A Different Gameplay Style

Do I really need a city?

from Elemental Forums

Hi everyone! Its my 1st post here in the forum but Im with you guys for a while, reading the posts and watching the videos. Btw, nice videos Gorstagg.

First of all. Stardock, never heard about something like you guys, you are just amazing. The things you did here, I have no words to tell. Im waiting EWoM for almost 10 years, so you can imagine how excited I am about it.

As I said, im with you guys for a while. I was looking for some kind of MoM sequel when i bumped into EWoM. Since that day, i come here everyday to see how The Game is evolving. And I say, its doing great! Need some minor balance issues, but it still beta.

But im not here for minor balance issues. Yesterday i was playing MoM (yea, still play MoM) on hard in a large map, was about to finsh the game when noticed that i had only 1 active army. Got lots of units protecting cityes, but only one army atacking and leveling up. This army was made of 6 heros (Serena, RayWind, Brax, Aureus, Maleus and that druid guy), all super hero status, and a stone giant. I didnt use any regular unit all the game, except for defending cityes. Actualy, if i had another way of researching spells, getting money and mana i wouldnt need cityes as well. So I come here to ask you (all the EWoM comunity): can i choose to play the game like a RPG (advance trought the questing and magic tree and build no city) and become so powerful that i can stand and fight with the civilization and warfare tree guys? If not, can i at least use my mobility as a nomad to avoid a big fight and chase another ways of winning?

I think it will be great, a group of guys wandering around, getting quests, killing monters, getting powerfull. Dont think that win by conquest would be easy. But would be fun to finish the master quest or spell of mastery or diplomacy. Its another way to play the game, and a fun way in my opinion.

 

Some issues that i thought could help make this possible.

 

Money - Another way of making money besides city trade. Maybe repeatable quest with money reward, neutral shops to sell items and resources. And of course money generator npcs. Remember that you need money to survive with a bunch of guys, not to mantain an whole empire.

Research - You should gain some research points when enter a not claimed lost library. Npcs (or the sov) may have the ability to research direct from a lost library by standing on it.

Magic - Your sov may channel directly from a shard when casting a powerfull spell. If you need more than one shard, a npc could help channeling the other one

I think that a dinamic use of the enviroment (lost library, hidden temple) could make the game more fun. Will give lots of new ways of achieving same objectives. You could regen mana faster when inside a hidden temple, gain research points when in a library... or do i need to build a city so i can enter the library and start looking for something? There is a great potential for this. Instead of building a city you can move on an enemy territory razing and positioning your npcs to his resources to suport your atack, and then, after looting it, move to another location. This is a way the player can live the adventurer group. 

My point here is that you dont need a city to win the game. What do you think about it?

ps. sorry about the bad english

elemental
7,593 views 7 replies
Reply #1 from Elemental Forums Top

I really gotta tell you that the gameplay I have experienced just in the beta's is very entertaining !

The city expansion and development is very simple and as simple as it is it still requires some thinking to make the best decisions. Their are four different ways to win the game and you can choose one to four of them....and er yes you can win by eliminating all the others factions. You really should do yourself a favor and invest the money for this game, you won't be dissapointed !

I've been gaming for many years and this is the only game I've seen in a long time  that really has me buzzing !!

Reply #2 from Elemental Forums Top

can i choose to play the game like a RPG (advance trought the questing and magic tree and build no city) and become so powerful that i can stand and fight with the civilization and warfare tree guys?
End of quote

This is how it was advertised initially. However, it remains to be seen how the final balance of the game will come together.

Curtains - Customize Windows with additional styles
Reply #3 from Elemental Forums Top

I have no doubts on this game. As i said, im waiting for almost 10 years. I just wanna know if i can win without building a single city.

Reply #4 from Elemental Forums Top

At the moment, the tech trees are still not final. In beta 3, the Magic and Adventure trees have barely anything in them, and Sovereigns are completely unbalanced. So, it's possible to win with an overpowered Sovereign not building any cities, but not because of the tech trees. They're supposed to get more fleshed out in Beta 4, so we'll see.

But, basically, it's too early to tell.

Reply #5 from Elemental Forums Top

Hey Panicwave,

Glad you enjoyed the videos! Giving people something to watch and get an idea on what's coming their way and what's up in the future was definitely my goal.

As far as can you win as heroes only.

I truly don't know yet. I don't know if there is something deep down the adventuring tree, and magic. I guess it'll be interesting to see what comes out in the final shakedown.

But in any case, if it doesn't let you do that initially.. I'm willing to lay lots of money on someone building something like that in a mod at some point in it's enduring future.

Reply #6 from Elemental Forums Top

As I suspected.. besides lasting only a month to go, its still early to tell anything. Guess we´ll have to wait to see.

Thanks for the answer guys. Keep doing great beta. 

Gorstagg, keep up with the videos. Its basicaly the only way I have to enjoy the gameplay. 

See ya

Reply #7 from Elemental Forums Top

Magic - Your sov may channel directly from a shard when casting a powerfull spell. If you need more than one shard, a npc could help channeling the other one

I think that a dinamic use of the enviroment (lost library, hidden temple) could make the game more fun. Will give lots of new ways of achieving same objectives. You could regen mana faster when inside a hidden temple, gain research points when in a library... or do i need to build a city so i can enter the library and start looking for something?
End of quote

I don't know about forgoing cities entirely, but having these options in addition to cities would be awesome as well. Need a fire shard to cast that spell of doom on your enemies, and there happens to be one near the enemy city? Why can't my sovereign fight his way to the shard, and channel the power directly from the shard to cast the spell? This could lead to an epic fight over the shard with your sovereign's life at stake rather than simply raining doom on your enemies from a safe distance.

The library is a great idea too, creates an interesting tradeoff between leaving your sovereign to study at the library and generate some research, or take the risk of continuing to explore for possibly greater rewards. Also with many technologies relating to exploring ruins, it makes sense to generate research by doing just that - currently you found a city and build some buildings so you can research to be a better adventurer/quester/recruiter, I should get better at questing simply by questing (free adventuring technologies from random ruins or completing quests would be a simpler way to accomplish a similar goal).