History of Asia, Part A

Patine · June 13, 2003, 01:57

I noticed a lack of interest in my Post-Cold War Europe scenario, and perhaps that's fair enough; outside of Yugoslavia (which I excluded), there's not much room for realistic conflict. Maybe this will be more interesting. I've begun a grand plan to cover the history of East Asia and the Pacific in nine scenarios divided between two folders with their own rules and units sets. Such things as the Mongol Hordes, Feudal Japan, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War will require their own separate scenarios, however, which will be done in the future. This here is the first of the two folders, with the first four scenarios. For those of you following my Middle East scenario thread, this is the 'current project' I mentioned that I would complete before I started revising the Middle East scenario. If you have any comments, criticisms, or suggestions on this scenario, please post them here; I'll be checking.

Patine · June 13, 2003, 02:34

I've uploaded the sound files using the Upload service, as they were too big.

Patine · June 13, 2003, 07:12

This should make acquring the sound files easier. Here's the first sound zip.

Patine · June 13, 2003, 07:14

Here's the second one.

Patine · June 13, 2003, 07:17

And the third one.

Patine · June 13, 2003, 07:20

And finally, the fourth.

Boco · June 14, 2003, 22:10

Looks like a grand topic for Civ2

, and too much work to let languish in obscurity (this forum's come alive in the last week -- Univs finishing terms?). I like your choice of civs in these scenarios. Can you post a screen shot or two?

Patine · June 15, 2003, 00:17

I'm pleased you like my work, and I chose the civs for the most variety, but I don't know how to post a screen shot. If you could just tell me, then I'd be happy to. If anyone else has any comments, or could tell me how to get this or other of my scenarios onto permanent archive, please drop a reply.

EZRhino · June 15, 2003, 00:29

Its easy. First take a screensot by pressing the prntscrn button on your keyboard. Then open up ms paint, or whatever graphics editing program you use. Ctrl-v to paste. You can host the image here at apolyton here. Its free, just log in using your forum pass. Then when you want to post them press the IMG button and then just link to them

Patine · June 15, 2003, 01:47

I'll post a screenshot with my next post on this thread. I'll have the History of Asia, Part B out as soon as possible. In the mean time, does anyone have any inspiration as to maps and civs for supplemental Mongol and Feudal Japan scenarios to this set without directly aping the Microprose ones or Darth Veda's Sengoku. Further comments on the base History of Asia, Part A are also appreciated. Now I'm going to give EZRhino's instructions a try. Be back soon.

Patine · June 15, 2003, 08:23

Here's the screenshot you've requested.

Patine · June 15, 2003, 08:29

That didn't seem to work. How does this IMG link thing work. What prompt do I use before my document's name.

Yurt · June 21, 2003, 03:47

This scenario doesn't work for me; am I missing something? I have Fantastic Worlds but not multiplayer.

Patine · June 21, 2003, 04:13

I don't think there's anything I've put into it that requires multiplayer. Do any other scenarios not work for you? You may have a glytch in your system.

Yurt · June 21, 2003, 16:49

"Failed to load game: File has more recent version number than game."

Did you create it using the multiplayer version? That might be enough to make it unuseable.

Patine · June 21, 2003, 17:11

I did have multiplayer installed into my Civilization II when I did make it, yes. I apologize if that causes you or any other Civ player to be unable to play my scenarios. I honestly didn't think it mattered. Maybe someone on this forum knows a way around that.

yaroslav · June 21, 2003, 18:27

Yurt, the FW (or even the classic version) could be "upgraded" to the MGE version with the Cedric's pacth avaliable in Civfanatics

Yurt · June 23, 2003, 21:36

Don't worry about it, I just found a copy of MGE lying around.

I took a look at all the scenarios, and played the first one for a while as the Polynesians. I found it was actually more interactive than other "start up" scenarios that I've played, as I was forced to discover the other civs once I ran out of space in Hawaii to build cities. Then I decided to attack the Aborigines, and got a good convoy system going.

I like the first scenario because it forces you to have a meaningful navy and do exploration, and the Polynesians are a good civ because of their special boats - you can't really fight back against them. But I found there weren't enough things to build - the wonders were all built by other civs (I managed to get one) and technology was too slow, so I often found myself selling barracks and building more just to have something to build. Still, it's better than having too much to build, and it creates more of a focus on military.

