Strength functionality

[Dectilon]

Considering all the clever people frequenting this forum I'm sure this has been subject to discussion already, but I've been thinking about the Strength stat lately.

Shouldn't a strong character logically have an easier time wearing heavy armor? Maybe encumbrance could decrease 1 point/4 points of strenght over a certain value (10?) or something?

[zlefin]

that would make sense. woudl have to set some scaling rules, as larger units (like giants) also have larger armor, so their higher str wouldn't makeit any easier. but it would make sense for units with high str for their size to have an easier time wearing heavy armor, and dominions is full of things that are complicated but make sense.

[Endoperez]

Strength and Encumberance are independent. Agarthans are strong, but they all look as if they are out of shape. Ulmish troops are stronger, but have normal encumberance, while Machakans have normal strength but lower encumberance.

Strength-increasing magical effects are a different story; just look at Girdle of Might (gives reinvigoration).
It would be nice to have certain magic items and perhaps even spells to lower the affected units' basic encumberance by 1. On one hand, it wouldn't be fun if any enc 4-or-less commander could get to enc 0 with a few items, but on the other hand all undead get enc 0 for free.

[MaxWilson]

Originally Posted by Endoperez

On one hand, it wouldn't be fun if any enc 4-or-less commander could get to enc 0 with a few items, but on the other hand all undead get enc 0 for free.

Why would it be a problem if a 4-or-less commander could get to enc 0? You don't get the benefits of enc 0 (ignoring enc entirely) unless you are naturally enc 0. For instance, if you are enc 1 but have four stars, you are enc 0 for normal melee combat--but in swamps you are still enc 2, and if you are wearing heavy armor you also go back to positive enc.

-Max

[Dectilon]

There's no real stamina stat, so I figured sort of included both. Also, there's no strenght restrictions for use of specific weapons or armor, so I figured strenght of that kind wasn't relevant.

Could be interesting to have some weapons that require your strenght to be above or below a certain amount. For example there could be a maul that can't be used with strenght below 15, and a rapier that can't be used by units with strenght above 15.

[Adept]

Not needed. Encumbrance is important and strength varies too much with magic and experience.

[Sombre]

It does sound a bit too fiddly to be worth it. Well no changes like this are ever going to happen in dom3 anyway -shrug-

[Agema]

Items to reduce encumbrance are possibly a little redundant when reinvigoration exists. I appreciate it's not precisely the same thing, but the general end result is very similar.

[JimMorrison]

Originally Posted by Agema

Items to reduce encumbrance are possibly a little redundant when reinvigoration exists. I appreciate it's not precisely the same thing, but the general end result is very similar.

The end result would be identical - if it weren't for the dynamics of Quickness. A Quickened unit would gain double the benefit from Encumbrance Reduction, that they would from Reinvig. I think there's a pretty good balance existing, between the benefits of Quickness, and the Fatigue issues that it causes - if you made it too easy to ameliorate Fatigue gain, then it would destroy that balance.

[MaxWilson]

And reinvig/exhaustion matters more than reduced/increased encumbrance for units which aren't in combat continuously (like guards around a mage).

-Max

P.S. Sometimes I give a thug a forged shield or armor specifically to reduce him to negative net encumbrance. Luck Shields and Vine/Eye Shields, and Shrouds of the Battle Saint, are particularly good.