some balance questions

[Nerfix]

None i am aware of.

[Pocus]

Originally posted by Saber Cherry:
I have not tried it, but maybe "Blood of Hunams" should cost -25 or -50 to compensate for the -1 fire gem, -1 heat scale, and fewer Abyssians. Do any themes cost negative points?

the 40 pts reduction in design is costly, except if Abysia get a (growth) benefit from growth scale with the theme? That would compensate.

[Gandalf Parker]

Originally posted by Pocus:

- the castles are somehow tweaked, but I think there is perhaps not enough emphasis on the importance of admin (and there is too much emphasis on the importance of defence strength in cost evaluation). The preferred castle of doms I, named 'Castle' in doms II, is still a sure bet.

I also was hoping for more spread on the castles. There is obvious effort there but the choices seem automatic. I really wanted the first two to be cheap and fast.

If its a worry about balance then I can understand it but if its "why would anyone use that" then I think the devs went the wrong direction. The devs dont have to understand what purpose something would serve if you provide enough variety. Provide it anyway please, watch for balance problems, and be pleasantly surprised with what we come up with.
Im beginning to be afraid that some changes might be about writing a proper marketable game instead of a fun this-might-not-work game. IMHO

[ October 28, 2003, 17:02: Message edited by: Gandalf Parker ]

[Kristoffer O]

Originally posted by Gandalf Parker:
I also was hoping for more spread on the castles. There is obvious effort there but the choices seem automatic. I really wanted the first two to be cheap and fast.

If its a worry about balance then I can understand it but if its "why would anyone use that" then I think the devs went the wrong direction. The devs dont have to understand what purpose something would serve if you provide enough variety. Provide it anyway please, watch for balance problems, and be pleasantly surprised with what we come up with.
Im beginning to be afraid that some changes might be about writing a proper marketable game instead of a fun this-might-not-work game. IMHO

Whoa! We have adopted to the market! Just about time

They are cheap and fast. 2 turns is fast. Anything faster is devastating to game balance as a very early Version of dominions I showed. The only pro was for the player using these fast castles. There were more cons in that particular case

Cheap? in gold or design points. Gold cost is 150 times turns to build.

What kind of spread do you want?

The rest of your post i do not understand

[Pocus]

another balance issue :

the Ctis hierodule has climbed in cost, whereas in my mind he was already too pricey! What do I'm missing in his interest? Now you have - for a nation which is supposed to have powerful priests - a level 2 priest, which is only recruitable in castle, that command no units, and which has the same price than the indep priest!

so please, give him either a commanding ability, or reduce his cost. In doms I it was 30 gp, but even with that the no command made him of few interest. His limitation to castle will make him seldomly recruited also. I would have proposed either a 25 gp price, or a 30 gp with 10 command.
Compare him to Marignon friar (30 gp, sneak, command 25).

Also, the undead hierodule in Tomb of the Deserts cant command undead, dont seem logical (and practical) to me.

[apoger]

I think there are a host of balance issues, but if I had to pick just one; why did you guys cut the base damage of Star Fire?

Star fire was a very basic defense versus super combatants. Dom II is very super combatant oriented (more than I think you guys intended). Slashing one of the basic defenses versus this tactic make things much worse.

[Kristoffer O]

Originally posted by Pocus:
another balance issue :

the Ctis hierodule has climbed in cost, whereas in my mind he was already too pricey! What do I'm missing in his interest? Now you have - for a nation which is supposed to have powerful priests - a level 2 priest, which is only recruitable in castle, that command no units, and which has the same price than the indep priest!

so please, give him either a commanding ability, or reduce his cost. In doms I it was 30 gp, but even with that the no command made him of few interest. His limitation to castle will make him seldomly recruited also. I would have proposed either a 25 gp price, or a 30 gp with 10 command.
Compare him to Marignon friar (30 gp, sneak, command 25).

Also, the undead hierodule in Tomb of the Deserts cant command undead, dont seem logical (and practical) to me.

Does she cost more? 25 might be OK.

She also follows the tradition stating that female lizards do not command male lizards, dead or alive She can wake them up.