Excess design points

[Kel]

I think the amount of gold you get should be low enough that a cap isn't necessary. A token amount of gold, like 1:1 for example. Problem is, at that point, it is an extremely low priority request, imo.

I tend to think that large numbers of spare points would occur less if scales were balanced by differing costs. We all know that Order, for example, is one of the most universally useful scales. If it cost 45 and growth, or something, cost 35, it would be a more significant change, as well as making it a bit easier to balance out points.

- Kel

[Cainehill]

Maybe a sliding scale might satisfy both points of view. 5 gold for the first ... 5 pretender points, 4 for the next 5, scaling down to 0.

That way, you'd get ... 75 gold for 25 pretender points wasted. Noticeable, but not terribly game-altering.

You might still lose some pretender points, but it's most often possible to come within 25 points (via castles, dominion, etc) - I know I jigger things so I rarely lose a full 30 or more. The sole real exceptions are for pretenders with obscene path costs (like 80), where you've chosen a national theme and can't see "upgrading" to the 100 citadel with its 600 gold cost and 4 turn build time, or you're based on the watchtower and can't afford going to a 40 pointer.

[Arralen]

Does by chance anyone of you know the game "Stars!" ?

It's race design process is very similar to that of Dom2:

1) you choose your "primary trait", which governs what secial tech and ships you get (nation)
2) you choose your "secondary traits", which are special abilities (magic paths)
3) you set your economic and environmental characteristics (scales & fort)
4) .. you spend your leftover design points on either a)more starting factories, b)more starting mines, c)more starting minerals, d)more starting defences or e)more starting mineral concentration ..

I must admit, though, that these options are not balanced well. This results from the fact that they never where adjusted for "gameplay reality" but stayed very much the same over the years. But the game was analyzed to death, and today you'll need >25k ressources/turn after 50 turns to be competitive, while the devs considered 2k a good score in the very beginning. So today it's very clear that's either factories or mineral/concentration is the way to go, as it gives you an economic head start.

To get back to Dom2 - if a similar mechanism is added, I would suggest it does not have multiple possibilities to spend your points on, as this is impossible to balance.

But spending you points on it should make a difference, or it would be (obviously) superfluous. And getting 40 or even 80 gold will not give you so much of an economie head start that it at least partly equals out the loss of one scale. (Theoretically. I would second the 39 pts. cap to prevent abuse, though) I think 5:1 would be quite ok - will get you a free temple, or one free (cheap) mage or double starting troops (after some turns of building).

[tinkthank]

Guybrush, I like the idea.
I think that 3:1 sounds like an acceptable trade-off to me, and capped at 39 "extra" points.
If, however, the idea of "extra population" were utilized instead of insta-gold, it would balance a misuse by ermor even more, since its themes would kill off the benefit quickly.