Conceptual Balance Mod 1.41

[Wrana]

An idea of such sites being announced to all players is good. Of course, it will require cooperation from those who find them. In this case, it's a pity that the current patch doesn't allow sites to be seen by scouts/scrying. Of course, this also goes beyond the mod scope...
As for unique recruits idea, I don't think it has any feasibility. By the time such sites are found and become useful, one more SC just isn't going to cut it. He will be much more useful if site is found at early game, but it probably won't be found at this time. "Lots of gold and resources" probably fall into the same category - they are useful at start, but not so much at lategame, while discount sites are other way around.

[llamabeast]

With lch's help, it looks possible that such a feature could be included in the llamaserver. That won't be for a couple of months though.

[Burnsaber]

Originally Posted by llamabeast

With lch's help, it looks possible that such a feature could be included in the llamaserver. That won't be for a couple of months though.

Sweeet.

That's pretty much the best fix. It takes away the most problematic aspect of these sites, the secrecy. Now their power has price.

You found Sacrificial Circle? Congratulations, you can use it to attain great power. Just be prepared to defend it. At least the player who finds the site has two turns to reinforce his defenses.

May I also suggest to make the post to other players pretty epic. I was thinking something along the line of the Dire Portent messages when someone casts a global. Different one for each site would be perfect, me thinks, but could be a lot of work. If there's need for it, I could take a shot at writing these messages (there probably are better writers out there, thought).

In the mean time, I made a mod to eliminate the 19 problematic sites (DBS = Disable Bonus Sites). I've set them to rarity = 5, so that they cannot be randomly generated, only placed by map and mod commands.

[lch]

Originally Posted by Burnsaber

May I also suggest to make the post to other players pretty epic. I was thinking something along the line of the Dire Portent messages when someone casts a global. Different one for each site would be perfect, me thinks, but could be a lot of work. If there's need for it, I could take a shot at writing these messages (there probably are better writers out there, thought).

Yeah, you should better give examples of what you'd like to see instead of merely suggesting them. That way they'll be implemented a lot faster.

[Illuminated One]

Originally Posted by Burnsaber

Sweeet.

That's pretty much the best fix. It takes away the most problematic aspect of these sites, the secrecy. Now their power has price.

You found Sacrificial Circle? Congratulations, you can use it to attain great power. Just be prepared to defend it. At least the player who finds the site has two turns to reinforce his defenses.

May I also suggest to make the post to other players pretty epic. I was thinking something along the line of the Dire Portent messages when someone casts a global. Different one for each site would be perfect, me thinks, but could be a lot of work. If there's need for it, I could take a shot at writing these messages (there probably are better writers out there, thought).

In the mean time, I made a mod to eliminate the 19 problematic sites (DBS = Disable Bonus Sites). I've set them to rarity = 5, so that they cannot be randomly generated, only placed by map and mod commands.

I guess if you are doing that the best format would be

id [tab] Text [some sign that is never used like @][break]
...

Or leave the id way and make just a line for every possible site ordered by ID.

Text [some sign that is never used like @][break] for sites that should be announced
- [break] for normal sites

That would require the least amount of reformating.

[Wrana]

Agree - that would be the best way.

[JimMorrison]

Seems to me that just cutting them is a little heavy handed. Since they can't be modified, a module could be built for CBM that disables these, but makes new versions with the same name, that are given weaker - but still useful - bonuses.

But it needs to be optional, so you can still have them available in SP, while also enjoying CBM.

[llamabeast]

That won't be for a couple of months though.

At least the player who finds the site has two turns to reinforce his defenses.

Lest there was any confusion, I meant it will be a month or two till I have time (because I will have finished my thesis! yay!). Then hopefully there is going to be a party of llamabeast activity, not least I will finally release my endgame summons mod and fix the lovely long list of llamaserver suggestions and glitches.

[Burnsaber]

Originally Posted by lch

Yeah, you should better give examples of what you'd like to see instead of merely suggesting them. That way they'll be implemented a lot faster.

Okay, heres a quick one for Ultimate Gateway. It's not too polished, just to show what I mean. I can write one for each site, if you have the need.

The myths have been proven right! A great pillar of light has been seen, ascending to the heavens from province Y. The God X has found the tear in reality, the festering wound on creation, the one caused by ancient horrors in times aeons past. It is a source of great arcane might, the Ultimate Gateway between which is and which can be, a testament of pure potential. Extraodinary creatures previously known only in myths and legends will heed the call of the Gateway, flocking to the well of arcane might. X can easily subjugate these creatures into service and use their might on the rise to godhood.

The endless legions of creatures from the gate are a sign of God X's divinity and will soon flood the world. Show that you are the one true God! Take the Ultimate Gateway from the heretics and make the legions scream your name!

I admit that there is a possibility of just using the informational route, but I don't think that would thematically fitting to game like dom3.

The God X has found site A, which grants conjuration bonus of Y. The site resides in province B.

Originally Posted by Burnsaber

At least the player who finds the site has two turns to reinforce his defenses.

Oh, Llamabeast what I meant by this was that when this is implemented, the guy who finds the site has would probably have two turns to reinforce his defenses. Since I don't know how this mystery program works, it's just a quess. Should've mentioned that.

Turn X: Player 1 finds Ultimate Gateway, starts sending in mages & protectors. Player sends his turn. The amazing program finds that Ultimate Gateway has been found, sends message to all other players.

Turn X+1: Other players receive the message of the Gateway. NAP's are cancelled, Teleports & Cloud Trapezes casted, mayhem ensues*.

So player 1 has turns X + (X + 1) to establish defences before any actual attacks & battles may happen.

* Well, probably not. People are usually busy in MP and probably won't have resources to assault another player immediately just because he found a cool site. But you know, diplomacy might be tough if people know that you have a gateway.

[lch]

Originally Posted by Burnsaber

Since I don't know how this mystery program works, it's just a quess.

The "mystery program" would know that a new site has been found exactly in the turn that the site has been uncovered by a player. It could then generate a report via mail or web to other players, or postpone this by a few turns, if a more elaborate mechanism which caches those is being used.