Re: Conceptual Balance Mod 1.41
 

That would be nice. But it cannot be done (nor can anything like that, actually) with the current modding tools. One can always dream..

But since we are talking about MP here, you could just devise a new rule on the games one hosts.

It's pretty easy to cheat out of this, but it can be pretty easily checked after the game if the guy actually had left a "I win!" site unannounced.

Re: Conceptual Balance Mod 1.41
 

Hmm, I like the idea, really.
Maybe when I have time (and it can be added to llamaserver) I could make an external tool that does this.

Re: Conceptual Balance Mod 1.41
 

Sounds like a good idea to me Burn.

Re: Conceptual Balance Mod 1.41
 

Hrm. p3e or pyg could actually probably code this; the guy that did the msg checker.

All you would have to do is check compile a list of unique sites and search the turn file for them. If found modify the turn file to include a message to everyone saying "Player Y has found Site X yada yada yada".

.*all*.

Re: Conceptual Balance Mod 1.41
 

OK, yesterday I did a list of problematic sites. There's 19 of them, and most of them are rare + unique. Steel ovens and Mount Chining are uncommon, thought. I used the following criteria (thanks to archaeo in the dom3 IrC channel)

alt and const: max 0%
conj and blood: max 20%
others: 30%

I admit, it's pretty hard to read. But anyone out there is doing such a program, he can pick the names from there.

Re: Conceptual Balance Mod 1.41
 

That was Illuminated One, who already posted above.

That's nothing else than hacking the turn files. It would require breaking through the game's safety measures. A program that just reads the turn files and finds out if a nation found a new site that hasn't been uncovered before, then allows to prepare a MOTD on a website or an email to all, would be quite a feat.

Re: Conceptual Balance Mod 1.41
 

An idea of such sites being announced to all players is good. Of course, it will require cooperation from those who find them. In this case, it's a pity that the current patch doesn't allow sites to be seen by scouts/scrying. Of course, this also goes beyond the mod scope...
As for unique recruits idea, I don't think it has any feasibility. By the time such sites are found and become useful, one more SC just isn't going to cut it. He will be much more useful if site is found at early game, but it probably won't be found at this time. "Lots of gold and resources" probably fall into the same category - they are useful at start, but not so much at lategame, while discount sites are other way around.

Re: Conceptual Balance Mod 1.41
 

With lch's help, it looks possible that such a feature could be included in the llamaserver. That won't be for a couple of months though.

Re: Conceptual Balance Mod 1.41
 

Sweeet.

That's pretty much the best fix. It takes away the most problematic aspect of these sites, the secrecy. Now their power has price.

You found Sacrificial Circle? Congratulations, you can use it to attain great power. Just be prepared to defend it. At least the player who finds the site has two turns to reinforce his defenses.

May I also suggest to make the post to other players pretty epic. I was thinking something along the line of the Dire Portent messages when someone casts a global. Different one for each site would be perfect, me thinks, but could be a lot of work. If there's need for it, I could take a shot at writing these messages (there probably are better writers out there, thought).

In the mean time, I made a mod to eliminate the 19 problematic sites (DBS = Disable Bonus Sites). I've set them to rarity = 5, so that they cannot be randomly generated, only placed by map and mod commands.

Re: Conceptual Balance Mod 1.41
 

Agree - that would be the best way.