18-08-2001 21:22									#1
	Preliminary release of Mars scenario (Take 2) Get a bigger avatar today!

The Mars Mod:

In the mid 23rd century, Earth, torn apart by strife and environmental disrespect, is dying. In a desperate bid to ensure the continuity of the human race, many of the remaining governments launch badly-equipped missions to Mars where a centuries-old terraforming project has at last brought it to a state inhabitable by man.

Crash-landing and losing most of the technology which brought them to this still-hostile planet, the colonists struggle to rebuild their knowledge and power, remembering the sight of the impact just over the horizon as they landed - wondering whether the co-habitants of this world will greet them with open hands or deadly force.

In a cruel jest, the calendar is named After Descent, or AD. But as the colonists will soon learn, such gestures will bring them no closer to the Earth they once knew.


v1.10 of the Mars Mod is available on my (extremely simplistic) website.

http://www.geocities.com/jbtwuk/civctp.htm

If you do download, please subscribe to this thread so that you will be informed of updates, bugs, etc.

I'm posting on the creation thread because what I want now is playtesters, not players, and hopefully those who frequent this forum will be more forgiving of my errors.

I want to know:
a) If it downloads correctly.
b) If the installation instructions are clear.
c) If it works
d) What you think of it.

Note that this scenario is human players only - no AI code has been written, and AI players crash the game. If you've more than one CTP player in your house (or close by) and you can play this hotseat then you're the perfect playtester for me. I've no idea about internet games, and PBEM would be silly since updates should be coming fairly soon.

I am most worried about the possible imbalance of the units and the governments.

If you just want to use it for inspiration, or to copy my ideas then that's fine by me - imitation is the sincerest form of flattery - so long as you tell me what you think.

Thanks in advance,

John

Last edited by J Bytheway on 11-06-2002 at 21:46

	18-08-2001 21:36									#2
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(This post is just to move this thread in front of the other Mars scenario thread)

	21-04-2002 04:07									#3
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*bump*

John, I noticed you updated the files for this scenario on your website just a few weeks ago. Care to tell us what you changed and what the current status of the scenario is? I'm very curious to learn more myself and this is the sort of stuff for news items as well...

	23-04-2002 00:02									#4
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Wow! Someone actually responded! Thanks!

Because I had recieved esentially zero response to this before I never bothered to post about my updates. I just put the new files up there so a friend could download them.

Lets see, the last two versions came recently - changes in them were minimal:

v1.02

Added a new sprite for the mob (militia) unit.
Changed engineer and terraformer to use the combat engineer sprite.
Changed spectre to the rift gate sprite.

v1.01

Enhanced support for visibility classes. No longer can infantry units see submarines and stealth bombers when they shouldn't be able to.
Fixed a few typos in readme file.
Changed the name from the Mars scenario to the Mars Mod

---

Current status is that I desperately want to playtest it. Because of my complete inability to make the AI work (though it's a long time since I tried - it's so much more nightmarishly difficult than in CTP2) I need to playtest it multiplayer, and I have been unable to interest anyone in a game. I can't play internet, and my attempt to start a PBEM game failed due to lack of response.

I did playtest on hotseat a couple of times with friends but that doesn't allow for much in the way of war since you can see what each other are doing.

The last thing that I managed was to have Keygen take a look at the scenario but he was dissapointed because I haven't changed the terrain. This is indeed the next thing I wish to do, but I was planning to steal (erm... I mean request the use of) the terrain that Immortal Wombat develops for his CTP2 Mars Scenario (since it seems silly for us both to do it seperately, and I'm a hopeless artist).

If anyone reading this wants to play a PBEM game with me or test it on a network or internet game without me then please tell me!

John

	23-04-2002 04:59									#5
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Hehe, problem with the CtP1/2 Community is, that no matter how much people like your idea, most people don't post any feedback... Just because peeople don't post doesn't mean they don't like it...

Anyway, can't help you on the testing front, but as far as terrain goes: try contacting IW, he might make some terrain for you (right now he's not doing much with his Mars scenario)... But even without his help, it shouldn't be too hard to make Mars graphics: just by changing the colors of existing terrain types (mountains, hills, desert) you can accomplish a lot... Might not give you fantastic graphics but very much acceptable, I'm sure...

	24-04-2002 00:33									#6
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John, I got your email, and have uploaded the tile files to the Depot: http://ctp.modmakers/Wombat/mars/gtset555.til

There is only one of the pair there (I have a slow line, and I uploaded 4 tile files already this week ), but if you open it in TileEdit and resave it, it will generate a gtset565.til for you.

	24-04-2002 12:25									#7
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That link gives me a cannot find server error, as does http://ctp.modmakers/.

I'll try again later.

	24-04-2002 14:32									#8
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Ignore Ben, he's just being silly

The correct server is ctpmodmakers.250free.com, so assuming IW didn't screw up the folders too the file should be here.

