Re: patch 2.08 is out
 

>I don't know if any one has mentioned this yet,
>put on the OS X Version of Golden Era Arcos, if
>you try and look at the the priestess' stats
>the game quits without an error. Also the
>icarids (?) are mooses.

I dont have the OS X Version, but I was having the same problems in the windows Version (getting "sprnbr too high for this file" errors upon right clicking on certain units). I found out what was wrong - I had copied the old dominions directory (c:\games\dominions2) to a new directory (c:\games\dom2updated) so that I had both Versions for the two multiplayer games I'm in (one where the players wanted the game patched and one that wanted to wait for Jotunheim to be fixed). Originally I had two desktop shortcuts for dom2 that specified the ip address and port numbers in command line switches (so I dont have to type it in each time I play the two different games). What caused the error was that I went to the shortcut properties and changed "target" to the new "c:\games\dom2updated" directory but I forgot to change "start in" directory to the new directory. So the program must have been running the new executable but using the files in the old "c:\games\dominions2" directory. When I changed the "start in" directory to the correct one all problems disappeared.

[ February 19, 2004, 23:40: Message edited by: dire ]

Re: patch 2.08 is out
 

Another nicely evil possibility for preventing stalemates without the forced, artificial feel of the current system: any battle over a certain length has an increasing chance of attracting the attention of Lammashtas, Horrors or other nasties, who will be glad to clean up the paralyzed or unconscious remnants. Both have armor piercing or negating attacks, IIRC, and can hit hard enough to overcome regeneration even on Gods (if the God is defenseless). The longer the battle drags on, the more unpleasant surprises are attracted to the battlefield... http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/shock.gif I don't think there's anything that could survive being surrounded by Doom Horrors while unconscious.

This would still usually have the same *practical* result as the current system (all the paralyzed/unconscious units are eliminated), but would be less likely to offend certain players - at least there's some rationale for the deaths. And it would look cool. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif

Edit: You might still want a hardcoded time limit to make *sure* the game doesn't hang in the hosting - but move it back another 20 or so turns after the horror attacks start, so that it will be almost impossible for the time limit to actually be triggered. The theoretical possibility won't bother players nearly as much as having it actually happen.

[ February 19, 2004, 12:21: Message edited by: Chris Byler ]

Re: patch 2.08 is out
 

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">Bingo! The problem I had was basicly the same. I had renamed the .app dominions2.8 and had the old 2.6 Version in the same directory as "dominions2". I renamed the old one to dominionsold and renamed the new one as dominions2 and it worked no problems.

Re: patch 2.08 is out
 

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">That was the most far-fetched and bizarre response I have seen. Considering that 95% of the province defense was killed in the battle... leaving only citizens/farmers...
the regenerating powers of the Tartarian Cyclops(size 6) would easily keep him alive from their sticks and stones. Most of the citizens/farmers would also be too afraid to approach him since he also carried 'cause fear +2' .
He had items which gave him his regeneration and other enhancements.


When the game auto-kills a unit just because X amount of turns passed... that's just wrong.


The fix we need is to remove the auto-kill and replace it with auto-flee. OR
Change/Adjust Paralyzation OR
Change the Last turns of battle so units can wake up and properly flee. </font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">maybe the local thief snitched his regen item then a wandering herd of carnivorous cows came and chewed him up?

Re: patch 2.08 is out
 

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">In any event, considerations of "realism" (whatever that means in a fantasy game) take a back seat to more pragmatic concerns, like ensuring that the hosting terminates.

The auto-die code is in there to ensure that no combat can get "stuck" for reasons involving Paralyze or other reasons not foreseen, and I for one don't particularly care whether or not it can be rationalized in game terms. </font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">lol I like that http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif

BTW realism has little to do with reality it's just a term describing a logical cause and effect system not a the same as reality system http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon12.gif

oh, and it could easily end in a TIE with all attackers not dead at the end of combat routing... I would think that would be a preferred method. auto-kill is never a good thing to do just because you wanted to set an arbitrary limit to the number of combat rounds.

Re: patch 2.08 is out
 

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">I completely agree... and allowing all units to auto-retreat at turn 51 shouldn't be that difficult to change. Simply change the auto-kill into auto-retreat.

Re: patch 2.08 is out
 

I still like the auto-kill of paralyzed creatures if they're still paralyzed at the end of combat. But I concede that I may be biased against supercombatants. And paralyze-autokill is one of the few simple counters to the SC strategy.

I think I'm going to start a poll to let folks say what they think should happen to paralyzed creatures at turn 50.

Re: patch 2.08 is out
 

Auto-retreat can also mean auto-death depending on what happened in neighboring provinces and how the attackers got there.
It would make a certain degree of sense to have a more detailed pursuit model comparing mobility, ranged firepower et al -- for instance, cases where one or both sides have flight available -- but the presence of magic really, really complicates things e.g. does a unit with intrinsic flight such as an Elemental Queen of Air have an advantage over a unit that could fly just because a handy air mage can cast Flight on it?

Re: patch 2.08 is out
 

I believe a poll would do nothing, as the debate has degenerated. Maybe you should put up a poll on what you'd rather have the Dev's work on and let them make the categories.

Re: patch 2.08 is out
 

Zen,

That's a good idea. Because we only have two overworked devs, and they can't do everything at once.

I did start the poll anyway. My main reason for that was that only a few of the folks on the board have participated in the discussion. The participants obviously aren't going to come to an agreement, but if there is widespread agreement in the community that what presently happens is functionally acceptable in the case of paralyzed units...then it doesn't really matter what a few folks say...whether I am on the majority or minority side of the argument.

You are right that the debate has degenerated. There don't appear to be new ideas or justifications on either side.

Your what should the devs work on next poll is really something the devs would have to start in order for them to make the categories.