Hello Carl,
yes, this is a valid "concern".
(...)
Mostly SSRs will have to be implemented and fixed in code like all other rules. Once they are available the scenario designer could just switch the on and off or select the rule coverage. There are certain parts of the rules (those that are very much based on numbers and tables) that are stored in XML files and can easily be changed or extended (for example the IFT). But if you would for example define a SSR that in this particular scenario there is no Ambush possible one would have to decide how to bend the rules in this case. One easy solution could be that the terrain features for this are not available in this map. And since the map is accessible for the scenario designer and not a printed board he could simple exchange all wood hexes for example with a "special" wood terrain that does not count as ambush terrain.
(...)
Ben
hello Ben,
first of all, please do not take this as a distruptive criticism, I would really see a day something close to ASL like the thing you are projecting.
but now that your are walking throught your project its limits are more visible. The above example about ambush is the reason why WWT2 will never be a true ASL by PC.
I do not think any Designer will even try to recreate a SSR the way you depict. There are too many SSRs possible, much more than a programmer could imagine thus most of times your program will be simply unable to recreate the required one, unless someone "change" the basic rules just for that scenario adding a special case.
And consider that sometime SSRs last only for one turn, adding a special case to a special case.
Your say :
Mostly SSRs will have to be implemented and fixed in code like all other rules. Once they are available the scenario designer could just switch the on and off or select the rule coverage
good luck... there are thousands of SSR different for a comma, and this in ASL makes all the difference. There are every month new scenarios, and Designers invent every day a new SSR, or slightly change the old ones... try to find, collect, understand, implement, test, store in the program memory and make available at request for WWT2 users all the SSRs our scenario designers invent is plainly impossible.
If you read a few SSRs of recent scenarios you see that changes in the rules cannot easily arranged but require a serious rewrite of the program. Think for example at the special "mandatory" banzai charge of the Japanese hidden units in SSR 2 of scenario AP 90. A programmer nightmare since it "may" be directed against a roadblock and do not require a leader. Also only hidden units can (must) start this banzai charge BUT only at the start of turn 4.
Clearly this approach requires an epic effort to get basically nothing, since most SSR are unique and not repeatable. More, the designers deliberately do not copy SSR of other colleagues for a variety of reasons.
Also note that a program not" friendly user" and requiring a good skill to be manipulated to arrange SSRs with artifices, like the one about ambush, will probably be avoided by people not loving this kind of amusement.
You are a computer programmer, do not think all people have your same pleasure and attitude to work in front of a screen.
About the boards I agree with you and do not see any problem even if some los can slighty differ.
But I have to disagree about the philosophy behid your Sniper example.
Or you can recreate ASL as close as possible, including the mechanics you do not like, or perhaps is better if you create your own system and call it the way you like but not ASL (because it is not ASL anymore). I dare to say that very few people will be happy if the sniper (or whatever rule ) does not work as written in the rules.
In conclusion I think that ASL is the worst possible game to create by PC. Its myriad of rules, special cases, and SSRs - the heart of the system - make it simply impossible to recreate in a program.
After seeing your demo above I say it is a pity you do not use your remarkable skills to try something doable like A3R, PoG, BtB, UF!
but again and ever good luck!