Will somebody tell my mages that it's not a good idea to...

[Rookierookie]

Turn 1: Cast Communion Slave
Turn 2: Cast Communion Master

In an assasination attempt.
Or under any circumstances for that matter.

...nor is it a good idea for Sidhe Lords to cast Healing Song 10 times in a row, when he is alone on the battlefield (other than the enemy assassin), when he is at full HP.

[Trumanator]

bodyguards.

[Endovior]

Nope, that's your job.

Try scripting something other then 'Cast Spells'.

[MaxWilson]

As a dictatorial (pretender) God, I say that any mage who behaves so stupidly during an assassination attempt should be summarily purged from the gene pool. So let it be written, so let it be done.

What's that you say? Oh, problem solved.

;)

-Max

[Maraxus]

Yes, it's a sad thing the scripting options are so limited.

For dominions 4, we should wish for the posibility to write complex scripts like pseudocode. Then it would be easy to for example:

start script "MyMage01"

if (distanceToNextEnemy < distanceToNextFriend) {
"here comes the anti-assasin script"
}
if ((round < 3) & (distanceToNextFriend < 6)) {
castSpell("Luck", gems=0, target HighHP first)
}
else use script "MyAttackMage01"

But as far as Dominions 3 goes, you just have to forget a bit, that the units are supposed to represent people and act like they are automatons, that perform actions based on what you tell them and some randomness but without intelligence.

[Wrana]

I would also like to see scripting. On the other hand, you wouldn't believe just how stupidly real people can act!

[Illuminated One]

Yeah, being able to script magic would be totally awesome.


As it is I would be fine if the following things could be added.

Two scripts, 1 against big armies, 1 against small (instead of limiting the gem usage).

And a keep casting the last scripted spell instead of just cast whatever you want command.

[Frozen Lama]

what would be nice, in addition to what Illuminated One said, would be to be able to script spells that are only followed in an assasination attempt.

[Rookierookie]

You know, I'd be happy with just being able to prevent certain spells from being casted unscripted. I cannot imagine ANY reason why someone would cast communion slave and then communion master on himself. In fact, I can't imagine why he'd cast these spells at all, since he's the only commander on the battlefield.

[Wrana]

That they shouldn't be cast if he's the only commander is true. As for the first part - it actually isn't all bad as this allows the mage in question to have the benefits of spells cast by other Communion Masters (and if it's Summon Earthpower or Power of the Spheres... quite nice, I'd say) and still channel some fatigue to Slaves. This isn't for all to do, of course, but for a part of communion it could be useful (and extra Slave can help in increasing power of Masters if you have no surplus slaves).

[MaxWilson]

You know, I'd be happy with just being able to prevent certain spells from being casted unscripted. I cannot imagine ANY reason why someone would cast communion slave and then communion master on himself. In fact, I can't imagine why he'd cast these spells at all, since he's the only commander on the battlefield.

Remember that the spell AI has to be quite generic. What if somebody mods in an E1B1 spell that makes someone a Communion Slave AND gives him Blood Vengeance? You wouldn't want the AI to overlook that just because it has the Communion Slave effect.

-Max

[chrispedersen]

Reminds me of the old game where you built a robot and had to write pseudo code for the robot so it could fight in arenas.

The robot had to balance finding the enemy; moving; firing; repairing, scavaging resources.

Cool game.

[Illuminated One]

Yeah, considering the wide scope of the game it's pretty amazing that the AI mostly works anyway.

Though that problem could be solved quite simply by making the communion slave + bloodvengeance spell a bloodvengeance + communion slave spell. :)

[MaxWilson]

That they shouldn't be cast if he's the only commander is true. As for the first part - it actually isn't all bad as this allows the mage in question to have the benefits of spells cast by other Communion Masters (and if it's Summon Earthpower or Power of the Spheres... quite nice, I'd say) and still channel some fatigue to Slaves.

Yes, but in that case why bother casting Communion Master at all? During any turn in which a Master draws upon his power, a Slave won't cast any spells.

Unless. Hmmm. Maybe you could make the very FIRST Communion Master also be a Communion Slave.

-Max

[MaxWilson]

Reminds me of the old game where you built a robot and had to write pseudo code for the robot so it could fight in arenas.

The robot had to balance finding the enemy; moving; firing; repairing, scavaging resources.

Cool game.

Bug Wars?

-Max

[chrispedersen]

Reminds me of the old game where you built a robot and had to write pseudo code for the robot so it could fight in arenas.

The robot had to balance finding the enemy; moving; firing; repairing, scavaging resources.

Cool game.

Bug Wars?

-Max


LOL... I don't remember. I know I certainly spent a *lot* of time mumbling.. why doesn't it work!!!

But, here are some links:
http://www.iit.edu/~acm/robotwar/
http://grobots.sourceforge.net/

[Rookierookie]

While playing Marignon I was wondering why my Witch Hunters were losing battles right and left, so I watched a battle replay.

Oh my Baphomet. He blessed himself on the first turn, and on the second turn he casted Blink.

[esd29a]

Mages that are set to cast spells (or not given orders) will cast spells even if the only possible (path/range/research) spells are useless or even harmful in the current situation. Desperate to impress the mage-chicks I guess :re:

[Wrana]

Yes, but in that case why bother casting Communion Master at all? During any turn in which a Master draws upon his power, a Slave won't cast any spells.

Unless. Hmmm. Maybe you could make the very FIRST Communion Master also be a Communion Slave.
-Max
Certainly. Also, in case the first Master drops from exhaustion and this Slave regains consciousness quicker, I think.

[MaxWilson]

Mages that are set to cast spells (or not given orders) will cast spells even if the only possible (path/range/research) spells are useless or even harmful in the current situation. Desperate to impress the mage-chicks I guess :re:

Addendum: it's also useful to know that if mages are set to "Stay Behind Troops" instead of "Cast Spells" they will try to stay under 100 fatigue.

-Max

[danm]

Reminds me of the old game where you built a robot and had to write pseudo code for the robot so it could fight in arenas.

The robot had to balance finding the enemy; moving; firing; repairing, scavaging resources.

Cool game.

Bug Wars?

-Max

"crobots" was the version i remember - no ui to speak of, but a great intro to C programming.