If he did screw up the folders too, you could visit the site with your FTP client and look for the file yourself as it's a 'public' site, i.e. every CtP1/2 modmakers is welcome to use it to access/upload files (server: ftp.250free.com; user: ctpmodmakers; password: [password removed by the archive]).

	24-04-2002 18:54									#9
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I would be interested in playtesting for you. I will also get another to take up the mission with me...now who shall it be..

	24-04-2002 21:33									#10
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quote: Originally posted by Locutus Ignore Ben, he's just being silly

Yup.

quote: The correct server is ctpmodmakers.250free.com, so assuming IW didn't screw up the folders too the file should be here.

stupid address anyway, can't we get ctp.com? mutter mutter
That's the right address.

	24-04-2002 21:46									#11
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quote: Originally posted by drAgON1 I would be interested in playtesting for you. I will also get another to take up the mission with me...now who shall it be..

Thanks very much for the offer.

Would that be PBEM or internet?

	24-04-2002 23:09									#12
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quote: Originally posted by Immortal Wombat stupid address anyway, can't we get ctp.com?

(ctp.com = cambridge technology partners)

You're the one who will/might be going to Cambridge, you ask them!

	24-04-2002 23:12									#13
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I'm at Cambridge, and I've never heard of Cambridge Technology Partners. And I don't think they'd appreciate me asking .

	25-04-2002 02:53									#14
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Worth a try ctp.co.uk and ctp.net also taken

	25-04-2002 07:20									#15
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It would be internet. I shall not download untill I find a partner to test with me(that shouldnt be very hard). I am not very good at theis downloading and installing etc..so if I can do it on my own then I think anyone can. Thanks for the WORK you put into it.

	29-04-2002 01:21									#16
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quote: Originally posted by Immortal Wombat There is only one of the pair there (I have a slow line, and I uploaded 4 tile files already this week ), but if you open it in TileEdit and resave it, it will generate a gtset565.til for you.

Actual you only need to replace the gtset565.til. You can remove the gtset555.til file or do whatever you want with it.

-Martin

	29-04-2002 01:27									#17
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quote: Originally posted by drAgON1 It would be internet. I shall not download untill I find a partner to test with me(that shouldnt be very hard). I am not very good at theis downloading and installing etc..so if I can do it on my own then I think anyone can. Thanks for the WORK you put into it.

Have you had any luck finding a partner?

	09-05-2002 19:58									#18
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I'll be happy to do some Mac beta testing for you... just need somebody to join me in a PBEM.

	09-05-2002 20:01									#19
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Just downloaded it... I'll be looking forward to seeing if it even works on a Mac after work... e-mailing it to myself now...

	09-05-2002 22:54									#20
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Please tell me how the installation goes. You won't be able to use the batch file to automate the last part of the installation but there are instructions in the readme on how to do it by hand. If you can get it to work (which I sincerely hope you can) then I'd like to play a PBEM game with you.

Good luck.

	12-05-2002 01:52									#21
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Well, what happened...

	12-05-2002 21:02									#22
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John

You got another to peak their interest in this thread. I'll keep you informed on how it goes. It may take a bith though 'cause geocities not only doesn't allow more than 1MB in transferring, but it also limits the total amount accessed in one hour. So... I am needing to download the last file before I continue (after waiting an hour ... grumble grumble).
We do have multiple computers attached to a LAN and a few people to help try it out (might be able to get four at once).

Keep the faith,

Varlinor

	12-05-2002 22:56									#23
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Sorry about that - it should just be possible to download it all within one hourly allocation of bandwidth. At least there's no pop-up ads at Geocities...

I just want to hear that someone successfully installed the thing at the moment. So many say they will try and fall silent. I'm beginning to wonder if there's a virus in the distribution that kills their computers or something

	13-05-2002 19:02									#24
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hmmm... the text.zip didn't unzip properly... could you just e-mail that to me?

flameflash@mac.com

	13-05-2002 19:28									#25
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Curious... I can e-mail it to you, and I'll check the one on the site.

	13-05-2002 19:32									#26
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quote: Originally posted by J Bytheway Curious... I can e-mail it to you, and I'll check the one on the site.

Many thanks... looking forward to trying to get it installed.

	13-05-2002 19:39									#27
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Sent the e-mail. I also tried the version off the website and got an error. Will upload a new one now...

	13-05-2002 20:28									#28
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Wierd. Tried uploading twice and it still doesn't work. Could be a problem with the geocities uploader. Hmm... Tell me whether the version I e-mailed works. I'll have another go at the website this evening.

	15-05-2002 19:49									#29
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Did the e-mailed version work? Still had no luck making the text zip work. I'll try putting it up on another site and see if that helps.

	15-05-2002 23:23									#30
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I'll let you know... been having some home comp problems, which is why I haven't responded much yet... sorry.