Site-modding Think-tank.
 

According to the progress page: http://ulm.illwinter.com/dom3/dom3progress.html we'll be getting site modding in the next update. This is fantastic news for modders, since we'll now be able to create all sorts of new sites for the game. Before all that modding frenzy get under way, though, what are some ideas for new sites to create?

This isn't just a question I'm asking modders though, or else I'd stick it in the modding forum. It's a question for everyone-Modder, SPer, MPer, because I think it's important to get a pulse reading on this, since adding a range of new sites to the game isn't the same as adding a single new Nation, or even a new map. Site modding could potentially affect every Nation, and every map. It could also make for some wildly different playing styles for the Vanilla game.

So what does everyone feel is missing from the vanilla game sites, or would be fun to add?

A couple of thoughts on site modding that might interest everyone (not just dedicated modders):

Would it be fun to add site searching from 1-9 path levels, instead of the current 1-4? This is already technically possible in the vanilla game, and now we have the tools to harness it. I can think of atleast one use for high path site searching-locating Victory Points. If Victory Points are "hidden" at higher levels, or a range of levels, it would force empowerment choices, and have a strong effect on overall strategy, in games which use them. EG: Adding 1 Victory Point at each level (9 total, of random paths), would certainly make winning the game a more interesting issue, even if you know where each Victory Point happens to be, but not which level or which path it is.

How about sites which allow vanilla Nations to recruit mod-Nation units? We already have a host of modded units, and it would be a nice introduction to them, to add them into a map where you could potentially find the right site and add Warhammer units, Insectoids, Orcs, Blood Elves, etc. to your vanilla Nation. You'd still be playing the basic game, with Illwinter Nations, but you'd have the opportunity to sample some of the player-created content on the Forums, without having to learn a whole new Nation.

Sites might also exist which allow you to enter them, and summon up a neutral unit that is so powerful, that it makes it nearly impossible for anyone to capture that Province again. The unit, being neutral, would kill your units, as well as the enemy's. This would allow you to create a sort of choke-point game of Go, which each square you "shut down" costing you a mage.

So what are some other thoughts and ideas on this?

Re: Site-modding Think-tank.
 

Hmm... ideas for sites. Not sure what is possible with modding sites, so this is just things I think could be cool

• More sites that improve a magic school (i.e. summoning, blood, evoc)
• Recruiting funky and powerful units would be cool – nothing so extreme as to shut down a province though, I wouldn’t think
• A healing site would be interesting
• Definitely more blood sites
• Sites that autocast a certain battlefield enchantment at start of combat in them – for instance a Death 4 site that casts Darkness at the beginning of combat, or Storm, or Rain of Stones..

Re: Site-modding Think-tank.
 

More sites like the Forgotten City where you have an adventure in the site.

Re: Site-modding Think-tank.
 

Before the lot of you hare off on all sorts of wild ideas, do take the time to look through the existing modding manual, preferably the 3.20 version attached to the mod manual feedback thread, as it's the most current.

Take a good look at what is currently possible with site modding and note that the new site modding commands only add recruitable monsters and commanders (as opposed to the original owner only recruitables that have been possible in the past) and increasing or decreasing scales (like Well of Pestilence).

Finally, take a good, long look at the modding wishes shortlist, what's been done already and what's been wished for. Then start formulating plans of action which take all of this into account. Otherwise this thread is going to just fizzle into another disorganized wishlist instead of becoming a useful resource.

Re: Site-modding Think-tank.
 

Some small mod with new sites would be cool, if it's balanced it could probably get incorporated into CBM.

I think you should look at site-searching guide and see what terrain types don't have magic sites of certain level and fill that gaps.

Re: Site-modding Think-tank.
 

High-level sites that do AWESOME things would be cool.

More critter summoning sites ala Rl'yeh would be awesome.

In particular, powerful sites that mimic the effects of high-end summons would be what I'm looking for... something like the Gates of Tartarus at Death 9, enter to fight the Guards of the Underworld and rescue Tartarians if successful.

