[.77] n3ctaris's big list of fun-making feedback

In no particular order:

* Outpost Improvements!  Lets see outposts tied to a tech line, improvements such as - Garrison (free defenders), Tax Collector (for trade routes passing by), Propaganda Office (spread influence), Moat (better defensive bonus).  Some of these improvements could be tied directly to the tech tree and empire wide, and others could be added individual outposts as an improvement.

* Champ Equipment!  Generally speaking the equipment that is dropped is fine, just tie and restrict the drop rates to the level of enemies/quests rather than a general pool. Or have the general pool of drops linked to the number of turns of game time that has elapsed.  Recently I played a game where I had picked up Plate on my Sov before I could even outfit my troops with leather!

* Paperdoll!  We all want items tied to locations on our champs like every other RPG/quasi-RPG, so... lets have it!

* Basic Magic Attack! Give those "Path of the Mage" champs a basic ranged magic attack.  Nothing too crazy, perhaps have it tie to Int, or perhaps the equipped staff.  There is just too often where my mage units are just sitting round after round wishing they could play too.

* Mage Troops! We can train monsters (although that needs work), so why not train some apprentices, give them a basic range magic attack and perhaps a cheap buff/debuff spell, tie the spell they get to a trait and have it cost mana like any other spell.

* % Modifiers!  Why not use whole number modifiers?  "-25% tactical spell cost" Why not -3 mana cost on tactical spells? % based modifiers always seem to be more difficult to balance around, and as a player I find them to be less FUN.  If a mage gets -50% tactical spell cost, then this runs the risk of making really costly spells cheap and easy to afford, this takes the special away from these bad ass spells, and makes them ordinary.  Where a -6 to mana cost on all spells, makes common use spells cheap, while keeping the bad ass spells low use and big impact. (tactical spells is just one example of a % based modifier, I recognize there are a lot more in this game)

* More Heavenfall!  Seriously dude, keep it up.

* More Range Units!  Let`s get our hands on starter range unit.  Let`s give monsters more range options!

* Monster Spawns!  Those monster den`s should spawn armies to wonder around their territory.  These monsters are territorial, I want to see them guarding their borders.  Those same monster den`s should level up and get harder the longer the game goes on.  These guys are not spending the years and years just sitting in a cave waiting for me to come smash face, I want to see some progress with all the time we give them.  Make them the best monsters they can be!

* More City Improvements!  I know the design team wants LESS buildings to build.  But perhaps more choices and not being able to make them all in every city is where the opportunity for city differentiation comes in.  If I have a bunch of buildings that can improve tech, but due to maintenance costs I could only afford those and no other improvements, then that makes for a specialized interesting city.  If I want a jack of all trades city, then I won`t see the big impacts on one area of the game that a specialized city can give.  I know in WoM they used building slots as a limiter, I have to go with Heavenfall on this one, more expensive buildings will make the choices harder.

* Give Monster`s More Abilities!  I want to see the world fighting me with more than basic melee attacks!  These guys are supposed to be intimidating, lets make them hurt!  Maul scares me... I like that.

* Resource Limits! Rather than X resources generated per turn, give me Y number of resources per controlled resource node.  I have a mine, rather than 1 metal per turn, give me 20 metal to spend across my empire... I just realized how much that`s like Civ V... but in that game, strategic resources really matter.  In this game, resources aren`t even a stumbling block.

* Please help the AI, double kill is killing them!

8,088 views 11 replies
Reply #1 Top

I really like this "X's list of ...." type of post. :P 

I cant find much to disagree with in there, although im a bit skeptical on a few points, especially the resource limit. If i understand your example with 20 metal i could get say, 20 metal using units ( like each swordman uses up 1 metal ? ) Ive not played Civ V in a while, Civ IV is the best civ for me :p

 

And ooc : Is your name by any chance a reference to the legendary PC-engine game ? ( damn i can still hear those tunes in my head )

Reply #2 Top

Re city improvements & tech (4th item from the bottom)  I think it would help encourage specialization if we had 2 types of tech-enhancing buildings:  the current percent-improvement kind and also an "add x points per turn" kind.  Build both in one city to get a multiplier effect.  Some of them should be 1-per-empire so you can only do it for 1 city. 

Then rinse and repeat for other benefits like gildar.

All percent or all fixed-amount means even the 1-per-empire buildings can go almost anywhere without specialization, except that all the percent improvements for any type of stat should go to the city with the biggest population.

Then maybe pass a law that the top 1-per-empire tech building can't be in the same city as the top 1-per-empire gildar building.  You can't have Silicon Valley and New York in one city.

 

Reply #3 Top

Quoting EvilMaxWar, reply 1
I really like this "X's list of ...." type of post.  

I cant find much to disagree with in there, although im a bit skeptical on a few points, especially the resource limit. If i understand your example with 20 metal i could get say, 20 metal using units ( like each swordman uses up 1 metal ? ) Ive not played Civ V in a while, Civ IV is the best civ for me

 

And ooc : Is your name by any chance a reference to the legendary PC-engine game ? ( damn i can still hear those tunes in my head )
End of EvilMaxWar's quote

 

The resource limit I'm suggesting would work like you say.  Maybe have resources work as they do now but give buildings and outposts metal costs too...

