Battle Afflication
 

Okay...I ended up in a pretty hard fight with my pretender god. After the battle I noticed that my pretender god got some funny hearts where its ability describtion is. So I right clicked on it to find out what it was. To my big surprise my poor pretender god a green dragon became a half limp blinded dragon with scars. It has suffered with battle affliction:

1. Lost one eye
2. Limp
3. Never healing wound

My question is which spell do I have to use to get my poor dragon up to 'nice'n'shine' dragon standard? Because if he gets more battle affliction there won't be any dragon left.

Thanks

with best regards
Thilock_Dominus

Re: Battle Afflication
 

Staying in your own dominion and maintaining the global "Gift of Health" will work, but it takes time. Staying in the same province as the Chalice will work faster (seemingly), regardless of local dominion, but that's an artifact.
There's also a high-level nature summon -- the Faerie Court one -- which can help; the Queen can heal others' afflictions, much the same way an Arcosephale priestess can. T'ien Chi also gets a national hero which can heal in that same way. There may be others, I haven't checked 'em all.
Finally, a pretender can heal afflictions when killed and brought back, but that costs magic if the pretender has any left, and in the process of dying may get more afflictions...

Re: Battle Afflication
 

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">It's a part of the game mechanism to balance out the power of super units http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif .

Learn to live with it and don't get too attached to your god. It's just one of the pawns to get global supremacy, any way http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif . Or send him out only when you think the odd of injury is small.

Limbing for Dragons doesn't matter as he can fly. The others are bad but there are worse. For example, he might get a hit in the head, become feeble mind and lose all ability to cast spell.

Re: Battle Afflication
 

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">Although this may be good advice, it's something I've never been comfortable with. I mean, the premise of the game is that the whole war is about promoting your pretender to godhood.

If that pretender is killed, reducing its magic power, then the player may decide it's not worth resurrecting. Or maybe it gets so afflicted that it has to wait out the game in a Home for the Hopelessly Crippled. Psychologically, for me, that's game over.

It's this perspective that prompted me a while back to argue for pretender exemption from Magic Duel since, the way it is, giving your pretender mid-range astral magic is suicidal. I received no support, suggesting that others simply don't see the pretender the same way I do.

Re: Battle Afflication
 

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">Although this may be good advice, it's something I've never been comfortable with. I mean, the premise of the game is that the whole war is about promoting your pretender to godhood.

If that pretender is killed, reducing its magic power, then the player may decide it's not worth resurrecting. Or maybe it gets so afflicted that it has to wait out the game in a Home for the Hopelessly Crippled. Psychologically, for me, that's game over.

It's this perspective that prompted me a while back to argue for pretender exemption from Magic Duel since, the way it is, giving your pretender mid-range astral magic is suicidal. I received no support, suggesting that others simply don't see the pretender the same way I do. </font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">You don't need to go out and slaughter everybody to be a god. Your followers can do it for you http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif . There are also many combinations to make a powerful enough god, without sacrifying the scales. And as long as you're careful, it's not hard to prevent battle afflictions even if your god is in the front line. You just need to learn the limits from experience.

I guess why nobody supported you was because the God as it is, is powerful enough. It doesn't really need to give him exception for Mind Duel, and thus easy access to "Body Ethereal" and "Luck".

Re: Battle Afflication
 

Sure. That's what I usually do. But I was responding to your comment:

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">that acknowledges that pretenders get critically hurt or killed, and advises mentally setting it aside. That's what I have trouble doing, and wish that the game design better supported the premise of the pretender as the raison d'etre of the nation.

Re: Battle Afflication
 

So my options are:

1. Global enchantment 'Gift Of Health'
2. Get my hands on an artifact called 'Chalice'
3. Summon the Faerie Court one 'Queen'
4. Avoid combat with my Pretender God
5. using spells like Body 'Ethereal' and 'Luck'

Shouldn't the priests have the ability to heal battle affliction or as a priest spell? It would seem as a natural part of beeing a priest.
And it wouldn't be wise not to use the pretender god dragon in the front line. Because its very powerfull in combat. I usually set my dragon to attack the rearest army and have great success using that strategy. it means I manage to split the enemy army up in two, my regular army forcing up the battlefield while my pretender god dragon are coursing fear and hold up the supporter units(archers, spell casters, leaders) so my regular army are suffering minimum damage.

