Build a Robot Army! (Promotion Idea Mongering)

[PPQ_Purple]

Now that would be fun. Althou don't you think that instantly changning the type of your army in the field would be OP?
Unless it's a national unit of a high level.

Also, could you apply this to the mithril golem too? (I know you can but will you)

 

[Valkrionn]

Pretty easily, actually. If you were doing this solely through promotions you'd have to have multiples of each, that block each other, one requiring the city and the other requiring the Golem Engineer.... Do it through spells and you could write an easy requirement for it.

 

[Thuellai]

Not sure the Mithril Golem NEEDS the boost, but I probably will. Though not all of them - obviously he wouldn't get the various Body promotions (the Golem equivalent to weapons) since he'd already be considered to have Mithril Body (being as he's MADE of the stuff) And field promotions are probably OP - Golem Engineers would probably be a late-tech unit, possibly even a National Unit. The Workshops would come along earlier, but being an improvement would be restricted to your own borders (which are by definition closer to your cities and thus less drastic an improvement)

I'll admit it, my working theory is this - if every force has some sort of overpowered option, nobody's truly OP because each of them has their own counter-option. Also, I'll probably slow their tech capabilities a bit by spreading out their unit tiers - they'll still be using Metal Golems when others are using later-game tech, but on the other hand their Golems will be able to promote much faster and be much more customizable to match up against even stronger forces. Their strongest point is the time in-between, where they have the same tier as everyone else (though some promotions will be unlocked through tech - they'll have points that will more or less be "Tier x.5" in that they now have promotions to bridge the gap) and at the very end of the tree, where they have both strong units and the promotions to back them up. An end-game army with Archmages, Golems, and Golem Engineers should be a dangerous thing - just like Auric Ascended, or any of the other big late-game options.

 

[PPQ_Purple]

What about making the Golem Engineers Champion units. Like the Calibim have the Vampire Lord.
Limit them to 4 per player and let them upgrade your troops anywhere and cast repair.

That way you get a few of these "Generals" leading your automated army. Nice both as a mechanic and as a feeling.

PS. Golems could still get the promotions from cities but the Golem Engineers would be mobile HQ.

 

[WarKirby]

What about making the Golem Engineers Champion units. Like the Calibim have the Vampire Lord.
Limit them to 4 per player and let them upgrade your troops anywhere and cast repair.

That way you get a few of these "Generals" leading your automated army. Nice both as a mechanic and as a feeling.

PS. Golems could still get the promotions from cities but the Golem Engineers would be mobile HQ.

This sounds like a good idea.

But only make them unitclass champion, remove other associations like weapon usage and such. since they'd generally be intended for staying behind the lines and making the golems do the fighting.

 

[Thuellai]

Yeah, I agree with that. Might be time to start a full design doc now that we've got some solid concepts.

In the meantime, more cool Adept/Golem/Engineer promotions or concepts?

 

[Hankc]

A line of Ranged golems perhaps? And/or siege golems? Even if the difference between a catapult and a siege golem might be small, it would be cool.

 

[deadliver]

I'd like to see Golems be able to purchase equipment upgrades to increase their work rate, ranged attack characteristics, one shot spells, bonuses vs. specific units, move rate (though that may be covered by Force-Accelerate?) etc. If I can actually come up with specifics i'll post them heeyar.

 

[WarKirby]

A line of Ranged golems perhaps? And/or siege golems? Even if the difference between a catapult and a siege golem might be small, it would be cool.

I think the idea here is to have modular golems, so any given one can become a ranged/siege unit with the right promotions.

 

[xienwolf]

You should add a new feature type to the game "Rock Outcroppings" and make it normally appear scattered around on a map and not be too easy to clear (maybe a Earth 2 spell). Then one of their Golem lines could have a spell "Lay Dormant" which turns them into a Rock Outcropping, capable of doing a Treant style "wake-up" when an enemy tries to pass through the tile

 

[WarKirby]

You should add a new feature type to the game "Rock Outcroppings" and make it normally appear scattered around on a map and not be too easy to clear (maybe a Earth 2 spell). Then one of their Golem lines could have a spell "Lay Dormant" which turns them into a Rock Outcropping, capable of doing a Treant style "wake-up" when an enemy tries to pass through the tile

This would be interesting. reminds me of "rocky" areas in alpha centaurii.

It shouldn't require magic to clear though. Just some worker action. Maybe with a tech prereq, and certainly with a fairly long work time.

It should of course, not be improvable, or possible to build a city in, until cleared.


Also, it ought to provide a defense modifier, higher than forests. maybe 35% or so.

 

[Rutee]

Might I suggest, before any of this, a Mini Shock/Cover/Formation, etc, applied when Barnaxus learns Shock/Cover/Formation/etc?

I also suggest more (and cheaper) buildings; Making the entire army equippable doesn't particularly help the AI (which DEARLY needs it, in this case), and adds to micro by a fair deal. Either taht or some other way to add equipment without individually clicking it every single time for every single golem.