 

I got my handle from the old turbo graphics 16 game, "military madness".  Nectaris was the PS remake.  One of the best and hardest TBS games I've ever played.

Reply #4 Top

Nectaris is also the original Japanese name for the TG16(Pc engine) military madness. :p

Reply #5 Top

Some good stuff here.  

Reply #6 Top

Overall, I agree with what you have said.  I would like to add one comment.

* More City Improvements! I know the design team wants LESS buildings to build. But perhaps more choices and not being able to make them all in every city is where the opportunity for city differentiation comes in. If I have a bunch of buildings that can improve tech, but due to maintenance costs I could only afford those and no other improvements, then that makes for a specialized interesting city. If I want a jack of all trades city, then I won`t see the big impacts on one area of the game that a specialized city can give. I know in WoM they used building slots as a limiter, I have to go with Heavenfall on this one, more expensive buildings will make the choices harder.
End of quote

I like your thought on strategic choices but worry that more maintenance will push army composition toward champions.  You will not be able to afford the upkeep on units. 

I would rather see branching upgrades to buildings.  Where a grain silo could be upgraded to a bakery (more food) or a market (some food, some money).  Here the player shapes his cities with mutually exclusive choices.  You can't build everything by design.

Reply #7 Top

Quoting Lord, reply 2
* More Range Units! Let`s get our hands on starter range unit. Let`s give monsters more range options!
End of Lord's quote

Quoting EvilMaxWar, reply 1
* Give Monster`s More Abilities! I want to see the world fighting me with more than basic melee attacks! These guys are supposed to be intimidating, lets make them hurt! Maul scares me... I like that.
End of EvilMaxWar's quote

Ya monster fights are boring because they 90% of them just run at you and melee, half the monster abilities that do exist are just melee power attacks.

Fighting a darkling force should be like fighting any other army, They should have a shaman some archers and melee troops to protect them, not just melee troops and a shaman with one spell that runs into melee mindlessly. Same with bandit/mercenary armies and trolls.

Monsters badly need more range and magic ablilities and to be smart enough to know when you need to attack them.

Quoting Lord, reply 5
* Basic Magic Attack! Give those "Path of the Mage" champs a basic ranged magic attack. Nothing too crazy, perhaps have it tie to Int, or perhaps the equipped staff. There is just too often where my mage units are just sitting round after round wishing they could play too.
End of Lord's quote

Definitly should be a magic tree tech to buy robes and staffs. Mage characters need them and the magic tree needs more stuff. Nothing too powerful though.

Quoting Lord, reply 2
* Paperdoll! We all want items tied to locations on our champs like every other RPG/quasi-RPG, so... lets have it!
End of Lord's quote

Why not?

Reply #8 Top


My peronal wish is to fight air elementals that zoom around avoiding my melee troops while throwing lighting around, instead of running at me like idiots. That's the kind of tactical battle I would like to see.

Reply #9 Top


Flying units that can only be hit by ranged/magic attacks...

Special attack/defense traits you can design/build into your regular troops:

Furious defense:  can counterattack 2 or 3 attacks per round

Break Enemy Line:  You halve (carve? heh!) an existing squad into two smaller, bloodied, less combat effective units, small % chance it breaks and flees the battle entirely

Camouflage/Ambush: Unit is invisible on map until enemy is next to it, ambushing unit gets bonus to first attack.  May not work in certain terrain types... etc.

 Engineer/sapper: can build battlefield traps/mines and destroy walls in city battles... IF THERE WERE ANY >:(

These special traits could be researchable or questable locations... or both...

Go talk to the Eagles... do their fetch quest... etc...

 

 

Reply #10 Top

Quoting EvilMaxWar, reply 4
Nectaris is also the original Japanese name for the TG16(Pc engine) military madness.
End of EvilMaxWar's quote

 

Well then, yes, that is exactly where I got my handle from! haha.

Reply #11 Top

Quoting klaxton499, reply 6
Overall, I agree with what you have said.  I would like to add one comment.


* More City Improvements! I know the design team wants LESS buildings to build. But perhaps more choices and not being able to make them all in every city is where the opportunity for city differentiation comes in. If I have a bunch of buildings that can improve tech, but due to maintenance costs I could only afford those and no other improvements, then that makes for a specialized interesting city. If I want a jack of all trades city, then I won`t see the big impacts on one area of the game that a specialized city can give. I know in WoM they used building slots as a limiter, I have to go with Heavenfall on this one, more expensive buildings will make the choices harder.

I like your thought on strategic choices but worry that more maintenance will push army composition toward champions.  You will not be able to afford the upkeep on units. 

I would rather see branching upgrades to buildings.  Where a grain silo could be upgraded to a bakery (more food) or a market (some food, some money).  Here the player shapes his cities with mutually exclusive choices.  You can't build everything by design.
End of klaxton499's quote

 

I like the thoughts on branching building upgrades, that sounds like a lot of FUN.  You make a good point about pushing army composition towards champs, which IMO is not where the game should go.  Maybe if the world of monsters was more difficult, and equipment drops were less powerful, then that would balance your city management by requiring more army units?