Liquid Research and a Lock out button - Page 2

Gandalf Parker · #1 January 6th, 2009, 05:34 PM

I wouldnt mind a way to specify what is next. Such as when Im only 20 points from getting 2nd lvl evocation. So that as soon as it level in evocation switch to conjuration without me having to nitpick the amount of points in each then remember to drop the points in evocation next turn.

Aezeal · #2 January 6th, 2009, 05:51 PM

you are all just lazy (except Sombre who voiced the same opionion just more compact)

Gandalf Parker · #3 January 6th, 2009, 06:04 PM

Granted. But isnt that what is usually behind feature requests?

Omnirizon · #4 January 6th, 2009, 07:15 PM

well if your catching up research in late game, it isn't unheard of to be able to be able to level up three or more paths in one turn. if you absolutely NEED a particular spell for a big battle in the next turn, then it is really important to have the lock out feature. otherwise you spend 15 minutes attempting to get right amount into each bar.

lch · #5 January 7th, 2009, 06:17 AM

The suggestion of locking the RP set into magic paths is a really old one. That was one of the first things that I wished for when I've been playing Dom2, too. But it really makes no sense whatsoever to put points into more than two schools at a time, the first what you want researched right now and the second for leftover points that you plan to spend elsewhere after you reached that next level. Sometimes it's not really exact, but I think that you can always achieve to spend points up to +/- 1 point at least.

vfb · #6 January 7th, 2009, 07:03 AM

Yes it does make sense: when you only need to go up one level in that 2nd path, and your total research is higher than the incremental research needed to get that one level. It happens all the time to me, especially if I concentrate on just a couple paths for the early game.

lch · #7 January 7th, 2009, 08:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by vfb

Yes it does make sense: when you only need to go up one level in that 2nd path, and your total research is higher than the incremental research needed to get that one level. It happens all the time to me, especially if I concentrate on just a couple paths for the early game.

That's a border case, but usually it can only be experienced when you have an enormous amount of RP from lots of mages and have neglected some schools before. In that case, it usually doesn't matter. But while it isn't easy, it's still possible to split up the RP well enough so that you can break the next level in multiple schools at the same time. It does require a little bit of fiddling around, and sometimes it involves spending more points into a school than you need and reducing them later on again, or even temporarily putting points into a school that you don't plan to research in the end. It feels like playing Towers of Hanoi or the Can't Stop game. We could make a competition out of it, who is able to spend the points the closest to the optimum?

I'm willing to bet that you can get it up to +/- 2 RP with more than two schools at the same time, that's what I usually got out of it in MP gaming.

Being able to lock research for a school in the GUI would make all this fiddling around with the markers unnecessary, yes. But the suggestion isn't new and thus I have my doubts if it's going to get implemented.

Humakty · #8 January 7th, 2009, 10:25 AM

A lock feature is exactly the kind of thing I'd expect of a ten+ programmer team, working on those big projects, like HOI for example. As we all know, dom3 is under the 'lone wolf programmer' curse, so it's a bit harsh to ask them features that are not even guaranteed in blockbusters.

As a conclusion, I'd say stop asking for lock option (frivolous), and let them add 3 new nations and 200 spells for the next patch (much needed indeed). They can't do everything, ya know ?

Endoperez · #9 January 7th, 2009, 12:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Humakty

As a conclusion, I'd say stop asking for lock option (frivolous), and let them add 3 new nations and 200 spells for the next patch (much needed indeed). They can't do everything, ya know ?

New nations don't usually require any programming (unless Kristoffer wants to add a new ability, like forestshape or population-eating).

Furthermore, if it would take ten men to make the change, Johan can ignore this discussion and do something else. If he thinks it wouldn't be too hard, he can add it in. This is a low-priority fix and probably boring as well, so I doubt he we'll see this. But then, who knows, Johan has been on a roll lately and fixed a lot of old bugs and weirdnesses, even improved the user interface.

vfb · #10 January 7th, 2009, 11:42 AM

I agree, it's totally possible to still optimize the research levels (excepting the +-10 RP that you can't hit exactly). I can't remember off the top of my head, but it's something like, if you move the top slider down, the one below it goes up ... or something.

And sorry, by "all the time", I mean a couple times in the midgame almost every game, because I'm always neglecting a couple paths.