Doviello+

[Valkrionn]

In my opinion, the Doviello are far too similiar to the Clan. With that in mind, I have set out to 'improve' them. This will not be nearly as in depth as the Malakim+ mod, but should be interesting nonetheless...

Absorbed into FFPlus.

Patch A Changelog:

1. The Baron is unable to build himself, as intended.
2. Other Doviello leaders are correctly unable to contruct Varulv.
3. Lycanthropic nerfed from +1 to 'ignore terrain movement cost'
4. Included Warkirby's wonderful new Sabretooth, Hippogriff, and Griffon units.
5. Sabretooth - 5 :str:, available to the Animal civilization on Tundra and Snow. Will spawn instead of Lions with the Iron Working tech.
6. Sabretooth Pride - 8 , is formed like a Wolf Pack. Max strength of 16. Can create a Sabretooth Den, reverting to the Animal Civilization.
7. Stag made available to the Animal civilization. Spawns in forests/ancient forest.
8. Elk - 5 :str:, will spawn instead of Stags with the Priesthood tech. Is able to cast Haste, Regenerate, Poisoned Blade, Fertility, and Treetop Defense. Has Divine/Channeling2, and is guaranteed to begin with your state religion. Beast unit.
9. Hippogriff - Same stats as the Griffon. Able to carry 1 cargo, available to the Animal civilization, and can spawn anywhere Griffons do.
10. Hippogriff Flight - Same stats as the Griffon Flight, and is able to carry 2 cargo.
11. Cave Bear - Massive beast unit. 9 :str:, replaces the Bear with Divine Essence.
12. Cave Bear Pack - 12 , is formed like a Wolf Pack. Max strength of 27. Can create a Cave Bear Den, reverting to the Animal Civilization.
13. Mezmerize Animal is now able to capture animals belonging to the Animal civilization regardless of relations.
14. Assorted other bug fixes that I can't remember.

Version 022:
New Gameplay Mechanics:

Spoiler :

Animal Spawning: Animals will spawn in each city, modified by the cities population.

• It is an initial chance of 4%, reduced by .4% for each population point over 1, meaning a city with pop 11 will not spawn any animals. This keeps them to your borders where there are less people, and fits mechanically as it's a built in spawn control.
• The spawn chance can be increased in two ways: Adopting the Doviello-only Membership civic 'Council of the Wilds' will double the chance, and following the Fellowship of the Leaves will increase it by 50%. Following both will result in an initial chance of 12%, and animals will continue to spawn until pop 31 rather than 11.
• Initially, all that will spawn are Wolves. As you gain new techs, you'll be able to build a few National Wonders, upon completion of which new animals will be allowed to spawn.

Kindred Spirits: All units built in a Den city will start with a Kindred Spirit promotion. These promotions are initially weak, but allow a second, more powerful promotion once other requirements are met.

• Bear - March - Strong (Requires Combat 4).
• Wolf - 2 First Strikes - 1 Movement (Requires Drill 3).
• Lion - Courage - Mesmerize Animal (Requires Level 5).
• Griffin - Extra Sight - Move Impassable (Requires Combat 2/Drill 2).
• Stag - Magic Resistance/Double movement in Forest - Magic Immune (Requires Combat 5).
• Mammoth - 20% more xp from combat - Can Ride Mammoths (Requires Level 4).

Duel System:

• Doviello units are now able to duel, excluding settlers, naval units, animals and workers. Takes actual combat odds into account, but just as in combat even a unit with 99.5% combat odds can lose.
• In order to duel, just bring at least two eligible units into a stack. Select the unit you'd like to be the Challenger, and use the 'Issue Challenge' ability, granting the 'Challenger' promotion to the unit, with a 1 turn duration. Then, select the unit you'd like to be the Defender, and use the 'Accept Challenge' ability. The 'Challenger' promotion blocks any other unit from using 'Issue Challenge', and allows 'Accept Challenge'.
• Before the combat is taken into account, there is a 10% chance for the duel to be a draw, in which case both units are severely injured, and a 3% chance for both units to die. In the event of a tie, each unit gains 10% of the other's xp.
• If the duel does not end in a tie or death, one unit WILL die. However, the other gains 50% of the killed units xp, with a bonus of 2xp in case they are fresh units.

