Monster SCENARIO Project

[Gandalf Parker]

HoneyBadger said:
It would be fun if, when an early nation was defeated, a new middle era of the same nation suddenly popped up, and then again for the late age version. Sort of a nation secondform. Or for a scenario, that it happens on a certain turn.

Im not sure if I can come up with a way to do that.

The closest I can think of would be something like...
1) Play the EarlyAge Map for 100 turns.
2) Parse the info on each nation still in the game (debug log and scoreboard).
3) Create a version of the same map and name it MidAge.
4) Place the nations the same, give them the same provinces, as much as possible replace the units with appropriate units and extra experience bonuses.
5) Play the MidAge Map for 100 turns.
6) Rinse and Repeat for the LateAge Map.

[Sombre]

You could use a mod file and change all the recruitment options and national spells of whichever nations you wanted at a certain point in the game. That wouldn't be hard at all.

[Gandalf Parker]

Sombre said:
You could use a mod file and change all the recruitment options and national spells of whichever nations you wanted at a certain point in the game. That wouldn't be hard at all.

That would be great!
Do we know if those will work with mid-game change?

So far my thinking has been tied into the idea of putting a unit in at the start of the game, then changing its parameters in the mod file in mid-game. I have some ideas on how to do game-events, Bogus groups, and in-game messages that way.

If a nation could simply be switched from era to era that would be great. Hmmmmmm.... we might still have to create magic sites in the mod in order to modify them on the fly. Create Ermor-A and Ermor-B magic sites to assign to Ermor, then change them from early age to middle age to late age.

[Sombre]

Yeah they work with midgame changes just fine. You just wipe their recruitment options and add in all the new ones, move the national spells to different nation numbers etc.

You can't change which magic sites are at the cap using a mod, at least not halfway through a game, but you can easily change the properties of those sites - cap only commanders and troops, gem income etc. No problem.

[HoneyBadger]

Or, maybe on a larger (1500 province) map, at some point adding in the middle, and then the later era nations, on close by provinces, while still keeping the original ea nations, and making those middle and late nations allies to their ea nations, atleast to begin with. This would not only simulate growth and diversity, "new blood": new strategies and techniques for old nations, but also the potential to "split off" into separate colonies, which may become independent. It would also make huge maps more interesting to play. This could later be expanded to include modded in nations, for the sake of interest and diversity-for instance, if a province formerly occupied by independent cavemen suddenly transformed into a strong Ogre Kingdoms nation on the 50th turn and started taking the piss out of you.

If the human-played nation or nations in the game could come to control their middle and late eras, as close allies, that could also be a lot of fun.

[Gandalf Parker]

Suggested by Dr Praetorious for Timed Events:

Firstly, it'd be cool (and more balanced, I think) if all of the "rainbow" pretenders had common, keyed events that give you commanders (mostly indie mages):

- Mother of Monsters. (thanks to QM for giving me this idea, btw) Gives an Abomination who is also a commander, kills 1,000 people, and spreads dominion 5 times.
"The Awakening God has born a son! He is terrible beyond men's worst nightmares, and when he devours 1,000 people, his wrath inspires the people to a frenzy of worship."

- ***** Queen. Gives you a dire wolf and hundreds of wolves.
"The king of the wolves has sought out the Awakening God and challenged her dominance. Because she triumphed, she is now alpha of all the wolves in the world, and the wolf king has vowed to serve her along with his entire nation."

- Great Sage. Gives you a loremaster.
"A scholar of great reknown has travelled from a distant land to study the sage teachings of the Awakening God. Having finally found the true path to wisdom, he has pledged himself to the new God."

- Frost Father and Skratti. Gives you an unfrozen mage.
"An ancient sorcerer has awoken from the icy slumber of the ages. He pledges his art to the true Lord of the Cold."

- Archmage. Gives you a wizard or a deep seer if you are aquatic.
- Great Warlock. Gives you a (MA) warlock.
- Master Lich. Gives you a lich.
- Smoking Mirror. Gives you an (EA) priest of the sun.
- Fomorian Sorcerer. Gives you a Fomorian Druid.
- Arch Seraph. Gives you a (MA) Seraph.
"The True God has finished training an apprentice. He will wield his powers in the service of his master."

- Druid (various kinds). Gives you a presence and a host of vinemen.
"An ancient presence has stirred in %s; coming upon the awakening God, it is so impressed by his love of the land that it pledges itself and its minions to your cause."

- Crone. Gives you a spectral mage.
"In her youth, many centuries ago, the Awakening God had many lovers, all long dead. Now that her ascension is nigh, one of them has returned from the next world to woo her again."

- Parthalonian Sorceress. Gives you a
"In her youth, long ago, the Awakening God had many suitors, and she thought them all long passed from the world. But

- Great Enchantress. Give you an ether lord.
"In a dream, the awakening God has sought wisdom among the higher spheres. Amid a vast ruin in the flickering aether, she comes upon an empty suit of armor atop a crumbling marble throne. A voice from within the armor challenges her to a contest of riddles: if she loses, she must give up her body and take his place on the throne. Having accepted the challenge and won, the dweller of the place must now serve her."

