Minor requests and questions thread

[Kalina]

I have changed it when I added earth mana to gate to underdark (perfect feature for Khazad start btw). Now it provides jewels, but Mount Kalshekk provides earth mana. So for diversity sake (and nice green glow), Standing Stones got nature mana. If it does not fit pedia entry, I should probably change the description to something more druidic.

I thought so Where they should be placed now ? Elves already have two Unique Features in their lands, so maybe someone else ? In LENA, I would probably put Standing Stone in Ngomele lands, but in Orbis ?

BTW, how about this (parts are taken from other civilopedia entries):

Standing Stones: The Druids form a loose brotherhood of near-hermits who meet once a year to compete, share knowledge and bond at places of great importance to Nature such as nature nodes, sacred trees and groves. The most famous of those gathering places, Standing Stones, is said to be powerful nature node but it's secrets are still to be discovered by mages and druids of Age of Rebirth.

I also noticed that Gate to the Underdark and Tower of Eyes are also lacking descriptions, so I wrote those two (they are very short, but most of Unique Features have short entries):

Gate to the Underdark: Not all dwarves left Underhome to live beneath the stars. Most of them still live in their safe under-hill communities. Not willing to meet humans, who they still consider to be tricksters, they only trade with few selected individiuals and other dwarves. Because of this, gems they mine are in high demand at markets of Kwythellar.

Tower of Eyes: Tower of Eyes, the Palus, used to be a prison for one of the most powerful mages of Patria. Perpentach, master of mind magic, was locked in this dungeon deep in wastelands by Kylorin and while he finally managed to escape, he left many of his secrets behind.

 

[Apeiron]

Limited cities

Just the population limit or other thing ?

 

[Valkrionn]

I've added a new tag which considers number of cities towards a unitclass limit... So if you can only build 4 of that unitclass, and have no cities, you can build 4 units. Have 3 cities, 1 unit. 4 cities, you can't build it. Using this, I can limit them to a certain amount of cities, without allowing them Settlements... And still let them keep the ones they conquer, if they so choose.

 

[arkham4269]

Not sure I want. After 1.0 is out (as I have locked features for it) I will take a look at FF & HoTK generals and decide which one I like better, and if it is worth the trouble of porting it.

Well my vote has always been for the HoTK general system, mostly for the reason that pretty much everyone seems to agree that the AI uses it and uses it well. Too often in Orbis I'll be laying seige to a city and they'll have a great general there just sitting around doing nothing. That doesn't happen in HoTK.

Plus since that system also lets you buy these great generals at certain times, it helps for those folks who want to maximize gold production and use the money to buy an army.

 

[Valkrionn]

The AI can and does use the FF system as well. As shown by my Zarcaz hero... Spawns with a group of barbs, and uses them quite successfully.

 

[St0rmz]

I'm a huge fan of terrain terraforming based on a Civilization's use for it, so I came up with an idea for Hippus. With a large amount of their culture revolving around them being a 'horse people', I think that a lot of their grasslands would become trampled over time, transforming into plains.

Perhaps an ability for all of their horse units, "Trample", that after 4-5 turns, terraforms a grassland into a plains?

 

[A Golden Dragon]

uhm yeah, but i rather have grasslands then plains, so why would i use it? nice lore wise but....

 

[St0rmz]

uhm yeah, but i rather have grasslands then plains, so why would i use it? nice lore wise but....

Their yurts/auls get a slight bonus... which can only be built on plains..

Also, a couple of game option ideas;
(1) No Scions
Effect: Stops the Scions being chosen when randomly assigning civs
Reason: Some OOS and speed issues when they are used in multiplayer

(2) No Stasis
Effect: If the Illians are in game, it prevents them from using their world spell
Reason: I like facing the Illians as opponents, but 20 turns of no research or production is just really meh and 'not fun'.

 

[Kalina]

I'm a huge fan of terrain terraforming based on a Civilization's use for it, so I came up with an idea for Hippus. With a large amount of their culture revolving around them being a 'horse people', I think that a lot of their grasslands would become trampled over time, transforming into plains.

Perhaps an ability for all of their horse units, "Trample", that after 4-5 turns, terraforms a grassland into a plains?

As Golden Dragon said, grasslands are better than plains usually. But if Yurt can't be build on grasslands, it's much different. Yurt on plains is (for Hippus) 3 , 2 and then 2 after upgrade, so tile can support itself. Farm in early game is 4 (2 from grassland, 1 from irrigation and one from plow). So, as Hippus, I'd prefer to have my riverside tiles as grasslands and others as plains
BTW, changing where yurts can be build might help non-Hippus AI. Right now, they usually build yurts on grasslands, not building towns and farms. Same thing with towns and farms on hills - while human might sometimes build one on hill, disabling this might force AI to actually build quarries there which is usually better.

Also, a couple of game option ideas;
(1) No Scions
Effect: Stops the Scions being chosen when randomly assigning civs
Reason: Some OOS and speed issues when they are used in multiplayer

(2) No Stasis
Effect: If the Illians are in game, it prevents them from using their world spell
Reason: I like facing the Illians as opponents, but 20 turns of no research or production is just really meh and 'not fun'.

