Message from Abysia

[Meglobob]

KissBlade said:
Seriously, I've said this numerous times in the channel. Old Age: Dumbest mechanic ever. What is it for? Flavor? Annoyance? Adding in even more random factors for a strategy game? Lame.

Well said.

[Nerfix]

Besides, it's just a game, even if an exceptionaly good one. Shouldn't we enjoy it's good sides and take the occasional irritation as just a bit of a spice?

[Kristoffer O]

> Shouldn't we enjoy it's good sides and take the occasional irritation as just a bit of a spice?

No you shouldn't. It is your right to feel annoyed.

If anyone percieve something as annoying it is good for others to hear it. If there is consensus they might do something about it in a mod. If they nag at us we might change something in a way we like or make it moddable.

[Archonsod]

I quite like the aging mechanic myself. I just had a great run with an elderly prophet (lost both his eyes, an arm, had a never healing wound and a chest wound by the end) who still managed to lead our troops to victory over the infidel empire of C'tis.Just proves how inferior those heretic lizards actually are.
Ironically enough, he died when we discovered Inkpot End in one of the lizards' old provinces.

It would be nice if the afflictions possible were a bit more selective for old age though. It's rather amusing to see a mage who's never left the lab suffer a battle wound or similar.

I think balance might come into it though. The older mages could certainly gain from a little more magic or a research bonus over and above what they already have, to negate the fact that they tend to die in a couple of years (Disease seems to be a common affliction for age). On the other hand, you can always play a nation which doesn't have older mages, such as EA Ulm or Ermor.

[Kristoffer O]

Abysia's mages are slightly cheaper IIRC to compensate for the age. They are also recruitable anywhere. Warlocks are not but they can reduce age by blood magic.

[Nerfix]

You know, a mage could get his arm blow off in a failed magic experiment...but ah, it would be nice to see stuff like Limp being a more common old age Affliction and perhaps some new old age related afflictions...

[Archonsod]

You'd think they'd be better wizards, having studied magic for longer, rather than being desperate to sign on for a pension

I'm not so sure the cost decrease goes far enough to be honest. The afflictions are a little too random - a mage can last for several years with nothing but a limp and a chest injury, or he can die a couple of turns after you recruit him. If he gets disease, he's doomed. If he gets feebleminded, he's useless.
A little more predictability would go a long way to rebalance the situation, even if it upped the price slightly. Perhaps restricting or reducing the chances of the more serious afflictions (disease, feeblemind) until severe old age would work, though preventing them from occuring within the first few turns the mage is around would help.
I also think it's a bad idea to have age on a pretender. I mean, they're not going to be much of a God if they're half senile before they start. Then again...

[DominionsFan]

I don't see anything wrong with the aging system. It is now a part of Doms 3. You can loose units faster, but this is also true about your oppoments.

[Morkilus]

KissBlade said:
Seriously, I've said this numerous times in the channel. Old Age: Dumbest mechanic ever. What is it for? Flavor? Annoyance? Adding in even more random factors for a strategy game? Lame.

Don't ever play Dwarf Fortress then. You'll find plenty of "annoyance" mechanics, such as insanity, fey moods, ugly wounds, depression, and tantrums. What would you think if one of your Warlocks blew up your laboratory or killed your prophet? I love the game, however, and same with Dom3 and aging. If you want a game with no randomness, try Chess. Even there, there is no safeguard against a wayward cat, so beware.

[Kristoffer O]

> I mean, they're not going to be much of a God if they're half senile before they start. Then again...

Most pretenders in this world were either senile or mad