Version Update: AlfaBravoSierraBeefaholic
Ok, some exciting new changes have come to Forward Line.
Handicapping
There is now a slider in game setup to determine how many cities each player starts with. When the slider is in the middle, each player gets the same default number of cities depending on the map size chosen. When the slider moves to either side, it gives the appropriate player an advantage in cities, first just adding more cities to one player, but in extreme settings it will actually take cities away from the other, to a minimum count of one!
To accommodate this handicapping system and allow people to start in what would have been a losing condition, there is a minor rule change to achieve victory. In order to win, you must win by capturing an enemy city such that you now have more than twice as many cities as they have. You cannot win the game by starting with that many cities or by capturing neutral cities. Victory can only come by capturing an enemy city while those conditions exist, or that capturing has made those conditions exsist.
The single player AI struggles a bit in the early game when resources are sparse, but starts to get surprisingly clever if it has a supply network and a good variety of units. Giving the AI an advantage with the handicapping system provides a much higher level of challenge than in past versions of Forward Line. See if you can beat it starting with just one city!
Steam Achievements
Speaking of challenge, I added a few Steam achievements. I didn't want to go overboard on this and encourage the sin of completionism, but there are a few goals to lay out that I think will increase enjoyment of Forward Line, such as finishing the tutorial, showing mastery over the AI and giving multiplayer a try.
Bigger Maps for Multiplayer
There are now two additional map sizes to play on for multiplayer in addition to the small 24x24, 8 city map. We have a 36x36 18 city map and a 48x48 32 city map. This largest map is not for the feint of heart! it is a grueling, multi-session struggle for grognards. Don't be surprised if your opponent quits before you can grab the victory. One must have the psychological fortitude to perhaps fight a losing battle over several nights, losing more territory each session. To win such a battle, you must choose opponents who possess great patience and high honor.
Sadly, or thankfully, depending on the free time you have, I was not able to include the larger maps in the single player game. The AI in Forward Line is the most complicated aspect of the project and it would take several months for me to redo the foundations so it could handle so many units. Giving the AI a handicap on the small map however, is plenty of single player action. You might not want more than that anyway.
Cosmetic Upgrades
Yeah, people have laughed at my graphics. This is where I have to disagree with them because I think they are perfect. They are concise and clear and serve the game well. Nonetheless I improved the UI on the main screen. I hope you like it. I guess it's even better than perfect now...
Lot's of Bug Fixes
I fixed so many bugs, I bet you didn't even know about most of them. Of course with a big update like this, there are probably some news one. I'll hammer those down as they become apparent.
Thank You!
I hope you all enjoy the new features, I think they improve the game by a great deal. Thank you all for playing! I also want to single out DazaKiwi for helping me test out all these changes. Without him, this rollout would have been a disaster most likely.