Small suggestions for the next patch

[Ewierl]

Edi said:
2) Bullcrap. They get what heroics they get and that's that. If it's not directly useful in optimally boosting the hero, too bad. He's a hero, but he might be most famous for something not actually related to his main occupation (e.g. mages with heroic strength). Otherwise I'd want 3rd Eye for all of my mages and either Heroic Agility or Awe for all of my other heroes.

Gotta disagree with that one. While it would indeed be too good to be able to choose heroics, the current system sucks, because certain heroic abilities (most notable obesity) can actually screw the hero involved. My mage would never have become a famous wizard if he were always so fat he can't cast many spells. No player should ever be thinking, "Oh no, please don't let this mage become heroic..."

If nothing else, Unequaled Obesity should be kept off mages; other heroics can be no worse than useless, unless I'm forgetting some other esoteric one.
While it's hard to automatically determine whether a commander is a fighter or a mage, I would really like to see UO forbidden from any commander with any non-Priest magic paths. Or, frankly, removed from the game, since it's at least as likely to be bad as good.

[Gandalf Parker]

If you have ever seen the writing styles of the developers, you might change your mind asking for in-game help. Johan, the programmer, tends to know the game too deeply and answer questions using very few words. The results are not all that helpful. Kristoffer, the designer, writes most of the test that you see in the game. Its great role-playing storyline stuff but maybe abit much for a help file.

The best documentation and manuals have been done by players all thru Dominions. And I think for most games. The developers are just too deep to think like newbies. Maybe a way to access an external help database from inside the game (the way many of the Windows programs do) so that the help file could be bamintained by users. But that seems like alot of overhead to add to a game that already allows shelling out pretty easily so you can access player-created help files now.

[mivayan]

Ewierl said:
If nothing else, Unequaled Obesity should be kept off mages; other heroics can be no worse than useless, unless I'm forgetting some other esoteric one.
While it's hard to automatically determine whether a commander is a fighter or a mage, I would really like to see UO forbidden from any commander with any non-Priest magic paths.

There is Heroic Stupidity, I think it reduces magic.

I disagree about limiting unequelled Obesity. It's never worse than +3 enc, and more hp might save a mage from spells or arrows.

Or, frankly, removed from the game, since it's at least as likely to be bad as good.

But it's so neat to get it on an undead thug, like a black serveant...

[FAJ]

Heroic abilities don't necasarily have to help you. its just like a random event. usually it is nice, but there is often a price for fame and success. I cand efinitly see an experianced mage becomeing indulgent and becoming obese and having it affect him adversly. I think the randomnness is nice.

also,
I think in battle replays you should be able to click on the messages in the top left to be able to find the commander that cast the spell and the spell description.

[jutetrea]

Wishful improvements

1. Dismiss - already mentioned

2. Monthly forging - already mentioned

3. Improved gem usage AI - or just a simple max gem usage 1,2,3,4,5, etc

4. rearmost = rearmost

5. Spell sorting by level - press a for all air spells, press 2 for all 2nd lvl spells

6. Some sort of option, and I don't even know what - but if I have a 2E2A mage and a bunch of path boost items I'd like to see in the forging screen somehow to denote POSSIBLE forged items kind of like the grey'd out spells. Flipping through the manual can get annoying for potential constructables

7. Ability to add items to carcator, nethgul, hrolgar, tin knight - they have the slots methinks

8. Fine with UO on mages - oh noes, STOP eating!

9. Improved experience display system - kind of mentioned - click, see kills/wounded/wins/losses,shrug

10. Better game end - Scorecard would be an easy improvement a la galciv (use better equations!). i.e. total killed, total produced, total forts taken, total forts produced, total heroes, total hero killed, total killed by melee/magic (probably impossible), best research (maybe per path), most globals, globals dispelled, total pretender kills/deaths, total constructed, total gems spent, etc, etc... with a few equations and a line/bar graph or final number. Game Over Quit! is just anticlimatic.

11. Probably Dom4 - Basic Diplomacy!!! Bribe, Demand, Ally, Declare war, Declare Peace, no allied wins as we are striving for godhood. Probably included - monthly "tribute". Galciv has a great diplo system, probably more than I'd actually like to see here (don't think you should be able to trade spells, or troops, but provinces, items, gold, gems). "I'll give you xxx province if you leave me alone"

12. Sad to say - but a tutorial for the tutorial. Got a few friends that are ADD or something, they can't deal with the learning curve. Maybe 5 tutorials, each pre-set for a few types of action. Small map - recruit, form army, adjust, attack.