Mr. Underhills experience share code:

• New Doviello units inherit XP from your existing army, but with diminishing returns so as to discourage swarming. Basically, a small, highly promoted pack is better than a swarm, better differentiating the Doviello and the Clan. It works very well combined with the Duel system, and the Scavenger promotion.

Scavenger promotion - Gained after successful combat with a living enemy.

• Promotion expires in 5 turns.
• Unit costs no maintenance.
• Does not cause War Weariness.
• Does not cost military support.
• Can sacrifice to provide 10 to a city.
• Heals an extra 5%/5%/5% in Friendly/Neutral/Enemy territory.

Looting - Any unit with the Doviello version of the 'Winterborn' racial promotion is now able to steal weapons from defeated enemies. At the moment, this includes:

• Bronze/Iron/Mithril Weapons
• Enchanted Blade

Leaders:

Spoiler :

1. Charadon becomes Aggressive/Warlord, loses Barbarian.
   • Warlord Trait from Fall Flat- doubles the production speed of all training buildings, and increases experience gained from combat for Melee, Recon, and Archery units.
2. Mahala becomes Neutral, Financial/Ingenuity/Raiders, and gets another makeover. (Courtesy Opera. )
3. Baron Duin Halfmorn is now a Doviello leader. While he is in game, no civilization can build him. In compensation, the Baron recieves a unique hero, Varulv, at Feral Bond.
   • Evil, Agnostic/Lycanthropic. Favourite civic is slavery, wonder is Form of the Titan, the same as all other Doviello Leaders.
   • Lycanthropic allows units to ignore terrain costs, and allows you to promote to Cannibalism after Combat 2, same as Undead. Yes, this means ALL Doviello units can gain Cannibalism under Duin.

New/Changed Units:

Spoiler :

1. Lucian - Lucian gains 'Battle-Hardened'. Lesser version of Hero.
   • 0.5 experience per turn, to a max of 50.
   • 10% chance to avoid bad lair results. (Hero has 25%)
   • 10% chance to resist spells. (Hero is 20%)
   • Allows Heroic Strength/Defense 1, does NOT allow the second level.
2. Varulv - New Werewolf hero, available only to Duin. Requires Feral Bond, same stats as the Baron.
   • Can use the Feral Howl ability every 15 turns, enraging all recon units on the tile for 10 turns and allowing them to become Blooded Werewolves if successful in combat.
3. Bear Rider - horse archer UU. No ranged attack, higher strength.
   • 8 rather than 6, no ranged attack, no defensive strikes. Does not require Archery.
4. Stag - Stag Copse is able to be constructed at KotE.
   • Starts with Body I and Nature I. Will spawn in Forests for the Animal Civilization.
5. Elk - Replaces the Stag with Priesthood. Strength 5 Beast.
   • Starts with Body I, Body 2, Nature I, Nature 2, Creation 2, Channeling 2, and Divine. Cannot gain any additional spell spheres, but will ALWAYS gain your state religion, allowing it to act as a priest.
6. Mammoth - Mammoth Den is available with Horseback Riding.
   • Elephant clone, can be upgraded to Mammoth Rider. Begins with Winterborn, is available to the Animal civilization.
7. Mammoth Rider artwork brought in.
   • 1 more than War Elephants, Amurite model is available to everyone. Illians and Doviello have unique art. Mammoth Riders have Winterborn.
8. Lion Pride - 6 , is formed like a Wolf Pack. Max strength of 12. Can create a Lion Den, reverting to the Animal Civilization.
9. Sabretooth - 5 :str:, replaces the Lion with Iron Working. Will spawn for the Animal Civilization in Tundra and Snow.
10. Sabretooth Pride - 8 :str:, is formed like a Wolf Pack. Max strength of 16. Can create a Sabretooth Den, reverting to the Animal Civilization.
11. Griffon Flight - 6 , is formed like a Wolf Pack. Max strength of 15. Can create a Griffon Weyr, reverting to the Animal Civilization.
12. Hippogriff - Same stats as the Griffon. One cargo space. Replaces the Griffon with Stirrups. Can spawn for the Animal Civilization anywhere the Griffon can. Model by Warkirby.
13. Hippogriff Flight - Same stats as the Griffon Flight. Two cargo. Max strength of 15. Can create a Hippogriff Weyr, reverting to the Animal Civilization.
14. Bear Pack - 7 , is formed like a Wolf Pack. Max strength of 18. Can create a Bear Den, reverting to the Animal Civilization.
15. Cave Bear - Massive 9 :str: Beast. Replaces the Bear with Divine Essence.
16. Cave Bear Pack - 12 , is formed like a Wolf Pack. Max strength of 27. Can create a Cave Bear Den, reverting to the Animal Civilization.

