The Dominions 3: "Wishlist"

[Endoperez]

izaqyos said:
Kristoffer, is your avatar taken from dom-III? -Is it by anyway a new angel or a new image for the harbringer?

I read somewhere that in Dom-III angels will be more powerful. I sure hope they would be.

Took me some time to find, because I had forgotten to paste it into the same text file the other two DevDiaries are in. EDIT: This was number 3, the February one.

Another topic is the Angels. I like Angels, more than Devils actually, but I never
really liked the Angels in Dominions. They are ugly, they are friendly and they don't
sing. Devils are way cooler, and that is bad. Bad to the bone. Angels rule, or should
rule. Impossible to behold they mete out the justice of the Lord or praise Him with their otherworldly hymns. So now the Angels have new sprites that I like. I have the harbinger
as my new forum avatar. Seems appropriate. Now they have to be revamped to be on par
with Arch Devils. There is also a new angelic being to match the Demon Lords. Feels
good.

[WraithLord]

Endoperez said:

Took me some time to find, because I had forgotten to paste it into the same text file the other two DevDiaries are in. EDIT: This was number 3, the February one.

Thanks.

Bad news for Pythium and Arco

[Kristoffer O]

> Kristoffer, is your avatar taken from dom-III? -Is it by anyway a new angel or a new image for the harbringer?

Correct, a harbinger it is. A fitting avatar I thought.

You will also get a six winged seraphim.

[WraithLord]

seraphim.
That's actually a word in hebrew.
IIRC it describes a cast or an order of angels.
I also checked and there's an entry about them in wikipedia.
Oh and check out the article about Metatron.

Having six wings?- Would it give them any benefit, like higher strategic movement?


Thanks for this interesting information.

[Chazar]

izaqyos said:
seraphim. Having six wings?- Would it give them any benefit, like higher strategic movement?

What about an increased chance to spread the bird flu? Angels, hmm?! A proper sort-of-evil theme for my beloved Caelum-birdies would be nice though. However, neither blood nor death would be really fitting thematically... Maybe something similar to Ctis Miasma: Unholy units that spread diseases in cold provinces. Maybe most units should start diseased (for a proper reduction in cost). Everything else should be frozen to death. Less lightning, more frost, after all Caelum prefers Cold 3:
It is cold here, cold enough to chill my lips blue, cold enough to still my aching heart, cold enough to turn my wayward thoughts to ice.
If you seek warmth, comfort, or easy victory, if you strike in haste, are quick to anger, and must do battle while your blood is hot, then turn away from me, for I offer no heat. Those who embrace me will become as I am, cold.[img]/threads/images/Graemlins/Cold.gif[/img]

[Ed Kolis]

Isn't seraphim the plural form? The proper singular is seraph...

[WraithLord]

Ed Kolis said:
Isn't seraphim the plural form? The proper singular is seraph...

Correct. the "im" is suffix for male plural in hebrew.
same as "kruvim" and "kruv" (I think it's cherubs and cherub in english), another angelic order.

[Endoperez]

Wrong THREAD!

So, I posted rather long post to wrong thread... To not just spam the thread, I'll give few ideas that have been on my head for some time already. Unfortunately, I'm not sure if I already mentioned some of them in this thread:

Being able to recruit multiple commanders at the same time:
Instead of a commander slot, each province has a martial slot and arcane slot. A commander who is a priest, mage or both fills the arcane slot. A commander who has knows no magic fills a martial slot. Sometimes I recruit independent commanders just to lead my national units because I DON'T want to NOT recruit a mage. Some commanders could be made to fill BOTH slots (Niefel Lords).

Modding tools: #prophetform:
Currently some units use different, good-looking graphics when made into prophets (Jotun Jarl), while others just get the abilities (Jotun Herse). I wish that special prophet form could be added to any unit. In addition, it would be interesting to have a nation where being a prophet REALLY makes a difference (magic levels).

