Wish-List for Dominions 4

[HoneyBadger]

I'm really proud of this thread. It's one of the longest ever on this forum, and so many people have come up with so many really great ideas, as well as insights into the inner workings of Dominions and especially enthusiasm for the continuation of the series.

And that was really the point of the thread in the first place-to show Johan and Kristoffer how thrilled we are with what they've done, and how much we want more and better of the same

[Cor2]

I have more wishes:

Researchers should be allowed to research for gold, instead of magic. THis would be mostly useful when there is notghing else to research. The conversion could be very high to prevent abuse like 20 research = 1 gold or something. I dont liek end of game when you have built this massive research machine and then you have a thousand nearly worthless mages with nothing to do, this would help, maybe.


2.I suggest a "volunteer badge" for units that you get in special events. I think most of us hate those hordes of militia. THe volunteer badge would give a bonus to morale of 1-3 making them less likely to break. It makes sence in rpg terms, they want to be there, they want to fight for their god, but they have a 9 morale? this would also make flaggies better as well.

[YuanShi]

Better unit graphics.

Grass and other improvements on the background where unecessary.

The units are still fuzzy, the general form is OK, but they look real bad and not in tune with the background.

A good idea (IMO) would be trying to make the untis and background like medieval paintings or miniature, thus reducing the amount of necessary colors.

The battlefield is also way too big, much more than needed. Reducing it would save resources that could be used rendering visually more appaling units.

[llamabeast]

The problem is not rendering time. Each unit is hand-drawn, pixel by pixel. It's an incredible set of largely great quality pixel art. Just 'improving the graphics' isn't really an option, redoing the sprites in a higher resolution would take months of artist time. It's not really like they have the team size to do it.

[HoneyBadger]

And a factor that a lot of people on the "better graphics" side seem to lose sight of-people like me can actually design graphics simply, even casually, and feel like we're accomplishing something we can see *in the game*-although I think I lack the patience and single-mindedness to even do graphics as well as Kristoffer.

[johan osterman]

llamabeast said:
The problem is not rendering time. Each unit is hand-drawn, pixel by pixel. It's an incredible set of largely great quality pixel art. Just 'improving the graphics' isn't really an option, redoing the sprites in a higher resolution would take months of artist time. It's not really like they have the team size to do it.

As llamabeast said this is not really an option without gutting the number of units. There are just short of 2000 units with the latest patch. Kristoffer can make a handful units a day, working more or less fulltime on it, with the current spritebased graphics. If the graphics were to be improved as in higher resolution or made 3d based it would no doubt take longer, especially since Kristoffer is used to his current production method and not to 3d art etc. Illwinter does not make enough money to realistically be able to afford hiring additional people. Keeping the diversity of units is simply not compatible with a more than incremental upgrade of the unit graphics.

[Gandalf Parker]

It might also be worth noting that Kristoffer is getting better and better all the time.
We are getting upgraded graphics, gradually.

And I agree that shifting to something like 3D and full animation would be prettier but would hurt the game in other areas. Im fine with the 2D sprites and 1 move animations. I have plenty of "pretty" games on my machine (that I played about a month)

[shaihulou]

Gandalf Parker said:
Im fine with the 2D sprites and 1 move animations. I have plenty of "pretty" games on my machine (that I played about a month)

I couldn't agree more, that's why i love this game as well as Paradox's Hearts of Iron

Actual gameplay/fun > graphics(3D)

[jutetrea]

Item request - lvl 6 const, insert interesting and fun name, gives 10 units +0 stealth.

boots of elvenkind - lvl 2 construction, gives commander +0 stealth in forests only

spell - shadow dome - anti-astral window/spying/scout dome, gives completely oddball scouting reports. Instead of 100 men at arms and 3 mages it may show 200 giants or a dragon and 300 demons. Low cost, # gems affect duration, good for casting in a border castle before war.

[Burnsaber]

More "Common" blood sites and make blood sites more common. I always get my hopes up by playing blood nation and stating to cast Bowl of Blood. Blood sites are so rare that finding even one is like super-frigging-awesome.

I start my turn. Just checking out how my radar-spell went and then BAM! after 7 turns my B2 guy actually found something. I quicly rush out of the message window hit F1 and try to find the province in question. My eyes race for the real province name while my mind "perhaps it's that Demon-summon site or.. Dare I think about.. something even more cool".

Then I find the province in the F1 list and swiztly move my mouse over the blood site image...

It's another-freaking Brigand Lair! GAAAAHHH!

It's seriously not fun anymore. I want to see something other than Brigand Lairs for change. Is this somesort of a trap to make people not use blood magic? Either make Blood sites a really big deal (read: actually doing something usefull instead of rising unrest and allowing recruiment of a bland unit) or make some other common blood sites.

Please.. Just stop those Brigand Lairs. I'm gonna go postal soon if I find more Brigand Lairs in SP game I'm having (found 4! of them).

All Brigand Lairs and no Devil's Den makes Burnsaber a dull boy
All Brigand Lairs and no Devil's Den makes Burnsaber a dull buy
All Brigand Lairs and no Devil's Den makes Burnsaber a dull buy
All Brigand Lairs and no Devil's Den makes Burnsaber a dull buy
All Brigand Lairs and no Devil's Den makes Burnsaber a dull buy
....