- Freak Lord, gives you a Succubus
"On a strange whim attending a travelling carnival, the awakening God finds one of his old companions from his wandering days, eating the still-beating heart of the carnival barker in the midst of an act of passion. Down on her luck and hunted by mutual enemies, she accepts the awakening God's generous offer of servitude."

- Divine Emperor, gives you a Prince General, 500 gold, an open ended die / 2 of gems of 3 random types, and up to 4 magic items as equipment on the prince general.
"One of the many sons of the awakening God has reached his majority and left the care of the harem. His martial skills and fanatical loyalty to his father are such that his paternity is acknowledged at once, to much celebration and accclaim; gifts of gold, gems and magic are presented to commemorate his majority."

- Ghost King, gives you a Wraith Senator and a host of longdead horsemen.
"An ancient vassal of the awakening God has returned from the underworld with his knights to renew his vow of fealty."

I'll finish later.

- Master Alchemist
- Void Lurker
- Polypal Mother
==============================
FoodStamp suggested:

I would like to see rare random events where an independent monster attempts to conquer a province, if successful he moves around the map randomly taking provinces until he is slain.
============================
Endoperez suggested:

I like the idea of wandering monsters, but I like the idea of wandering groups even more! I haven't tested if it's possible to give an independent mover (like the Unfettered) units, but if it works:


Druid with N3H3
guarded by a Kithaironic Lion, Great Eagle, Fall Bear, Dire Wolf
10 Great Lions
10 Dire Wolves
10 Moose
10 Giant Spiders (MA Mictlan, spawned after a rider dies)
15 Horned Serpents
various Wolves, Black Hawks, Great Eagles, Spring Hawks, Jaguars etc
Message: A druid has lead the animals of the province in crusade against their oppressors. 2000 people have been killed and unrest has increased. (Growth 2+, Magic 1+)
Alternative (Kailasa, Bandar Log, Patala only): A druid with an army of animals has decided to serve your cause. (Luck 1+, Magic 1+)


Troll King
Trolls, Moose Knights, War Trolls etc
Message: A Troll King has declared war on your land, and lead a suprise attack through a previously undiscovered tunnel. (Misf 1+, Magic 1+, adds an Earth site that increases unrest).


Skratti with Brazen Vessel, Blood Thorn
2 Niefel Giants (EA Niefelheim)
4 Jotun Skinshifters
4 Jotun Hirdmen
Message: A renegade Skratti has experimented with forbidden knowledge, and has managed to reawaken some of the ancient Niefel Giants. Now he's wandering in the countryside, capturing virgins to summon Illwinter!


Incanus the Shadow Seer (ethereal mage from the Tower of Nexus) with F4S4, Sword of Swiftness, Ring of Wizardry
guarded by two Hoburg Champions and one Ivy King
30 Heavy Horsemen (MA Tien Chi, light lance, comp. bow, prot 14)
40 Vine Ogres
60 Vinemen
Message: A strange wizard clad in grey garb has lead an army to free the world from your tyranny. The locals claim that he's been protecting them for centuries.


Telcontar the Warden with Fire Brand, Wraith Crown, Stone Sphere, Pendant of Luck
guarded by a Black Plate Infantry (MA Ulm, battleaxe)
guarded by a Defender (LA Man, HI, sword and crossbow)
a Yavana Archer (EA Kailasa, immortal magic being with awe and bow)
20 Wights
20 Wardens
20 Banes
40 Woodsmen
Message: A man who claims divine ancestry has declared himself the King of all humans, and his army of the dead has started carving his kingdom by conquering yours!


Also, if stealthy independents are possible:
Underhill the Horticulturist (hoburg independent, stealthy N1 mage) with Duskdagger, Weightless Scale Mail, Precious
a unit Hoburg militia (hoburg independent, stealthy)
a unit Likho (Bogarus summon, old hag that causes misfortune)
Message: Strange events are occuring and superstition among the people is increasing.


Also, what would be more fun than:
Message: A Doom Horror has decided to wreak havok on this world! (needs Misf 3, Magic 3, can't appear before turn 50).
=======================================
my own stray though (Gandalf's) for
-- Bogus Group:
If I wanted MY DnD adventurers party to show up in the game like Johan and Kristoffer have done, can I? Yes but the overhead for that would probably make it something that is best done as a seperate mod than as part of this big-scenario project.
======================================

[Gandalf Parker]

LordChance reports this:
Poked around in your ideas for the scenario earlier noticed that you asked about AI using custom spells it does...
By chance I made a really mean and cheap spell (was intended as a ritual not a combat spell ) and in the following test that AI killed everyone (including me) was a summon spell and likely there is a reason that most in combat spells are resonably bad or cost gems.