Map editing: #prophet <nation> <unit number>|<unit type>
Simple (?) addition, very usable in certain scenarios. Works like #pretender; chosen nation starts with unit of chosen type as its prophet.

Spells with Holy magic as requirement.
This has been used in few mods, so it works. In some cases, being a priest would be a very interesting requirement, especially in case of national summons (Tien Chi).

Star for Arena Champion:
The Champion of the Arena gets one Heroic Ability, or something similar chosen from the same pool of effects. It doesn't improve with experience/kills, but rather:
1) with the number of Arena fights that have happened, or
2)with the number of championships the current champion has won, or
3) it doesn't improve at all, but starts at a level where the effect is worth fighting for.


Afflictions for the Chosen:
More different afflictions! Afflictions disrupting the flow of energy in the body of unnatural creatures, a mark sinner left on an angel, etc. More restrictions on afflictions: disease already doesn't work on undead; feeble-mindedness, fear, insanity etc don't affect mindless; flying units can't become limp or crippled, etc. If unit has an affliction that doesn't affect it, hide it from view (undead aren't diseased, mindless aren't feeble-minded). Also, it would be nice to see affliction only spesific creatures can cause or which spesific creatures cause more often: magic units/horrors might Horror Mark those they strike, touch of an angel might take out the will to fight (-2 att, -2 str, -2 mrl), wolves go for tendons and make people crippled/lame more often, terrifying creatures cause Battle Fright more often...

Angels should be able to heal their wounds, if they can't already. Witches (1N1E sacred but without priestly magic, available from few sites) should be able to heal afflictions (much more poorly than e.g. Arcoscephalian Priestesses) or disease (new, possibly passive, ability).

New name list for female demons. Right now, a Succubus might have a name like Ami, Fyllia or *shudder* Polli. You know, in Finland, it is Polli who wants the cracker. Unfortunately, it's more sad than funny. If you rather create a game than invent a patch of crazy words, at least change them to use the undead name list. Some of the undead ones, like "Lepertongue" or "Wormfriend" are strangely fitting...

[RedRover]

I’ve been off for a while looking at how modding is handled in other games (CivFanatic site is awesome--there's even a StarGate mod for Civ2!), and would like to weigh in with some specific modding wishes. First, though, are two wishes I haven’t seen mentioned, but that I would really like to see in Dom3:

TWO WISHES

Default Button: I wish for a Default Button to reset the game to the original “classic” game parameters once I have totally changed everything in the setup screen. This is IMO the single most desirable feature, if the huge number of setup choices other people wished for are implemented. (Don’t get me wrong—I’m first in line for more setup choices. But I also want the classic base game the developers are designing, regardless of how badly I've fiddled the game options.)

Time Flag: It would be highly useful if the main map screen had a tag (maybe in the lower right-hand corner) that toggles between Game Turn, Game Time (e.g.: Late Spring), and Real Time (Clock). It would be much more convenient than going to the End Turn screen for Game Turn, Message screen for Seasonal Turn, and Desktop for real time.

MODDING WISHES

Modding Tool, LGR: The single most useful modding tool I can think of is a Local Group Randomizer. This would let a scenario designer specify a group of elements by name or number and place one or more elements from a library file into the group randomly.

For example, on the Cradle map, I might create a scenario in which I want the special magic sites (only) to have L4 sites (only). In this case, I don’t care which L4 site goes in which special site, as long as each special site on the map has a L4 magic site and all L4 sites in the scenario are assigned to the special sites.

Or I might have a scenario in which a specific site will be located in only one of half a dozen potential locations (King Arthur/Grail).

This might be modified with a locking function so each element in the library file is flagged closed once it is used (and resets to open when the last is used). For example, I could set up an element file of 24 sites, only eight of which, all different, would be selected randomly for a given map.