Re: Battle Afflication
 

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">Regeneration also decreases the chances of getting an affliction.

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">Arcoscephale's priests can heal afflictions, but they are the only ones.
I personally never put my pretender in battle, I have had too many bad surprises, but then I don't choose dragons either. I agree a dragon belongs in the front lines, but surely you cannot expect him to be totally immmune to harm ? That would be too much http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif As you said, he helped you a lot. The risk should somewhat match the reward, so the battle afflictions should be hard to get rid of. Of course, it helps to know beforehand how not to get them http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon12.gif

Your best option now is probably Gift of Health (Nature 5, Enchantment 5). Enchantment 5 also nets you Dispel, which you will need sooner or later, so it is a good place to invest. Hopefully, Nature 5 is not too hard for you to get.

The Chalice is Construction 8 and expensive, and only one can be made. Faerie Queen is Conjuration 8 and Nature 5.

Re: Battle Afflication
 

As it is, the game is unbalanced.
Mage pretenders are always useful. You can leave them in your capital to research and cast, or you can send them into secure areas to search for sites. Anyway, their usefullness does not decrease by doing their job.
On the other hand, combat pretenders will get afflictions over time, there is no way to prevent this. This makes them less usefull in most cases.

In my oppinion every pretender, at least the not human ones, should have some kind of immortal ability that makes them heal their afflictions themselves over time.

[ January 08, 2004, 10:08: Message edited by: PrinzMegaherz ]

Re: Battle Afflication
 

You made a good point. Battle Pretenders may increase your initial expension, if he does not die by accident.

And I dont want my pretender to be invincible. However, I like the Idea of the bad guy hiding in some dark castle to recover from his wounds, until time comes for his revenge. If you like to read fantasy literature, you will find these things a common theme. I think a pretender, a nearly godlike being, should have that little difference from your normal commanders.

[ January 08, 2004, 14:16: Message edited by: PrinzMegaherz ]

Re: Battle Afflication
 

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">Well, my pretender in my Mictlan AAR did just that (it's not yet in the AAR). But he did it by ordering all ressources diverted to researching enchantments, recruiting a level 2 Nature priest, empowering him twice while having another forge a +1 nature item for him, then having him cast Gift of Health, with just a tiny bit of serious overpaying to make sure it does stick. Oh, and he had his feather serpent buddy cast Dispel at the same time, on the stupid spell that had given him the affliction, also with extra gems. Worked quite well...

And to celebrate, he kicked man out of North America http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif That was not revenge, just fun. Revenge is coming also, against the real culprit, with a bit more spice in it...

[ January 08, 2004, 14:31: Message edited by: General Tacticus ]

Re: Battle Afflication
 

I just wanna say thanks for the replies. Now I got something to work with how to get rid of battle affliction and how to avoid it. But still I disagree about the balance issue. As a pretender you risk your life out in the battle-field and/or get battle afflictions, fair enough.You get and easy start as someone stated. While the magic pretender have a little hard beginning at the game but later on gains great magical power to use, logical enough. But later on in the game it gets more and more risky for the battle pretender engaging bigger and more powerfull enemies, while the magic pretenders are at minimum risk to get themself injuried or killed.I know, I know...your pretender can be called back from the dead or you can with some nice things avoiding battle afflictions. But where is the risk becomming a powerfull spell-caster hiding behing the thick wall??? At that point there are more good reasons to choose a magic pretender rather than battle pretender, IMHO. Yeah, the magic pretender are risking to loose its magic points in a battle, but who will risk their powerfull magic pretender in a offensive battle? few will do. So I don't see that as a valid argument.
Not am I asking to get immortality to dragons or boost the battle abilities or anything else. Behaps some mind afflictions to the spell casters http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon10.gif (I know, not very popular idea)


