Mod Command Brainstorm

[PvK]

RedRover, Agrajag was mostly right about what I meant.

"Like Ghost Riders" would be one good type to have. What I meant by "Neutral Invasion" would be similar except if the neutral army won, it would retain control of the province, like the random event neutral attacks sometimes do (Knights, Vampires, Troglodytes, etc.).

Melee Attack means a spell that attacks at close range, yes like Burning Hands.

RedRover said:
Also, assuming that magic items become as moddable as units, do you have any specific thoughts about what types of mod commands would be most useful as building blocks in constructing new items?

In addition to the existing item mod commands, the main ones I'd like to see are I think:

NewItem - creates a new item from scratch with a new item number and default properties

CopyItem - creates a copy of an existing item with a new item number, which can then be modified by later commands

SetPicture - changes the item's picture to use a bitmap file named in the SetPicture mod command line.

SetWeapon - makes the item behave like a weapon with the specified weapon number

SetHelmet, SetShield, SetArmor, etc. - like SetWeapon, sets the item to the specified armor type and to use the specified number describing that armor type.

SetBoots, SetMisc - sets the item to be a boots item or a miscellaneous item.

For example, do you have any favorite RPG magic item effects that could be ported into Dom2?

Different question than your previous question, I think.

Some ideas:

Holy Stake
- for finishing off immortals permanently, used after the battle ends, by the winning side only, before searching for magic items. Consumed on use.

Life Seal - Makes the wearer immune to all Life Drain effects.

Bag of Hahoo the Knave - Magic gems generated in the area (e.g. by magic clams) are stolen and given to the holder of the bag! Generally used to give to spies and send them into enemy territory...

PvK

[RedRover]

Agrajag: RAE all. Do keep them coming!

PvK: To expand:

RedRover said:
Also, assuming that magic items become as moddable as units, do you have any specific thoughts about what types of mod commands would be most useful as building blocks in constructing new items?

Yes, this was different from the first question. Looking at specific instances of adaptation might lead us to even more effective modding tools. What would be needed, for example, to let us mod something Skaven?

Or, for example, consider the AD&D Magic Item:

Rod of Cancellation

What commands would it take to mod this item into Dominions:

* #limituse (to 1, in this case, although variants with a set number of uses might be conceived.) The item must destroy/erase itself once used up. Perhaps this might be configured as a 0-range missile weapon with one shot.

* #destroyitem (This defines a special attack that destroys a magic item possessed by the foe. Maybe use a #d(nmbr) value, where nmbr is a percent chance of successfully destroying an item if present (like the current resistance/susceptability commands). The classic rod is d(100), of course.

Once these basic item parameters are in place, we can shade the item's power with additional sub-parameters.

Subparameters:
* #limitype ID | type
Inserting an item's number would target exactly that magic item. For example, a scenario might be set up in which the victory condition is the destruction of a key artifact with the special weapon, and whoever gets there first wins.

* #weaponpopup (This would let a short text message appear as a popup when the weapon attack is successful, useful for the above scenario.)

Likewise, specifying a "type" (1 Trinket, 2 Lesser Item, etc.) we allow a "Least Rod of Cancellation" that would only kill Trinkets, while the classic AD&D version can destroy anything up to and including one-of artifacts.

*#greaterartifact (This command would seal a one-of artifact against being destroyed by a Rod of Cancellation. In the AD&D system, expectations with respect to magic effects go out the window when deity-level entities become involved. There is no comfortable "this always works" magic effect--making this assumption inevitably trips you up at some point.)

* #weaponpopsound (Like the text popup, but inserts a .wav file that plays only on a hit--In a lighter moment, maybe South Park's Eric Cartman saying "Hah! hah! Hit you, a*[bleeeep]*e!" in the upcoming South Park Dominions Mod. (Ahem, not really. )

* #path <number> (This destroys magic items that include magic of the indicated path, where the number is the path ID from the Modding Manual.)

* #pathonly <number> (This destroys magic items exclusively of the indicated path. Items combining the path with one or more other paths survive.)

* #deactivateitem/#reactivate item (Instead of destroying the item, the item is rendered powerless--maybe until taken to a specific site or subjected to a specific spell.)

