Monster SCENARIO Project

[llamabeast]

You can change the map image of course (as I think someone said above), just not the terrains, neighbour lists and so on.

[lch]

So this is how Gandalf managed to accumulate over 9k posts.

[Gandalf Parker]

lch said:
So this is how Gandalf managed to accumulate over 9k posts.

Heehee. Actually padding the beginning of the thread with placeholders was something I saw someone else do and it struck me as a good idea for something like this.

On the other hand, this is beginning to show people why I have that post count. I tend to post idea threads that create a ton of conversation. And (hopefully) get half a dozen people to start projects since most of my talk ends up just being talk. Many of our best projects from Dom1, Dom2, Dom3 started that way.

My brain is active but my fingers are lazy.
Gandalf Parker

[Aezeal]

So what is the plan then Gandalf in which direction will this mod go?

[Gandalf Parker]

I dont have one yet.
That was part of why I laid out a post for each step of it. I created the "Scenarios, Maps and Mods" forum and have always regretted the small number of scenarios compared to Dom2.
Ive done fancy shortcuts, preexec, postexec, and maps. I dabbled abit in mods and was fascinated at the information that they could be changed in mid-game. Ive written many scripts which modify any and all of the above.

I had various notes about how they could all be tied in together but nothing that jumped up and screamed to be done. At least, not that I felt in my power. Of them all, MOD is my weakest so anything extensively built around the mod part I will be happy just to have spurred someone else to create it for us. Even if they use the whole scenario package idea, I would have no problem with that.

I was hoping for some other ideas in each of the various pieces about what would be impressive "if it could be done". Thats one of my favorite subjects "if it could be done".

[Aezeal]

Hey my scenario type of map (gangwars) got so few feedback I can't really work on it anymore.. I think it's just not really a scenario kind of game.

The best idea's I had (idea's I liked most I mean) above where then ones where you could change the map.. but I heard that is out.. so that kinda sucks.

Still I think it might be worth modding rhyleys and ermor so they change from MA to LA, if you do it for only 2 nations it will be less trouble and it will have a huge impact on the game. Personally I think that should definately be in this scenario. It is nice if they are played by AI and the AI might even be pretty decent with hordes of chaff. (not to mention giving them to a player is always somewhat unbalancing certainly if there are pantheons so the nearest neighbours can protect him a bit to get started)

So if you have no plans my main suggestions would be

1. Pantheons
2. MA Ermor and Rhyley changing to LA

another thing.. I read a bit about scripting events.. I have not heard about it before and never read about it in the mod files (I think) can that really be done? and to what extend... it would be very kewl

[LDiCesare]

There was a Civ2 scenario that I loved, Prince of Darkness.
It was more of an RPG than anything, but it was quite fun and I think something along the lines could be done:
Roughly, you had to move your character here and there in order to be given a Fireball which you could use to destroy the gates of Dis and vanquish the Devil nation before they started summoning devils so strong that the combined armies of all other civs couldn't beat one.
Additionally, it required some cooperation between civs as some techs could only be researched by certain civs.

So this could be adapted somehow:
Have Big Bad Player on one side (LA Ermor anyone?). If it reaches a certain research level or turn, boost the strength of its national only units. Undead legionaires, lictors and such would be nice for instance, because the ai would have many of them. Basically, something another player cannot wish for becomes extra strong. The problem is you should prevent players from charming/enslaving/... these before they become strong.
So the rest of the players should team to get rid of Ermor (or R'lyeh or whoever).
To that end, the event that causes the undead to become hyper powerful can be delayed if certain spells are cast, preferably national only spells, each spell having an effect only once. So Ermor becomes unbeatable by turn 40 unless someone casts spell X which gives 10 more turns, spell Y which gives 12 more, etc.

In addition, that civ2 scenario provided you with angels and such nice fighters if you managed to do some quest, so it would be possible to have some unit become reruitable and worthwhile if a given province was attacked/controlled, helping fend off the hordes.
Spells could also become stronger under certain conditions (gain x2 against undead if...)

[Aezeal]

If you can't change neighbours I guess you can't add province either..

basicly you can't change anything really fun or game changing then.. too bad.. I like the idea of cold, ermor etc getting visuals with it.. but it really doesn't change much.

You could make a REAL huge mod file and add units later in the game depending on scales.
To be really fair about that you'd have to have settings for all scales in advance though and 90% of the wouldn't be used.. seems a bit like a waste. (This idea is derived from the summons thread where someone wants the ulm warwagon unlocked at prod 3... which is a real nice idea. but as I said.. a lot of work.. for a lot of races... and not much would be used.)

[LDiCesare]

Adding national spells based on how the game evolves could be fun:
1st to reach level X in research unlocks national spell Summon Nasty Djinn.
Whoever controls DeadRat Province unlocks unlocks national spell Summon RatLord.
Nation controlling least number of provinces, and, if tied, best in research, by turn 12 unlocks Summon Meek Paladin.
etc.

Longer to code, nation specific events could be done too, like:
Any nation controlling less than 12 provinces by turn 10 and the 2 smallest nations (more if tied) by turn 10 get a permanent discount of 10% in gold and +1 attack for their best non commander unit.
Nation with best dominion by turn 15 gets its weakest national priest gain H2 if it was only H1, with a cost increase of +20 gold.

[Gandalf Parker]

The .map file is read once, but the image is read each time you boot up Dominions.
The MODs are read each time but it does cause problems if you try to add things to the game later. But you can CHANGE things already in the game. So units, items, spells, pretenders, etc can be changed. A spell could be put in at the beginning of the game which said something like "a mistery" and then later changed to do specific things depending on how the game had progressed. Such as, a "Spell of Balance" and if there is too much Order dominion then it becomes a spell of Chaos, and vise versa.