Spells and Civics:

Spoiler :

1. Worldspell: Wild Hunt was a great worldspell, but is too powerful with the new spawn system.
   • Call of the Wild: Spawns a new animal for each animal unit you control, and the new unit has a 20% chance to gain any promotion the parent unit possesses.
2. Civic: 'Council of the Wilds', Doviello-only Membership civic. Grants Heroic Strength 1 to all animal units, and doubles the spawn rate at the cost of not running Undercouncil.
3. Mezmerize Animal: Now allows the capture of wild animals regardless of your relations with them. This fix also applies to the Animal Kindred ability granted by the 'Mark of the Lion' promotion.
   

Resources and Buildings:

Spoiler :

1. Bison resource:
   • Northern cows. Visible to everyone. Should break up some of the endless amounts of Arctic Deer. Doviello gain a flavourstart preference for them.
2. Wolf Den - Rolled into the Doviello Palace.
   • Grants a 'Mark of the Wolf' promotion to all units built in the city.
3. Lion Den - Available with Mining.
   • Grants a 'Mark of the Lion' promotion to all units built in the city, and allows Lions to spawn.
4. Bear Den - Available with Smelting.
   • Grants a 'Mark of the Bear' promotion to all units built in the city, and allows Bears to spawn.
5. Mammoth Den - Available with Horseback Riding.
   • Grants a 'Mark of the Mammoth' promotion to all units built in the city, and allows Mammoths to spawn.
6. Griffon Weyr - Available with Animal Handling.
   • Grants a 'Mark of the Griffin' promotion to all units built in the city, and allows Griffons to spawn.
7. Stag Copse - Available with Knowledge of the Ether
   • Grants a 'Mark of the Stag' promotion to all units built in the city, and allows Stags to spawn.

That SHOULD be all the changes... Can't be sure of course, lots of little things. All changes are documented in a 'Doviello+' Concept section in the 'pedia.

Of course, there were a few changes more in the first version, but they've already been absorbed...


Features now part of FF:

Spoiler :

1. 'Feral' trait added.
   
   

   • Grants peace with the Animal civilization.
   • -20% rate
2. Feral is now the Doviello CivTrait.
3. Doviello gain 1 on Tundra, and 1 on Ice.
   • Brings Tundra up to par with Plains.
   • Ice becomes farmable. Grassland is still superior, and will stay that way.

 

[Valkrionn]

Future Changes:

1. Balancing.

Artwork:

• Mahala:
  
• Battle-Hardened:
  
• Challenger:
  
• Lycanthropic:
  

 

[Valkrionn]

Known Bugs:

 

[WarKirby]

I believe charadon should stay barbarian. And that Mahala should gain that trait too.

Both of them also need something extra. I personally give Charadon Charismatic, and Financial for Mahala.

Something else important, and flavourful. We could really do with the ability for doviello units to duel each other. Resulting in the death of one, xp for the other, and happiness for the city. Perhaps as a UB theatre replacement, since doviello and drama really don't go together.

