Ideas, Requests, and Feedback

[Valkrionn]

You do have a point there.

BTW, since the mod moders guide thread is not available (I don't want to double post there.) Does anyone know a good turtorial to teach me how to add a new head to a unit?

I managed to add the head it self no problem but since the original model is in 1 part mesh I can't get the old head to disappear. So I get a unit with the new head and an old head protruding underneath. Any ideas?

You can shrink the old head, if not remove it outright. Find the correct bone, right-click, transform, edit.

 

[PPQ_Purple]

You can shrink the old head, if not remove it outright. Find the correct bone, right-click, transform, edit.

But that also shrinks/removes the new head. Or should I do this before adding the replacement head?

Keep in mind that I am limited to NifScope/Sceane Viewer as max7 ruins the bones for some reason.

 

[Valkrionn]

If the scale applies to the new head as well, increase it's scale before adding it, then attach, then drop scale. New head will be back to normal, old one invisible

 

[Morkonan]

And I vote the other way.

Aquatic animals clearing out kelp is a bad thing, for multiple reasons. First off, it's unrealistic (kelp generally has more animals, they don't clear it out to the extent that would be required for this),

But, the principle illusion of "realism" is still there - animals eat. Realism-in-detail is something we never see in fiction, television or gaming. Ever see a bathroom on the Enterprise? Having an animal be able to eat a naturally occurring plant (spawning/respawning troublesome kelp) is perfectly within reason and doesn't break "suspension of disbelief" any more than fireball throwing mages and centaurs. What does a sea serpent eat in real life anyway? Who say's they can't gobble up an entire kelp forest?

but second and more importantly, it would result in the oceans being cleared of the kelp that is placed there by the map.

If kelp has a spawn rate, wouldn't the game replace the kelp over time? Or, can it only spawn once per tile? Here, it's the mechanics I don't know which could be the barrier.

The point of them being able to automatically eat the kelp is to help keep kelp growth down in areas the player is not in. As kelp growth increases within the player's territory (because animal units will not cross into it) there becomes some incentive and a bonus for capturing sea creatures. Greater expansion means a little more unrestrained kelp growth. With greater expansion comes the predicted greater ability of a player with seaside cities effected by kelp to hunt sea creatures. In other words, if kelp is a problem for the player, they will have a means to deal with it simply due to the circumstances surrounding why it is a problem. (Unless territories are so large that few, if any, creatures will spawn. But, your mechanics seem to still allow for spawns and I would imagine it wouldn't be too much of an issue in the late-game.) In essence, it's also playing on sort of a environmentalism type of mechanic - There are consequences to sea-side expansion that one must allow "natural" forces to help control.

The only true problem with this suggestion has to do with the AI and the ever-present problem of burdening the game with yet more calculations to do every turn. The AI, AFAIK, isn't capable of making "judgement calls" that would determine its use of sea creatures in this way in a sensible fashion. While I've seen AI ships with the promotion, I've never seen a squadron of them hunting for sea creatures either. "Chance" might not give them enough opportunity and, even if it did, they might not know what to do with them to begin with. (I suppose whatever is used for the Work Boats could be cobbled into a promotion for sea creatures so the AI would know what to do with them. Where they decided to Feed might be ranked on commerce points/trade-routes/etc.)

Anyway, it's just a mechanic suggestion to add some additional flavor to captured sea creatures. There was no intent to make it anything obtrusive in its impact. It's a "tweak" that really shouldn't be constructed to have any great impact on the player, regardless of their circumstances. But, it could add some fun for those who pursue it. Otherwise, the majority of what the player will use them for will be simply more military units. (Note: I've never been able to build a Sea Serpent's special building. I haven't looked into whether that's a bug or I'm just not doing it right.)


Oh, an additional note: Sea Turtles are a bit too strong, IMO. The fiery breath attack along with a meteor swarm for a unit that a Frigate straight out of the dock can easily capture is a but much. True, you have to find them. But, once you do, no seaside city is safe. They're slow, but not unmanageably so. However, they're really miniature Arcane Barges in offensive capability. A couple of Sea Turtles with an escort to protect them from attack will quickly reduce a seaside city. Sure, they should be more powerful than a serpent. But, either the Breath Attack or the Meteor Swarm, but not both, would be a little better, IMO. Lowering the strength of either or both might also be an acceptable fix.

 

[PPQ_Purple]

Thanks! I would have newer thought of that. *facepalms*
Why do all the good solution always look so obvious "after" someone else has to tell them to you.

