2 Things this game desperately needs

[Sandman]

They quite possibly spent months getting there and might take months back -- if there even is a path that doesn't involve the use of magic they don't have. Given the era, they also probably don't have much savings other than what they're carrying. They certainly don't have months of dried rations for the way home. The villagers on the way home are likely scraping by under their liege's multiple forms of taxation, the soldiers themselves -- particularly ones with substantial training (gold cost) may feel themselves above helping out with farming... oh, and there's the issue of how the ex-soldiers might deal with the local peasant women, too. A local lord is also going to be concerned about the ex-troops overstaying their welcome and taking excessive liberties for a variety of reasons, and is not going to be happy with getting stuck with the bill, either.

What does this have to do with making the game more fun?

[Taqwus]

Some of us actually enjoy realism. Would you prefer a game which ignored morale, fatigue, maintenance, inaccuracy, friendly fire, the ability to do pre-battle order assignments... like nearly every cookie-cutter RTS out there?

[Sandman]

Taqwus said:
Some of us actually enjoy realism. Would you prefer a game which ignored morale, fatigue, maintenance, inaccuracy, friendly fire, the ability to do pre-battle order assignments... like nearly every cookie-cutter RTS out there?

This has nothing to do with realism and everything to do with imagination. I could just as easily write a ton of paragraphs 'justifying' why disbanding shouldn't cause unrest. The decision is arbitary, and should err on not punishing the player for doing something entirely normal.

[Meglobob]

Sandman said:

This has nothing to do with realism and everything to do with imagination. I could just as easily write a ton of paragraphs 'justifying' why disbanding shouldn't cause unrest. The decision is arbitary, and should err on not punishing the player for doing something entirely normal.

Ah...the old debates are the best, do you want realism vs playability/enjoyment. Its a matter of personal preference really.

Just for the record I prefer playability/enjoyment in a game rather then realism/micromanagement, so I am with the sandman on this disbanding with no strings attached.

This is a fantasy game as well with powerful magic, so there is no 'realism' anyway, nations with magic at there disposal would soon do away with 'realism'.

[WraithLord]

Adhering to the spirit of this thread here are the two things I'd most like to see added.

1. Improve the arena death match. Give better, randomly selected prizes, like money/gems/good items and xp. Add a new death match for squads, i.e. one commander and all the troops he can command.

2. Add, maze/labyrinth/dungeon type of sites, ala MOM magic nodes. Those sites are protected and their defenders must be defeated prior to the benefits of the site can apply.

[Endoperez]

WraithLord said:2. Add, maze/labyrinth/dungeon type of sites, ala MOM magic nodes. Those sites are protected and their defenders must be defeated prior to the benefits of the site can apply.

Isn't that modeled in as provinces with special sites and special defenders? Two Cyclops skilled in Earth and Death, one wielding Hammer of the Cyclops with 50% Forge Bonus, that mountain or hall or forge or whatever Of The Cyclops (death, earth gems)... or something like that. I don't remember the details any more.

[Meglobob]

Endoperez said:

Isn't that modeled in as provinces with special sites and special defenders? Two Cyclops skilled in Earth and Death, one wielding Hammer of the Cyclops with 50% Forge Bonus, that mountain or hall or forge or whatever Of The Cyclops (death, earth gems)... or something like that. I don't remember the details any more.

I have not come across this particular example but it could be just very rare. That's the problem really provinces with special sites and defenders are incedibly rare, I would prefer them to be uncommon not rare. At the moment 80% of provinces are really virtually the same and thus boring and bland. The only differences between them are income/terrain, wether it produces a nature gem or fire gem or whatever. In order to spice things up you after mod the map/game or set special sites really high.

[WraithLord]

Endoperez said:

Isn't that modeled in as provinces with special sites and special defenders? Two Cyclops skilled in Earth and Death, one wielding Hammer of the Cyclops with 50% Forge Bonus, that mountain or hall or forge or whatever Of The Cyclops (death, earth gems)... or something like that. I don't remember the details any more.

Leaving aside the fact that this is very rare, I was referring to something more atmospheric. Maybe an example will help:

Your army enters province X and defeats the indie defenders. your water mages search for magic sites and find a layer of a blue dragon, the site is "locked" i.e. you don't get the gems from it or whatever other benefit it has. The site has an option "enter site" that is added as a possible command to commanders in the province. You order your army to enter the site. The battle then takes place in a scenery of a giant icy cave with very cold temperature against a blue dragon that is equipped with items and commands an army of say humanoid slaves. Only after you win the battle does the site become functional for you. That's my suggestion.

[MaxWilson]

Endoperez said:

Isn't that modeled in as provinces with special sites and special defenders? Two Cyclops skilled in Earth and Death, one wielding Hammer of the Cyclops with 50% Forge Bonus, that mountain or hall or forge or whatever Of The Cyclops (death, earth gems)... or something like that. I don't remember the details any more.

I'm not sure that I've ever seen a special defender with lootable magic items, other than Bogus, in my limited time so far playing the game. I think the difference between the current situation and MOM is that in MOM you're aware of roughly what the reward is for taking a node, whereas even if there's an automatic site in a province you don't know about it until you actually take the province. Plus, there's no map filter for sites.

I'm adding that one, actually.

3. A map filter for magic sites.

-Max