what is "malus"?
 

See it everywhere, but what is it? Thanks, DB

Re: what is "malus"?
 

I don't understand. malus? sweet crab apples? :confused:

Re: what is "malus"?
 

opposite of a 'bonus'; ie. a detrimental modification.

Re: what is "malus"?
 

Thanks, I googled malus and the match was a fruit. :lol

Re: what is "malus"?
 

Exactly what archaeolept said :) Examples of maluses in Dominions 3 are the spells: Spirit Curse, Curse, Seven Year Fever, Mist, Slime, Rain, Rust Mist, Destruction, Iron Bane, Demon Cleansing, Doom...

Re: what is "malus"?
 

Malus can be used like that, but I use the word "debuff" for those spells.

When I use the word, it's usually a decrease in a numerical ability: -1 to att/def from Limp is a malus.

Re: what is "malus"?
 

Sorry. It's not really an English word, it's a made-up word inferred from Latin. The English equivalent is actually "penalty," but geeks like me notice that "bonus" is Latin and feel like its opposite should also be Latin.

-Max

Re: what is "malus"?
 

Ehm... Max maybe I'm not understanding correctly but malus is actually a Latin word.

malus, mala, malum = adj. "bad" :evil:

( also - malus, mali = n. f. "apple tree" :apple: but you don't care I suppose :D)

Re: what is "malus"?
 

Thats what we need in this game.
More Latin, and Sanskrit, and Celt!
(like there isnt a ton of it already) :)

Sometimes I feel like Ive learned more history and mythology from this game than I ever did in school.

Re: what is "malus"?
 

Yes, so it's the opposite of Latin "bonus" = "good." There's an English word "bonus" = "something extra or additional given freely; a free advantage" which is clearly derived from the Latin word "bonus." There is no English word "malus" with a similar parallel to the Latin malus, but we infer one (make one up) and use it in posts on these boards. The word doesn't actually exist in English, and the Latin word wouldn't, strictly speaking, make sense.

I agree with Gandalf. I love the fact that all the Hinnom/Ashdod/Gath names follow real Hebrew patterns (Qedestim/Qedesot, etc.).

-Max

Re: what is "malus"?
 

I've seen the word used on other gaming boards, but never by someone whose first language was English (AFAIK).

Re: what is "malus"?
 

the word is commonly used in French, probably other European languages as well.

Re: what is "malus"?
 

Malediction and Malicious?

Re: what is "malus"?
 

What troubles me most is that the plural of the English "bonus" is "bonuses" instead of "boni". Brrr.

Some game system used "boon(s)" and "bane(s)" instead of "bonus" and "malus".

Re: what is "malus"?
 

Hmm, interesting. My first language is English, so you've seen it now. (Although I don't use it consistently, and usually would use a real word like "penalty". I'd probably only say "malus" if I had used "bonus" in the same paragraph.)

-Max

Re: what is "malus"?
 

Blame William. When the French Vikings were imposing Latin on the Germanic tongue of the Britons his advisors suggested grammatical rules were more important than unifying the lexicon.
Little known fact, but the rebellion in the North was entirely an attempt to avoid generations of British schoolboys being forced to spend five years of their life attempting to distinguish between nouns, pronouns, gerunds, participles and infinitives.