Hatge
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« on: January 19, 2007, 09:40:06 pm » |
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Hi,
first of all I like the Idea of a persistent war in COH. But i think the game should be the same as it is, you change very much in you rules/unit-costs. It should not be a total new game with total new rules, it should be extend COH and not renew COH.
Well, ok, so far my comments to that.
Okay, now to my idea to make the persistant war going.
The last 14 days I made a lot of stuff with the script-language in COH. (scripting a MP mission). Because that I know what is possible with SCAR (relic's scripting language).
At the moment, you can play custom-maps only in "-DEV" mode. In Dev-Mode you get a "scarlog"-file (eg: scarlog.2007-01-20.04-01-30.txt) in your folder "...\My Games\Company of Heroes\LogFiles". In this scar-log file everything which happens during your game is writen (if you want!). The only thing to do is, to make a map with a scar-file. Every map (the official maps and custom maps) can be attached with such a scar-file. Like: 2p_semois_tty.tga 2p_semois_mm.tga 2p_semois_map.tga 2p_semois_id.scar 2p_semois.sgb 2p_semois.info + 2p_semois.SCAR
The Scar-file is read on every start of the game (LAN or RELIC-ONLINE (only in DEV-mode right now)) and is very mighty. The scar-file can: - set sectors (defender has some sectors at the beginning) - set ressources (defender gets more) - set victory-points (defender could get 1 VP for free at the beginning without capturing) - set units (both or only one could start with some units at the start) - set upgrades (defender could get some upgrades for free (example: flamethrowers)) - set cost for units (mines could be cheaper or could be build faster by defender) ...
Well, Scar-code can set-up a game very well. But its very useful at the end too. The whole game, the scar-code could observe whats happend on the battlefield (casualties, collect and spent ressources...) and after the game is finished the scarcode makes a CRC in the scarlog-file. With such a CRC-sum cheating is nearly impossible. Both players (or more players) now upload this written scarlog-file (its always done after the game by COH itself). Now a software analysed the battle and checks if everything is okay with the CRC-sum in the scarlog-file. If someone has manipulate the scarlog file its very easy to detect.
summary: - add scar-file to a custom-map - - a official-relic map (angoville, semois,...) could be extracted with corsix-mod-tool and could be added with scar-file too - start COH in "-DEV"-mode - - start MP-game over RELIC-ONLINE, LAN or whatever - at startup the scar-file mades some setups (units, sectors, upgrades etc) - the whole game the scar-code records whats happend on the battlefield - after game ends, a scarLOG-file is produced by COH (...My Games\Company of Heroes\LogFiles) - - this scar-log file has a CRC (cheating is not possible (well, or its very time-intensiv)) and IF someone would manipulate the scaLOG-file, the other scarLOG file of the other player would show who has cheated. - the scarLOG file is uploaded by both (or more players) and is analysed by a software which is on the Persistent-WAR-server
the really-good thing is: - it works without MOD (so you can play it in normal COH) ==> If you let players install a MOD, let the players play over hamachi and change to much stuff in COH... you wont get much people!!! ...you must keep the Persitant War as easy as possible!!! With SCAR only, the people would download a custom scar-file (~10 kb), copy the scar-file in the right folder and start to play. after the game they upload the scarlog, thats all. Totally easy!!!
well, thats all, very easy to use!!!
the only thing which could be improved is that the scarLOG-file is ALWAYS printed (not only in "-DEV"-mode). I think with the new 1.5 patch the custom maps are playabale without DEV-mode but then the scarLOG-file isnt written anymore (because you dont play in DEV-mode anymore). So, thats the only thing which relic needs to do and all is perfect.
... and i really would like if the unit cost would be the same like in the original COH. Only some Upgrades/Sectors or more Ressources should be given at the start. Otherwise the Persitant-war is a nearly new game. I really would like to battle on a persistant "europe map", with the original COH and without any new MOD.
okay, so far, greetings Hatge aka cyclops -
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