More later...

[Agrajag]

Here are two ideas from last night :
#Recruitif <number> <number> <name>|<id>
This command, given to a nation allows it to recruit the unit <name>|<id> only if:
The first <number> refers to a number from a table:
0: Pretender Dominion
1: Order Scale
2: Productivity
3: Heat
4: Life
5: Luck
6: Magic
7: Pretender Fire Magic
8: Air
9: Water
10: Earth
11: Astral
12: Nature
13: Death
14: Blood
The second <number> is how much of that thing (say... how much in Order scale) you should have to be able to recruit that unit (for values over 0 - its an EqualToOrGreaterThen condition, for value under 0 - its an EqualToOrLesserThen condition).
This could open up some really fun modding, like adding special units depending on your starting dominion. A pretender with Luck 3 might be able to recruit "Lucky Man", a unit which is so lucky it always somehow avoids death (=is immortal).
You could even make a mod erasing all nations and replacing their troops with pretender dependant troops, so all of the players can choose from the same "pool" of troops, depending on their initial pretender design.
#ScaleImmune <scale>
This command, applied to a nation makes it completely immune to the effects of the scale <scale>.
You could use this command for thematic purposes (like a race of Diamond Golems - they don't care how hot or cold it is), or just for some whacky fun. (This command will also be useful with the mod I suggested in the previous command idea)

[Aeshi]

Idea for item....

Name:Cloak of Midnight
Needed4?
Description:Makes the bearer stealthy.If worn by an already-stealthy creature it lowers their chance of being caught.

[Endoperez]

Crazy_Bonvine said:
Idea for item....

Name:Cloak of Midnight
Needed4?
Description:Makes the bearer stealthy.If worn by an already-stealthy creature it lowers their chance of being caught.

As this thread is about modding commands, I'll reformat your idea:

Item ability:
#stealthy <nr>
Item with this number makes commander wielding it Stealthy, or improves his Stealthy ability. The new ability starts at <nr>, and an existing ability is increased by <nr>.

Similar commands for every ability listed for units in modding.pdf would also be great, and as those encompass most special abilities it is probably better not to post each of them separately...

[RedRover]

Here's another:

Unit/Commander Ability

#blindimmune
This command makes the unit immune to blinding attacks. It would be used mostly for those blind units that suffer no combat penalties for being blind. Such units traditionally have other heightened senses that compensate for blindness, and take no game penalties for their blindness. Examples:

• bats of various types,
• killer shrews
• the Lost Immortal (from the oral history Indaba, My Children by Credo Mutwe),
• Zatoichi (the blind swordsman of Japanese cinema--incidentally, this is a compound word: zato=blind, ichi=masseur. There were 26 dramas in the series, running roughly 90 minutes each--my vote for series best goes to Zatoichi Meets Yojimbo, with Toshiro Mifune, which is sort of the Japanese equivalent of Clint Eastwood meets John Wayne--awesome).

In addition, consider:

#blindimmune2
This alternate command additionally bars the use of magic eyes of all types, so that these can be excluded if the designer deems their use nonthematic for the unit.

[Endoperez]

7.9 #blind
This monster has no eyes and cannot be affected by
blindness.

7.22 #eyes <nbr of eyes>
Sets the number of eyes for a monster. Number of
must be at least one. The number of eyes affects
easily a monster goes blind by battle afflictions.

The #blind ability could be changed so that a blind creature doesn't benefit from eyes.

Also, I think some creatures can lose eyes without it hurting them. The cave-dwelling creatures from Underworld site are one of these, IIRC. Unfortunately, I can't recall their name ATM, so I can't search for them. (If you use Shrapnel's search, add + before EACH WORD or it doesn't work properly).

[Zooko]

I wish to write a mod that controls how units behave in battle by expressing their behavior in a full programming language such as C, Lua, Python, Io, etc.

Then I could write a mod which would get used whenever a Celestial Master was in combat and wasn't following his master's five battle orders. The mod would be careful never to cast Breath of Winter when standing near other, cold-vulnerable commanders, for example.