Black Forest - Ulm

Teraswaerto · #1 January 13th, 2004, 03:30 PM

The Vampire Queen seems like an obvious choice for this theme.

Fortune Tellers would be good with luck too I imagine, since you'd get lot's of good events and few, if any, bad ones.

Gandalf Parker · #2 January 13th, 2004, 04:21 PM

To me this theme seemed obvious as a sneak-army. Its one of the few nations where an entire army can be out into the field. Good leaders, infantry, archers, mages, Hmmm I dont remember about the priests. Fast wolves for flankers. Basically scouting with the ability to maybe even win if your caught.

The fact that fortune tellers can actually lessen the instance of bad luck might mean that you could push a bad-luck dominion onto another nation while lessening its affects at home?

neurosis#5 · #3 January 13th, 2004, 06:52 PM

If anyone is interested, I can post the "Blood Count" hero's stats when I get home later. Still thinking of new things to do with Black Forest Ulm....

and I agree, Gandalf, that it is probably the most sneaky empire of all now, or at least the most sneaky "off the shelf". ALso, while not the most powerful flankers by any means, the wolves and the wolf-herders are just such a cool idea. Looks like it is going to be a long night...

Very cohesive theme. I started the game and immediately thought "Transylvania" when I saw the unit mix.

One thing, though: I think it would be nice to get themes for the races that only have the main theme as a choice (i.e. Mictlan, Atlantis, R'leth, Arco (any others?)). That way, in MP, no one could be sure about your capabilities until they interacted with your empire in a meaningful way. Suggestions:

Mictlan seems to be loosely Aztec-based. Maybe a theme that was Inca-based with more Astral (astronomy) and less fire.

Atlantis could have a theme that included an alliance with the tritons or maybe where the Initiates of the Deep and company staged a coup and now there are more surface dweller types living in domed cities or such.

R'leth could have a theme where the Void Gate let in a Super-Vastness that took over and now the illithids are a slave race as well, and the troops have been crossbred with various horrors.

Arco, well, I don't really have any bright ideas on that one yet. Maybe some great change comes about as a result of the astrologers seeing a great calamity and that empire changed in the resultant chaos.

Sorry to get so off topic, but I think the themes are what help the immense replayability of this game. On a side note, do the computer players ever use themes?

neurosis#5
(formerly DBL227)

Teraswaerto · #4 January 13th, 2004, 06:56 PM

The AI uses themes, and quite often at that.

[ January 13, 2004, 18:37: Message edited by: Teraswaerto ]

Gandalf Parker · #5 January 13th, 2004, 07:10 PM

Great Ideas for more themes. I highly agree that all races should have SOME choices although we dont have to rush on that. It allows the game to grow staying ahead of player boredom. (boredom? Ive been playing Dom for 3 years. Oh well, you know what I mean)

Arco, well, I don't really have any bright ideas on that one yet. Maybe some great change comes about as a result of the astrologers seeing a great calamity and that empire changed in the resultant chaos.

Arcos seems to be the nation of choice for researchers. And it has always struck me as being also very strong in units. Pulling back on magic would take it toward the other nations which probably isnt needed.

Maybe a theme where it goes even further into research. Lots of variety in mages and sages and alchemists. But then make it so weak in units that it is FORCED to use independents alot. That would make it useful for people who want to play with magic. And useful for large-map games but probably suicide on small fast ones. It would be a niche.

Of course, someone could also mod these.

I think some really good mods should end up being adopted as themes. That would be nice.

Psitticine · #6 January 13th, 2004, 08:22 PM

BF Ulm does have national heroes, including the one mentioned below: Burkhard Nachtzehrer, the Blood Marshal. He's ethereal, can fly, is immortal, regenerates, and is a beserker. He's also got Blood 2, making him a nasty customer.

Gandalf Parker · #7 January 13th, 2004, 08:30 PM

Did I miss something? The spell "Sanguine Heritage" is pre-researched. Reuqires 3 blod and 3 death to cast. But says "no desciption". My rainbow pretender discovered it for Black Forest.