BTW, you have no idea what kind of horror you just helped unleash upon Erebus.

 

[Valkrionn]

But, the principle illusion of "realism" is still there - animals eat. Realism-in-detail is something we never see in fiction, television or gaming. Ever see a bathroom on the Enterprise? Having an animal be able to eat a naturally occurring plant (spawning/respawning troublesome kelp) is perfectly within reason and doesn't break "suspension of disbelief" any more than fireball throwing mages and centaurs. What does a sea serpent eat in real life anyway? Who say's they can't gobble up an entire kelp forest?

Eh. Same could be said for Elk and a forest.

If kelp has a spawn rate, wouldn't the game replace the kelp over time? Or, can it only spawn once per tile? Here, it's the mechanics I don't know which could be the barrier.

The point of them being able to automatically eat the kelp is to help keep kelp growth down in areas the player is not in. As kelp growth increases within the player's territory (because animal units will not cross into it) there becomes some incentive and a bonus for capturing sea creatures. Greater expansion means a little more unrestrained kelp growth. With greater expansion comes the predicted greater ability of a player with seaside cities effected by kelp to hunt sea creatures. In other words, if kelp is a problem for the player, they will have a means to deal with it simply due to the circumstances surrounding why it is a problem. (Unless territories are so large that few, if any, creatures will spawn. But, your mechanics seem to still allow for spawns and I would imagine it wouldn't be too much of an issue in the late-game.) In essence, it's also playing on sort of a environmentalism type of mechanic - There are consequences to sea-side expansion that one must allow "natural" forces to help control.

The only true problem with this suggestion has to do with the AI and the ever-present problem of burdening the game with yet more calculations to do every turn. The AI, AFAIK, isn't capable of making "judgement calls" that would determine its use of sea creatures in this way in a sensible fashion. While I've seen AI ships with the promotion, I've never seen a squadron of them hunting for sea creatures either. "Chance" might not give them enough opportunity and, even if it did, they might not know what to do with them to begin with. (I suppose whatever is used for the Work Boats could be cobbled into a promotion for sea creatures so the AI would know what to do with them. Where they decided to Feed might be ranked on commerce points/trade-routes/etc.)

Anyway, it's just a mechanic suggestion to add some additional flavor to captured sea creatures. There was no intent to make it anything obtrusive in its impact. It's a "tweak" that really shouldn't be constructed to have any great impact on the player, regardless of their circumstances. But, it could add some fun for those who pursue it. Otherwise, the majority of what the player will use them for will be simply more military units. (Note: I've never been able to build a Sea Serpent's special building. I haven't looked into whether that's a bug or I'm just not doing it right.)


Oh, an additional note: Sea Turtles are a bit too strong, IMO. The fiery breath attack along with a meteor swarm for a unit that a Frigate straight out of the dock can easily capture is a but much. True, you have to find them. But, once you do, no seaside city is safe. They're slow, but not unmanageably so. However, they're really miniature Arcane Barges in offensive capability. A couple of Sea Turtles with an escort to protect them from attack will quickly reduce a seaside city. Sure, they should be more powerful than a serpent. But, either the Breath Attack or the Meteor Swarm, but not both, would be a little better, IMO. Lowering the strength of either or both might also be an acceptable fix.

The problem is that it doesn't grow on random tiles, it spreads from one tile with kelp to others.

The mapscripts we like players to use both place forests of kelp in the ocean. A few aquatic units would be able to wipe a forest out, with it never able to grow back.

As for the Turtle: They get both from the Dragon promo. I can make the current one stronger, and have it upgrade from a lower turtle; Turtles, honestly, are the one aquatic unit we have that could provide an entire 'line' of animals, like wolves.

Thanks! I would have newer thought of that. *facepalms*
Why do all the good solution always look so obvious "after" someone else has to tell them to you.

BTW, you have no idea what kind of horror you just helped unleash upon Erebus.

Can't be worse than something I'm working on. It involves a hawk. All I'll say.

 

[Morkonan]

Eh. Same could be said for Elk and a forest.

That's a pretty hefty elk... They're already ginormous in RiFE. Do entire divisions of warriors get lost in elk poop? Do Rangers need hipwaders when walking in the woods?

The problem is that it doesn't grow on random tiles, it spreads from one tile with kelp to others.

The mapscripts we like players to use both place forests of kelp in the ocean. A few aquatic units would be able to wipe a forest out, with it never able to grow back.

