CRC Maps: Porkins' Bridge Scenario Background 20101109

[CapnRedChops]

CapnRedChops brings you his maps in the third person!

Teaser Pics...

Drudgery



Let me know if you want the level design JPEGs...

Wake Island

Started out like this:



But playtesting just showed there was too much start zone to start zone fighting, so it evolved into this:



And there was still too much start zone to start zone fighting!!!

I was getting the feeling most folks saw it as too long to get to the 'battle end' on the map, so I shortened it and removed any 'land-based' way to get onto the central highway from the startzone... unless you've got the drudge...



Let me know if you want the level design JPEGs...

Inland Sea







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Maps and instructions:

My final submission for this contest:



"Long ago, a massive earthquake bisected the house of a local Lord, tearing and twisting the foundations: the entire noble family was obliterated overnight.

The remains of this house can still be seen.
Two walls lie close together, so close that very little could actually pass between them: they form opposing banks of what has become a placid creek, created by the long ago tectonic violence.
Overhead two large walls loom high on cliffs, so twisted out of true they no longer face each other.

After decades of quiet recovery, the land is about to be torn asunder again, this time from above, not below: two mighty armies converge on this spot - two mighty armies that have each been sold the same information by the same agent...

Just because both armies have been manipulated into fighting here for an unknown purpose, it doesn't make the information they were sold untrue. The long dead Lord did hold two glyphs in his seat of power. The power of the glyphs themselves is unknown, but they are still there... and if one army can walk away holding both, they might win more than just this battle - they might just hold the key to winning the war!"

This map uses 2x RotV and has 35 peices as per the definition.

I've really enjoyed how the artificial restrictions imposed by the contest have forced me to think simpler and less elaborate, and to use larger pieces as more than just support.

This map is a hoot to play on and favours melee deliberately. That said, ranged units are not useless here if placed on the right hexes, but there aren't too many 'right hexes' on the map.

This map has four key choke points: during playtesting the armies that won were focussed more on chokepoint control than glyph occupation, especially early... but the glyphs are tempting...

Pick two random (red) glyphs in such a manner that no one knows what they are. Place them in the places indicated on the map. Once a unit stops on a glyph, that glyph stays face up for the rest of the game, but only is activated when the hex it is on is occupied (standard glyph rules I think).

As I can't upload PDFs:

Spoiler Alert!

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I designed this map to be friendly to both ranged (with raised attacking platforms) and melee (with LOS blockers as screens) and accomodate single and double space figures.

Armies are drawn through choke points onto a central battleground on which the random glyphs reside.

It requires 2x RotV and 2x RttFF, I don't have any RttFF and only one RotV so for playtesting I proxied in custom pillars I've created for the trees and switched the smaller ruin back and forth...

I hope you like it.

CRC

Spoiler Alert!

As I can't for the life of me upload PDFs...

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Iwo Jima

Spoiler Alert!

(This photo has some of Fat Dragon's hexmaster papercraft terrain on it - just ignore that for the purposes of checking out the map.)

Comments:

My first asymmetrical map, I've planned it so it advantages the red team in the early game (early height advantage and the low glyph is closer) and the blue in the late game (the ramp to the big mountain is closer to them and blue are shielded by terrain going up it, while red can only ascend the ramp open to ranged fire, and might need to find an alternate route).

This map does work best when flying is banned - doing so causes a lot of fighting to occur on the 'steps' of the ramp up to the 'high' glyph - but there are a bunch of other figures like Drake 2.0 who just rise to the top once you ban flying. Please give me feedback on this.

The 'low' glyph (level 4) is designed to be the Glyph of Valda (Move +2), the 'high' glyph (level 20) is designed to be the Glyph of Gerda (Defense +1). Of course you can substituite at will, but the premise is that securing the 'low' glyph early helps you get the 'high' glyph in the next few rounds.

As stated previously, Iwo Jima is inspired by the great level from the downloadable console gem Battlefield 1943 - I could attempt to create designs inspired by other levels if there is interest - I'm working on Wake Island right now.

Requires:

Since I have an odd lot of terrain, I will just list what's required in terms of numbers of hexes, both in terms of shape and type, and just in terms of shape.

Terrain requirements by shape and type:

Spoiler Alert!

24 hexes:

6 - Grass
2 - Rock
2 - Swamp

7 hexes:

5 - Grass
9 - Rock
18 - Sand
19 - Swamp

3 hexes:

5 - Grass
17 - Rock
6 - Sand
2 - Swamp

2 hexes:

12 - Grass
15 - Rock
7 - Sand
2 - Swamp

1 hex:

10 - Grass
30 - Rock
16 - Sand
2 - Swamp

3 - Swamp water

89 - water

Terrain requirements by shape only:

Spoiler Alert!

10 - 24 hexes.

