Noob questions!

Mortifer · #1 October 8th, 2003, 09:28 AM

Johan, it is a very good thing to have an arena combat. I think that it should be upgraded even.
I think the champ should get random magic items. Those items should be unique, and only given for arena champs.
I agree that the AI should be tweaked for the Arena matches, IE. the AI should make an Arena competitor only with the right equipment, and stop sending in his best leaders in bad equipment, etc.

[ October 08, 2003, 08:28: Message edited by: Mortifer ]

Pocus · #2 October 8th, 2003, 12:02 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by johan osterman:

quote:
Originally posted by Pocus:
Frankly it must be me, but I dont see the point in this whole arena concept, as it is now. Well, if the goal is to weaken the AI, then it works perfectly.

The arena is not supposed to have a point, it is supposed to be fun. The trident is not supposed to be the best weapon in the game, it is supposed to be a sticky trident. The whole thing is just a feature slapped on because it is neat, there is no particular point to it.

ah yes, it is fun in the sense 'what can I do to screw this stupid AI this time? Should I bring explosion medaillion, cursed items, totem shield?'.
I can understand than one can have fun reviewing the battles generated and see all these AI prophets or gods going down or be cursed or afflicted.

Aristoteles · #3 October 8th, 2003, 12:13 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Pocus:

quote:
Originally posted by johan osterman:

quote:
Originally posted by Pocus:
Frankly it must be me, but I dont see the point in this whole arena concept, as it is now. Well, if the goal is to weaken the AI, then it works perfectly.

The arena is not supposed to have a point, it is supposed to be fun. The trident is not supposed to be the best weapon in the game, it is supposed to be a sticky trident. The whole thing is just a feature slapped on because it is neat, there is no particular point to it.
ah yes, it is fun in the sense 'what can I do to screw this stupid AI this time? Should I bring explosion medaillion, cursed items, totem shield?'.
I can understand than one can have fun reviewing the battles generated and see all these AI prophets or gods going down or be cursed or afflicted.

LOL..sad but true. Arena is a very good idea, but the AI sucks in Doms I. It is way to easy to abuse the AI. [Curse etc. etc.]

[ October 08, 2003, 11:14: Message edited by: Aristoteles ]

johan osterman · #4 October 8th, 2003, 12:33 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Pocus:
ah yes, it is fun in the sense 'what can I do to screw this stupid AI this time? Should I bring explosion medaillion, cursed items, totem shield?'.
I can understand than one can have fun reviewing the battles generated and see all these AI prophets or gods going down or be cursed or afflicted.

I think you are overstating your case. If you bring an amulet or veneance or other similar item you can just screw with one of the AI nations. And so what if the AI's prohpet dies, it is not like it puts a huge dent in his carefully laid plans.

Pocus · #5 October 9th, 2003, 01:23 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by johan osterman:
I think you are overstating your case. If you bring an amulet or veneance or other similar item you can just screw with one of the AI nations. And so what if the AI's prohpet dies, it is not like it puts a huge dent in his carefully laid plans.[/QB]

You are right : it is not that much important to send or not cursed items or booby traps to the arena, the problem lie elsewhere, so let me point out the obvious then : there can only be one survivor from the Arena.
The AI is coded to send a powerful minion, or even the god. This lead to the fact that each arena event is the perfect thing to kill a lot of good/special commanders, or even - shiver - gods from the AI, for a prize which is very meager (a proof being that no player will send a critical commander in the arena).

Oh look Abysia lost his equipped archdevil, oh look Jotun lost Angerboda, oh look Pythium lost his god.
I dont think that the AI need this thorn in his side, frankly. Or at least give a real benefit to the winner, a benefit big enough that players will consider entering the arena. If they do not enter the arena, then I still dont see the point of having it.

Anyway, thats your game not mine, the feature was added because it is fun for you, so my arguing has no real purpose...

PDF · #6 October 9th, 2003, 01:48 AM

I agree with both Johann - the Arena concept is fun - and Pocus - it's an open door for abusing AIs ...
May I suggest some tweaks that I think will make the "game" fairer and more interesting ?

1/ NO items in the Arena, the combattants enter naked, all their stuff go to the Lab
2/ At the end of the fights, all survivors are fully healed/cured/restored/curses removed, they come back as new, only the dead remain dead !
3/ Prizes should be various powerful unique artifacts, or a big pack of gems, not always the same half-potent but cursed weapon

I think that those rules would kill most of the arena cheese, the players would either have to pass on an opportunity to kill enemies and gain something worthwhile, or send themselves powerful leaders (as the AI does and as the devs intended to design Arena combat).
I concur that the Dom1 Arena prize isn't that good, it's nice with a supercombatant pretender or a big fighter type leader if you get it very early, but even so ends later as a drawback as you can't get rid of it when you can forge better stuff ...

Nagot Gick Fel · #7 October 9th, 2003, 01:50 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Pocus:
I propose a challenge : take a nation, put the scales at disorder 3, sloth 3, death 3, luck -3, drain 3, and add some 2-3 impossible AI. The one which Last the longuer will have his name praised in the forum

Ermor & maritime nations excluded ?

Something like that was already done in the past - we call that a "death game": no Ermor, common random events, everyone has to pick max turmoil and max unluck.

If you ever play in this kind of game, let me give you a hint: growth and production aren't worth s***, except in the very early stage. After a while your provinces will be so depleted you won't see any difference between growth+3 and death+3 ;-).

(Note from Psitticine: Sorry to have gone in and edited here, but there are the usual "child friendly" language policies in place here.)

[ October 08, 2003, 16:29: Message edited by: Psitticine ]