Battle Afflication

[Zapmeister]

Learn to live with it and don't get too attached to your god. It's just one of the pawns to get global supremacy, any way

Although this may be good advice, it's something I've never been comfortable with. I mean, the premise of the game is that the whole war is about promoting your pretender to godhood.

If that pretender is killed, reducing its magic power, then the player may decide it's not worth resurrecting. Or maybe it gets so afflicted that it has to wait out the game in a Home for the Hopelessly Crippled. Psychologically, for me, that's game over.

It's this perspective that prompted me a while back to argue for pretender exemption from Magic Duel since, the way it is, giving your pretender mid-range astral magic is suicidal. I received no support, suggesting that others simply don't see the pretender the same way I do.

[ywl]

Originally posted by Zapmeister:

quote:

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Learn to live with it and don't get too attached to your god. It's just one of the pawns to get global supremacy, any way

Although this may be good advice, it's something I've never been comfortable with. I mean, the premise of the game is that the whole war is about promoting your pretender to godhood.

If that pretender is killed, reducing its magic power, then the player may decide it's not worth resurrecting. Or maybe it gets so afflicted that it has to wait out the game in a Home for the Hopelessly Crippled. Psychologically, for me, that's game over.

It's this perspective that prompted me a while back to argue for pretender exemption from Magic Duel since, the way it is, giving your pretender mid-range astral magic is suicidal. I received no support, suggesting that others simply don't see the pretender the same way I do.

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You don't need to go out and slaughter everybody to be a god. Your followers can do it for you . There are also many combinations to make a powerful enough god, without sacrifying the scales. And as long as you're careful, it's not hard to prevent battle afflictions even if your god is in the front line. You just need to learn the limits from experience.

I guess why nobody supported you was because the God as it is, is powerful enough. It doesn't really need to give him exception for Mind Duel, and thus easy access to "Body Ethereal" and "Luck".

[Zapmeister]

Sure. That's what I usually do. But I was responding to your comment:

Learn to live with it and don't get too attached to your god.

that acknowledges that pretenders get critically hurt or killed, and advises mentally setting it aside. That's what I have trouble doing, and wish that the game design better supported the premise of the pretender as the raison d'etre of the nation.

[Thilock_Dominus]

So my options are:

1. Global enchantment 'Gift Of Health'
2. Get my hands on an artifact called 'Chalice'
3. Summon the Faerie Court one 'Queen'
4. Avoid combat with my Pretender God
5. using spells like Body 'Ethereal' and 'Luck'

Shouldn't the priests have the ability to heal battle affliction or as a priest spell? It would seem as a natural part of beeing a priest.
And it wouldn't be wise not to use the pretender god dragon in the front line. Because its very powerfull in combat. I usually set my dragon to attack the rearest army and have great success using that strategy. it means I manage to split the enemy army up in two, my regular army forcing up the battlefield while my pretender god dragon are coursing fear and hold up the supporter units(archers, spell casters, leaders) so my regular army are suffering minimum damage.

[General Tacticus]

Originally posted by Thilock_Dominus:

5. using spells like Body 'Ethereal' and 'Luck'

Regeneration also decreases the chances of getting an affliction.

Shouldn't the priests have the ability to heal battle affliction or as a priest spell? It would seem as a natural part of beeing a priest.
And it wouldn't be wise not to use the pretender god dragon in the front line. Because its very powerfull in combat. I usually set my dragon to attack the rearest army and have great success using that strategy. it means I manage to split the enemy army up in two, my regular army forcing up the battlefield while my pretender god dragon are coursing fear and hold up the supporter units(archers, spell casters, leaders) so my regular army are suffering minimum damage.

Arcoscephale's priests can heal afflictions, but they are the only ones.
I personally never put my pretender in battle, I have had too many bad surprises, but then I don't choose dragons either. I agree a dragon belongs in the front lines, but surely you cannot expect him to be totally immmune to harm ? That would be too much As you said, he helped you a lot. The risk should somewhat match the reward, so the battle afflictions should be hard to get rid of. Of course, it helps to know beforehand how not to get them

Your best option now is probably Gift of Health (Nature 5, Enchantment 5). Enchantment 5 also nets you Dispel, which you will need sooner or later, so it is a good place to invest. Hopefully, Nature 5 is not too hard for you to get.

The Chalice is Construction 8 and expensive, and only one can be made. Faerie Queen is Conjuration 8 and Nature 5.

[PrinzMegaherz]

As it is, the game is unbalanced.
Mage pretenders are always useful. You can leave them in your capital to research and cast, or you can send them into secure areas to search for sites. Anyway, their usefullness does not decrease by doing their job.
On the other hand, combat pretenders will get afflictions over time, there is no way to prevent this. This makes them less usefull in most cases.

In my oppinion every pretender, at least the not human ones, should have some kind of immortal ability that makes them heal their afflictions themselves over time.

[ January 08, 2004, 10:08: Message edited by: PrinzMegaherz ]

Uhm,

Combat pretenders have a different role, arguably more benefitial than the 'stay at home' kind.

There are multiple ways to rid yourself of afflictions. And you can always get your pretender back; albiet without as much magical skill. Though if you take the talentless Wyrm, he can come back good as new only after 40 points of calling.

Combat pretenders help forge a game early, while rainbow/caster pretenders shore up the mid/late game for certain nations.

I am of the opinion that Rainbows are less 'useful' because when I start taking over a rainbow nation it's already all searched for me So I get all his goodies. Especially those back ones that he can't defend well. Whereas if you lose a combat pretender more often than not that place can be filled with another SC while you get your old one back at the expense of a few turns of priests.