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A Preview of Elemental Beta 3-B

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A Preview of Elemental Beta 3-B

from JoeUser Forums

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Beta 3-B is the big one. It’ll be the first beta build that should start to feel like a game.

First off, there are the major features being enabled in the public beta:

  1. Tactical Battles
  2. Master Quests
  3. Near Final technology tree
  4. Near final city improvement list
  5. Tons of game play tweaks
  6. Lots of bug fixes

This beta will start to show just how much impact the beta community has had on the game.  I’ll be doing a video preview in the next day or so.

Coming up: Tactical Battle Preview

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276,071 views 104 replies
Reply #27 from Sins Forums Top

Quoting Frogboy, reply 13



Quoting MagicwillNZ,
reply 10
Hey Brad... I'm concerned that we won't see 10,000 man armies anymore. Is that the case?


There won't be 10,000 unit armies in v1.0. It'll probably top out at hundreds instead of thousands in a given fight. We'll look at increasing the limit in the future.
End of Frogboy's quote

I'm rather disappointed by this. Oh well, I guess I've found the first thing I'm modding:P

Star Control: Origins
Reply #28 from Elemental Forums Top

I can agree on the smaller army size Brad, with a population that near maxes at 15000 realistically, having more than 1500 troops as a standing army would be near insane(rough equivalient would be conscripting EVERY male between 18-27, who wasn't an essential support profession, eg blacksmith).

Now as a magical world the rules can be bent/broken in later mods, but for now I think this is fine.

And to echo an earlier poster, will Kingdom troops and Empire Scions be able to level and gain abilities.

Reply #29 from Elemental Forums Top

Quoting Frogboy, reply 25



Quoting Marks1381,
reply 24

Quoting Frogboy, reply 13


Quoting MagicwillNZ,
reply 10
Hey Brad... I'm concerned that we won't see 10,000 man armies anymore. Is that the case?


There won't be 10,000 unit armies in v1.0. It'll probably top out at hundreds instead of thousands in a given fight. We'll look at increasing the limit in the future.


Thank goodness.

Unless companys upgrade into into something larger (Platoons?)  I can't imagine tactical battles of 10,000 units... That's like moving 500 units around on screen.  


 

Yea, we've played around with all kinds of combinations over the past few months to see what is the most fun.  The larger ones make great screenshots but are just not very fun to play or manage.

10,000 guys require 1000 gildar per turn to maintain.
End of Frogboy's quote

:erk:  and let me guess we arn't talking about 10,000 Sardaukar shock troopers either, because those bad boys would cost 1000 gildar a peice to maintain ;p

Gameplay > Pretty Screenshots.

Reply #30 from Elemental Forums Top

I choose to believe that every "person" in the game actually represents 10 people.  Problem solved!

 

Reply #31 from Elemental Forums Top

I am very happy to hear that tactical battles will follow a MoM like model, obviously with nice 3d graphics and the terrain modifiers as a nice plus. Hopefully be trying this out this thursday p.m. - do I have any sick days left for Friday off??? :sick:

Reply #32 from Elemental Forums Top

I can really see the potential for creating remakes of Ultima IV or V with the elemental engine, the tactical battle system would work wonderfully with this.  I look forward to having a go at something like this during Beta 4.

Reply #33 from Elemental Forums Top

Quoting Cauldyth, reply 30
I choose to believe that every "person" in the game actually represents 10 people.  Problem solved!

 
End of Cauldyth's quote

I choose to believe that wach one of my "people" in the game actually represent 100, while yours only represent 10.

 

:ninja:

Reply #34 from Elemental Forums Top

Quoting Belwolvie, reply 32
I can really see the potential for creating remakes of Ultima IV or V with the elemental engine, the tactical battle system would work wonderfully with this.  I look forward to having a go at something like this during Beta 4.
End of Belwolvie's quote

 

If you've ever played Ultima IV then you've played Elemental tactical battles in essence.  

Though you can also watch this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dPnUd2kBcEo

If you're not familiar with Master of Magic.

