Battle For The Colonies, Coming in June Options

[Forlorn_Hope]

Heya all, I know people have had suggestions and kicked off things of a similar nature to this, and I thought I would actually make this public for people so nobody is working at cross purposes.

To start with, this is a project that is planned for use in June. The reason for the delay is twofold: With people getting out of school for the summer, there will hopefully be a larger player base to play with. It will come after the latest release of the mod (again, leading to more players), and most importantly, I'll be back in the civilized world, so I can manage things directly.

The idea of this game style is a quasi-league event. There's no real ranking, rather, it's a campaign. There are only two sides to the conflict, though each side may have multiple armies in the field in different locations, as historically happened in the war.

How the game will work is relatively simple:

Battles will be fought using the ticket system, where the tickets on each side are a 1:1 representation of the armies in the field. For example, Britain's entire garrison of 3000 in Boston in 1775 moves northward to Lexington and Concord. The Rebels gather a force of 3500 and meet them along the way. Therefore, the tickets for the British would be 3000, and for the Americans, 3500. As we don't have servers that can handle a total of 6500 players, nor do we have 6500 players, the actual players in the battle will be represented by a ratio. So if the British, being the smaller force, can field 15 players for the game, then the Americans would be allowed 17.5, or, as we follow standard rounding rules, 18. (Half or more rounds up.)

The battles can last anywhere from 0 -> 2 hours. If a unit chooses to break contact, or, "retreat" by leaving the server, their numbers at the end end of the match form the strength of the army for the next battle. However, you must declare that you are retreating, and continue the match for 10 minutes. Thus, if an army of 1500 were to ambush 500, there would be a 15 to 5 battle for at least 10 minutes, ensuring that the army cannot simply leave the server and retreat "unscathed".

The campaigns would follow historic time lines in the sense of what units showed up where. For example, the Hessian Jägers didn't make it to America until 1777. Therefore, Jägers would not be allowed to be used by the British until 1777. The French wouldn't be able to get muskets to the Americans until the end of 1775, so the Americans would be limited to officers, militia, and riflemen until that time.

Reinforcements would come to each side in the form of troops from England and Germany for the British, and militias (and later line units) for the Americans. Of course, if a colony that already had strong leanings towards Toryism in the beginning were to be occupied by the British uncontested, or were to see the Rebels suffer numerous setbacks in their region, those provinces might be inclined to furnish their fathers, sons, and brothers to the British cause.



Major cities would be the regional control points that armies could move out from and occupy. The website (when it goes up) will have two different sections for what can be seen by each commander: The British, and the American. You will not necessarily know where an army is marching to, or what it is marching into.

Leaders for each faction will be chosen from the community for their leadership potential and gentlemanly nature. This is supposed to be a fun campaign, and it would be best if it didn't lead to acrimony.

The battles would be fought in whatever style each side fancied. Historically, the British moved very quickly towards loose order formations, having as much as two file's distance between each file. If the sides should choose to form lines and blast volleys, that is their choice. If they should choose to move in loose order, that is also their choice.

Maps that have been up for consideration for some of the battles in various regions:

NH: bg_snowlake
MA: bg_battleofconcord
CN: bg_fall
RI: bg_harbourtown
NY: bg_freemans_farm, lb_alpinepass
NJ: bg_trenton
PA: bg_woodland
DE: bg_maricopa
MD: bg_townguard, trr_territory2
VA: bg_plateau, lb_farmland
NC: trr_strangeways
SC: lb_battleofvalcourisland
GA: bg_pillage

Assaulting a Defensible Position: bg_assault, bg_hubbardton, bg_williamhenry_ap




If anyone has any questions, comments, or suggestions, I am happy to hear them.

[irish_thomas]

Maybe a clan could lead an army and public people can join they're army , my clan the 28th Massachusetts will be ready for it when it is released(if it happens) we getting a server this march:)

[Forlorn_Hope]

I'm trying to avoid this being divided along clan lines. I want clans to interact together. As for the server, we on the BG2 Development team are trying to get a server on the east coast right now. (Still in the negotiations phase.)

And believe me, this will kick off :P If you're worried about me going anywhere, well, if I were going to, I would have by now!

[Forlorn_Hope]

Ah, as a further note, more maps are always appreciated. The more diverse the landscape is for us to fight our battles upon, the happier I (and everyone else) will be.

[irish_thomas]

I'm trying to avoid this being divided along clan lines. I want clans to interact together. As for the server, we on the BG2 Development team are trying to get a server on the east coast right now. (Still in the negotiations phase.)

