For starters I'm not too active in the community, I'm not sure how open the dev(s?) is/are to implementing new gameplay features, but I'd like to vent this idea that randomly popped up into my mind anyway :)

Suggestion - Semi-random distribution mode:

• for every player, the game randomly offers N picks (configured in settings)
  
• out of these N picks, the player selects M actual starts / assigns priorities just like manual picking (configured in settings)
  
• picks are assigned to players as if it was manual distribution - based on the pick priorities and all that jazz
  

So it basically becomes manual distribution but with a highly reduced set of possible starts (compared to full/cities/warlords), but it can still be pretty close to autodistribution, only you can get a chance to avoid some really horrible starts by picking the alternatives.

A problem I can think of right off the bat:
Obviously, the number of "manual picks" that the player can make is limited by N (the number of picks that the game offers) - might be good to make the game ensure that all of the initial suggestions don't overlap to solve this, would probably simplify a lot of other things too...

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I think this could make for a nice hybrid between auto and manual, or at least somewhat reduce the randomness of auto but not allow you to keep going for the same optimal picks all the time (without introducing wastelands or other gimmicks).
I was mostly thinking about the setting of 0 neutrals, 0 income on Rise of Rome when imagining where this could work nicely - those games are extremely dependent on starts (you could probably determine close to 100% game results just from seeing turn 0 positions, unless there's some real screw-up on one side) - using semi-random would let people think and have some influence on their starts, but wouldn't let them always just go for a fixed set of optimal locations.

So what do y'all think? Could it make for some interesting new templates/improve existing ones, or would it be too much effort for little gain, or are there any issues you see with it?

This suggestion on uservoice: https://warlight.uservoice.com/forums/77051-warzone-features/suggestions/38446147-semi-automatic-distribution-mode

Edited 8/25/2019 19:58:37

If I understood you correctly - it's already possible with current settings.

Rise of Rome has 273 territories. If you set it to full distribution and add 261 wastelands for example, players will be left with just 12 pickable spots. Then you choose the number of picks per player normally (not more than 6 in this example, if we're doing a 1v1 game). You can tinker with these numbers however you want.

Remember that you can change the number of armies in wastelanded territories however you like. You can set it to 0, no problem.

I actually meant this to create disjoint sets of possible picks for each player - what you're suggesting would create the same set of possible picks for everyone - the game dynamic would actually be very different.

I think what you’re talking about is called Scenario Distribution. It’s like North v South in the Double Earth map.

You can only make your own scenario by making a map and adding distribution modes.

Can you randomise a scenario? The suggestion is to have the game randomly offer you a bunch of territories, out of which you can select a subset - so you don't get to pick exactly what you want, but you can at least pick the "least bad" out of the randomly offered picks. I don't think you can do that using a scenario.

Edited 8/12/2019 08:36:21

You can't randomise scenarios.

Interesting idea.

What’s wrong with manual distribution but not selecting the maximum amount of starts you could get? This fullfills the requirements, however you can’t force other player to play like this.

You are missing the point that he is trying to make. It's a pretty good idea.

I also like the concept and would love to see it implemented.

Major Dingus: This is the forum where ideas for features are suggested and get responses from the development team/creator of Warzone
https://warlight.uservoice.com/forums/77051-warzone-features

I will say some maps offer a distribution mode that allows each player a subset of picks. (any distribution mode that says for X players/teams). It's the closest current in game implementation to your idea.


One community level I created to take advantage of this feature is here: https://www.warzone.com/SinglePlayer/Level?ID=1237111

Thanks for the redirect, I'll post this on the feature forum when I get to it.

And yes this would behave pretty much the same way as the maps with pre-scripted distribution for each player/team, the difference being that the game would be able to create these situations automatically (for any map) and in a randomised fashion.

Semi-automatic should be split into two distributions: Either it gives you picks and you choose the starts, or you give it picks and it randomly selects your starts.

I disagree with the second type, adamg5. How would that randomized selection work if a player chooses the minimal number of territories? Would the selection be randomly extended first? And how about overlapping picks between players? I have the feeling that this kind of distribution would be to complicated to be useful.

However, I like the first idea. Major - please paste a link to your proposition on uservoice when created. I will give it my vote.

There you go, fans can vote :)
https://warlight.uservoice.com/forums/77051-warzone-features/suggestions/38446147-semi-automatic-distribution-mode

Hope I didn't miss anything important while converting the description, if anybody feels like it's not understandable there, I'll be happy to edit.

Never tested to create a custom scenario out of a mod, but I think it might be possible to automatically create one with random pick options per slot, out of the distribution settings. The only thing is people could try to get the better slots when they join since mods can only change game settings before the game started. So it just in parts possible.