Alright so here's how its going to work. I will rebuild the mod yet again - uggg... - and since I already know how most of it plays I'll dig out a backed up old version and add the massive changes I wanted and release an alpha of version 0.01 for testing in 2-4 weeks, depending on if I decide to consolidate the Space Marines and Imperial Guard into the Imperium of Man or not(I think I'll leave them separate for now though - eh, we'll see how cranky I am). Most of the new changes will be to the in game operations, scale, and making the mod more story true. e.g. troops will no longer be able to shoot through terrain. If there is a wall you have to go around to shoot at the guy on the other side. Also, all units will have blocking so you can't have your troops shoot "through" their buds. Will revamp the damage scale since I recently figured out how damage minimum and armour minimum interact with each other. This will get rid of the obscenely difficult to handle and arbitrateive building/vehicle armour system; will bring back my old rules albeit slightly modified. Changes to a few abilities which seemed dumb. Will make bolters have AOE. etc...
I will need dedicated alpha testers to test test and re-test for the next 6 months and inform me of their findings. Requirements will be that they are actually dedicated, and have significant knowledge of the story, and understand the difference between balance and scale and that they download every alpha update I upload and continue where they left off in testing from that update. Testers will have to look for accurate scale to make the factions and units etc. true to the story and constantly detail all particulars, over and over again with each change. Find bugs/glitches/exploits/problems (should be understood) and a produce detailed list of what, and how - should be drawn up for every bug/glitch/exploit/problem. Chronicle any all strategies (full stratagem and individual tactics) developed, utilized (both giving and receiving), adapted, countered (both giving and receiving), etc.. All must be in separate, dated, .txt documents, labeled with the mod name, version #, the name of the individual composing, followed by "Alpha", and contain within the composer's contact info, all relevant details about the game, e.g. what map how many players, who was playing, what factions, what game type, etc.. Also, testers must post all of these weekly and suggest fixes separately to me; since we don't want the balance nuts to gum up the works constantly suggesting "balance" alterations instead of scale. The Stratagem/Tactica chronicle will further serve to reduce resistance to scale, by displaying for all, in detail, the ever increasing number and variation of strategies and tactics -The Importance of the Players, Not Balance.
Anyone who wishes to participate should send me a message requesting.
After I rebuild Consolidation_Mod 0.01, I will only make occasional and minor game play changes, to be included in, easy and quick to both upload and download, patches, as I am postponing any further development on Consolidation_Mod for at least the next year - 2 years, possibly longer.
In 1-2 years I will move Consolidation_Mod to wh40kSS. SS has better graphics more factions to work with, giving me a major head start, and has more features which will allow for much more of what I want to do. Consolidation_Mod will be completely different after moved to SS, whilst keeping true to the story and being about the players. Some of the changes SS already allows for, which will make it much easier for me. Also, my only pal who has dow can't find his WA but does have SS, so I will be able to test my mod with him as I go, so as to produce a quality v1 release without all the other .01 .02 etc.. I'll learn code and other stuff and maybe get my hands on some graphics makers or something during the postponement. Consolidation_Mod v1 for SS will be something like this :
Full factions military and civilian, all significant and involved parts of each faction will be included in some degree. A whole new list of maps. If I can I will also create a global multiplayer campaign which will be influenced by the individual battles etc., but I doubt it. A whole new economy etc. eg. If you play as the Imperium you will be the Governor of a newly conquered/reconquered planet you will be in charge of building/rebuilding it. You will have to construct space ports for requisitioning large amounts of supplies and armored vehicles etc., you will have to draft from the local population, so there is a limit to your troops, you will have to fortify and maintain your PDF, feed your people, set up farms, mines, and factories, and so on. Resources wont be global anymore, loose your stockpile loose the resources in it, get cut off from one base and you can't resupply from the other to the first. Some factions will draw from your civilian population and maybe even your military, chaos will taint them, tyranids will steal their genes, viruses will infect them, etc., you will have to guard against these threats. From time to time immigrants will arrive in your territory by way of the spaceport. Rate of immigration will be determined by how well you govern your territory. Requisition income will be figured based on how important your position is. How well you develop your planet, or part of, will have the greatest effect. Territory controlled will also have an effect, although it will be a lesser one, thus if you wish to gain requisition by conquering you must expand rapidly and control vast territory. this will make the already aggressive players even more aggressive. Requisition will be used to offset domestic production, maintenance, troop, and other shortfalls, as well as call in more advanced troops such as the space marines who are not drafted from the local population. The spaceport will serve this role, without spaceports there are limited ways to call in supplies/reinforcements, and little point to requisition. However, since the importance of your position in the greater conflict determines requisition, if you never contribute to the greater Imperium, via space port, you're position is far less important, and you gain far less requisition. It will be important to stockpile requisition and supplies, protect the civilian population, and construct adequate infrastructure and defenses, since you wont gain requisition or supplies from your performance on the battlefield and as you loose territory and contribute less you're position becomes less important, and if you're position becomes less certain, less people emigrate from other parts of the Imperium to your territory. Power will be a mix of SWGBG saga and C&CZH. Some troops will be irreplaceable, like terminators, and thus will have to be fielded carefully. Weather will have a big effect, as will night and day, and they will change appropriately depending on the planet. It will play FPS/RTS, with you as the Governor in FPS, and you will command your broader territory from command posts currior etc. only as RTS. I noticed that dow would make for a good platform for a FPS game, or hybrid FPS/RTS game, which I want to make cause I like both and it will get rid of the RPG rubbish that ppl get addicted too and waste their lives on. This I will begin working on this in 1-2 years.
