Nagas and other "lost" pretenders

[Pocus]

Originally posted by johan osterman:
I am not sure this have been obvious enough, or perhaps you do not think it is enough of an improvement on scripting etc. There is in the latest Version of the beta the ability save a script or a set of orders and copy it to another commander. You can have up to ten scripts in memory simultaneously by pressing [ctrl]+[number] to copy and [number] to paste.

I read that, I think the suggestion was from Daynarr. I was unsure if this would be implemented for true, or was just a feature in testing. If this is validated & found in the final release, then is it great news.

thanks for your time.

[Truper]

Originally posted by MStavros:
IW should take a lesson from Timegate [Kohan developers], they are an awesome company.
They are always communicating via their message board with the fans, and they are always listening to them. That is the key to make a successful game. If you say things like: 'We like it this way, this won't be changed.', you will loose more fans for sure.
Think about it, before posting that sentence in any form. [/QB]

Are you aware that Illwinter released no fewer than 15 patches to Dominions 1, and that the vast majority of them were for the purpose of implementing improvements suggested by the player community? Implying that Illwinter is unresponsive is absurd.

[st.patrik]

Originally posted by MStavros:
That is the key to make a successful game. If you say things like: 'We like it this way, this won't be changed.', you will loose more fans for sure.
Think about it, before posting that sentence in any form.

It all depends on how you define 'successful' - a lot of fans' suggestions aren't very good; if you as a company incorporate all (or even most) of them you may be popular because you listen to what players want, but chances are your game will suck. I think IW (rightly IMO) are more interested in making a well-balanced game than having every player suggestion included. And again, I say this as someone who has made plenty of suggestions, so I'm not against making suggestions.

[ October 06, 2003, 15:28: Message edited by: st.patrik ]

[licker]

I don't think there's any real animosity between illwinter and any of their fans, just people who want to see Dom2 be the best that it can be, though that 'best' can and is different for different people

I will second (or third or whatever number I am) the suggestions that would leed to Dom2 becoming more of a macro oriented game, I think everyone has done enough micro games, and Dom1, while containing elements of micro, really is more of a macro type game than it is micro. For the sake of clarification (sticking with fantasy themed games) I consider HoMM and AoW to be micro oriented games, what they consist of mostly is learning the proper order in which to build up your cities, then doing it, then learning the proper order in which to build up your troops. Its fun for a while, but it gets really dull and annoying (especially HoMM) after a while, becasue you *have* to do things in a certain order, and you can't automate it very effectively.

Dom is much better in lessening that aspect, partially because it abstracts all the improvment building into the province statistics, but also because it isn't as geared toward that type of thinking. Where I run into problems with Dom1 is in the issuing of orders to troops and mages, for this some saved scripts (as has been impemented apparently) would be a real god send. It would also be nice to be able to issue permanent orders for anything (already done for patroling and repeat rituals), and stacked orders for site searching mages or sneaking commanders/armies.

It sounds like Dom2 is orders of magnatude more user friendly then Dom1 already with the empire screen (F4 right?) and other already implemented improvments, so I am hopeful now that once Dom2 has been out for a few weeks and people have kicked it around, working out any remaining bugs or balance issues, the devs will have the time and desire to address further UI, or 'player friendly' improvments.

[Kristoffer O]

Thanks for the support!

We like you too!

[ October 06, 2003, 18:58: Message edited by: Kristoffer O ]

[Nerfix]

Originally posted by Kristoffer O:
Thanks for the support!

We like you too!

That hasn't anything to do with that we are paying customers?


Anyway, shortly put, you make quality work, and quality work is what i respect.

Oh yeah, a friendly word of marketing advice:
Maybe you should replace the current batle pics at Shrapnel's page with depixelaed sprites? Pixelated units can scare customers away...

[Jasper]

Originally posted by johan osterman:
I am not sure this have been obvious enough, or perhaps you do not think it is enough of an improvement on scripting etc. There is in the latest Version of the beta the ability save a script or a set of orders and copy it to another commander. You can have up to ten scripts in memory simultaneously by pressing [ctrl]+[number] to copy and [number] to paste.

Cool! This is the best thing I've heard about Dom 2 yet.

Dominions 1 frankly has a _lot_ of micromanagement. When playing a competitive late game on even a small map like Dandelion, my turns take me hours to finish -- and I could easily spend more time and improve my play.

This is the prime reason that so many multiplayer games stall in the end game and are never finished. For example, the "Grana" game hosted by Illwinter a while back, which I believe we were both in (I played Pangaea as a Medusa).

Most of this micromanagement for me comes from giving units orders -- all units that can reasonably be in combat must be scripted to do well, and during a war these orders often must change from turn to turn due to changing threats, gem availability, force mixture, etc.

Further improvements in this area could easily cut by half the time it takes me to finish a turn. Needless to say this would be a Good Thing, and I suspect it's what Pocus is getting at as well.

[ October 06, 2003, 22:38: Message edited by: Jasper ]

[johan osterman]

Yeah, I was Jotunheim. I beat myself bloody on Caelum, and was swallowed by Abysia.

[Pocus]

Originally posted by johan osterman:
a)There is obviously a problem for some players, other wise you wouldn't complain. In our experience it seems to be less of a problem than it appears to you.

This is my main point. I dont want my comments to be perceived as bitter remarks. I know well that you have heard in the past, many time, the numerous complaints of players.

I know well the issues you are reporting, and take account of them. That IW is a small team, mostly doing the work on hobby time for example. I wont discuss the 'problem' any further, because baring a massive poll on this topic, poll which could reasonably be launched only after some weeks or even months of playing dominions II, baring this, you would not be convinced, and me neither, that the problem is widespread, or is reduced to a hard core community of fanatic players.

The forum is a place of discussion, I felt appropriate to rise (again) the issue, because it is one for some players. I'm not speaking alone, and I dont feel either that I have the right to have anything from IW, except perhaps some explainations that you just gave me. SO everything is ok. I will play eargerly doms II, and will surely either recognize that the 'issues' some of us were having have dispareared, or, on the other hand, are still there. Then I will bring again the 'problem' on this forum.

[Psitticine]

Originally posted by Pocus:
The following 'critics' are not directed toward you, and, I hope, will be felt constructives. I'm sorry if I'm offending anybody with them

FWIW, your post is far from offensive-seeming to me. It reads to me like you took time to think out what you wanted to say about an important issue and presented a careful piece of criticism. As always, people may or may not agree, but I don't think anybody would think you're trying to do anything but be constructive.

All just IMHO, of course, but I thought I'd toss that out there. I hope everybody will continue to express their thoughts, ideas, suggestions, and, yes, their criticisms. Illwinter has been extrememly open and communicative, IMO, and I think they also deserve credit for being honest about their thinking when they disagree with others (even when they disagree with ME! ) The better the communication is on both sides, players and developers, the brighter the game's future.