Would be nice to have a storyline or plot or the ability to create one in games.

I'm pretty sure the single player is a story (campaign). See, for instance, this post

[Edit] And I should say that, from other posts by Frogboy, the intention is to have the story w/ random events and a map that is generated each play-through. I might be wrong on the last part, but since I haven't the opportunity to do the searching right now I'll just have to go with my memory

With the extensive modding support they're planning, i'm sure it will be possible to add your own quest/random events/story elements. I'm fairly certain the tile editor/world editor (especially with the "stamps" thingy) allowed for triggered events, and thus allow for story elements.

 

There is a campaign with a story that follows the game lore, along with a randomly generated mode a la Civ or GalCiv.  The campaign is probably more focussed and detailed than the GalCiv2 one though.

I hope the campaign takes a different approach from the GalCiv2 campaigns.  It was tedious doing the startup phase over and over again for short scenarios.  Also being able to keep your progress is essential in these modes, and GalCiv2 had very little gameplay continuity from one scenario to another.  It is difficult to keep players interested by only progressing through the story alone, especially when it is a page of text between hours of gaming.  There has to be some progress in gameplay too.  Maybe by keeping some combination of heroes, spells, units, or research would help give the player this sense of progress through the scenarios of Elemental. 

Age of Wonders 2 did this with spells, items, and heroes and it was pretty satisfying.  The only problem there was the hero units got out of hand and became the focus of the whole game.  It was a gambit of gameplay balance for the coolness of making uber heroes, though it would have been nice to have your cake and eat it too so to speak. 

Goodmorning everybody,


One concern with your channler moving from map to map with all thier skills and abilities intact, would they then have to travel with any unit they granted essence to as well,  and what of the essence they fed into the land itself.
One option is that in every map you gain hero's or family, or allies, but only a tiny few of them offer to serve you for life. 


Also i would love to see a 'choose your own adventure' campain.  Where instead of one story line that you follow, at each map you're faced with a choice of 2 or 3 maps.

For example after the first two maps to get you mostly over the learning curve you hit the third, and the naritive comes up.


In your reasearch after claiming the tower of really old libraries (goal of map two). you have discoverd many intersting things. The land to the west should have two crystal shards,  but was the haven of a supreme mage before the cataclym who's success was from creating huge and terrible beasts, some whom may still be around today. The land to the East was laid claim to by the king of the null magic sword, who managed to remain powerful late into the mage wars not by power of magic, but by power of antimagic. It is said that the greatest artifacts of antimagic were controled by him, including the Null magic sword which once cut with would render all but the most trained mages mute, unableto weave even the most basic of spells. A channler wandering alone in this land risks much.   Additionally, Falrmer, my trusted second in command, has recived terrible news, a necromancer has decended upon his home town and killed and raised his family and all his old friends,  He has sworn an oath of revenge. Falrmer has informed me that he will be heading back home, to the north, and has promiced that if I help he plege allegence to me, for life.  (gain Falrmer as a permenent unit, will join you for all maps from now on.)


Now you have the choice, which branch to follow,   I'm also thinking that if you don't offer to help, Falrmer should be captured by the Necromancer, and you have to then fight him latter in the game as a main enemy.   You might also have the option to promice to return for him,  for example you could offer him some of your essence and power, while you search for the sword, or claim the two shards,  If you do so you'll get a bonus option next map, above the two or three you will unlock to also rush to Falrmers aid. however if you offer him power, then don't return for him, the necromacer will get him, and get your power. but you don't know this and arn't told, till a very enraged half undead Falrmer falls upon you three maps later spitting black lightning bolts of death.  For example.

Taek care all

Robbie

The single-player campaign promises to give us a more story driven experiance compared to GalCiv 2.  However apparently it may be randomized in such a way that you'll need to play through it a few times to get it all.  (rumors I've heard)

 

Ideally, even the skirmish will feel like it has a story because of the quests, but we'll see how that works.

Ideally a "story driven" campaign will be structured in a "reveal the map" kind of way.  For example, when the character starts out the campaign only a few dozen miles are showing.  Once he finishes the first part of the campaign, the map expands to show the surrounding area thus "scaling up" the campaign (but with what the character has at the end of the first part of it completely intact).

Goodmorning all

This would work, for some maps,  Suppreem Commander did that,  But ultiamately it leaves a huge stratigic advantage to almost kill the last guy,  then wait 15 - 50 turns building up everything you now own to supper power you before moving on to the next section of map. I don't think I would want to play where this was the dominent next level path.   Some maps would be great, having it occure 1 in 4 times, or so would be about right for my tastes.

Take care all
Robbie Price