Scripting Virtue

[Borg]

I absolutely applaud the "no reset button" in Dom2, (that's the way to play).

However, at the same time, it makes it rather risky to try out actions/spells/movement/scripts you haven't used before, not in a strategic sense but in a purely practical sense, as in "wanting to see if that really works how you think it would work", so that you can improve your playing skill.
You might just lose your carefully managed game when your "experiment" backfires.

This is a script I'd like to try out,but am a little hesitant towards because it might turn ugly at the same time.

Virtue,
2Air, 1Water
SR, FR, Protection 19, Defense 15, HP's 57.

Script :
- Quickness
- Mistform
- Attack once ( random opponent : is the part I like least about it)
- Shockwave
- Shockwave
- Attack (enemy archers)

The idea is off course to stop a huge oncoming group of infantry, shockwave the heck out of them (6 area's ) twice in Turn 3 due to the Quickness, while at the same time my two Black Sorcerers hurl Fireballs, The Sorceress mixes it up with Magma Bolts and 40-some Archers take aim, while a group of about 20 Machaka Hoplites advances to mop up and evacuate Virtue.

Any "bugs" you can discover in that script,
Warnings ? ...... applause?

[ July 25, 2004, 12:49: Message edited by: Borg ]

[Gandalf Parker]

Actually you can replay but its not simple. And Illwinter hasnt made any effort to make it easier so the applause is still worthy.

But if you have something you want to test then just make a copy of the game directory. If asdf is your game then copy the asdf directory to asdf2. Obviously this is too much hassle to do so it wont get used the way some save/restores do but it will give you a save point to be able to test something specific that you want to talk about here. There is also a way to run a "simulator" by editing a map's text file or a MOD's text file. Thats for really big testing like some people here do.

[Thufir]

Originally posted by Gandalf Parker:
Actually you can replay but its not simple. And Illwinter hasnt made any effort to make it easier so the applause is still worthy.

But if you have something you want to test then just make a copy of the game directory. If asdf is your game then copy the asdf directory to asdf2.

Actually, there is a utility someone (Torvak?), wrote that automates this, making it as painless as one can hope. I got it at:

http://www.dominions-2.org/index.htm

FWIW, I'd vote for building in having a full savegame feature for SP use, for precisely this reason. OTOH, given the utility, things are working fine as they are, and I wouldn't rank adding a savegame high on my personal list of feature requests.

[Arryn]

Originally posted by Thufir:
Actually, there is a utility someone (Torvak?), wrote that automates this, making it as painless as one can hope. I got it at:

"http://www.dominions-2.org/index.htm"

Torvak did indeed write the savegame util you found on my site, and if he's still reading this forum he'll be glad to know people are using it!

[Borg]

Well, in the meantime I tried it out.
Result : dead Virtue.

It didn't happen in the right circumstances though I did learn quite a bit from the experience.

My Tower was under Siege by Vanheim, had only a few scratches and I thought I could afford to wait another turn to break the Siege as I would then be able to cast Legions of Steel.

We both had an army of about 60 units but I had Virtue and a Black Sorcerer.
My spies told me there was no back-up for these troops , so I recruited 2 more spiders (income and resources down that much) and figured I could break out next turn.
My other army, in the meantime took a juicy 70+ gold province, 2 blocks away from the besieged area.
Next turn, all of a sudden there are 100 !!!!!! Vanheimers besieging my castle. WTF !!!

I see only 2 possibilities.
-Either there was a bunch of invisible troops already there.
- or a besieging army is able to recruit in that province -which I doubt : can anybody confirm that ?

Something else I learned : you can hire a mercenary back for HALF price if you want to keep him in your service - uninterrupted.
I thought he just left you after 3 months and you had to hire him again if you wanted him - full price.
At the time I started my first - and only (demo) - big offensive there was just a Necromancer available with 80 Longdeads. I hired him and he ran roughshod through 5 Vanheim provinces even winning his 5th battle with only 1 (ONE!!!) Longdead remaining
I then send them both into the Vanheim capitol - as a statement and to get a look at what hung out there.

I had a great game until I got fooled by that Glamour ability and lost my Virtue.
It was around turn 32, so there's not much left in my demo game to return to.
Maybe try the "call god" thing, if there's anything special about it.
See what items Virtue still has with her when she returns - not much I reckon

Hej, getting better everyday.

[Norfleet]

Originally posted by Borg:
See what items Virtue still has with her when she returns - not much I reckon

You, uh, don't get any loot when recalled. You may get rid of a few afflictions you undoubtedly acquired while dying, but not necessarily all of them. And you don't get to keep any of your loot.

[Ryukenden]

Does the demo still end after 40 turns?

If so, the "Call God" thing is probably a waste, unless you have a lot of priests (and you really want to have your Virtue when the game ends).

P.S.: I've had weird things happen during sieges as well (does it make sense that a pretender was eliminated, but still exists inside the Fortification?).

[ July 25, 2004, 23:22: Message edited by: Ryukenden ]

[Arryn]

Originally posted by Ryukenden:
Does the demo still end after 40 turns?

Yes.

[Boron]

should work very well ihmo .
with 19 prot + mistform only lance attacks of knights have a small chance to wound you seriously . and perhaps tramplers what is the size of the virtue ?
later of course e.g. lifedrainers like vampires could be a problem but against normal national troops and most low-midlevel summons it should work very well.

as you said the only thing is that unluckily you may attack only a smaller group with the attack random enemy .

the concept reminds me on my diablo 2 lod nova sorc

[ July 25, 2004, 12:35: Message edited by: Boron ]