Honorable duels are mentioned in their lore, and other stories about them. It seems only right that some mechanic like that should be included.


Also, as an AI thing, I've always thought it would be cool if you could get a relations bonus with the Doviello, for defeating them at war. Regardless of who starts it, if they acknowledge your victory by offering something to end the war, it should have a significant permanant relations boost: "+4 We respect your strength"

 

[Valkrionn]

Honestly, probably going to steal Iceciro's trait changes.

*Mahala - Charismatic/Raiders/Barbarian
*Charadon - Aggressive/Warlord/Barbarian

**New Trait: Warlord**
The Warlord trait doubles the production speed of all training buildings, and increases experience gained from combat for Melee, Recon, and Archery units.

Financial might be better for Mahala than Charismatic, though. I'll think about it.

The theater idea is exactly what I'm looking for. Think Warfare is a reasonable enough tech for it?

The war relations idea would be great, but I have no idea how to go about it.

Edit: Post 1337.

 

[WarKirby]

Personally, I think Education would be most appropriate, but that might be a bit early for tha theatre UB.

 

[WarKirby]

Hmm, also, I'd like to see them able to take metal weapons and master equipment from other troops that they kill in battle. Kind of fitting with their scavenger/survivalist nature

 

[Valkrionn]

Were I to do that, I think I'd disallow most of their cities to produce metal weapons.

 

[WarKirby]

Why?

The main idea would be for them to not fall behind so much, if someone else has the resources, or hits iron working first.

 

[Valkrionn]

Mostly because I like the image of barbarians running up with whatever they can find, and as they conquer swapping out their improvised weaponry for plundered shinies.

You're right though, it would probably be too large a nerf.

Changes for next release: (Tomorrow?)

• Mahala gets a makeover. (Stolen from Orbis. I like the pic much better than what she has now.)
• Animal dens convert to Doviello control when inside Doviello borders.
  • Currently working: Lion Den, Bear Den.
• Doviello will be able to build Animal Dens. Need to brainstorm techs for these to be unlocked at.
  • Wolf Lair - Available from start.
  • Lion Den - Mining? Bronze Working?
  • Bear Den -
  • Griffon Weyr -
• Charadon becomes Aggressive/Warlord, loses Barbarian.
  • Warlord Trait from Fall Flat- doubles the production speed of all training buildings, and increases experience gained from combat for Melee, Recon, and Archery units.
• Mahala becomes Charismatic/Raiders, loses Ingenuity.
• Feral becomes Doviello CivTrait.

Any lairs that I'm missing? I'd like to keep Gorilla/Tigers rare, don't know if I'll be allowing Doviello access to them.

 

[Iceciro]

Don't give them access to Spiders. There's a whole civ that does the spider thing.

I think Charadon needs to lose Barbarian. The savages are all orcs - the Dovellio needed Barbarian when we couldn't seperate animals from savages from demons. That's not the case anymore, and Feral should do fine.

Cha/Rai and Agg/War are both warmonger traits, and I've never seen Mahala as less likely to bludgeon the heads of anyone - as long as they aren't Dovellio.

 

[Valkrionn]

Don't give them access to Spiders. There's a whole civ that does the spider thing.

I think Charadon needs to lose Barbarian. The savages are all orcs - the Dovellio needed Barbarian when we couldn't seperate animals from savages from demons. That's not the case anymore, and Feral should do fine.

Cha/Rai and Agg/War are both warmonger traits, and I've never seen Mahala as less likely to bludgeon the heads of anyone - as long as they aren't Dovellio.

True, spiders should stay in the realm of the Archos. I'll remove them. They're actually the only animals the Doviello still need to worry about, as they're HN.

True, but some savages are human, even if not shown graphically... I can still see him as Barbarian. The negatives probably outweigh the gain, however, so I'll remove it. Makes for a clearer separation from the Clan, as well.

Exactly. Mahala may be a dove compared to Charadon's hawk, but it's a relative thing.