13. Turn memory - mentioned many times in other places. But I think it would completely add another facet to the game if modders could script - in turn 10 event such and such happens, in turn 20 Enemy AI gains x bonuses.

14. On kill events - i.e. quest rewards - got a nice indy you've been bulking up for, finally win...but the pretty items routed away! no fear, you still get a better reward than a 1D gem site. Especially cool on Faerun map (which is fun as hell once randomized - if i could just keep the names right)

15. Anything that reduces micro near end game for SP.

16. Anything that makes a modder's life easier - a scenario builder (a la turn memory, events) would be awesome!

17. Maybe events (rare!) that mess around with neighbor settings to a limited extent? Landslides, short term astral portals, ether vortexes, whirlpools.

18. More treasury slots

EDIT: 19. Sortable/filter treasury by slot/type

Love the game as it is, but improvements are always cool!

[Hadrian_II]

jutetrea said:
3. Improved gem usage AI - or just a simple max gem usage 1,2,3,4,5, etc

this would be really nice. maybe with an option to set the mages to dont use any gems if not scripted by hand. on the other hand it would be nice if the mages cast their spells i script, even if they cost gems.

jutetrea said:
5. Spell sorting by level - press a for all air spells, press 2 for all 2nd lvl spells

at least the variant with the elements is in, on the research menu you can press the key of the element and it only shows the coresponding spells.

jutetrea said:
15. Anything that reduces micro near end game for SP.

maybe a function that you can specify in a castle wich unittype you want to recruit, and then it automatically recruits the maximum possible of this unit. Army movement over multiple turns would be nice also

most other things you mention are nice also, but i dont quote them as it would make a huge post.

What i personnaly would like:

1. More control over what the mages do, either more than 5 slots or to give the mage a spell to cast repeatedly (somehow most of my mages manage to cast crap if not scripted)

2. A Possibility to avoid friendly fire, maybe an option for the archers only to fire on enemys more than 2 squares away from your units. (and if nearer only if they d hit for sure)
Its annoying to take big losses from friendly fire, especially while the enemy is routing.

[jutetrea]

Agree on the friendly fire.

One more thing:

Categorize all spells as either Offensive, Defensive or misc (or something).. hmm and probably add caster only target spells somehow

Then have a script be cast offense, cast defense, cast any, DON'T cast defense, DON'T cast offense.

Just annoys me that unscripted mages in a huge army spend 4 turns buffing, then dish it out... increases micro by a lot as you have to change scripts as you research new spells.

Heck a simple "no caster only" would be cool

[Gandalf Parker]

Those are all good but some hints for now...

Most peoples problem with rearmost is that they arent looking at the battlefield thru the eyes of the units. You can improve rearmost by giving your units a clearer view of the battlefield. Far flanking positions, hold commands to allow most of the battle to move past them, then attack rearmost. Attacking archers for one round and then attacking rearmost can work well also.

You can also improve picking up items by having more commanders with empty slots be nearby when their commanders die. Having all of your commanders on "stay at rear" or loaded with items doesnt get you much. Also increasing luck by scales or items might help altho I havent tested that.

Friendly fire can also be helped by taking on the view of the units. Positioning shooters to the flanks helps, or where they can do long arching shots such as at enemy archers.

[thejeff]

Any evidence that finding items is affected by more commanders or closer commanders?

I've had mages at the rear of the field pick up stuff from people killed in the enemies back field, so I'm a little skeptical.

Obviously having empty slots is necessary.

[jutetrea]

Cav I can understand - I usually do hold and attack rear for cav to let it clear a bit. What bugs me are flying units. I try to position them back corner or extreme flank even with the front - either hold or cast 3 spells then attack rear. If i even make it back to the archers I'm generally surprised, and not shocked at all when he drops smack dab in the center of the melee. Is flying restricted by AP's by any chance?

Does actual distance from the item holding enemy matter? or just empty slots in the army? i.e. if the enemy commander is killed by a full flyer at rear (ha!) will the items go to someone with empty slots stanying behind troops?

I've always figured it was just a crapshoot what items you actually got - I'm usually happy if they are full and I get 1 or 2 out of it.

Friendly fire - yeah, i pretty much just fire at archers (better chance of commander hit) or prepare to take a friendly fire beating. Someone mentioned at some point that shielded units make a difference and I have to agree.