Arcane Nexus -- Bugged?
 

I am currently on turn 84 of a Single Player game with R'lyeh. Through a series of misadventures and bad decisions, I am in a losing position, but with a lot of resources, and with the most magical might.

I have all 5 slots filled with my own enchantments, including Arcane Nexus. Other nations are also powerful magically, and casting spells.

2 turns ago, my Nexus absorbed 150 astral gems. My gem treasury went from 14 to 28. My sites produce 14 astrals a turn. The next turn, the nexus absorbed 137 gems. 12 to 26 in gems. This turn, the nexus absorbed 308 astral gems. My treasury for gems again did not move beyond the 14. My symbol is the one for the Nexus, and the Messages says my nexus, where are my gems? Do I not get the gems if I am underwater? in a couple of turns I am going to raise a wizards tower, and teleport my pretender to it, so I guess I'll find out, but this seems bugged.

Edit: For clarification: I have used the spell previously, with success, so I know it isnt just "Always bugged." My main castle is underwater, and my pretender is the Water based Arch Mage, in this case, and the nexus doesnt seem to be working. I cast it while underwater, and thats apparently allowed.

[ March 21, 2004, 18:59: Message edited by: Ctennyson ]

Re: Arcane Nexus -- Bugged?
 

Hmm, do you have any monthly rituals going on that would deplete your astral gems?

Re: Arcane Nexus -- Bugged?
 

No, no monthly rituals. I also have a very significant clam revenue, but the gems here is independant of clam revenue.

Re: Arcane Nexus -- Bugged?
 

You should get the gems underwater. I do. Sounds like just a weird bug.

Re: Arcane Nexus -- Bugged?
 

Speaking of bugs, I dont know if this has been posted elsewhere also, but:

When the caster of Enchantments if killed, thus killing the Global Enchantment, the enchantment stays active, but doesnt work.

For example, my well of misery doesnt give me gems, but attempting to cast another well fails with the already active message. There are only 4 global spots filled right now, so it should just auto fill slot 5. And no, no one else cast it in the meantime, the enchant list still has 4 globals, even at turns end. Seems like the programming routine for destroying the globals doesnt perform as it should.

Re: Arcane Nexus -- Bugged?
 

How can you be in a loosing position in a SP game with all 5 GE's yours?

Re: Arcane Nexus -- Bugged?
 

My armies are ALL outnumbered about 5 to 1.

Pangaea has a ton of massive stacks, Man is harrying me on 3 fronts, and Vanheim owns 2/5ths of the world, not to mention Ctis is on my other border, not sure if they are about to attack Vanheim or me. If my Nexus was working, I'd be churning out Ether Gates, but it doesnt seem to be. I will likely win the game, in the end, but I am losing ground badly right now.

I am throwing murdering winters and tidal waves at the opponents right now, and its slowing them down...

The truth is, I'm used to using Ermor, and as I say, I made a bunch of mistakes that cost me a ton. I have only about 18 provinces, and several of those are under attack, or about to be lost. my income is awful, which doesnt allow big armies to counterattack with. Magical might is mine, and I have the gems, but I cant cast most summons from below the waves, and I havent got a safe tower above ground to cast from.

Re: Arcane Nexus -- Bugged?
 

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">Sacrifice expansion for research and mages.

Re: Arcane Nexus -- Bugged?
 

And one of my previous enchantments, Riches from Beneath, doesnt appear to work from the Ocean.

At least, I didnt get a single gold piece, or resource point more with it, than I had without it.

For references purposes, I am playing Kingdom of Karan, and I own the oceans, and waters, all of em, but the world above ground, I have little more than a beachhead, and I keep losing that beachhead.

Re: Arcane Nexus -- Bugged?
 

I may be wrong, but I thought arcane nexus returned a portion of the gems used (staying the same type of gem), and specifically won't absorb astral or blood gems. ie, if the enemy spends 40 nature gems you get 20 nature gems from the nexus.

That's just going off the description though, never really paid attention to it in practice.

Re: Arcane Nexus -- Bugged?
 

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">Nope. The way it works is this:

Each round, it tallies all the non-astral, non-blood gems used in rituals and forging, and then add a small number, the ambient energy. I think it is an openended d6, but I may be wrong here.

This figure, X, is the figure that is displayed in the text: "The Arcane Nexus has absorbed magic power equal to X astral gems".

You are then awarded X/4 astral gems to your pool.

The division by four makes some sense. The Astral Nexus description says it absorbs half the energy of the gems used, and non-astral gems are converted to astral gems at a cost of two for one, which nicely yields the total factor of four non-astral gems used for each astral gem gained.

Okay, that sounded more authoritative than the number of experiments I have run warrant. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon10.gif

Even so, it seems to be pretty damn close to the truth. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif

[ March 21, 2004, 22:31: Message edited by: Peter Ebbesen ]

Re: Arcane Nexus -- Bugged?
 

It returns a portion of the gems used, but ALL of the gems it SAYS it absorbs, is what I assume you mean?

Re: Arcane Nexus -- Bugged?
 

so, in theory, if All the gems being used were astral, ctennyson would get the results he did, w/out it being a bug.

sounds like a bug most likely, though.

Re: Arcane Nexus -- Bugged?
 

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">Eh, Riches from Beneath gives you gold?? I thought it was only resources. Can anyone confirm/deny? Merci.

Re: Arcane Nexus -- Bugged?
 

Well, remember the message said, "The Arcane Nexus has absorbed 304 gems" or some such.

That generally denotes you are getting 304 gems in your treasury. At least, it does when I have cast the spell above ground.

Re: Arcane Nexus -- Bugged?
 

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">No it doesn't. It means you get about 304/4 (rounded down, I believe) in your treasury.

Re: Arcane Nexus -- Bugged?
 

Ok, in that case, I was shorted a good 60+ gems that turn.

Re: Arcane Nexus -- Bugged?
 

Try this.

With your Nexus up, cast a non-Arcane/Blood spell, and see how many gems it gives you for it.

To repeat, cast a spell, record how many gems you used, and see how many gems you've gotten for it.

I bet (if it's not Astral/Blood) you'll get X/4 gems added in.

Wyatt

Re: Arcane Nexus -- Bugged?
 

So, you are saying that the Messages given out at the start of the turns is bugged?

Re: Arcane Nexus -- Bugged?
 

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">No, he's just pointing out that there's an experiment you can do to make absolutely certain that the spell isn't working as it's supposed to. Read Peter's description of how it works.