Re: Wish-List for Dominions 4
I'd like to see a completely new engine with better graphics for the tactical battles. I'm not satisfied with the speed, clarity or modernity of the current system.
Right now, the combat system works. It is functional and legible and you CAN make out what is happening. If you want to pay close attention to the intricacies of the battle, you may need to watch twice - once to see what happened to your forces, and once to see what happened to the opponent's forces.
There are some good programs out there that would enable an improvement in the graphics for the tactical battles. It would mean a huge overhall and reworking of the code, and this may not even be a real possibility for Shrapnel or Ilwinter or whoever would be in charge of making this big investment. Firaxis uses some XML or Python based program for their newer games, Civ 4 (not 3), Pirates, Railroads, etc. The engine is very pretty...in a way that Dom 3 is not pretty.
Ok, my motivations here are solely to bring in new players to this great game! I don't honestly care that much personally about pretty cartoon graphics. I am more into it for the contest and the matching of wits, the outguessing of your enemies, and the sweet thrill of victory over an aggressor nation. I am an old grognard who plaed Avalon Hill boardgames since the age of 8.
Who gives a heck about grpahics? Everyone else but me and a few other die-hard wargamers. I want to see a big pool of players. Many people are turned off from this game by the graphics they see in the battles. Some would consider these graphics pretty lousy if Dom 3 had come out ten years ago.
I would like to see a whole new engine used for tactical battles. Specifically, the ability to zoom in on the tactical battlefield with the mouse scroll wheel would be great. Also, the ability to rotate the battlefield view angle would be fun.
Pathing would be a great addition, or even simple rally points for newly built commaders. A command for newly built commanders to load up all available troops and rally to a province would be great.
I love this game, and I will try to think up more improvements. My big push is to make the game prettier to attract more players.
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"When you have to kill a man, it costs nothing to be polite." - Winston Churchill
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