<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">It's about taste I think. I won't let my muscle machine of a dragon waste its strength on shooting while it could do more damage flying down to the enemy supporter troops or pick out the leader(s) or another pretender. Also in hope to bringing some fear to the enemy. It's my style of playing and it's fun for me http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif (braveheart syndrom)

with best regards
Thilock_Dominus

Re: Battle Afflication
 

I'm not sure that I would mind if all pretenders rid themselves of afflictions simply by staying put in a fortress and using the "rid affliction" order for 8 or so consecutive turns. That would be 24 turns to get rid of these 3 afflictions...so it doesn't seem unbalancing. But it's all a matter of taste. I'm not a huge fan of SCs myself, so I think it's nice that there is some balance to them in terms of affliction and certain spells.

Re: Battle Afflication
 

Maybe a new ability might be added to some pretenders (or to new pretenders, one can hope http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif ), which would make them heal afflictions over time like immortals do, only without the immortality.

Re: Battle Afflication
 

I would hope that it would not be as quick as immortality, which is very quick indeed.

And I would hope that it would not happen whilst they accompany their armies and participate in battle...only as you previously suggested when they go to their dark citadel and rest and heal gradually (over a number of turns) from their wounds. Resting wouldn't be researching, either. And they would be behind stone walls like those mages you are so envious of.

Re: Battle Afflication
 

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">Some do. Great Bulls, Ancient Kraken and perhaps some more. In the 2.06 Version this is displayed. With the modding tools it is also possible to give this ability to any unit you like.

Re: Battle Afflication
 

Uhm,

Combat pretenders have a different role, arguably more benefitial than the 'stay at home' kind.

There are multiple ways to rid yourself of afflictions. And you can always get your pretender back; albiet without as much magical skill. Though if you take the talentless Wyrm, he can come back good as new only after 40 points of calling.

Combat pretenders help forge a game early, while rainbow/caster pretenders shore up the mid/late game for certain nations.

I am of the opinion that Rainbows are less 'useful' because when I start taking over a rainbow nation it's already all searched for me http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon12.gif So I get all his goodies. Especially those back ones that he can't defend well. Whereas if you lose a combat pretender more often than not that place can be filled with another SC while you get your old one back at the expense of a few turns of priests.

Re: Battle Afflication
 

Don't think one should turn afflictions into something trivial. Just how a priest would go about to heal a missing eye, arm or even head is beyond me. That a certain group of priestesses can do just that is mindboggling enough.

That said Zen brings up a very good point. When I create a supercombatant, besides the Vampire Queen, I simply take no points in magic. With enough priestly power it's even better than being immortal since the pretender bounces back good as new. Ready to be outfitted with fresh artifacts.

In my humble opinion dragons are not frontline fighters. They are artillery support that should be placed on fire closest with a suitable screen of immune troopers. If you want frontline fighters go with the Titans or Undead rather than the Beasts.

Re: Battle Afflication
 

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">What you say is partly true, however you combat pretender has probably boosted your starting expansion far above what any mage pretender could do. And he probably cost you less design points to begin with.
A mage pretender is a long term investment, he won't pay off until after quite a bit of time. The combat pretender starts paying at once, but will need some help to stay useful. With the right equipment and the right magic support, you can keep using him to the end. Two different kind of investment, two different rewards, also different risks. It all balances out.

Oh, and I would LOVE to be able to send my mage pretenders with my main armies. They could do wonderfull things on the battlefield. But they would not survive. So instead, I leave them at home, doing what two or three normal mages could do just as well (research spells, search for magic sites). In a sense, I get less out of them than you do out of your combat pretender, much less even untill they are ready for the big ritual spells. And you could easily pull back the combat pretender from your armies at that time, empower him a little, give him good items, and make it an extra-tough pretender.

So I do not think pretenders are unbalanced. Each ones has strength and weaknesses, and that is balanced by their cost. There are even a few "immortal" ones. You just have to remembers that pretenders in this game are not yet Gods ! They can't win you the game by themselves, they are not invincible; they can just help along their chosen people to spread their faith.