FLAT TOP version 2.wim
Wim Oudshoorn's MOD of ...
FLAT TOP version 1.2
Computer adaptation by Scott Giese for use in VASSAL.
Introduction & Credits
This is a modification of the original work done by Scott Giese, to whom I am indebted for rekindling my interest in this game and stimulating me to this effort.
Flat Top is a strategic war game that simulates aircraft carrier battles fought in the Pacific during World War II.
VASSAL FLAT TOP is based on the Avalon Hill Game Company's board game FLAT TOP. The game was originally designed and developed by S. Craig Taylor and published by Battleline Publications in 1977. Avalon Hill game development was completed by Bob Beardsley and published in 1981.
Please refer to your FLAT TOP manual for a complete list of credits.
The program that makes it possible to play FLAT TOP live on-line and via PBEM is the VASSAL game engine developed by Rodney Kinney.
Special thanks from Scott Giese to the following playtesters:
Rick Billings
Jim Merson
Chuck Tewksbury
Thanks from Wim Oudshoorn to playtester Rob Holme.
List of Changes from Version 1.2 to 2.wim
Purpose: The original intent was to improve the legibility of the game counters and charts for old wargaming grognards suffering from VISUAL IMPAIRMENT due to advancing age (like me).
However, as I became engrossed in the modding process I also altered the following:
1. More options in counters' drop-down menus.
2. Added playing aids not available in original boardgame.
3. Completed the unfinished Air Record Chart.
4. Added the surface combat map.
5. Reduced redundant code in the mod.
A more detailed list of changes is provided below. What started as a simple exercise in improving legibility became something rather more.
Graphics Changes
1. Recoloured both Japanese and Allied counters to improve esthetics and legibility. Provided two versions of each.
2. Replaced numbers on all counters with a larger font to improve legibility and hand-dithered them.
3. Recoloured and re-organized Japanese and Allied Charts A & B to improve legibility and to make organizing counters easier.
4. Reconfigured Allied Chart B to fit better on-screen even though there are some empty spaces now.
5. Added wider borders to charts to make room to sort game counters.
6. Replaced fonts, redrew some fonts and hand-dithered fonts on Japanese and Allied Charts A & B to improve legibility.
7. Replaced the "hits" counter with a smaller one that does not completely mask the underlying ships and can be made invisible.
8. Recoloured all armaments counters.
9. Created Allied and Japanese "Search" counters to facilitate playing without a referee (see below for rules added).
10. Created Allied and Japanese “Shadowing” counters.
11. Created Allied and Japanese “Movement Radius” counters for quick visualization of an aircraft’s movement radius.
12. Created Allied and Japanese Effective Combat Radius “E.C.R.” counters to quickly visualize at what distance an opponent can be attacked using a Full Launch.
13. Created new marker counters for the Day, Time, Initiative and Points record tracks and added an Automatic Victory marker.
14. Recoloured the Time, Initiative and Points record track and replaced and hand-dithered the fonts.
15. Made the Clouds counter transparent.
16. Made background of wind direction counter transparent and reduced it to a single rotateable counter.
17. Completed and activated the Allied and Japanese Air Record Sheets.
18. Created Japanese and Allied base and AF counters for the AF plot sheets as well as a time bar and attack time icons.
19. Redrew the base flags
and added an Australian flag for
20. Partially redrew some of the game menu icons.
21. Created new "Dispersed" counter.
22. Created “Deployment” boundary markers for use in setting up scenarios.
23. Created a new Splash screen but retained Scott Giese’s as well.
24. Created counters for “Conditional” reinforcements.
25. In some scenarios the Wildcats use a BHT of 7 in Air-to-Air Combat. Altered the Combat Table to reflect this.
26. Added “Coastwatchers Observation” and “Conditions Explained” to the Observation Table
27. Added a “Sequence of Play” to the Player Aid Tables.
28. Added Allied and Japanese “Survivor” counters.
29. Added Allied and Japanese “Shadow” counters.
30. Expanded the Fleet Ammunition Record, added variant ships and simplified the tables at the bottom.
31. Expanded maps and added off-map flight paths between off-map bases.
32. Greyed the AMMO and TORPEDO factor counters so these could be placed on the ammo record in white and grey rows.
34. Added casualty storage boxes to the victory points table.
35. Added Allied ship counters with radar.
36. Added surface, periscope and deep counters to submarines.
37. Created a Surface
Combat map.
38. Added Variant Combat Results and Critical Hits Tables.
Program Changes
1. Altered the stacking order of flags, clouds, wind, ships, planes, and search counters to keep wind marker on top of clouds and planes on top of everything.
2. Added a new small "Search" counter to the Allied and Axis counters list and properties list. Activated the "Area of Effect" property for search ranges 1, 2 and 3. The Japanese counter is a small flag with red sun, the American counter is a small white star on blue background.
3. Copied the "No Search" counter to both the Allied and Axis 'General' counters mix and altered their properties for use when playing without a referee.
4. TF and AF movement trails recoloured by nationality and thickness differing between air and task forces.
5. Made both sides’ flags accessible to both players to be able to deploy and play without a referee.
6. Altered scenario listings and included all the original scenarios.
7. Edited "masks" to cover whole TF or AF counter rather than just an insert.
8. Added new properties to most counters and changed the sequence of these on the pop-up menus. For example, gave the anchor the “invisible” property so you can see what is underneath it.
9. Increased and decreased the number of columns in counters boxes in the game menu (so I can’t remember if the overall effect is different or not.
10. Programmed separate Allied and Axis Air Record sheets as well as their markers and menu icons.
11. Deleted the "clone" and "delete" functions from the TF and AF counters on both sides so that these could not be accidentally deleted. Cloning is now no longer necessary. The un-numbered TF and AF counters in each sides' "general" tray should now no longer be required.
12. Incorporated the new Deployment, E.C.R. and Movement Radius counters.
13. Activated the “Conditional” reinforcements counters.
14. For game pieces with layered graphics, deleted the unnecessary “basic piece” graphic.
15. Populated the Fleet Ammunition Tables and removed the AMMO and TOPEDO factor pieces from the general pieces mix.
16. Renamed both side’s AF and TF stack layers to “Forces” to enable accessibility to the bottom-most AF and TF units in multi-nationality stack.
17. Abbreviated ship names to eliminate stacking alignment problems.
18. Created a “radar” on-off layer for ship game pieces.
19. Layered submarine counters so they could be at the surface, at periscope depth or dive deep.
20. Implemented the Surface Combat Map.
21. Added switchable Area of Effect to bases with radar to show radar range.
22. … and other stuff I lost track of . Although Scott’s original framework remains largely intact, many of the details have been altered, in part out of necessity to accommodate the graphics changes and in part to add features that I wanted.
Plus …
All the original FLAT TOP scenarios set up ready to play as well as four variant, “balanced” scenarios by James Lutz. The Midway and Wake scenarios are under construction.
Help Files Added
1. New Splash screen
2. Credits & Changes
3. Preface to the Scenarios
4. Individual Scenario Notes
5. Rob & Wim’s House Rules
6. Air-to-Air Combat Explained
7. How to Use the Surface Combat Map
8. How to Install Wim’s Alternate Red & Blue AF & TF Counters
Copyleft
You have my permission to do whatever you want with the changes I made and the graphics I created EXCEPT: (1) to offer them for sale, (2) to integrate them into any other work that will be offered for sale, (3) to post them at any location that charges a fee for access or (4) to claim authorship of my work.
Please enjoy,
Wim Oudshoorn
email: wim_ouds@yahoo.ca