Speaking of it, option to prevent choosing some civs when using random civs might be nice. Sometimes I want random opponents but don't want some of them. Wildmana has this option IIRC so might be easy to add.

 

[Valkrionn]

As Golden Dragon said, grasslands are better than plains usually. But if Yurt can't be build on grasslands, it's much different. Yurt on plains is (for Hippus) 3 , 2 and then 2 after upgrade, so tile can support itself. Farm in early game is 4 (2 from grassland, 1 from irrigation and one from plow). So, as Hippus, I'd prefer to have my riverside tiles as grasslands and others as plains
BTW, changing where yurts can be build might help non-Hippus AI. Right now, they usually build yurts on grasslands, not building towns and farms. Same thing with towns and farms on hills - while human might sometimes build one on hill, disabling this might force AI to actually build quarries there which is usually better.



Speaking of it, option to prevent choosing some civs when using random civs might be nice. Sometimes I want random opponents but don't want some of them. Wildmana has this option IIRC so might be easy to add.

I would merge Xienwolf's option, rather than any option against specific civs; Allows you to set playability (AI, Human, Open, or None) for any civ. Have to leave the custom game screen and come back in for it to update the list, but that's worth it; It lasts until you turn off the game.

 

[St0rmz]

Any chance of the Frozen civ from WM and RIFE being added? >.>

 

[civ_king]

Their yurts/auls get a slight bonus... which can only be built on plains..

Also, a couple of game option ideas;
(1) No Scions
Effect: Stops the Scions being chosen when randomly assigning civs
Reason: Some OOS and speed issues when they are used in multiplayer

(2) No Stasis
Effect: If the Illians are in game, it prevents them from using their world spell
Reason: I like facing the Illians as opponents, but 20 turns of no research or production is just really meh and 'not fun'.

Then the Illians need another spell then

 

[devil_dan418]

Then the Illians need another spell then

yes, i would love to see the illians get another worldspell. How about a worldspell that creates a ice-based improvement of somekind in all their current cities, not new cities,that would operate akin to the pact of the nilhorn but frost-giants? or frostlings?but only produce units every so many turns kinda like the sheaims planur-gate, With that improvement, the illians could build a decent sized force of frosty cannon-founder, which could finnally make the illians a threat in the early game.

just an idea...

 

[Keroro]

A small request: The combat odds that the game shows are often a little unreliable. In my experience it's defensive strikes from archery units that cause this most - your combat odds can be displayed as >90% but then a defensive strike damages your attacker by 50% and suddenly you've lost a hero (has happened to me quite a few times as you can probably tell!) If the combat odds could display the chance of a defensive strike and how much damage it could potentially do that would be very useful.

I am not certain if this is something that can be done specifically in Orbis or whether it would need to be done with the full FfH mod rather than at Orbis level. Also don't know how long it would actually take to do it... If it would take a huge amount of time to do then probably not worth it. Cheers for reading.

 

[Wauthan]

A small request: The combat odds that the game shows are often a little unreliable.

'Fraid that request is not especially small. The defensive strikes system simply breaks the combat odds feature completely. Hovertext on the unit does list the chance and damage of a defensive strike though.

Odds are still a lie though. I've lost way too many 95% wins and won too many 5% wins to believe the numbers.

"Never tell me the odds."
- Han Solo

 

[Keroro]

I was afraid it might be too big a task - thanks for replying though. I guess hover help is the best I can use here, it's just tricky to keep up with how many units have already attacked and how many defensive strikes are still available. As the mod is so awesome I'll work out a way to cope.

 

[KrugSmash]

This came up in another thread, but I think it deserves reposting. I feel that the Sheaim are a bit underwhelming, in nearly every game I've ever played as other civs, the sheaim never pass the bottom quarter of the score board and wind up with a handful of cities that rarely go over 10 pop. When I play them I generally wind up with the same situation.

While they are supposedly designed as a civ that wants to bring about the end of the world through armageddon, they receive very little benefit from doing so. In many games they start near a hell-terain producing UF, and because they are evil and often worship AV, the terrain spreads through their lands very quickly, severely hindering their ability to grow, and I don't feel that the units generated from the planar gate(that the right one?) are enough to compensate for this.

I may not have too many bright ideas for improving them, but I'm sure others do, because as it stands the Sheaim have never been anything more than an annoyance off in a corner.

 

[Ahwaric]

The simplest (and quite nice) solution will be to add them some yields to hell terrin. Same could be applied to infernals.

But I think Sheaim need some more improvement - any ideas welcomed.

 

[KrugSmash]

Yea, yields to hell terrain was about my only bright idea.

 

[Valkrionn]

The simplest (and quite nice) solution will be to add them some yields to hell terrin. Same could be applied to infernals.

But I think Sheaim need some more improvement - any ideas welcomed.

Should REALLY join RifE's team forum; We're working on the Sheaim. A few new units, better odds for the Planar Gate (6% odds until AC 50? To hell with that. I've got it set to go up by 1.5% every 10 AC, leaving it at 15% at 100; Same as it is now. Just more reactive to change), some new spells... Not really too much, but it's enough to make the Planar Gate a more useful mechanic (Available earlier, most new units are Gate spawns, one does not require any building and is the default spawn), give them some interesting new abilities, and just all around enhance them.