Destroying the AI’s altar.

[Angel-Julia]

Does earthquake destroy the altar? Or wonders?

The wiki says “This has a 25% chance of destroying any improvements in its area, and a 25% chance of destroying each building in any city in its radius. Note that buildings that are not destroyable by conquest are also immune to earthquake. Unless the caster has Hidden Nationality (or the target tils and the caster are owned by the same player), this will start a war.”

So does that mean that if I have earth 3 divine and Spell extension 3, then I can cast earthquake 6 times on each enemy city, giving 82% chance of destroying the altar, (and all other buildings and improvements).

So if the AI is close to altar victory then just go to each city and cast earthquake 5 times, destroying the altar (it’ll take them a while to get half a dozen more great people) and knocking out all buildings and infrastructure, literally knocking them back to the stone age.

Then you have some more time on your hands to complete your own domination victory without having to worry about the AI’s altar victory. That sounds like quite an effective war of attribution.

Does earthquake chance of destroying a building depend on combat promotions?

Is there a way of seeing what is built? Eg shadows to locate which city has the altar?

 

[Sarisin]

Does earthquake destroy the altar? Or wonders?

The wiki says “This has a 25% chance of destroying any improvements in its area, and a 25% chance of destroying each building in any city in its radius. Note that buildings that are not destroyable by conquest are also immune to earthquake. Unless the caster has Hidden Nationality (or the target tils and the caster are owned by the same player), this will start a war.”

So does that mean that if I have earth 3 divine and Spell extension 3, then I can cast earthquake 6 times on each enemy city, giving 82% chance of destroying the altar, (and all other buildings and improvements).

So if the AI is close to altar victory then just go to each city and cast earthquake 5 times, destroying the altar (it’ll take them a while to get half a dozen more great people) and knocking out all buildings and infrastructure, literally knocking them back to the stone age.

Then you have some more time on your hands to complete your own domination victory without having to worry about the AI’s altar victory. That sounds like quite an effective war of attribution.

Does earthquake chance of destroying a building depend on combat promotions?

Is there a way of seeing what is built? Eg shadows to locate which city has the altar?

Some interesting issues and questions here. Personally, I haven't had much success destroying buildings with Earthquake and never recall a Wonder being destroyed. Mostly the tile improvements.

I think you could only use the Shadow to detect which city had the Altar when the Final Altar was being built. Otherwise, I'm not sure how you would know. Of course, unless it is a very big civ with many large cities I suppose you could make a good guess. I think I usually find myself with the Altar in my capital as God King helps me build the Final Altar there.

 

[Miloe]

Atleast you can destroy wonders with tsunami (wipes whole city) so I guess earthquake works aswell.

 

[Angel-Julia]

"Note that buildings that are not destroyable by conquest are also immune to earthquake"

maybe tsunami is the way to get rid of their altar. i guess earthquake is good for quickly pilaging the whole area, and destroying all science/income/happieness/production improving buildings, so at least it'd really slow down their altar.

i'm not much of a war of atribution person as i like to keep the land, but i guess running through their land with mobility, and some defenders casting earthquake everywhere is probably the fastest and most effective way of fighting a war of attribution.

 

[jan030]

I was wondering about tsunami's. I had loads of fun with it, but I tried it lately again (23c) and doesnt seem to work as good as it has. I mean a little town on an island, one crossbow and a maceman. I on the otherhand had Hema, 2 inquisitors and 3 highpriests al with waterwalking and Tsunami. I thaught it was an easy win with tsunami, but it wasnt. Only some percentage damage, thats it. And i am talking about 6 tsunamies at ones, only the sound of would be enough ;-)

Does anybody know if its more balanced now? Have the same "problem" with ring of fire.

 

[MagisterCultuum]

there is only about a 10% chance that a tsunami will turn a land tile into coast (I think its normally 10%, I changed it to 25% in the global defines).

Kael and the team got tired of complaints from multiplayer FfHers who didn't like that powerful spells made speed so important in simultaneous turns games and insisted that they be nerfed. Damage caps have been placed on all the spells. I believe these damage caps are related to how many combat promotions the caster has. I think now the only way to completely kill a unit with magic is to use summons (including fireballs/meteors), although a few spells with more limited use (like destroy undead) may still be lethal.

 

[jan030]

there is only about a 10% chance that a tsunami will turn a land tile into coast (I think its normally 10%, I changed it to 25% in the global defines).

Kael and the team got tired of complaints from multiplayer FfHers who didn't like that powerful spells made speed so important in simultaneous turns games and insisted that they be nerfed. Damage caps have been placed on all the spells. I believe these damage caps are related to how many combat promotions the caster has. I think now the only way to completely kill a unit with magic is to use summons (including fireballs/meteors), although a few spells with more limited use (like destroy undead) may still be lethal.

Okay, thanks. I thaught that was what happened. Its a pity, i had great fun with it
But I think its better this way, more balanced. Oh well cant have it all

 

[Sureshot]

tsunami is just sick as is

you can completely destroy a size 200+ city with 200 units using a single spell if you get lucky, as easily as you could destroy a brand new size 1 city with nothing in it.

it really needs to be staged and more certain, in 0.23c its just an unreliable instant city destroyer.

 

[jwin]

If it doesn't already, ring of warding should offer protection against it.

 

[Rex rgis of Ter]

I never seem to be able to get tsunami to make coast. I'd like it moved up to about 15%. In my last game, I played Lanun and tried to change all of the tiles in my land into water excapt for resources. Man, it took forever.

 

[Bad Player]

tsunami is just sick as is

you can completely destroy a size 200+ city with 200 units using a single spell if you get lucky, as easily as you could destroy a brand new size 1 city with nothing in it.

it really needs to be staged and more certain, in 0.23c its just an unreliable instant city destroyer.

You make a good point about it - perhaps more reliable but just more difficult to do (perhaps it only works in an even narrower range of instances or it requires resources or something) would make it better.

 

[Calavente]

or maybe make it unable to distroy cities...

or :
for standard square : 25% or 15%
for city square or fort : like earthquake + 2-5% chance creating a sea plot ?

 

[Vulcans]

or make it that the city takes 1 pop damage each tsunami hit. when it get's to 0 pop the city is destroyed. small cities are easy to level, large cities need a lot of tsunami to destroy it.

 

[Sureshot]

ya i already made a version that was staged and did:
-kills 2 population each time, destroys city when done on a size 1 or 2 city
-turns mountains to hills, hills to flatlands, flatlands to water, only if theres no city there

was much more balanced and useful for terraforming, and i had made a counter balance spell called Raise Earth that did the opposite

 

[Bad Player]

The tsunami spell still needs to be as powerful as other divine(?) 3 spells such as graft flesh etc.

But I do like the partial population reduction idea (but perhaps with an increased chance of it happening) before destroying the city.

I like the permanency of tsunami though - which is why I wouldn't like raise earth to be able to reverse it.