Message from Abysia

[Endoperez]

Morale system has been redone, so the dying imps don't make Molochs rout. An easier way to test this is to play EA Yomi. Besides everything else they get, the Dai Oni start with three wolves in every battle. Perhaps they're there to protect them from assassins or something...

[st.patrik]

KissBlade said:
Seriously, I've said this numerous times in the channel. Old Age: Dumbest mechanic ever. What is it for? Flavor? Annoyance? Adding in even more random factors for a strategy game? Lame.

Actually I think it's a pretty good addition - now instead of your most powerful mage being the obvious buy (if you have the money) maybe you'll think about buying some younger mages, who last awhile longer. Thus more units get used, and the game just got more strategic depth.

[Nerfix]

I also like it. Besides it's fun to scramble for ways to prolong the life of your brittle mages.

[Daynarr]

Makes nature magic very desired as well. GoH almost the best spell in game since it actually cures old age afflictions (unlike healing).

[Ballbarian]

So far I like the age mechanic and I do not see it as a random factor but rather another strategic factor to consider.

[Cainehill]

st.patrik said:

Actually I think it's a pretty good addition - now instead of your most powerful mage being the obvious buy (if you have the money) maybe you'll think about buying some younger mages, who last awhile longer. Thus more units get used, and the game just got more strategic depth.

Eh, I've seen nations whose "youngest" mages are still getting diseased by old age before the demo runs out. I have to agree with KissBlade - it's a mechanic whose unintended consequence is simply to irritate the living snot out of many if not most players.

Of course, doing away with the option to view the spell lists while creating your pretender (as you could in Dom2) might also seems to be designed to irritate players. Ditto for removing the mechanism for having researching commanders greyed out when looking at a province on the map - how the beta testers let that one go by I'll never know. Doing away with themes, thus limitting diversity and removing one of the only ways to try to get close to using all your pretender points? _Hopefully_ some of these are oversites that'll get fixed via patches, but Old Age may be the single change that keeps me from getting as much game time from Dom3 as Dom2.

[KissBlade]

st.patrik said:

Actually I think it's a pretty good addition - now instead of your most powerful mage being the obvious buy (if you have the money) maybe you'll think about buying some younger mages, who last awhile longer. Thus more units get used, and the game just got more strategic depth.

How does it add more strategy? Cheapie mages had always been the favored researchers as they offer the best Research per Gold ratio. The reason people purchase expensive ones is because they offer the best combinations for battle mages and sometimes gives you the desired paths to cast a spell. Instead now, there's an even worse random factor because you could've finally got that S5 mage you're looking for and OOPS FEEBLEMINDED BECAUSE OF OLD AGE! Not to mention, there's the varying lifespan per nation which makes me think it's even sillier (Despite flavor reasons). I think I'd rather reliable mages than hiring some guys who'll just keel over when you're about to embark on an expedition. "Sorry our war against Ryleh went poorly because their mages are all still alive while half ours keeled over from old age".

[Nerfix]

I think someone had bad experience with old mages...

[Tortanick]

well it dose limit just how many philosophers you can stack up. I wonder why there is no game option to have old age or not though.

[Kristoffer O]

> Of course, doing away with the option to view the spell lists while creating your pretender (as you could in Dom2) might also seems to be designed to irritate players. Ditto for removing the mechanism for having researching commanders greyed out when looking at a province on the map - how the beta testers let that one go by I'll never know. Doing away with themes, thus limitting diversity and removing one of the only ways to try to get close to using all your pretender points? _Hopefully_ some of these are oversites that'll get fixed via patches, but Old Age may be the single change that keeps me from getting as much game time from Dom3 as Dom2.

Didn't you read the company pages. Our real goal is the end of the world. By making an addictive game and then thrash it in the next version is a very good way to make lots of people irritated, use swear words, curse at politicians who then will go to work annoyed and start one or several small wars. In the best of worlds these politicins were also gamers believing thet there can only be ONE.

We are aware that there are people that will not like the ageing mechanic. Some in the beta didn't. Me an JK do. I got quite annoyed when I got my blood 4 Warlock diseased by old age in an MP test, but I've been annoyed before and will probably be again in a month or two. I know how I will feel and I'm not too concerned. Irritation passes.

> I wonder why there is no game option to have old age or not though.

You mean like in real life . If there is a wider consensus among fans there will probably appear an MP mod that alters the startage or maxage of nations with shorter lifespans. Perhaps an (EB) emotional balance mod to remove irritating or overly rewarding random elements such as age and heroes .