"Old Age" system in Dom3 - need some info

[Corwin]

dirtywick said:
I think the 30 is their current age and the () number is the age when they get the old age icon and the potential for afflictions increases.

Do you mean that even before they reach an official "old age" (the number in () ), there is a chance for affliction?

Kristoffer O said:
The ageing chance is proportional (IIRC) to the max age of a unit, so an Oracle of the Deep is much less likely to get afflictions than a short lived Bandar Commander. Also the old age penalties are dependent on lifespan.

Kristoffer, under "max age of the unit" you mean the number in (), the age when unit get "old age" icon, correct?

If this is the case, and if this is the only variable in this formula, does it mean that, let's say, human mage who is 1 year over the limit of "old age", has the same chance of geting affliction during the winter season, as the same type of mage who is 30 years "over the limit"?

Arralen said:
There are magical means to escape old age, but you have to figure them out yourself.

I think I may know some of them already. There are boots, that stop aging process, there is Gift Of Health ritual, which cures affliction (and maybe stops aging as well), there is a spell in Blood magic, which makes caster 10 years yonger. Anything else?



Thanks a lot to everybody who shared thier knowledge here, most appreciated.


I think the only big question that I still have is about Growth scale. Based upon what you guys said, it seems to reduce the chances of getting affliction during the winter season. But by how much? For eample, I am about to play TC S&A, which, according to the manual, have "serious age problem". If I don't want me best mages to turn into senile wrecks, should I take Growth 1 or Growth 2/3?

[Kristoffer O]

> Kristoffer, under "max age of the unit" you mean the number in (), the age when unit get "old age" icon, correct?

Yep

> If this is the case, and if this is the only variable in this formula, does it mean that, let's say, human mage who is 1 year over the limit of "old age", has the same chance of geting affliction during the winter season, as the same type of mage who is 30 years "over the limit"?

Yep

[Corwin]

Kristoffer O said:
> Kristoffer, under "max age of the unit" you mean the number in (), the age when unit get "old age" icon, correct?

Yep

> If this is the case, and if this is the only variable in this formula, does it mean that, let's say, human mage who is 1 year over the limit of "old age", has the same chance of geting affliction during the winter season, as the same type of mage who is 30 years "over the limit"?

Yep

Thanks a lot, it's good to know.

[Horst F. JENS]

i try very hard to find the Old Age system interesting instead of annoying. Two suggestions:
1.) Offer a mod command to turn off Old Age or edit the Old Age values.
2.) Give me a reason to like Old Age. Maybe a very small chance (1%/year) that my old age sage learns a random new magic skill.

[Meglobob]

Horst F. JENS said:
i try very hard to find the Old Age system interesting instead of annoying. Two suggestions:
1.) Offer a mod command to turn off Old Age or edit the Old Age values.
2.) Give me a reason to like Old Age. Maybe a very small chance (1%/year) that my old age sage learns a random new magic skill.

Yea I agree, all old age does is put me off the unit. Just played EA Nielfelheim, totally avoided recruiting the old age crone/hag the entire game. Also played MA Man, just recruited daughters/mothers, avoiding the grandmother until I had no choice.

Why recruit a unit that may die any time unless u have no choice?

Old mages would just retire anyway or solve there age problems with magic, I very much doubt they would want to serve a nation in a epic battle for godhood.

The more times a mage dies of old age, the more annoying it becomes...

[Maltrease]

I like the idea of an old mage learning additional magic. A lot of nations descriptions have the old mage with lots of magic and then a young mage (who is on the same career path as the old mage) with less magic. So it would make sense to me that the mages could learn new magic over time.

Maybe each year they are around a mage gets some kind of "credit" that could be used to discount empowering in certain paths? I'm sure balance with this could get real tricky... but it could make the age mechanic more enjoyable (gaining power) instead of simply trying to stave off death and uselessness.

[Endoperez]

It's more like that the old mages have ALREADY learn new magic. If, say, Ulm had gotten a E3F2 strange-random Ancient Smith with old age 72(46), there'd be no problem. It'd be called an interesting way to balance a more powerful mage. However, because we have learned to expect good mages that don't have a chance of dying into afflictions, old age is seen as a bore.

[Archonsod]

Meglobob said:
Why recruit a unit that may die any time unless u have no choice?

You could apply the same logic to every unit you recruit when you think about it

Older ages tend to be more powerful. If you want a mage of similar skills, then the only usual alternative would be to buy a younger mage and then invest in boosts or empowerment to get to the same level. It's cheaper to simply buy the older mage (especially if you can reduce or remove the aging problem).

Old mages would just retire anyway or solve there age problems with magic,

They can solve their age problems with magic. As already mentioned, there are a couple of spells and items which negate or reduce aging. You simply need to give them the order to do so

On the subject, does Regeneration affect aging at all?
It would seem logical to me that a mage with regeneration would have a longer lifespan and much less chance of injury than one without...

[Amos]

On the subject, does Regeneration affect aging at all?

I think it does. Though max age isnt affected.

[Agrajag]

Archonsod said:
subject, does Regeneration affect aging at all?
It would seem logical to me that a mage with regeneration would have a longer lifespan and much less chance of injury than one without...

I'd actually expect Regeneration to severely decrease lifespan, the whole idea of regeneration is natural healing, and to heal that fast, that mage would need uber-fast metabolism, which is a sure-fire recipe for dying of old-age at 20.