Guardian of Pristinus Pass

[Imuratep]

The Guardian of Pristinus Pass is something annoying, but not really dangerous, except you starting settler spawns on it, and I don't want to complain about this point. But what seemed a bit strange to me, that they actually guard nothing, but a single mountain noone wants. And also the Gargoyles are quite strange guardians as they leave their Pass, that they should guard, and wander around in the world and then by some strange logic attack someone who needn't to be the one who dared to enter the pass.
If at least it was a real pass, behind which you could find significant better land, but it's just a mountain, nothing more.
So for me there are a few points to change:
1. Let them stay on the Mountain. Only if a unit enters a tile near it they attack it and then return to the mountain. Otherwise they are regenerating. (Because right now you actually just have to wait a while till they are unfragged and then kill by a few warriors)
2. Let them actually guard something beneficial, so that the player who controls the pass is glad to have the control of the pass (like it is logical for a pass). So either the Pristinus Pass always is a real pass to a secluded part of the land or a connection between two important areas. Or the Pass could give boni to the circumjectant tiles (like +1 , +1 or +1 ). +1 or +2 would probably be the most logical solution as a Pass is always a very important point for trade. In the same way you could introduce other unique improvements guarded by strong enemies, which give you +1 or +1 on the circumjectant tiles.

 

[nihonjeff]

I'm pretty sure that's the actual function of the improvement; IIRC it was designed for one (or more) of the scenarios we'll see in Ice. It's purpose, I'm sure, is to prevent the player from accessing a certain part of the scenario map until they are sufficiently advanced/powerful.

I don't know how the mapscripts are programmed, but it seems like it would be quite the challenge to program the script to create a region of particularly good land sealed off from the rest of the world by a small pass that is home to the Guardians. I personally just imagine that the Guardians are a relic of a past age, and although whatever they were guarding is long gone, the gargoyles still remain...

I do agree with you about having them actually stick around to guard their peak, rather than wandering off to pillage and loot.

 

[Darksaber1]

Well, Pristanus Pass is the Holy Site of the Cult of the Dragon (so it seems) and the setting of a scenarios, so it must do something. It wasn't unitl .33 or .34 that it could even apear as a feature. And having them Guard would probable be better than wonder off, I agree.

 

[MagisterCultuum]

Well, Pristanus Pass is the Holy Site of the Cult of the Dragon (so it seems) and the setting of a scenarios, so it must do something. It wasn't unitl .33 or .34 that it could even apear as a feature.

What is the basis for the Cult of the Dragon assumption?

 

[orangelex44]

Because it looks like a Dragon, I suppose.

 

[steampunk1880]

...it looks like a gargoyle...doesn't it?

 

[Verdian]

I thought it looked like a gargoyle, too. And after reading this thread, I finally realize it is Pristinus Pass, and not Pristine Pass.

I think the only holy site for the CotD would be the Dragon Bones. And where ever their great lizard gods happen to be standing.

 

[zup]

Have you checked the scenario teaser for 'The Cult' (or whatever), situated in or near Pristinus pass? Looks like dragons to me in that picture.

 

[deadliver]

pwned

 

[Darksaber1]

Have you checked the scenario teaser for 'The Cult' (or whatever), situated in or near Pristinus pass? Looks like dragons to me in that picture.

Thats what gave me that idea. I did say it seems.

 

[rocklikeafool]

I can't wait til we start seein these scenarios, man.

 

[tharg]

I personally just imagine that the Guardians are a relic of a past age, and although whatever they were guarding is long gone, the gargoyles still remain...

I reckon the gargoyles are really pissed they lost whether they were guarding, and have gone off looking for it

 

[Imuratep]

But if Guardians of Pristinus Pass is thought for scenario play, why is it in the main game? IMHO if it is implemented in the main game, it should really have a function, because right now it does NOTHING (The Gargoyles don't regenerate so when they attack they are so weak, that they kill one or two warriors at best. Even if they lost no single health point, they are no danger, because you anyway defend your cities well enough to stand against them because of 0.34 barbs)

 

[Pyr0mancer]

But if Guardians of Pristinus Pass is thought for scenario play, why is it in the main game? IMHO if it is implemented in the main game, it should really have a function, because right now it does NOTHING (The Gargoyles don't regenerate so when they attack they are so weak, that they kill one or two warriors at best. Even if they lost no single health point, they are no danger, because you anyway defend your cities well enough to stand against them because of 0.34 barbs)

If two or three strength-8(?) units are only managing to kill 1 or 2 warriors, I believe you're playing at far too low a difficulty level. Just as a quick estimate, a warrior's best equivalent strength is 3+25%(city)+25%(fortify)+25%(hill)+20%(Aggressive) = 3+95% = just under 6. The more usual situation is just the city and fortification bonuses, for 4.5.

Also, you evidently haven't seen what happens when the Guardian gets triggered early, like say in the first 10 turns. Then, you've only got 2, maybe 3 warriors with which to defend. Even if you survive, that's a significant early hit.

 

[Imuratep]

If two or three strength-8(?) units are only managing to kill 1 or 2 warriors, I believe you're playing at far too low a difficulty level. Just as a quick estimate, a warrior's best equivalent strength is 3+25%(city)+25%(fortify)+25%(hill)+20%(Aggressive) = 3+95% = just under 6. The more usual situation is just the city and fortification bonuses, for 4.5.

Also, you evidently haven't seen what happens when the Guardian gets triggered early, like say in the first 10 turns. Then, you've only got 2, maybe 3 warriors with which to defend. Even if you survive, that's a significant early hit.

I'm playing immortal. But when they attack they have either lost so many hit points that it does not matter (because they attack the AI units which usually have 2 or 3 free promotions), or my units are trained so well by the barbs that I win against them. If you mean the occasional games where they attack you at turn 10-15, your right, but then you really have to settle 3 tiles away from them or something like that. In normal games, where they are in, they never do anything. At turn 30 where barbs usually attack I have 7 warriors, that I need anyway to protect me.

 

[zup]

So far I have yet to get attacked in number by those barbarians you are all talking about. I see the occasional straggler, nothing more. And I don't play chokepoint heavy maps.

 

[deadliver]

What is scary is the event description states there are rumors the damn thing moves around!

Wow I'd hate to have that guardian warp in a few spaces away from my cities.

 

[Pyr0mancer]

I'm playing immortal. But when they attack they have either lost so many hit points that it does not matter (because they attack the AI units which usually have 2 or 3 free promotions), or my units are trained so well by the barbs that I win against them. If you mean the occasional games where they attack you at turn 10-15, your right, but then you really have to settle 3 tiles away from them or something like that. In normal games, where they are in, they never do anything. At turn 30 where barbs usually attack I have 7 warriors, that I need anyway to protect me.

Ah, fair enough. You're only getting hit later, once you can handle them. I agree that once you get either a few experienced warriors or they lose some health, they're pushovers. I don't think I've actually seen them in any of my recent games; they're usually dead by the time I find the Guardian. My main issue with the Guardian is those early attacks, when there's no way to stop them from taking out a nearby civilization.

What I would really like is if it spawned 2 or 3 limited-duration Gargoyles every turn that there's an adjacent unit, or just plain every few turns. That way, it would be more dangerous but have limited range.

 

[Keeper_GFA]

It'd be a huge XP farm once you were setup for it.

 

[deadliver]

Sounds like Barbatos to me. Reminds me, haven't seen that guy for a coupla games now.