[st.patrik]

Originally posted by apoger:
What you aren't taking into account is the very potent bonuses that the flags get for attacking in mass. By your math flags in Dom I would have just as much trouble. However any testing at all will show that the flags will blow right though the wardens.

The theory is all well and good, however real game testing often shows the flaws in theory. As soon as the demo comes out I will do a tremendous amount of testing. For now I can only tell you what happens in Dom I. In Dom I flags crush wardens. From what I see of the Dom II system, it doesn't look like anything has changed that, however once I do testing I'll be delighted to report the results and form my opinions from facts.

The only bonus that I am aware of is that each attack made against a single target lowers that target's defense score by 1. This is indeed a potent effect when you are facing 10 attacks to each 1 of your own, but the wardens in the scenario I sketched out are not relying primarily on defense, but on protection. The only thing I know that affects protection is fatigue, but if the battle only takes 4 rounds (and only 15 flags left after the first 2), this ought not to change things much. Suppose flags hit 10/10 instead of 7/10 times (due to lowering defense) - still only 2 of those are likely to pierce the armour of the warden, and them do a few points of damage each - very unlikely 13 points combined (which is how many HP the wardens have).

But it is not the same in this scenario as in Dom I, due to the factor of regeneration. In Dom I during the second round of combat the wardens would be low on hitpoints, and by the third round several, perhaps many, would have fallen. The factor of regeneration changes all this, because it allows the regenerating unit to recoup lost hitpoints during the battle. Thus the wardens do not die (as they would in Dom I) to an accumulation of low damage attacks - rather they regenerate the damage and this is what makes the key difference.

I also will test out this theory when the game comes out - but I bet you a large pizza with anchovies that I'm right

[ October 27, 2003, 04:07: Message edited by: st.patrik ]