Re: combat
 

Applying combat orders for a commander:
Hold, Blade Wind x2, Attack Closest, etc...

(Looking forward to your article btw!) http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

Re: combat
 

How about a less restrictive script system?

Rather than dictating a set script (hold, cast x, attack) you have a more flexible system. For example, keep the orders, but have 3 settings : Always, Sometimes and Never. You get the same orders, but rather than stating exactly what you want the unit to do, you tell it how often you want it to do something.
If you set a unit to Always attack cavalry, then if there are cavalry present they will attempt to attack them. If you set them to sometimes attack rearmost enemies and sometimes attack archers, then the unit has a 50% chance of attacking either unit if they are present (if the enemy had no archers, then this would revert to 100% chance of attacking rearmost). If you tell a unit to Never attack cavalry then they will never attempt to engage cavalry.
A similar system could be applied to spells. Rank spells from 0 to 10. A spell at rank 0 will never be cast by the mage under any circumstances. Rank 1 has a 10% chance of being cast if possible. A Rank 10 spell will always be cast if possible.
It would allow for more flexible strategies to be employed, without affecting the PBEM side of things. You could even tailor it to achieve the same as the current system if you wished to.

Re: combat
 

Scripting is giving the commanders and units orders for the battle. An Ulmish Master Smith's script can currently be:
[Earth Power][Blade Wind][Magma Bolts][Magma Bolts][Magma Bolts]

I think the 'improved scripting' is mainly for commanders and spells, so that they would be able to e.g. script some Astral 3 mage with Boots of the Messenger to:
[Power of the Spheres][Hold][Hold][Hold][Astral Healing][Astral Healing][Astral Healing]

Or have one mage continuously casting Relief, or spam other spells.

Re: combat
 

OT, but:

This might not be a good analogy even as a generalization, as I understand that the U.S. won every major tactical engagement, and that the war was lost on the strategic level, especially once the U.S. pulled out and the South Vietnam army collapsed.

That would be more like winning all your tactical battles vs. the AI, but getting Dominion killed by the computer player.

Re: combat
 

Ah, okay. Gotcha. Haven't really tooled around with those much, I usually set commanders to hold and cast.
Yeah, I was just reaching around for a good military analogy and when in doubt, go for 'Nam.

Re: combat
 

Ye olde Battle of Agincourt works well for showing the advantage of tactics and discipline over numbers and resources (and clean undies). http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/Sick.gif

Re: combat
 

whoops, misread that

Re: combat
 

NakedLunch, are you setting mages to hold and cast?
Because that would be a mistake. It is much better to script all five moves, and for mages there's often no reason to give a (hold) command, they can cast some buff in the first round if they are too far to use any other spell.

Re: combat
 

Thanks. Like I said, sorry if I seem noobish and all, but it's been a while since I played Dom2 when I picked up Dom3 and the lack of documentation is rather hurting. Anyway, the article will be up sometime this weekend.

For Tcancer I'm trying to get it so we have an "article" template so to speak, like how Gamespy has their Games of the Month, Download This! that kind of thing. I'm trying to make it so each new game that I can get a hold of goes through article stages, i.e. preview (general overview basically), impressions (a more in-depth preview with new info and that kind of stuff), if the game has an online mode I can do a Tom vs. Bruce sort of thing and then finally a review. I'm wrapping up the impressions right now, so I'm trying to get the Tom vs. Bruce thing set up. I have no idea what this has to do with the combat in Dom3 but eh, any takers for an online game?

EDIT: Beta testers or whatever only, of course. NO FREEBIES FOR YOU

Re: combat
 

Famous last words?

Besides that... http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/eek.gif I mean, http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/eek.gif. Everyone here, more elsewhere, everyone.