Just what is the Tower of Mastery?

What if all their cities are reduced to half size and switched to barbarian? As in all the good people in the civ ascended to heaven and the only people left were thugs and murderers. Then there wouldn't just be some huge empty territory up for grabs.

How would this work out for the evil Civs, though? It wouldn't make much sense for half of one of Hyborem's cities to ascend, and the other half being left behind. Then again, one would wonder how the cities themselves would also vanish. Maybe they would just be overrun by the barbs in the year following ascension?
 
evil can't build the alter, so there would be no problem there.
 
Is it an evilish thing? Could allow you to tap into the powers of Hell itself, thus having mastery over the world!

Is it a goody thing? Could grant you the powers of Heaven itself, thus having mastery over the world!

Then again, one would wonder how the cities themselves would also vanish.

I imagine the citizens are blessed passage into Heaven and are able to ascend with you and the army?
 
No, I meant the actual buildings.

there was a books whose name i couldn't forget fast enough, where the population of earth *ascended*, and the fuel for this ascension was the earth. they consumed it. one coud assume something similar here?

another story had them intentionally removing their own foot print to allow the world to revert back to its natural state(that one might have been a game) ofcourse these people left in space ships, point being though, plenty of potential explanations.
 
there was a books whose name i couldn't forget fast enough, where the population of earth *ascended*, and the fuel for this ascension was the earth. they consumed it. one coud assume something similar here?
Hey, I really like this one. It would give me a reason, as a good civ, to not want another good civ to build the alter. At least not without taking me with them ;)

Thanks!
(yes, plausible justification of in-game mechanics is very important for me)
 
That's more or less what happens in the Invisibles. Grant Morrison's take on the insanely fast escalation of wars/environmental degradation/radical polarization of this century is that the human race, like a chick getting ready to hatch, is using up all of the resources it has left in its egg before it breaks out. But it's not something where some people get left behind.

I assumed it just granted the leader of the winning civ total control of all magic. They talk about what was possible in the age of magic when there were only a small number of wizards - now change that number to one and only one, and see what they can do. (Which would also place them above any of the "gods" in the game, since angels and human mages draw upon the same pool of magical power.)
 
Yeah I guess so Aleph, but the Ascension thing people are talking about is about the Altar I think.
 
i think the tower of master is really lacking in flavor. even if it does not get a story, id like it to t least hvae a more fun mechanic. something llike this might be fun:


add a slew of new mana producing buildings. some of these should overlap and they should be spread amongst many tech lines.

also existing wonders could be changed:
Spoiler :

caminous aureous (sp) provides enchantment

mookas cauldroon still requires death but also provides one free

aquea succulus still requires life but provides one free

order and veil holy shrines provide fire mana ina ddition to their current ones

crown of azakhren provides mind

stylevens perect lyre provides spirit

pact of the nilhorn provides body

catacomb libralius provides metamagic when that comes out




also the required mana would be set to four, so when all 21 manas come out you have 5 on each and one on the tower of mastery

give the individual towers large bonii

make the towers require arcane lore

add a "super mage" hero for each tower buildable only in thata city

as soon as someone builds all four towers, a barbarian magic avatar is released on the world. this happens each time anyone buids all four towers, it should have 0 strength chanelling 1 to three, sorcecry, sommoning, twincast, melee unit, afinnity 1 for every mana. when it is defeated, the unit gets a " magic essence" promotion. when brought to a city you can remove the promotion and put a magic essence building in the city, that gives 5 exp to arcane units built in the city, and allows the civ to build the tower of mastery. if the civ that places it in theircity does not have all four towers, then a new magic avatar is spawned that will not attack a civ with the magic essence building.
 
Yeah, casting the spells of winter. Bascially causing armageddon effects, eclipsing the sun, causing the dead to be raised as undead, killing all creatures of one race, etc.

I think we need a cool bik movie from Hex for the Altar and ToM victories. The Altar would be acendance (in fact we've talked about if an Ai player wins by the Altar victory we just have their civ dissapear from the map entirely and allow you to play on).

But the ToM victory should be supreme power.

all living, demon or angel units or new units could get level 1 spells randomly over time,


all spellcasters get +4 xp per turn, other units get +1 xp per turn
your units get magic resistence for free

+no mana restriction for spellcasters learning spheres
khzahd can upgrade thier adepts
+some sort of uber effect for collecting mana,
Spoiler :

+20% food, production, gold , reduced upgrade cost per certain types of mana in every city

+double happyness and health from mana *or*
+halved unhappyness and unhealthyness

+cities produce two adepts or priests for every one *and/or*
+magic units upgrade free

+some sort of magic based corporation in bts(magic monopoly?)

+some sort of nonrestricted arcmage upgrade
 
How about if you complete the tower of mastery you get +1 of each type of mana and nukes? I mean, you wouldn't call them nukes, but Spheres of Annihilation or something. Still... nukes they would be.
 
Why a story at all? Tower of mastery and Alter of Luonnotars are simply two spaceship victories, make up your own stories already.

Only thing is, the Tower of Mastery condition is kinda scary with the Amurites, whom already has cave of ancestors. If *they* have mastery over the elements, I don't know what they can do...
 
I always assumed it gave you control over all mana nodes in the game, and all other civs were reduced to just those provided by buildings/wonders.

Pel
 
Personally I wish it had some cool, flavorful effects rather then just being a victory condition (and that you could build it with the victory condition deactivated). I personally never play with either the Altar or Tower victory conditions on, and feel there should be a good reason to build them anyway (there is already reason enough for the altar)
 
Each tower should provide all 3 ranks in each of the four spell categories for the tower to any arcane/divine unit entering that city. (so all of your arcane units, and your allies if you open borders I guess, can "go study at the tower" instead of learning in the field)

Tower of Mastery should provide Channeling 3, Sorcery , Summoning, and Divine to any unit visiting the city (so even your poorly little warrior from turn 1 who cowered in your never attacked capiltal can journey to the tower of mastery and be able to now cast every spell in the game... Actually, even your worker can)


Then there is a VERY good reason to build each individual tower (one that outweighs building multiple mana nodes of 1 type, but still required travel to that city, so until teleportation isn't completely overpowering. But also alows you to "retrofit" the sorcerers who already were alive). And the Tower of Mastery becomes insanely powerful enough to justify that you do indeed win the game, even if that one isn't a victory condition.


Reasons to have your civilization not wanting even his friends to build it: A belief that Magic is meant only for those with sufficient time and passion invested. Open it to every worker and they would not control the awesome powers of creation properly (or as an evil Civ... Well, it is power and you want the power for yourself :p)
 
Do you mean that units could cast an infinite number of times per turn? Wouldn't that mean the AI would then get stuck in infinite loops and the game would freeze up?

Or did you mean to suggest we go with xienwolf's idea, but not take it so far (like only for arcane units, and no free sorcery, summoning, or especially divine promotions)? I suppose that might be doable.
 
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