And believe me, this will kick off :P If you're worried about me going anywhere, well, if I were going to, I would have by now!

Yeah I understand but the armies are gonna need a leader and I can't see the general public been reliable for commanding

[LaBelle]

I'm trying to avoid this being divided along clan lines. I want clans to interact together. As for the server, we on the BG2 Development team are trying to get a server on the east coast right now. (Still in the negotiations phase.)

And believe me, this will kick off :P If you're worried about me going anywhere, well, if I were going to, I would have by now!

Yeah I understand but the armies are gonna need a leader and I can't see the general public been reliable for commanding

From a skill stand point, you'd be surprised. But I do agree with you on an organizational stand point. All in all while clans will dominate this and publics will almost never know about this? It's inevitable for this to turn into a "clan thing" and die out in a matter of months. Just saying.

[Forlorn_Hope]

I have every hope of the actual public knowing about this, both by advertising it on the BG2 server that we'll be running it on (when we finally settle on a company to host it), and by encouraging people to spread word to their friends on the games and on the forums.

[klifsnider]

Nah, it's not because they're pubbers that they're retarded. Last BFTC had more pubbers than clanners afaik, although the army officers were mostly clanmembers.
It worked out great last time, I bet we can do it again. No idea how they got so many pubbers to join though, I guess they just announced it on the. server?

This post has been edited by klifsnider: Feb 12 2011, 12:28 PM

[LaBelle]

Well then, hopefully it kicks off. Unfortunately, I won't be able to make it as June 20th is my girlfriend's due date, and all through summer I work 8 hour days that just SO HAPPENS to fall in line with when most BG2 stuff is happening.

[Forlorn_Hope]

Have you considered a new girlfriend of the less pregnant variety?

[Spartacus]

You could always push her down a couple of stairs.

/Sparta

[LaBelle]

Have you considered a new girlfriend of the less pregnant variety?

Nah. Mostly because she takes over 47th trainings and calls everyone queers and wannabe redcoat faggots.

God I love her.

[Forlorn_Hope]

Well, to get things back on topic: I would really love to see more maps that are of a historic nature, and allow space for maneuvering and the like. Anyone wanting to make some maps for this endeavor, it would be much appreciated. Also, if there are relatively new maps that you think might be good for this game style, e-mail them to me so I can take a look at them.

[Forlorn_Hope]

Also, I would like to hear some names forwarded for consideration for regional commanders. Basically, a Southern Theater, and a Northern Theater, for now, both for the Americans and the British.

[LaBelle]

Also, I would like to hear some names forwarded for consideration for regional commanders. Basically, a Southern Theater, and a Northern Theater, for now, both for the Americans and the British.

There's this LaBelle guy in the 47th who's pretty awesome.

[Forlorn_Hope]

OK, let me rephrase that: E-mail me an application with the subject line of "Battle for the Colonies Application for Position of ____________", and in the e-mail body, why you should be considered.

[LaBelle]

Always gotta be a Debbie-Downer.

[gRanTeLbArT]

How do you plan to make up the teams? Will people register and play only for a certain side (Americans or British) or will it be possible to play any side you like and without prior registration?

[Forlorn_Hope]

The goal is for people to register beforehand for a particular side, with perhaps a third group of registered people who are willing to galvanize.

[gRanTeLbArT]

I think that would be fine. With static team associations some battles are just boring, especially when one team just doesn't have the players. That said this will have fixed ratios based on the tickets/soldiers, but it still would be pretty gay to play 2vs6 just because there wasn't any more than 2 americans or something.

Commanders will have to choose a side, but some of the others should play for a side as needed, I think.

[Forlorn_Hope]

I think having three groups of people (British, Americans, and Galvanized) is a good way to compromise between people that want to have a side associated with them, and to mix up the battles.

[Quite Churlishly]

I want to be a commander but only if I can lead an army of Natives on a forest map.

[LaBelle]

I want to be a commander but only if I can lead an army of Natives on a forest map.

Approved.

[Nathan Hale]

That third group is necessary. Last year's revealed that we need even teams and attendance. I like the concept of bring this back. I'll participate as much as I am able.

[Forlorn_Hope]

I just wanted to let everyone know: I have returned from Afghanistan (some of you may have already seen me on the servers), and once post-deployment leave is done, I plan to kick this off. I'll be using the next three weeks to make sure the infrastructure is in place, but, please, feel free to spread the word. Clans, if you can get me a list of who all is interested in participating and on what side, please send me a PM with those notes, same with individuals.

I'll be back from leave on the 19th of June, so I hope to start matches soon after that. More will be coming.