Stuff like that.

Re: Site-modding Think-tank.
 

I made a mod like this (with just a single site) a long time ago, perhaps year or two. If any of you remember the Castle Wyvern mod, I eventually ended up releasing it as MA Agartha add-on because I had made the graphics before I realized it wouldn't work as an independent site.

It's basically a wyvern-riding knight unit and commander.


I suggest trying to add about as many sites of each path (and to each terrain), if possible. It'd be annoying if a mod made, say, getting death gems a lot easier for all nations by adding in too many high-level Death sites that generate gems and increase Death scale.

More holy sites! Would be especially nice if there was always a hint present that a holy site is present. Also, Holy sites shouldn't be too much skewed towards Astral. Standing Stones with Growth and

More scale effects from level 3-4 sites would be nice. Something very logical, so that you'd know it's a good idea to cast spesific site-searching spells in there, or send a priest over first.
What scales would different paths' sites have?

Fire: Heat, perhaps order (alchemy=money)
Water: Cold, perhaps luck,
Earth: Production, order, drain
Astral: Luck, magic, perhaps misfortune
Death: death, misfortune, perhaps cold
Nature: growth, turmoil (maenads etc), heat (jungles have more life than northern forests, etc)
Blood: unrest and turmoil and sloth all seem to fit.

Air: any suggestions?

Re: Site-modding Think-tank.
 

I'm going to do a warhammer site pack.

Sites will allow recruitment of various mercenaries and groups, as well as offering other bonuses. A unique site like "Rugluds Camp" would increase unrest but allow the recruitment of the unique commander Ruglud and his armoured orcs.

I'm thinking of doing this instead of the Dogs of War nation.

Re: Site-modding Think-tank.
 

What about sites with level > 4? Also, I'd like to see a mod that reassigned the existing sites along a wider range of magic values.

Re: Site-modding Think-tank.
 

I'll probably do some sites for recruiting faeries, in conjunction with my faeries mod Nation. Each of them will also have a hidden "increase luck", or "increase misfortune" tag, for each site-so two of each site.

Re: Site-modding Think-tank.
 

Hmmmm ... I'm thinking theme packs. Add a number of sites around a certain theme that would color gameplay in a certain way.

In Nomine
Above and beyond the Pretenders, there are other Powers which seek to influence the world. Who are they? What do they want? Most importantly, how can the Pretenders exploit them as part of their ongoing struggle for dominance?

An escalating tier of Holy sites that offer various scale bonuses and (more importantly) allow recruiting assorted angels and/or holy warriors. For example:

• Shrine of the Spheres - H1 to locate - gives +1 Order and allows you to recruit High Priests and Flagellants
• Temple of Divine Love - H2 to locate - gives +1 Growth & +1 Order and allows you to recruit Harbingers
• (and so on, and so on)

And of course, there would also be a descending tier of Blood sites that would act similarly, only with scale penalties and recruitable demons.

---

One thing to consider about adding a bunch of Holy sites:
Currently, the only remote site-searching spell that finds Holy sites is the oh-so-expensive Acashic Record. Now I love this spell, but it is quite pricey, and you need a certain amount of Astral muscle to cast it. How could we mod a spell to allow remote site-searching for Holy (and only Holy) sites? Since there are no "Holy gems," how would we pay for the spell?

Re: Site-modding Think-tank.
 

I really like the dogs of war site idea.

Re: Site-modding Think-tank.
 

Hmm, since the angels are astral summons afaik how about a cheap astral spell that binds an angel for a short time to reveal holy sites in a province?

Re: Site-modding Think-tank.
 

Another thought: Like R'lyeh MA and LA, mod Nations might be created that allow mages to enter sites and summon units. You'd only get the one type of unit, but it would be an alternative to either summoning or recruiting units. And it also would then make that site available to other Nations, once they captured that Nation's capital-which becomes a strategic consideration.