This would, for example, make it easier to keep the ratio of L1 to L2 to L3 to L4 sites the same, and Path distribution roughly equal, while allowing a theoretically infinite number of special sites in the library files. Since most people like making complex/weird power/high-gem sites more than low-gem plain vanilla sites, this would prevent the former from overwhelming the latter by sheer number once modders start adding their creations to the game.

Mod Tool, Default Designator: This tool would let me designate specific game elements as defaults for a modpak, so hitting the default reset button when the mod is enabled would reset these specified elements to the modpack defaults rather than the standard game defaults.

Modding Tool, Event Scheduler: Assuming we will pick up the ability to mod random events and expand the Dom 3 event list, I wish for the additional capability to set specific triggers for events. For example, an event that 1)creates (or destroys) game element such as a magic site or unit on a given game turn, or 2) a certain number of turns after a specified event occurs, or 3)after the creation/destruction of a specific unit. The LGR might be combined with this to allow one of a limited file of events to occur, or even to randomize a turn of occurrence within a specified range of turns.

Mod Tools, Link Tracking for Spells/Abilities: You can change parameters of spells, weapons, and so on. However, I wish the Dom 3 mod utility could also tell you where else a spell or weapon is embedded in the game; that is, which other game elements your change will affect.

For example, if I replace the “Call of the Wild” spell with the all-new “Vine Jaguar” spell, it would be nice to know that I’m also messing up the “Soulstone of the Wolves” magic item, a detail I might otherwise forget.

New Magic Item Effect, Visibility Curse: A unit equipped with this cursed item has any stealth function disabled. In addition to a new standard item (1A1S Amulet of Location?), the Soul Contract might be given this attribute to remove the “hide from Horrors” exploit.

This concept might be expanded to allow almost any special ability/power to be disabled by a specially created cursed item.

Hobby Tool, Libraries: I’d like to see a more developed system of library files for the game. For example, God Libraries. For this, I might keep a folder called Ulm. In it, I might have a dozen of my own designs for Ulm Pretenders, sortable by Chassis, Theme, and Challenge level, maybe identified by the God’s name. I wish for the option to go into this library and pick the Pretender of my choosing when I start a game. Also, when I set up a game, I wish for the option to go into the God Library and pick specific Pretenders for each nation, or set Pretenders to full random selection (the default) or random selection from a limited group (for example, human Pretenders only). I wish for a base library of one default Pretender per base nation for each difficulty level (in Dom 2, 17x4), about 75%-80% optimized for their level of play (in other words, leave space in the default Pretenders for me to improve them).

For the God Library specifically, it might be useful to have a “Splash” screen for each Pretender that lists Chassis (w/picture/stats), Magic, Scales, Dominion, Fort, Themes/Enabled, that you could easily call up and look at when making a selection.

The Library concept might be extended to Sites, Items, Special Powers, Spells, Weapons, National Heroes, Independent Poptypes, and so on.

I’m not wishing that extensive libraries be filled for Dom 3. I’m wishing that the architecture be put into place, using the default game files as examples. The fans can take care of filling the shelves.

Mod Tool, Era Libraries: It would be useful to have a grouping tool that could assign specific nation themes and other elements as defaults for a randomly generated game.

Example: If (to pull a setting out of the air) I liked the Dragonlance setting so much I wanted to do a full mod, I could, after doing, say, the War of the Lance period, set up the Age of Myth period as well, and have the game engine randomize games for either, at my option. Era libraries would establish a default mix of spells, items, sites, creatures, and so on specific to the fantasy world and era. The defaults (and the only ones necessary to include in Dom3, of course) are those from the core Dominion 3 world.

Generic Hero Slots: One generic National Hero slot for each nation, generally a non-wizard military commander that must be named (or is randomly named with renaming possible), to which hero-creating events default once the specially designed heroes have all appeared. This ensures that even in the longest games, the supply of heroes never really dries up for a nation, nor do you have the same hero showing up after it's killed.

