Re: New Pretenders?
 

I'll try to salvage this thread (somewhat...)

How does the AI create pretenders for its nations? Are there preset pretenders for the nations or does the AI actually 'make' a new pretender for every SP game?

Can you force the AI to use certain pretenders on a random map (non senerio)?

Answers about Dom1 are fine, but I'm more curious to hear from a Dev or beta tester about Dom2 http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif

Re: New Pretenders?
 

AI pretenders are randomized. Impossible AI:s get more design points and are thus more powerful.

There is no way to have preset pretenders in random maps.

Hello Kids! It doesn't take more than 5 minutes to make a pretender. A nice sprite, some stats, starting dominion, magic and a cost. Apart from the graphics it's just some numbers at different places in the code. Nerfix pretender is as god as any mod. Most combatworthy pretenders with 2-1 in magic skills have a cost of 100 or so. This one is less powerful, but more magically so (low initial cost and two levels in to skills). I'd say he would cost 150 or something like that, but I'm not sober at the moment so I'm not sure. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/tongue.gif http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/tongue.gif http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/tongue.gif (stay away from alcohol kids - it makes you spell like a rake - swedish proverb).

Nerfix, do not be afraid to suggest more pretenders for your mod. We will give you advice on balancing issues as we think that balanced mods will be better.

Excuse me my ramblings. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif

Re: New Pretenders?
 

Kristoffer, i Private Mailed you the more balanced(i hope so) Ancient Lord, so could you check it?

And yet still, i am not making a mod. I don't consider myself worthy enough to tamper with Dominions II. And what point does a mod that adds a single new Pretender have?

Edit: Oh well, what do i have to lose?

Ancient Lord
New god for Pangaea(meant to be used with the Carrion Woods theme)
Costs 100 points
Looks like a giant two headed Minotaur Carrion Beast with another head of a dragon and with 4 arms.

Automaticaly summons several (1-4) Carrion Beast in a turn.

The ancient lord is a embodiement of forces that have slept since man came. Now it has woken up and seeks to crush those who have forgotten the nature and it's incredible forces. The Ancient Lord has incorporated many mighty and dead beings to his body of vines and moss. He is skilled user of nature and death magic and also a formidable fighter, even if he isn't physicaly strong as demigods.

Pretender god, Undead, Fear(-3), Inanimate and Poison Immunity

Magic:Nature 1, Death 1, other paths cost 40

HP:55
Prot:5
Str:16
Att:11
Def:10
Mr:19
Ap:16
Enc:0
Fat:0
Prec:12
Mrl:50
Ldr:
Normal:50
Undead:75
Magic:20
Size:Same as Carrion Lord(4 or 5, i think)

Weapons:
Sleep Vines
Sleep Vines
Claws
Bite

In a nutshell, increased cost of both additional magic picks and overall cost and reduced the skill in Nature and Death magic to 1 and possibly increased size.

[ October 02, 2003, 19:31: Message edited by: Nerfix ]

Re: New Pretenders?
 

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">mod! MOD! MOD! My favourite word! http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon10.gif http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon12.gif

Re: New Pretenders?
 

That seems about right.

I think you are a good student. I'll give you a B+. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon12.gif

Now make sure that you are a good student in your other classes as well. I would like you to have a top grade at religion. If you don't like religion think again. I assume that you know who Anton la Vey is and that you like Black Metal. I might be wrong, but it doesn't matter. Religion is the most powerful force in social constructions. There is no point in disliking it. You just have to love it. If my profiling is correct, let go of your dislike of the world religions and think about what they are and why, ancient religions as well as contemporary ones (do not make a difference - Jesus or Marduk - someone saves the day).

Oops, sorry, I didn't mean to preach. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/blush.gif

Re: New Pretenders?
 

So huh, what the heck is the point to post our "pretender ideas" here?
Perhaps Nerfix should use his own message board to flood it with this useless junk?

If someone will make a modding site, well the ideas should be posted there....

[ October 02, 2003, 19:54: Message edited by: Zerger ]

Re: New Pretenders?
 

@Kristoffer:
Almost rigth.
http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon12.gif
I don't know who Anton la Vey is, and i don't especialy like Black Metal...

@Zerger:
I already have my own message Boards thank you, and what do you have against me sharing my Pretender ideas?

[ October 02, 2003, 20:27: Message edited by: Nerfix ]

Re: New Pretenders?
 

Zerger, it's fine if you disagree with other people...but before you speak of flooding message Boards with useless junk you might note that 3 of your Last 5 Posts have been in this thread complaining about Nerfix. If you don't like him just ignore him.