61 - 7 hexes.

30 - 3 hexes.

26 - 2 hexes.

58 - 1 hex.

3 - Swamp water.

89 - Water.

Don't be disheartened if you don't have that many water tiles - just create spaces, or fill central spaces with swamp water. The water tiles on the outside edge of the map do see play, but the map functions without them.

Size:

75cm x 136cm - room for cards, rules, and a dice bowl on a large 6 person dining table.

This is thoroughly playtested... but just by Mrs CRC & I. I'd love some feedback from other more experienced 'scapers.

BATTLEFIELD MODE:

In Battlefield Mode, you are simulating the actual game of Battlefield 1943.
YOU must capture various positions spread across the map to win the game, just like in the popular old school downloadable title. At the same time, YOU must stop your opponent who has the same goal in mind.

At the end of each round, each army gets one battlefield point for every capture flag that has a unit from that army standing on it.

I've placed capture flags in the approximate positions they exist on the level in Battlefield 1943, and they serve to focus your efforts and spread the battle across the map. Will you move en masse to secure capture flags one at a time? Will you spread out to capture as many as possible early, and fight a guerrila war to keep them?

There are many possible strategies - and YOU are the General!

Spoiler Alert!

Setup:

First, construct the Iwo Jima map as per the JPEGs below.

Place 5 face down glyphs that never get used for their actual power (I recommend using treasure glyphs for this purpose to differentiate them from the Glyph of Valda and the Glyph of Gerda - I can't put treasure glyphs in Virtualscape though...) upon the map to represent capture flags.

Please see below for the location of these capture flags:



The capture flags are highlighted by the RED circles.
The Glyph of Valda and the Glyph of Gerda are highlighted by the BLUE circles.

I recommend 600 point armies (with a hex limit of 25) - I'm open to different opinions here though.

You need some way of keeping track of battlefield points scored. A pad and pencil is easiest, but I'm sure you can work out a method that suits you.

Victory conditions:

- The team with the most battlefield points at the end of ten rounds wins.
- If there is a tie on battlefield points, the team with the most points (aka unit cost points on the cards) wins. As usual, if a squad has at least one unit remaining, the card is scored at full points.
- If there is still a tie, the match is drawn.

- If an army is wiped out, the match goes to the surviving army.

Feedback on this mode is appreciated.

As I am having trouble uploading PDFs:

Spoiler Alert!

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Comin' Round the Mountain

Spoiler Alert!

This map is designed to make the 'attacking flow' for non flying troops more likely to move in a clockwise direction around the map, as it is easier and slightly less costly to move in that direction.

Requires: 1 SotM & 1 RotV. Level 8 is optional: if you have 2 x 2 hex snow terrain, such as what you might get with some small expansions, like Gladiators & Agents, then you can put a snowy cap on the mountain.

Size: 90cm x 125cm - if built with teams directly opposite one another and parallel with the edge of the table, it would be longer and skinnier.

In the top picture:
- top centre: elevated, ranged offensive position for the red army - note the stepped approach to the red defensive side of the mountain, that allows for double hex figures on every level, meaning the ranged postion can be semi-effectively used to cover an approach to the mountain.
- top right: the elevated defensive position for the blue army. Note it is 9 hexes away from the red elevated ranged offensive position, meaning red will probably have to advance beyond the fortified position with a hieght disadvantage, if red wants to assault this position. Otherwise pretty vunerable, and if the blue army chooses not to defend it, any 'clean up' figures in blue's starting zone might find themselves under attack from elevation, possibly disrupting pre game strategies.
- bottom centre: elevated, ranged offensive position for the blue army.
- bottom left: the elevated defensive position for the red army.

Obviously the mountain is the key strategic terrain, but it may be possible for fast, 'first strike' movers to circle round the mountain and assault immobile, designated 'clean up' units that may be sitting in the starting zone, leaving players with little choice but to have both offensive and defensive strategies.

As I am having trouble uploading PDFs:

Spoiler Alert!

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Capture the Flag I

Spoiler Alert!

Objective:
The objective is simple in theory - grab the opponent's 'flag' (glyph), and return with it to the hex your 'flag' began the game on. Any army that does this once, wins the game. Yeah, simple... not so much.

Victory conditions:
Grab the opponent's 'flag' (glyph), and return with it to the hex your 'flag' began the game on (I do not recommend going for for more than one flag capture for victory - at least one side is likely to be decimated after one flag is captured).

I recommend a round limit of 12. If the twelfth round ends and no one has captured the flag, the game is a draw.

If an army is wiped out, the other army automatically wins the game.

Rules/clarifications:

This map requires one RotV master set and one SotM master set.
Not all tiles from these master sets are required.

This map requires a space 141 cm by 71 cm upon which to build it - your average long dining table should do the trick.