Default Settings: Most of the default settings in Dom2 are OK, but I'd like to see the Renaming default set to "On."

[RedRover]

ODDS & ENDS

Here are a few wishes of miscellaneous nature:

Historical Scenarios, but…: While it would be fun to have specific scenarios based on the original fantasy Elesium world history, and also the ability to randomize games within specific game-historical periods (I applaud your intention to do so), I wish to keep the ability to plug any theme into any game if I so choose.

Spell Scripting: While I am not a fan of extending the spell scripting past five rounds, I wish for the appropriate number of remaining script slots to be automatically added for Quickness effects, so that you get five rounds of scripting, instead of five scripted spells interrupted by whatever the heck the AI decides to do (and if you de-script a Quickness spell, for example, its extra slots would go away).

I Win…: It would be nice to have a final cut-scene or screen that celebrates the player’s victory. Dom 2 ends a bit abruptly. (I still get a kick out of playing the original Hoyle Solitaire collection, which has a happy jumping Joker that congratulates you, while riffling decks of cards blossom like streamers around him!)

…Or Not: Also, it would be nice to have a continuation option, if I want to continue with a won game (to experiment with magic or items, for example). However, I would resent a Civ-style end screen that insults and sneers at the player if the game is left short of victory.

Multiple Map Directories: I wish I could organize my maps better, and I wish scenarios were separated from random maps. Just to control the various options available—for example: Official random maps, official scenarios, (these are the ones we know work), mod maps, mod scenarios, (some very good, some are something of a crapshoot), maps in progress (MyMaps), Daily Downloads (thanks Gandalf!).

Toggled AI: I wish going AI wasn’t a one-way street. It would be fun occasionally seeing what the AI would do for a turn or two, then taking the controls back. Also, it can be instructive to set everything to AI and just watch the game run (maybe you can set an “observer mode” in single player to ghost you in as a specific nation; but your only two options in this mode would be to change the nation “observed”, or to take “player” status for the observed nation). Once this is in place, we might play around with experimental events:
“Bureaucratic Zeal:” If player, +1 Productivity in capital. If AI, Difficulty setting for that nation increases by 1.
“National Malaise:” If player, -1 Productivity in capital. If AI, Difficulty setting for that nation decreases by 1.
“Civil Disorder:” Player becomes AI for a turn (or maybe several turns at Misfortune 3).

Spells New spells should be useful, thematic, and different from what has gone before. Cookie cutter duplicates of other paths’ spells, mere powerups, or a “spell war” of spells aimed exclusively at other spells should be avoided, IMO. An example of a “good” new spell might be:

Enclave Garden: Enchantment 5. Path: 4N. Type: Ritual. Cost: 10N.

This spell creates a hidden enclave of fertility in a chosen province, even the most desolate, magic-blasted land. Such enclaves are attractive to immigrants, but blossom only in areas of strong dominion. They increase population in the target province.

(Game Effect: Adds 200 population* to the target province next turn, provided the Pretender’s dominion there is positive. Otherwise, the player gets a popup: “Enclave fails due to insufficient dominion.” The gems are expended regardless of the outcome. This spell essentially creates a simple population seed. Once in place, the population is no different from any other population: it grows, dies, etc., normally.)

*NB: The above is a default value. The actual coded variable is the #poppergold<people>, so the spell automatically scales with any mod affecting taxation. The intended overall tax effect of the spell is to create +1 gold at 100% taxation and neutral scales.

Note: I think it is a strong positive feature to have some game information the players have to dig out through experience or observation. Since much of the effect of this example is plainly visible, I would recommend keeping the italicized information out of the game’s primary documentation, though it might be included in a secondary source like Liga’s Guide.)

I’ve always found it somewhat unhappy that nations like Ermor can completely depopulate an area, and there’s nothing anyone can do about it except hope the Immigration random event just happens to occur in exactly the right province. Magical rebirth is such a common fantasy theme that IMO this spell or an equivalent would add an additional immersion factor to play, and could be configured so that it doesn’t seriously impede the population-killing themes when the game is going their way.

