Endoperez: Thanks for the response and analysis. I could use some clarification on a point or two.
"Leading magical creatures." Do you mean "most powerful magical creatures" or "magical creature Leaders"?
In my post, "leading" doesn't cost anything, "summoning" does. I expect the effect would be that this would divide the casters involved with summoned creatures into two categories--the slowly dying summoners and the magic-wielding field commanders who
don't summon because that would gut their battlefield usefulness. Putting together a combination to yield a viable summoned field force would be a greater strain on resources than the current setup.
I can't see this as doing anything but slowing down the process of accumulating a game-winning mass of summoned troops.
Also, if you are burning through a major leader like an Air Queen in a multiplayer game, you risk not being able to get it back via resummoning when it dies if the other players are actively pursuing it.
If your resources are limited, this configuration gives you a basic strategic choice of whether to use a tough magic leader to summon or to fight. If you fight, it cuts down on the number of summoned units in play. If you summon a lot and are attacked, your combined group will be more vulnerable than currently, and you run the risk of losing an important battle because the leader is easier to kill.
Fatigue: I'm not certain how using fatigue would work. Most of the time when
I use summons, these take place in a comparatively safe laboratory a turn or more from the action. If the fatigue effect is temporary, it's gone by the time the troops get into action. If the effect is permanent, then it would build up too fast, IMO, rendering the caster useless very quickly.
I could see fatigue being a function of
leadership rather than summoning. In other words, if the fatigue effect is based on the number of magical beings led as some function of the leader's capacity for leading them, it might work.
Say 1-25% capacity = +1 encumbrance
26-50% = +2 encumbrance
51-75% = +3 encumbrance
76-100%= +4 encumbrance
These might double with armor, as with spell fatigue.
On Lab Limits
Good criticism on this point. If coding Dom3, there may be an easy fix. Some options:
1)Code two Labs:
Lab1: Unlimited summons. This configuration is assigned to the undead themes.
Lab2: One summon per turn. This configuration is assigned to other themes
2) Give undead themes cheaper labs.
3) Define a new structure "Shrine" which is enabled for undead themes only. This is a cheap structure whose only function is to enable undead summoning by an undead leader. Like a Temple, a Shrine is automatically destroyed by enemy troops. A shrine only enables one summoning, but can be constructed in the same province as a lab.
(BTW, just as a side note, I'm assuming this is a Dom3 discussion, so the possibility of applying any of these to Dom2 isn't on my radar screen.)
Cost and Supply
Was unaware of the Dom1 connection. At this point, I'm out of my depth--I never had the opportunity to play Dom1. I think a continuation of this part of the discussion by those who have might be instructive. Did reducing the gold of Dom1 improve Dom2--or did it just push the pendulum from ground troops to magic troops?
Quantum_Mech:
Cheaper Mages: I don't see why cheaper mages should become obsolete. Costs are mutable and relative. You could keep an equivalent effect by adjusting the costs. Yes, rebalancing would require additional time, and whether the use of developer time to do it would be cost effective is a viable concern. But the idea does not in itself render the concept of the cheap mage obsolete, IMO.
Blitz Games: I was unclear. Blitz games as a temporary patch for the situation for Dom2 is a great idea. We are better off for your having brought it up. Anyone who hasn't played blitz is missing a significant part of the Dom2 experience, and should be encouraged to sample it.
What I meant to say was that a patch for current Dom2 play is of limited utility in discussion about what might happen in Dom3. I just wanted to steer discussion back to an element that could use some help as Dom3 is being put together, and I'm happy that we are in agreement that the longer game could use some tweaks.
So, thanks for bringing up the point. I hope someone reading the thread benefits from it while we are waiting for Dom3.