 

[Valkrionn]

How would you feel about allowing the Doviello recon to gain food from defeated units? I see them as the closest to feral, so they shouldn't have an issue cannibalizing defeated soldiers... Rather than a heal bonus though, they could bring the food home, promote growth in more desolate areas.

 

[Iceciro]

That's rather different and establishes their early game as being monstrous in more than one way.

Questions:
How would this react to say, a city you've purposefully stalled to avoid unhappy citizenry?
How do you ensure they don't end up eating catapults or golems?

 

[Valkrionn]

Basically my goal.

1. No idea. Would have to test that one.
2. I'd be handling it via promotion. The idea is Opera's, for the Ngomele civ for Orbis. Main reason for doing it through promotions is to be able to limit it to living units, since I'd have to apply it via python... The other way would be through a soulforge-esque building, but that would count everything, and wouldn't require a trip home.

Main way I'd balance it would be by having several 'tier' type promotions, with only a few of them granting access to a new level of spell. The spell would add food to the city the unit is in, removing the promotions completely.. Say, kill 10 units, get 30 ? Would allow them to be powerful early game, but it would quickly peter out. Could even allow sacrificing your own units for food, but that would be too exploitable.

Edit: Also, would probably have the promotions require you to EITHER a)Be recon or b)have Combat 3. I'm also limiting each Doviello lair to spawn 5 units at a time. If one of those units is killed, the lair will be able to spawn another.

 

[Valkrionn]

Balance question: Allow Doviello to construct dens anywhere, or limit them to the same terrain the vanilla den is limited to? As in, Bear Dens throughout the empire, or Tundra only?

 

[xienwolf]

Well, you have this modular for now, so you probably don't like the idea of a DLL solution, but:

For the doviello to pack food home by promotion, you could use a Stack Effect type of promotion. Gain the promotion and it increases the food attribute that the unit carries by whatever amount. Lose the promotion and it sets the attribute to zero (regardless of current value). So then you just add the promotion when they defeat a unit and the value adds up on the unit, then you bring the unit to a city and cast the spell, they dump all the food (and lose the promotion) and the city grows or not.


And you can avoid unwanted growth by not dumping your food in that city (or by turning on the Avoid Growth emphasis)

 

[Valkrionn]

That's exactly what I'd like to do, but I've never edited the DLL and would have no idea where to start.

 

[MrUnderhill]

I have a few scripts lying around that I was going to use for the Doviello.
My idea was to let new Doviello units inherit XP from your existing army, but with diminishing returns so as to discourage swarming. I made Lucian a full hero so he could "jump-start" the Doviello gene pool, and in playtesting it worked out really well in the early game. You have to manage your units so that they don't dilute the XP bonus, and sending weak units on suicide missions can be an effective way to deal with weak units, just like in the lore. If they win, they get more XP. If not, they free up some XP for the next generation.

#Put this anywhere in CustomFunctions
	def inheritExperience(self, newUnit, fReturnRate):
		if not newUnit.isAlive():
			return
		py = PyPlayer(newUnit.getOwner())
		iTotalXP = 0
		iMatchingUnits = 0
		if newUnit.getUnitCombatType() == -1:
			return
		for pUnit in py.getUnitList():
			if pUnit.getUnitCombatType() == newUnit.getUnitCombatType() and pUnit != newUnit:
				iTotalXP += pUnit.getExperience()
				iTotalXP += pUnit.baseCombatStr()
				iMatchingUnits += 1
		if iMatchingUnits == 0:
			return
		iAverage = int(iTotalXP / (iMatchingUnits ** fReturnRate))
		newUnit.changeExperience(iAverage, -1, false, false, false)
#Put this near the start of OnUnitBuilt in CvEventManager
if pPlayer.getCivilizationType() == gc.getInfoTypeForString('CIVILIZATION_DOVIELLO'):
	cf.inheritExperience(unit,1.8)

 

[Valkrionn]

Sounds interesting... How exactly does the mechanic work? How quickly does it scale?