Arena "Free for all" (Updated Gameplay)

[andy_is_awesome]

I like the idea of a Free-for-all map, like the yard in Supermax: Prison Riot (except that it fills the whole map)
But there are a lot of gameplay problems with a map like that. Maybe this solves some of them.

Different cells cannot attack one another. You can only attack to and from the arena floor. (or from gate to gate)
Each cell consists of two territs.
1.) The cell itself
2.) The gate (resets to 1 neutral after each turn)
There will be about 10 territs on the arena floor which can attack any cell gate.

Now in foggy, when you step into the arena you are blind to what is in each cell until you open the door (take down the 1 neutral). Then SUPRISE!!!
And on your next turn, you don't know if player A's 20 troops are still in that cell (or if they've been moved) until you open the door again.

For an added element of gameplay, we could make it "Escape from Chaos Arena"
Goal is to get out before you get killed.
Back wall of each cell is a 50 or 100 neutral. You chip away at it quietly and hope that nobody opens your cell door to kill you.
Or go and recruit others of your kind (get bonus), to break out quicker. Hold all of a color and get a bonus (maybe +10)

Click image to enlarge.

[RjBeals]

now this looks like a cool idea. I say you run with it. Are you okay with photoshop?

[andy_is_awesome]

I am terrible with photoshop.
I would be handing this off to somebody more experienced.

[Echospree]

Seems interesting, though it still makes fog nearly useless.

Another idea would be the give each colour a certain number of arena cells. Each arena cell can attack every other arena cell, but can only attack the edge cell of the same colour. This adds only one more step in between each colour, and you'd have to hold all the arena cells of your colour in order to keep people from seeing your edge cells in fog.

[andy_is_awesome]

Seems interesting, though it still makes fog nearly useless.

Another idea would be the give each colour a certain number of arena cells. Each arena cell can attack every other arena cell, but can only attack the edge cell of the same colour. This adds only one more step in between each colour, and you'd have to hold all the arena cells of your colour in order to keep people from seeing your edge cells in fog.

That would help with the foggy issue.

Another option is to make the arena territs reset to neutral after each turn. (maybe 1 neutral). Then the player after you won't know which cells you are in until he steps into the arena. Then he sees all. So you would start blind at the beginning of each round, but then fog would be lifted when you enter arena. Then you have to get back into your cells to end your turn.

Still it's only partial foggy then. Doesn't address true foggy issues. Your idea may be better.

[Echospree]

Another option is to make the arena territs reset to neutral after each turn. (maybe 1 neutral). Then the player after you won't know which cells you are in until he steps into the arena. Then he sees all. So you would start blind at the beginning of each round, but then fog would be lifted when you enter arena. Then you have to get back into your cells to end your turn.

Well, then you have to worry about players who manage to get all of their outer territs eliminated during a freestyle game, while they still have territs in the arena. A reset with of so many territs seems like a problem in that case.

[santon836]

I'd go for the neutral arena idea. It's quite realistic in this way that a person that enters the arena can choose any opponent to fight with, or maybe even more opponents. Then, the arena resets (he is forced to return) to let someone else have a fight. This would also allow someone to kill all the cells and let the player die in the arena, (realistic, because he doesn't have a 'personification' or 'warrior' and is nothing) but I would make the arena start neutral also, because you won't be eliminated in this way without taking a turn first.

I really like that, no matter the 'partial fog' issue. I think it is just another way of dealing with fog. It makes the use of fog quite thrilling and very unique, in this way that no other map has it. I'd say go for it.

[MrBenn]

This idea reminds me of Kaplowitz's Battlefield Map which fizzled out before it really got anywhere

Click image to enlarge.

[andy_is_awesome]

This idea reminds me of Kaplowitz's Battlefield Map which fizzled out before it really got anywhere

Why do you think it fizzled out???

I think the map is interesting. Especially the gameplay. WOW!!!
Maybe Kaplowitz didn't have enough monsters and aliens to attract interest.
That's why this map should succeed! (I hope).

[andy_is_awesome]

Lots of votes about gameplay. (thanks guys)
What do ya not like about it?

If it's "I don't like free for all" then I can't fix it, cause that's what this is.
If it's something else, maybe I could fix it.

[andy_is_awesome]

Idea

Each cell consists of two territs.
1.) The cell itself
2.) The gate (resets to 1 neutral after each turn)

Arena floor can start neutral, but doesn't have to reset.

Now in foggy, when you step into the arena you are blind to what is in each cell until you open the door (take down the 1 neutral). Then SUPRISE!!!

And just when you have your opponent figured out. He moves all 50 of his armies to another cell and now you have no idea where they went unless you open every cell door again.

Like trick-or-treat !
(come on yall, everyone is asking for unique gameplay and what do we do? We make another WWII map?)

-FIRST POST UPDATED

[santon836]

That battlefield map is just completely awesome. I'd say quench it straight away.

As for this map: if you don't have anyone to do it, I would. Please just don't make me first choice as I have an other map already (Canary Islands) and I also still claim to have a life.
I like the 'gate' idea, but I think the reset of the arena would be still needed. It would be completely stupid to have someone stay in the arena.
We will also have to think about connected cells/bonuses. Do we want connected cells? It could be like Circus Maximus: attack your neighbour, either clockwise or counter (or even better: attack his gate from your gate). About bonuses: maybe make two sorts. First sort: hold x cells in a row for a bonus (perhaps 5, higher with 10, highest with 15, something like that) Second: hold cross-map groups, like the colors in your first draft. Hold 5 - bonus, Hold 10 - bigger bonus, Hold all (15) - HUGE bonus. It would be 60 territories AND gates/arena. It would make 4 groups of unique colors. It would be quite a huge map, but the starting positions are just the cells (so it would be a perfect 60) and the gates/arena are free for all.
Two bordering cells could have a shared gate. Just an idea. Gates would attack bordering gates and the arena.
Would we want several arena terits, or just one? One would make connecting very fast but it would be a very huge territory.
We could also make corridors of 6 cells, but hey, wouldn't that be a copy of Supermax - Prison Riot?

[andy_is_awesome]

For an added element of gameplay, we could make it "Escape from Chaos Arena"
Goal is to get out before you get killed.
Back wall of each cell is a 50 or 100 neutral. You chip away at it quietly and hope that nobody opens your cell door to kill you.
Or go and recruit others of your kind (get bonus), to break out quicker.

?? just a thought ??
-as if there isn't enough exciting gameplay already.

-FIRST POST UPDATED AGAIN

[Kaplowitz]

you should have told me that before i cleaned by hardrive...

either way, i feel as if this map right now is based way too much on luck. I dont really see more than one possible strategy...

[HighBorn]

I like this idea. I was playing around with making some sort of circular map to battle it out in the center. My idea was more of a dart board looking thing when i got done with it.

As for the strategy applied there is none other then getting lucky finding your enemy. You could add in a better option of hold so many Cells in the outer ring with a set number of troops on each to win the game.

The monsters and things of that nature I would not be able to draw, but the map itself I could give a whirl at.

[HighBorn]

Ok here is a quickly thrown together start to an expansion on your idea:

[andy_is_awesome]

Nice high born.

Thanks for the image
and thanks for the input.

I've loved the free-for-all idea ever since Supermax: Prison Riot.
I just had wished that it could be done on a greater scale.

Gameplay is tricky and could always use some tweaking.
Map theme is also negotiable, as long as the element of free-for-all is present on a large scale.