I personally think an Ancient Presence type pretender for Pangea to match with their carrion theme would be a decent enough addition to the game. I'd think 150 would be a good cost for yours because his initial physical weakness compared to some other pretenders could be made up for by loading up with items.

On a totally different note: do duplicate items have more effect in dom 2 or is it like dom 1? Could this pretender use 4 summer swords and feed a whole army for example?

Re: New Pretenders?
 

Arioch, I agree with Zerger. Nerfix shouldn't use these Boards to spam his useless ideas.
Fan sites are for those.

Re: New Pretenders?
 

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">It works the same way as before.

Re: New Pretenders?
 

Well then it's a good thing Nerfix is not spamming his useless ideas here, but rather suggesting a decent pretender. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon12.gif
It seems posting ideas for additions is much more logical here than on a fan site. Please tell me what's so horrible about one pretender idea being mentioned in one thread. If I have an idea can I propose it? And if so should I then deny that it could ever posess any validity? Do I make any sense? http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon10.gif
So mods are acceptable but suggesting that the actual developers make changes is some sort of heresy? I just don't understand.

Re: New Pretenders?
 

The fact is, you (Zerger, MStavros, Aristoteles) just got mad at Nerflix because he disagreed vehemently with your desire to mod, and now you've decided to be antagonistic toward him.

PLEASE STOP! It's not helping the Boards out any - it's not constructive, and it's kinda immature.

You may think what you like, but please keep it to yourselves.

[ October 02, 2003, 23:18: Message edited by: st.patrik ]

Re: New Pretenders?
 

decent pretender? LOL http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon10.gif
You must be kiddin'.
Everyone can make one, it takes like 60 IQ.. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/shock.gif
Nerfix had posted too much foolish things already. Making a pretender, posting it here, and asking the devs to implent it to the original game, is just another foolish, idiotic thing.

Constructive ideas can help, but this is NOT an idea, and this is NOT constructive at all.

If you ask me, he just wanted to see his own little pretender in the vanilla game, so he could brag about it later on.
It is incredible, that some of you cannot see it. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/image...s/rolleyes.gif

[ October 02, 2003, 22:41: Message edited by: Aristoteles ]

Re: New Pretenders?
 

I don't want to make maps with unplayable nations due my 1337 tweaks. And no, it doesn't have to be unplayable, but you are stuck with that pretender. What if someone wants to play non-CW Pangaea with Lord of the Wild? I don't like maps that stuff the mapmakers choices down the players throat. Thats why i would like to see ability to make preset but not hard-coded pretenders in custom maps.

And i posted something constructive in the modding thread, so please, would increasing the cost of new magic picks to 40 balance Ancient Lord at all?

Re: New Pretenders?
 

I do think this is getting way too personal. Suggestions and brainstorming are healthy things for any project as, even if the ideas in question never make it into the game, they do (normally) provoke enough entertaining discussion to get new folks interested and quite possibly consider taking a look at the demo.

In this case, people seem to getting awfully heated. If anybody is angry at Nerfix for posting his Pretender God idea, then they should stop and consider the fact he asked if anybody was interested and I said yes. Is it rude, then, to ask first and post when encouraged? He has made his feelings on modding perhaps a bit too clear, but he has also attempted to mend some fences there, and it takes maturity to try and put arguments behind one. It is time to live and let live.

We are all fans of the game here. Something to stop and consider before posting is that we also act as representatives of the Dominions community to the new folks now joining it. Many people here on the Shrapnel Boards are discovering Dominions for the first time, having never even heard of it before this new section appeared.

Whether we are looking to do so or not, our Posts here are forming their first impressions of the Dom community. If they like the feel of the game as reflected here, they might just give the demo a try. Even the best games will fade without new blood, and smaller companies like Illwinter and Shrapnel depend more on word-of-mouth than anything else to promote their games. Like it or not, those words are coming out of our mouths, and while nobody exactly has a responsibility towards the game, isn't it worth refraining from acrimony in order help make sure Dominions has a long and healthy future?

Just something to think about . . .

Re: New Pretenders?
 

Personally I wouldnt consider Dominions 2 as "the vanilla game". It implies that somehow mods are more flavorful whereas in reality I highly doubt Dominions 2 will see a mod sufficiently interesting to be superior to the standard game. Not because I think all mods are bad, but I've seen about one mod for a good game that was better than the standard game. Mods are mainly decent for occasional variety. And with Dominions 2 adding variety isn't too much an issue http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif nor is fixing balance issues I'd imagine.

I like to think of Dominions 2 more as the supreme game. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon12.gif

Not that I don't plan on downloading any LOTR mods...