A better way to teach new players has been discussed in the forums and in IRC with Req.

I said I'd try to make a Flash movie that would show the major parts of play, but not interactively. In other words, you watch the movie, you have a better idea how to play the game but you don't control the troops, it's just a movie.

I made a sample map for this in the map editor here on wol. Unfortunately, it doesn't allow a close zoom so I can't get a clear shot of what I want and would need help from Req to do a better one.

Here's what I came up with for a base for animations:

home.earthlink.net/~johnoco/exampleMapLowRes.jpg


I would have troops and comms go out and take over resources, kill renegades and take piles of resources.
I could show a small battle to illustrate attacking. Text explanations would accompany the animations.

All the items would be named, like the drawbridges, buildings, etc. I would also need all the buildings, not just the map editor ones, like the marketplace and training guild, etc.

Any comments or ideas?

Req, if you see this, can you take a look at the map and maybe make me one like it at full size but with an example of all types of buildings?

Mog
again I wouldn't take the liberty to mess with your work but that map can be resized with a simple paint program that allows it. I'm not sure if you would lose a lot of detail but maybe not.
I would think you know that though.

TR

Last Edited : Wednesday, 17 August 2005 - 17:36

PS:
I tried enlarging some screen shots (300xs) that I had made and the detail is blurred. Would higher resolution help give a more sharp enlargement?

However, also Mog,
my computer has a movie maker and I was able to put these still life cartoons into a movie, but I think it is because the movie is over 14Meg and my link maker only allows 5Meg that I can't show it.

I really think that if the art was better this sequence of cartoon links is rather good that follows:

www.geocities.com/marsgranite/grassfielda.JPG

www.geocities.com/marsgranite/grassfieldmineb.JPG

www.geocities.com/marsgranite/grassfieldminec.JPG

www.geocities.com/marsgranite/grassfieldmined.JPG

It covers takeover, it mentions unclaimed resoures, it mentions battle points, it mentions resource piles, it mentions having to kill barbarians and it mentions that only commandeers can repair;
and it is available Now, inspite of the crudeness of it, as a teaching aid.

TR

Thanks TR. I remember seeing your work earlier.

Yes, the map editor makes a zoomed view of the map. There are only two zoom levels in the map editor, not three as in the real map zoom.

Therefore, I can't get a fully zoomed in view of the scene and any blowup looks "jaggy".

I need a map with all the different buildings and game features in normal zoom. Then I can use that as a background to animate small characters on top of, saving file space.