I recommend 400 point armies, drafted according to the standard Heroscape drafting rules (on one of the playtests 500 point armies were tried and the battlefield was found to be too crowded).

I would make the 'flags' different types, i.e. a treasure glyph and a standard glyph.

A 'flag' can only initially be picked up only by an opposing team, but if the initial flag carrier dies, the flag is placed where the flag carrier was when he/she/it died (For double-spaced figures, the former flag carrier chooses the hex), and can then be picked up by the army that owns that flag, or regained by the army trying to capture that flag.

The defending team may not end their movement upon their own flag hex square, whether or not the flag is present, except to capture their opponents flag.

If the flag carrier is the only unit on that army card (a individual card ar the last remaining squad member) the flag can be placed on the flag carrier's army card for convenience. If there is more than one member of the flag carrier's squad (and type of squad for multiple squad armies) remaining, the flag must be placed under the flag carrier at every hex where it stops moving.

The flag cannot be passed between members of the same army (although concievably the flag carrier could be killed by a teammate in order to make the flag accessible to a different team member).

If a member of an army has possession of it's own flag, it does not have to head back for the hex the flag started on, but if it passes over that starting hex the flag must be placed on that hex, and can again only be picked up by the opposing team as if it had never been picked up in the first place.

One figure can carry both flags. If that figure dies and is a single hex figure, the flags are stacked in that hex, if double space, the flags are placed one in each square, the placement of which flag in which square is at the former flag carrier's discretion.

The defending flag does not need to be in position for the score to count when the opposition flag is brought back to the home team's flag hex.

Initiative is important - if one army captures their opponent's flag during a given turn, and the opposition would have captured the initial army's flag during that same turn, the initial army wins, as they were the first to capture their opponents flag.

As per normal, blank hexes can be shot over, but they cannot be flown or leaped over. Normal water rules apply.

This map has been playtested.

PDF is on it's way - just struggling to host it right now...
Instead I've uploaded pics:

Spoiler Alert!

Please enjoy, and leave feedback in my thread.

CRC

[CapnRedChops]

Hi all,

I've added a new map, Comin' Round the Mountain, that I'd love some comments on.

I've added the level building instructions from Virtualscape in spoilers as I'm really struggling to upload PDFs.

Any feedback welcome. Thanks.

CRC

[Lamaclown]

Originally Posted by CapnRedChops

Hi all,

I've added a new map, Comin' Round the Mountain, that I'd love some comments on.

I've added the level building instructions from Virtualscape in spoilers as I'm really struggling to upload PDFs.

Any feedback welcome. Thanks.

CRC

The maps look interesting.
It looks like you put a lot of thought into Comin' Round the Mountain.
In playtetsing it (if you have gotten a chance yet) did you find that all areas of the map saw action or did it tend to be concentated in a certain area?

As far as uploading PDFs, if you are trying to upload to this iste you have to be a site supporter or contributor to do so.
to become a site supporter go the home page and at the top os the sponsored link window is the site supporter link. You can become a supporter strating at $15 USD

To see about becoming a Contributor you can go here.

Hope that helps.

[CapnRedChops]

Originally Posted by Lamaclown

The maps look interesting.
It looks like you put a lot of thought into Comin' Round the Mountain.
In playtetsing it (if you have gotten a chance yet) did you find that all areas of the map saw action or did it tend to be concentated in a certain area?

Regarding uploading PDFs, I'm having firewall issues uploading to my ISP webspace.

I have not playtested Comin' Round the Mountain yet, and I think your comment is pretty pertinent. I think there will be a few areas that will never see action, and there is some fat to trim.

It's late and I'm off to bed, but I just wanted to advise that there are two new maps on the way, one thoroughly playtested symmetrical map that I've fallen in love with, called The Inland Sea, the other an asymmetrical map that is not as yet playtested, but is inspired by a video game level (Battlefield 1943's Iwo Jima thta only bears a passing resemblance to the real Iwo Jima) that I have imaginatively called Iwo Jima.

The problem being I got an odd lot of terrain off ebay so niether of them really match up to needing a set number of mastersets... oh well I'll just advise how many of each shape terrain piece you'll need to create them and leave the rest up to the reader.

I don't think anyone else has made any of my maps anyway... which is fair enough!

Remember though, if you build it, they will come!

CRC

[CapnRedChops]

Teaser pics for Inland Sea and Iwo Jima added.

Please advise if building instructions are required.

I'm pleased with both maps:

Inland Sea is thoroughly playtested and in line with Lamaclown's thinking, I've trimmed off the bits that never saw any action. Not a great map for non flying non slithering melee units - but the Kozuke dominate here! Go figure!

