New Ulm Pretender ?

[PDF]

Originally posted by Ctennyson:
Hey:

1) #domstr # is not changing the starting dominion strength
(snip)

Johan K replied on the "bug" thread that there was a doc error, the correct command is #startdom

[vanedor]

I agree with the idea of having a knight(or better : several knights) pretender. And I don't think it should only be for Ulm.The first time I tried the Dom2 demo I was very confused about picking a pretender. In stategy games with heroes, just like in rpg, I tend to pick characters that correspond to my personality, that *could* be me, in a fantasy world. Especially for the first game, and after, well, I try different ones just for the kick. But really, the great mother and the freak lord... they are cool and funny, but I just can't get into the character. I know, it's kind of stupid, but I like to feel for my character.

[PvK]

Originally posted by PDF:
PvK
Without ANY possible path (if I understood correctly your proposal), the Ulm Avatar isn't going to be really playable unless he has much more fighting power than a Dragon (who incidentally "only" has path cost= 80...)!
IMHO the Avatar could have Ulmish magic path (F+E). So an Ulm player choosing it will have a potential SC but forfeit any magic versatility he could have had with a RB .

Do you mean "really playable" or "balanced against other choices such as the dragon"?

For playable, I think it is, in some situations anyway. Against the AI, human ingenuity (and/or agressiveness) can survive without a magical pretender. Against a human, I think it is a pretty darn powerful starting unit. I think it might be stronger in early-game combat than a starting dragon, because he comes with some black steel equipment which gives him rather high starting stats, and he has lance/sword/hoof attacks, and a banner ability.

For balanced, my "King" Version is a starting commander rather than a unit, balanced hopefully by a 50-gold maintenance cost and reduced starting units. If you want a warrior king and a rainbow (or any other) pretender, use the Warrior King Version of the mod instead of the Avatar Version.

My avatar/pretender Version is probably weaker than a dragon for overall strategy, unless you play it as intended and use its leadership/banner ability and magic slots well - group him with black knights or templars, etc. It's really for players who want to play a no-magic combat pretender, and the focus is thematic rather than competetive. It doesn't make much sense to me for the mortal warrior savior of Ulm to be a magician as well. If he were cheaper with no magic, and a desired Drain scale, you'd end up with max positive scales, which seemed somewhat unthematic and had few interesting choices on creation. I think it can be competetive as is, at least for short/close games, single-player, etc. If you weren't really going to use the magic anyway, then this is a rather butch, but very costly, pretender.

PvK

[ February 24, 2004, 01:44: Message edited by: PvK ]

[PvK]

I've sent my first Versions of the mods to Illwinter for posting.

vanedor, if you want multiple warrior kings, you can also use both of my mods at once and get (not quite identical) twins .

PvK

[Ctennyson]

I'm going to sit down with my wife tomorrow night and really work on some photoshopping for my Version of the knight. She's artistically gifted, where as I am absolutely not.

Hopefully we can make it look decent, then I'll make him the way I'd like to play him. If anyone has tga's of all the Pretenders, send me msg, I'd love to mod all the pretenders into my own vision of each.

[PvK]

I updated my Warrior Avatar of Ulm mod to a Version (1.05) that, if run in Dominions 2.11 or higher, won't replace the choice of Alchemist, but just adds the Warrior Avatar option. This means the option can be added without the minor fog of war loss that Ulm isn't using the Alchemist.

I know, I know, the world trembles with the significance of this update.

(It's not yet posted on the IW site though.)

PvK