Cost/Benefit for Castle types
 

Here's a different angle on the Watchtower issue.

It seems that the devs thought about the costs and benefits of different castle types only (or at least largely) in terms of resource gathering + defense vs. gold cost + build time. But the MP community generally ignores those issues. The Watchtower is the favorite because it is the cheapest lategame defense against ghostriders.

How about re-balancing the design point costs? Make a "middle" castle the 0-point default, and charge design points for deviations either way.

Re: Cost/Benefit for Castle types
 

You just blew my mind.

Re: Cost/Benefit for Castle types
 

...then everyone would still pick the Watchtower, but simply have 80 more points to spend on magic or scales.

The problem with the Watchtower issue is that armies just aren't valuable enough for long enough, and temples are too vulnerable because PD is too weak. So doing this without any other changes would just tilt the game further toward those with strong early expanding SCs.

Re: Cost/Benefit for Castle types
 

No - they would have 80 fewer points to spend on magic or scales.

The idea isn't to fix everything, for goodness sakes. Just correct a glaring imbalance in the basic structure. When you choose a 0-point default it should be worse than the alternatives that cost points. A watchtower might still be the best choice for MP, but at least you'd have to pay for that choice by having less of something else. Currently you are rewarded for making the best choice by also getting more of everything else.

Re: Cost/Benefit for Castle types
 

This is a very interesting idea. It would change MP and maybe breathe some new life into it.

Leadman

Re: Cost/Benefit for Castle types
 

Ah, if only we could mod castles http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/wink.gif

Re: Cost/Benefit for Castle types
 

Oh my apologies, i understand what you were saying now. I thought you meant to keep the baseline ratios between castles the same but simply make *all* of them cheaper; so the Castle might cost only 40, but the Watchtower would be -40. Your saying to just make the Watchtower more expensive and some of the others less.

Well then i agree with you! Not a bad idea.

Re: Cost/Benefit for Castle types
 

Actually the best choice ( if you do not count cost ) is mage tower. But it's hideously expensive.

Don't I wish that one could mod towers.

Re: Cost/Benefit for Castle types
 

Mind you, this still makes no thematic sense. Then again, a tiny watchtower's garrison reclaiming an entire province less than a month after a raid by Ghost Riders doesn't make much sense either, so I suppose we're to conclude the basic watchtower was ma-a-agic in the first place.

Color me impressed.

Re: Cost/Benefit for Castle types
 

maybe just reprioritize the pricing

<font class="small">Code:</font><hr /><pre>
Castle Type Points Admin Def. Supply Time Cost
Mausoleum 150 20 25 25 2 300
Watch Tower 130 10 50 25 2 300
Wizard's Tower 210 30 75 200 2 300
Fortress 110 30 150 100 3 450
Hill Fortress 100 20 250 100 3 450
Castle 140 40 100 150 3 450
Fortified City 0 50 100 500 5 750
Citadel 50 40 200 100 4 600
Mountain Citadel -100 10 350 150 5 750
</pre><hr />