Empowerment

[Saxon]

The cost of empowerment is based upon the already existing magic skill. I am in the office, so I can not check this quickly, but does the cost get determined by the actual level or the level modified by any items?

As a follow on, does it make sense to hand off any magic items when empowering, then getting them back the next turn. Alternatively, I think that if you have zero skill, the cost of getting level one is higher than the cost of going from one to two. Would it make sense to give someone with zero an item, so as to empower them?

I know, usually one does not empower a commander with zero power, I am just exploring this as a possible issue.

Thanks from someone who is not taking work very seriously on Friday afternoon!

Originally posted by Saxon:
The cost of empowerment is based upon the already existing magic skill. I am in the office, so I can not check this quickly, but does the cost get determined by the actual level or the level modified by any items?

Actual level.

As a follow on, does it make sense to hand off any magic items when empowering, then getting them back the next turn. Alternatively, I think that if you have zero skill, the cost of getting level one is higher than the cost of going from one to two. Would it make sense to give someone with zero an item, so as to empower them?

When you have 0 skill it doesn't give you any additional paths, it still costs 50 Gems to empower in your first path rank.

[Peter Ebbesen]

Originally posted by Saxon:
I know, usually one does not empower a commander with zero power, I am just exploring this as a possible issue.

Actually, empowering a zero power Nataraja is one of my favourite SC strategies for those magic strong nations that have access to him. It gives you the great scales that a 0 point pretender allows together with an exceptionally deadly SC when equipped correctly, and later on a budding arch-mage when empowered a bit and handed magic-boosting items, of which he can carry more than his fair share. It would not work if those magic-strong nations were not so exceptionally good at finding magical sites, of course.

[Saxon]

Good, it sounds like things are as they should be. I am always impressed with the level of detail the programmers have covered.

As for empowering a zero skill pretender SC, I will have to consider that. I usually shy away from SC and my first real experiments were with immobile pretenders. Some good fun with an immortal saurlich have made me more open to the idea of SC.

Empowering is something you can afford to do in SP games, I'd keep away from strategies that revolve around putting 50 Gems into a unit that doesn't fully equip them in MP.

[Peter Ebbesen]

Originally posted by Zen:
Empowering is something you can afford to do in SP games, I'd keep away from strategies that revolve around putting 50 Gems into a unit that doesn't fully equip them in MP.

Good point. It certainly is betting more than a bit on luck in site-searching - or on having, and holding, enough land.

On the other hand, it does allow you to have some awesome scales, even if you never find enough sites to justify boosting the Nataraja later on.

[geo981010]

Originally posted by Zen:
Empowering is something you can afford to do in SP games, I'd keep away from strategies that revolve around putting 50 Gems into a unit that doesn't fully equip them in MP.

I really sadly agree with this - it's fun for SP, but not worth it when you examine the cost 95% of the time with the exception of Blood or maybe a level 2 empower (usually to get to a certain construction item to go beyond that, and then hit the summons. Cheaper in MP to trade if you can!). You can almost always constuct items for far cheaper than even minor empowers, and if you know the spells to use you can usually get a summons path to a better mage for cheaper. Maybe if you are really awash in gems from an opponent's land and don't have any random magics or find any good indies for it... otherwise if you are planning on something you should get the necessary magic in your pretender.

I have to wonder - should empowering your pretender allow him to improve his bless effects? If the current magic is higher than the original, the current magic becomes the new bless effective level (to prevent dying from changing blessings). I don't see that as being abusive, since increasing a bless effect means spending at least 60 gems, potentially 110 to gain a level 9 blessing. Mostly it would just be fun in single player, though a rainbow mage focusing on Astral could really Wish for some great bless effects.

Also, I'd love a random event that empowers one of your mages! For nations like Ulm with fixed magic paths, this would be pretty cool and a reason to take a good luck scale.

Edit note:added the note about empowering to level 2!

[ February 20, 2004, 15:43: Message edited by: geo981010 ]

[Taqwus]

It might be interesting if there were a heroic ability which reduced empowerment costs ('heroic versatility'? 'heroic magical aptitude'?) for that commander, or a very rare magical site that had a similar local effect.

[Vger]

Hi,

One bonus of the Nat if you give him any paths is that they make a fantastic smith. They can hold the Dwarven Hammer and Hammer of the Forge Lord. (Or if you wish for it, Hammer of the Cyclops and HoFL.)

Of course, that benefit only applies if you empower them or pick paths, but it is something to consider.


Ciao,
V'ger gone

[aldin]

Hmmm, it'd make an interesting unique pretender concept (or possibly a bonus for the Freak Lord or somesuch) to have one of their effects be cheaper empowerment costs (-10 perhaps, or 20% discount?)

~Aldin