Gotcha. That's the "mechanics I don't know" coming into play to strangle the idea. So, there's an increasing chance due to the described mechanics, I assume, that kelp will spawn in a plot when there is neighboring kelp and kelp gets its start position during map scripting. (Sort of an exponential progression/compounding effect.) I'd also assume using the event generator to check and generate "random" kelp would quickly bog things down, rendering the game unplayable, even if it could be used for that.

As for the Turtle: They get both from the Dragon promo. I can make the current one stronger, and have it upgrade from a lower turtle; Turtles, honestly, are the one aquatic unit we have that could provide an entire 'line' of animals, like wolves.

I think that would be a great idea. Having the current strength turtle as an "upgrade" would be much better, as long as the AI can handle it as well. Turtles are that "middle of the road" challenge for seafaring players. They're not strong enough to challenge the end-game units, but are sufficiently strong enough to make early and early-mid game units very wary. That's a good thing - It adds some drama and risk to simply pointing and clicking a sea-route. Even for injured, late-game units, turtles present a risk. And, it's not overkill for the mid-game travel challenge like a Leviathan or a kraken spawns would be.

You know, a big turtle would be a great deal of food.. Even providing a nice bit of shelter while one dines. A +1 defense, +1 food bonus to a city if the player elects to eat his captured turtle instead of growing it into a new military unit might be fun. Turtle soup, coming up! Tortoise shell walls? No problem! With all the random fire and resource pillaging cities can get from passing warships, would such an addition provide a suitable offset?

Thanks for explaining how map generation is handled. I now understand how implementing such a game dynamic would be extremely difficult and potentially problematic.

 

[Meldon]

A Turtle building would be pretty cool. Imagine a Bannor city with a Palisade, Walls, Wall of Stone, Turtle Shell Walls, and a nice sized garrison. Near-impenetrable.

 

[Sjru]

Please, could someone explain me the Sidar Greater Shade mechanic? I don't understand it! Does it provides immortality when you reach a certain level or what?

 

[Valkrionn]

It provides a chance for immortality each turn. That chance is based unit level.

 

[Sjru]

Thanks, but I was looking for a technical explanation, I know it provides a chance, but how? Does that immortality last for that turn only?

 

[Valkrionn]

Each turn (not per combat, but each turn) the unit has a Level * 5% chance of gaining Immortality.

This immortality is wiped each and every turn, and the odds are capped at 95% (level 19).

 

[Tsathoggua]

Each turn (not per combat, but each turn) the unit has a Level * 5% chance of gaining Immortality.

This immortality is wiped each and every turn, and the odds are capped at 95% (level 19).

This seems like a weird way to limit the power of immortality -- which I recognize should be done, if all units can potentially receive it (not sure about that either-- haven't played Sidar in a long time).

What about having the immortality *not* be wiped, but there is one "roll" of a die with a 5% chance of getting the promotion at each level-up? This would result in roughly 60% of units being immortal by the time they hit level 19 -- obviously you could scale the on-level chance appropriately if that's too much.

 

[Sjru]

But how do I know if that turn my unit is immortal? Any chances to make the "Great shade" promo show if you are immortal that turn? (Like the mutated that show their effects)

 

[dunedainjedi]

But how do I know if that turn my unit is immortal? Any chances to make the "Great shade" promo show if you are immortal that turn? (Like the mutated that show their effects)

Wouldn't the unit gain the Immortal Promo?

 

[Valkrionn]

No, it's done by the Immortal status (Like the Immortal unit). I'll add a text display for it.

 

[Sjru]

But, rather than a text display, an separate Immortal promo (that last for 1 turn so its the same) could be more intuitive and easier to spot, so you don't have to be checking the thing to know if your unit is immortal that turn or not. Don't you think?

 

[Valkrionn]

But, rather than a text display, an separate Immortal promo (that last for 1 turn so its the same) could be more intuitive and easier to spot, so you don't have to be checking the thing to know if your unit is immortal that turn or not. Don't you think?

Can't add a promo, as to do that from within the DLL would require hardcoding. I despise that, and will not do it where a different option is available.

 

[dunedainjedi]

Can't add a promo, as to do that from within the DLL would require hardcoding. I despise that, and will not do it where a different option is available.

Could immortality pop up in the event log instead? Like a little "A unit has become temporarily Immortal, but this will pass with time." message. If that doesn't involve hardcoding/isn't too much work, it seems like it would be the best of both worlds. At least we know too look.

 

[Valkrionn]

It would be possible, yes. I had chosen not to because it's done for each unit individually, and by late game you can have a dozen or more of these units. I don't want to see that many messages.