not need to be a code-guy...no programming would be needed at this stage

2 - An artist who can do the interface changes required (not that many)

3 - A code-guy to adapt the version... it's either a Delphi expert if we use the AGEOD engine, or a C++ one if we use a TBS version of GI engine...

BTW, I did not mention it but it is understated...we have a TBS version of the GI engine

The remaining part of the equation, money (to pay some xtra dev and graphs) can be found easily...

The KEY is the Project Lead.... volunteers ?

I can give more explanations by email or even phone (faster)...just PM me..

[Franciscus]

The real point is WHO will do it...in fact all the data is available, a lot of the graphics too (what remains can easily be done at low cost) and if we decide to use the AGEOD engine or even a TBS-variant of the GI engine, this is feasible...

What we need is threefold:

1 - A volunteer who is ready to (and has the time and will) create the new map, adapt the DB to the selected "new" engine (either AGEOD's or TBS-GI). The guy does not need to be a code-guy...no programming would be needed at this stage

2 - An artist who can do the interface changes required (not that many)

3 - A code-guy to adapt the version... it's either a Delphi expert if we use the AGEOD engine, or a C++ one if we use a TBS version of GI engine...

BTW, I did not mention it but it is understated...we have a TBS version of the GI engine

The remaining part of the equation, money (to pay some xtra dev and graphs) can be found easily...

The KEY is the Project Lead.... volunteers ?

I can give more explanations by email or even phone (faster)...just PM me..

Very intersted in this , as the time period is one of my favorites (the other one is, curiously, the ACW Do you happen to know any good games about it ? ). I would tend to think that even for AGEOD it might be better to made a future GI II in the AGEOD engine; I tend to favor WEGO and it would lend more uniformity to your games.
Now, as to help... I can not volunteer to have a major role, due to real life constraints, but I would like to help, notably in point 1.
If I may sugest anything, Alexander and JMass could be the most obvious candidates for points 1 and 2, respectively ?

(PS: what is TBS ?)

[Anguille]

(PS: what is TBS ?)

Turn-based strategy

[JMass]

GI II? This is too beautiful to be true!

2 - An artist who can do the interface changes required (not that many)

I could to do some work

BTW, I did not mention it but it is understated...we have a TBS version of the GI engine

I definitively prefer turn-based games, GI is the only RT game I play.

[PhilThib]

I may even need your help sooner than you think. I guess you have been in touch with Calvinus by email, have you ?

[JMass]

I guess you have been in touch with Calvinus by email, have you ?

Yes, you can contact me by Calvinus.

[PhilThib]

OK, will do so

[alexander seil]

Sadly, I cannot commit to such a project at the moment, not enough time

Although, I wonder, how robust is the AGEOD engine (the one used in ACW and other games)? Is the event engine complex enough to handle GI's events?

My reasoning is that, since the AGEOD engine is the one that has the most people working on it, the support for the game would be much better.

[PhilThib]

Reasoning is sound and fair...in fact our script engine for events is progressing and improving everyday, so we could handle in the future most GI events... the key question is how to code some features that are in GI but not in our AGEOD games now (nation status, religions)

[sniedermeier]

I really hope this happens.

[sniedermeier]

By the way, I LOVE GI, with its many facets and features. But it really needs to be streamlined. There are two few provinces, and there are interminable pauses.

[PhilThib]

Then turn-base with a map with more provinces would be perfect.... would you like to start working/thinking on such a map ?

[Mons]

Turn based for sure!

I bought GI, I would buy an improved turn based GI the 2nd.

[Jabberwock]

Turn based for sure!

+1

[PhilThib]

Courageous guys could try to mod NPC and do a GI II... No, joking, it's way too much work, although feasible with no special skills apart form Excel management and Graphical talent

In fact we would miss all the political / religious stuff..... it would just be a GIC mod (Great Invasions Campaigns)....

[gwgardner]

+2

[Rexor]

Courageous guys could try to mod NPC and do a GI II... No, joking, it's way too much work, although feasible with no special skills apart form Excel management and Graphical talent

In fact we would miss all the political / religious stuff..... it would just be a GIC mod (Great Invasions Campaigns)....

No political/religious stuff? That's the whole point of the Dark Ages!

[Uesugi Kenshin]

Why not We are open to suggestions...what kind of new map you have in mind (and what would be the scale then?)

I would like to see a similar game covering the area from say Iran to Korea for the same period.

I would also like to see one that covers the same period of this game but strictly limited to the British Isles.

Cheers.

[alexander seil]

Are there any solid plans on AGEOD's part to produce a sequel sometime in the future, however distant? I am still in no position to help out (I hardly had the time to play the game for the past 2 months!), but maybe at some point I could (if only to help out with the necesary research).

[PhilThib]

It's in my plans, although not immediate because it would need a lot of free time and ressources which I cannot see having before at least the next 36 months..unless we can build a separate team

[Luis de Aveiro]

I believe we could lessen those 36 months length if we do some voluntary work, even if it was an all-day, 7 days a week, work.

I'm more used to work around the historical data (even now I'm having dreams around the heresy event files I wrote for GI ), so what changes would we be needing? Nevertheless, we need map and date limits, so I can start gather the data on new provinces, tribes/kingdoms/empires, religions/heresies and new events

[PhilThib]

You can gather the data and scope from, for instance, our Napoleon game map (we would even need a small enlargement to the east and southeast)... it's already huge...

The trouble I mentioned in the above post is that [color="DarkRed"]I[/color] cannot help [color="darkred"]myself[/color]... I am the one with tons of work for 36 months to come..

[Thiudareiks]

Oh please make GI2 with Ageod engine!
Same time-scope of GI would be great.
Could you use some help?

[PhilThib]

Why not collect here all the volunteers and create a "dream team" about the project...

[Luis de Aveiro]

I'm in

I'm gathering my old GI1 beta files and I'll start adding data over Napoleon's Campaign's map, although such a map should extend more to the east.

We have about 2300+ land regions to work with, and I would really like to have a complete map file with the regions intended for GI2, so that we can at least start naming those regions according 350AD-1066AD names.

Since I'm currently working at the Portuguese National Archives by day, and teaching classes in Lisbon University by night, I may take a bit longer than expected... but I still want to be part of this project

[cianchet]

Add my vote to GI2 turn based.

[alexander seil]

I don't know why turn-based is so much better? All Paradox games work just fine with a real-time engine. IT lets you just let the game run for a while, if you want to make some tea or something.

Anyway, however, IF Great Invasions 2 becomes a reality, I should ask that there should be AS MANY features/details in it as in Great Invasions.