The other ones I also tried, and I thought they were pretty good. I thought that for the third one, Japan should have been included, but maybe made full of powerful barbarians. Not having anything there is kind of weird. I also found that for the 2nd and 3rd scenarios, the map should have focused on China instead of the Pacific. To have a moghal empire simulated realistically you definately need the pressure of the persians from the West. The WW1 scenario was pretty good - obviously there isn't much of a fight, but it's still interesting and I'll try to accomplish something as Germany.

I look forward to the next scenarios!

Patine · June 23, 2003, 22:28

I'm glad you enjoyed my scenarios, as I had to struggle and curse to get everything to work (and even then, most unique government titles still didn't work). I'm currently working on 'the History of Asia, Part B,' which carries the story from 1920 to 2010. Watch for it in the near future. By the way, do you have any idea about how to pull off a Mongol scenario (between Asia1 and Asia2) without copying MPS. I've been stymied by where to start (namely a good map and set of civs).

Patine · June 24, 2003, 02:17

My initial response was somewhat abbreviated, as I was pressed for time when I wrote it. In more depth, I admit I haven't actually playtested the Polynesians in Asia1 thoroughly, though I defeated them as the Japanese after building the Torii Gate (which replaces the Lighthouse). I think that a more Sinocentric map for Asia2 and Asia3 may benefit them now that I think about it, though a Barbarian Japan in Asia2 would have to use standard Japanese units, as I have no slots left for special Barbarian units. If you can make great strides as Germany in Asia4, save the game and attach it to your post, I'd like to see how far you've gotten (the best I did was a marginal victory - barely). If you have any other suggestions or notes, let me know. Expect History of Asia, Part B as soon as I can finish and post it.

Yurt · June 24, 2003, 23:39

The Microprose Mongol scenario isn't very impressive, so I think you could probably improve quite a bit on it. First of all, only one city in the entire "Chagatai" area is in, which is Beshbalik. There are no cities anywhere near it. To have a good mongol scenario you need LOTS of cities in central asia - looking at a historical atlas here, they missed Tashkent, Kuldja, Turfan, Khotan, Otrar, and Kashgar seems to be in the wrong place. They also have almost nothing in Persia, where they should have Kabul, Balkh, Merv, and Nishapur, to name a few. There should definately be more than one city in india, as that was a major buffer to the Mongols. To have all of those countries controlled by the Turks is also inaccurate - India is obviously just plain wrong, but for the others, the Turkish confederation that united the entire area had collapsed by 750 (according to this book). I would suggest having the Europeans (Russia, Eastern Europe, and Byzantine cities like Trebizond), the Egyptians, a Northwestern Indian civ (cut of the rest of india from the map along with SE Asia) the Chinese, the Japanese, the Mongols, and then either a Persian civ, or separate the Russians. Then make all the central Asian cities barbarian.
The main thing is adding lots more cities. Once you trim the useless Frankish and South Chinese cities off, add lots more to Russia, India, and the central Asian ones already mentioned.

Patine · June 25, 2003, 02:41

I agree that the MPS scenario seems somehow empty; I too noticed that feature. The absense of a Persian civ was also glaring. I think your suggested choice of civs could be ideal, though I'd rather have Persians than separate Russians as the seventh. (It's much easier to find hard information on the Medeival Persians than on the Varangian Rus). What's the name of your historical atlas, anyway. I'll take a look for it at my local library.

Michael Daumen · June 25, 2003, 08:50

Harlan Thompson's Mongol scenario is still my favorite scenario of any time/genre. The graphics have become a bit dated but it is still playable as Mongols, Khwarismians [whatever] and perhaps some other civs (the civs are Mongols, Khwars, Sung China, Chin/Qara-Kitai, Muslims, Christians, Indians, and a whole bunch of barbarian cities). All the cities you mentioned are in the game and more. The map stretches from Japan to Kra on the Malay peninsula and west to Rome and Paris. I was just playing it this week, as I reloaded some scenarios for my father to play.