Iwo Jima is set up on my dining table as we speak, but has seen no action yet. My first asymmetrical map, I've planned it so it advantages the red team in the early game (early hieght advantage and the low glyph is closer) and the blue in the late game (the ramp to the big mountain is closer to them and blue are shielded by terrain going up it, while red can only ascend under heavy fire). As stated previously, Iwo Jima is inspired by the great level from the downloadable console gem Battlefield 1943 - I could attempt to create designs inspired by other levels if there is interest...

CRC

[CapnRedChops]

Due to popular demand (believe it or not!), JPEGs of the Virtualscape PDF for Iwo Jima have been added, along with comments and requirements.

Inland Sea is on the way!

I've chosen a different format for explaining the requirements - please advise if this is useless to you. I have an odd lot of tiles so the traditional 'requires x RotV' is not really relevant.

Please give me feedback on any of my maps if you decide to use them. I'm open to it.

CRC

[Dad_Scaper]

Very fine looking maps, CRC. I would guess (?) that Inland Sea would play like a shooting gallery. I could be wrong.

Thank you for posting, they are all pleasing to look at and look perfect for casual games. I'm reminded of some of Ch1can0's larger maps, very pleasing to look at and tons of fun, but probably too terrain-heavy and range-friendly for tournament play.

Anyway, thanks for sharing.

[CapnRedChops]

Originally Posted by DaddyScaper

Very fine looking maps, CRC. I would guess (?) that Inland Sea would play like a shooting gallery. I could be wrong.

Thank you for posting, they are all pleasing to look at and look perfect for casual games. I'm reminded of some of Ch1can0's larger maps, very pleasing to look at and tons of fun, but probably too terrain-heavy and range-friendly for tournament play.

Anyway, thanks for sharing.

Thank you very much!

Inland Sea being a shooting gallery... yes, sort of. Once you're on the edge of the Sea moving around the edge is a labourous process - one that many figures can't really achieve without getting their toes wet.

Ranged figures do well here, like the Krav, the Q brothers & DED, because engaging them takes longer than normal.

Water units do equally well, though - especially ones with range! Water elementals and the FH do really well, GIEs and the drudge (the forgotten Marro) have little niches where they dominate. The GIE's Ice bridge can be really handy here in moving a squad accross the sea.

Iwo Jima is not as range friendly. I like the basic objectives I've managed to build in. Simple, but considering you've only got ten rounds, you don't want complicated.

Yes, these maps are too large and take too long to set up for tournament play, but are great for casual games - I tend to set them up and leave them there for a week or so (which can be hard when you have curious little'uns around).

Here in Australia I doubt I'll ever play in a tournament.

CRC

[91030018]

Thanks for the update, cap'n, I thought that if my friend and I were to combine forces and make this map, we would play it. However, my obvious misjudgement proves my noob status...

Thanks anyways, though I would have liked to play this map with it's awesome aesthetics.

My most sincere apologies that I was not able to comment on the gameplay of the map.

Oh, and just call me Rahul

[CapnRedChops]

Originally Posted by 91030018

Thanks for the update, cap'n, I thought that if my friend and I were to combine forces and make this map, we would play it. However, my obvious misjudgement proves my noob status...

Thanks anyways, though I would have liked to play this map with it's awesome aesthetics.

My most sincere apologies that I was not able to comment on the gameplay of the map.

Oh, and just call me Rahul

No worries Rahul!

Too many tiles involved?

The other thing I've done here is 'filled in' the mountain - eg I've filled all the inside of the mountain with terrain - and you don't have to do this.

Th mountain doesn't have to be as tall as I made it.

Why don't you try to get as close as you can?

CRC

[CapnRedChops]

Wake Island, inspired by the level from Battlefield 1943, teaser pic added.

Wake Island is going to be light on tiles to help out my new friend Rahul. Still heaps of water tiles but they can be cut down easily - how many water tiles do you and your friend have Rahul? I'll send you a custom made 1st level.

Two paths to the glyphs: the high, seperated from the enemy road, and the low, fighting all the way road. I've tried to cater to both range and melee.

I wanted to make a map that made the drudge, a cool sculpt with interesting powers, worth playing again.

CRC

[CapnRedChops]

BATTLEFIELD MODE:

In Battlefield Mode, you are simulating the actual game of Battlefield 1943.

YOU must capture various positions spread across the map to win the game, just like in the popular old school downloadable title. At the same time, YOU must stop your opponent who has the same goal in mind.

At the end of each round, each army gets one battlefield point for every capture flag that has a unit from that army standing on it.

I've placed capture flags in the approximate positions they exist on the level in Battlefield 1943, and they serve to focus your efforts and spread the battle across the map. Will you move en masse to secure capture flags one at a time? Will you spread out to capture as many as possible early, and fight a guerrila war to keep them?

There are many possible strategies - and YOU are the General!

For more information, see the first post, under Iwo Jima.

Feedback on this mode is appreciated.

CRC