I put this together as single player effect, for those of us who just want to get things visibly growing again. A higher impact version for multiplayer might be closer to 1,000 pop/20N, but exact tweaking for multiplayer would take testing. I don’t think the seed itself should be affected by Growth scale, but once the population is in place, Growth would affect the base population normally.

Example 2:

High Glamour: Alteration 4. Path: 3A. Type: Ritual. Cost: 3A (+1/turn?).

Any force in the province this spell is cast on is reported at 200%-300% strength by normal intelligence reports and scouting. Spies and magical scrying may penetrate the ruse.

(Note that the forces need not be those of the caster. I’m not sure there’s any easy way to key this to a force, but by making it province-specific, it might also be given a duration, like Astral Window. Spies and scrying might either be allowed an accurate report, or maybe require a successful Magic Save against the caster to get the accurate report. I originally thought to hard key this at 200% only, but that would let the caster effectively use this spell for scouting, which is not the intent.)

Modular AI Tweaks: Set up AI processes so that more efficient algorithms can be swapped in by the program (or modder) at higher difficulty levels. For example, take the taxing algorithm.

(I’m not certain exactly what the AI uses when dealing with taxes/unrest, but I did observe that when I was trying to play like the AI during some benchmarking tests, my test algorithm—reduce taxes 10% per 5 or fraction points of unrest, adjusted each turn—was yielding consistently higher income than whatever the AI was doing with the same nation.)

For example, if there are four difficulty levels, there might be four slightly different ways for the AI to deal with Unrest. At least the highest level should not be possible for a human player. Example:

Easy: Set tax to 100%. If Unrest is 30 or more, reset tax to 0 (a less efficient algorithm).

Normal: Current algorithm, whatever’s in the black box (which works OK for Normal difficulty).

Difficult: Set tax to 100%. Reduce tax by 10% for every 5 or fraction points of Unrest (by observation more efficient than the black box).

Impossible: Reset current “Unrest” to “Unrest –5” and apply method #3.

Light Cavalry Special Abilities, Rally Back/Pursue: A thought about making Light Cavalry operations look better on the tactical display. I wish for an automatic unit behavior that might operate like this:

Define a unit ability called “Rallyback.” The essence of the ability is as follows:

1. The squad acts under orders until routed. At the start of a turn in rout, the Rallyback ability converts its unit’s routed status to a full move straight back toward the friendly baseline in good order, then changes the squad default order to “Fire (closest).”

2. Units with the Rallyback ability leaving the field are routed, count as squad casualties, and scatter normally. Units without the Rallyback ability never recover from rout status and are treated as squad casualties.

3. You might consider a “Rallyback2” ability that defaults to “Attack (closest),” instead. This would be for lance-armed light cavalry, as opposed to bow or javelin-armed cavalry.

4. Note that this ability is useless for flyers, because their move back automatically takes them off the field. This might either be left as is, or cap the move back at, say, 20.

Configured in this way, the Rallyback ability might be extended to Light Infantry and some Ranger/Light Archer types as well. Note that it becomes a bad idea to mix units with and without the Rallyback ability, since other routed troops are essentially treated as squad casualties once they rout.

Pursue: The other ability, “Pursue”, simply prevents the Light Cavalry squad from retargeting an enemy squad in good morale once it has broken an enemy—the pursuers continue to hack at the original target squad until its units have left the board or been killed, then it targets the nearest surviving enemy units.

Since these would not necessarily be units in good order, light cavalry overruns might ultimately be more dangerous to Leader units, although they would not specifically target such units. Also, battles might be lost because the light cavalry is off running down fugitives instead of helping to break the remaining effective enemy units.

Finis
With this second post, I'm done with all the wishes that I've been accumulating over the last year. You might see another short post or two, but this should be the last monster. Thanks for listening.