 

Reply #35 from Elemental Forums Top

Quoting Marks1381, reply 29


 and let me guess we arn't talking about 10,000 Sardaukar shock troopers either, because those bad boys would cost 1000 gildar a peice to maintain

Gameplay > Pretty Screenshots.
End of Marks1381's quote

 

I see I'm not the only one who names my elite badass troops Sardaukar. :P

Reply #36 from Elemental Forums Top

Quoting Frogboy, reply 13

There won't be 10,000 unit armies in v1.0. It'll probably top out at hundreds instead of thousands in a given fight. We'll look at increasing the limit in the future.
End of Frogboy's quote

...well, hundreds is nice, anyway. Disappointed by the small number of troops, but excited about the prospect of having it expanded in the future. I hope that maybe we'll see 1,000 man armies... :pout:

Reply #37 from Elemental Forums Top

Quoting Frogboy, reply 34


If you've ever played Ultima IV then you've played Elemental tactical battles in essence.  

Though you can also watch this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dPnUd2kBcEo

If you're not familiar with Master of Magic.

 
End of Frogboy's quote

Thanks for the link, I never played Master of Magic and really don't how I missed it as I would have loved judging by the video.

I loved Ultima IV & V and I'm now very excited :w00t: about playing the tactical battles later this week.

Does the environment on the map have an effect on the tactical map thats used i.e. if your in a wooded tile, is the tactical map fought in a forested map?

Reply #38 from Elemental Forums Top

its nice to have a big battle now and again, but really it shouldnt be a priority. pretty easy to use but strategical/tactical combat mechanics are key. i have Age of Wonders, and i could win a tactical battle against almost insane odds (where i would have surely lost if i had done an auto-resolve). but even so, the base of the combat wasn't hard at all, not usually too many troops, and not having to control too many aspects to keep things going smoothly.

My hopes for elemental are that it can be an enjoyable game to just sit down and play a random map. the campaign, multiplayer and modding is nice and i will use it but the core should be to let a casual player (who knows how to play) to just hit new game and enjoy for a few hours. (day long games will DEFINITELY get boring fast)

Reply #39 from Elemental Forums Top

Quoting Belwolvie, reply 32
I can really see the potential for creating remakes of Ultima IV or V with the elemental engine, the tactical battle system would work wonderfully with this.  I look forward to having a go at something like this during Beta 4.
End of Belwolvie's quote

 

Oh man can you say Mod? I'm a huge fan of the Ultima Series. I spent a good Junk of life in Ultima Online Beta untill they decided to make it a little to Easycore

Some Sovereigns: Lord British, Lord Blackthorn. Champion: Dupre. Some Factions: Minax, Council of Mages, True Britannians, The Shadowlords

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Reply #40 from Elemental Forums Top

Finally TACTICAL BATTLES! :rofl:

Reply #41 from Elemental Forums Top

Quoting Frogboy, reply 13

There won't be 10,000 unit armies in v1.0. It'll probably top out at hundreds instead of thousands in a given fight. We'll look at increasing the limit in the future.
End of Frogboy's quote

Is that Hard Coded or can we Mod it?

*crosses fingers*

Reply #42 from Elemental Forums Top

Ahh but, will this beta finally answer the question of will Elemental have dungeons?

 

 

Reply #43 from Elemental Forums Top

Couldn't dungeons just be customized tactical battle instances underground (maybe with real-time aspects when you do not have any monsters near you) =).  So you wouldn't necessarily have to create a new mechanic, although probably some new art would be required.  Customized tactical battles in dungeons would be incredibly spiffy (ie. fantastic, unique and cool ;-)).

Best regards,
Steven.

Reply #44 from Elemental Forums Top

Quoting Frogboy, reply 34

Quoting Belwolvie, reply 32I can really see the potential for creating remakes of Ultima IV or V with the elemental engine, the tactical battle system would work wonderfully with this.  I look forward to having a go at something like this during Beta 4.

 

If you've ever played Ultima IV then you've played Elemental tactical battles in essence.  

Though you can also watch this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dPnUd2kBcEo

If you're not familiar with Master of Magic.

 
End of Frogboy's quote

Thanks for the link to that. I found it was an enjoyable few minutes. I like it as an inspiration. And knowing that you guys enjoyed that style of game, we'll see by the end product of Elemental, something that is generations ahead, yet still hearkens back to it's roots.

Reply #45 from Elemental Forums Top

Quoting pad152, reply 42
Ahh but, will this beta finally answer the question of will Elemental have dungeons?
End of pad152's quote

Well maybe not on release but I'd really like to see X-Com type tactical battles when you do Quests. Instead of allowing your Army in a Quest only use Sovereigns+Champions+Summons or atleast limit Quests to small tactical squads. Birthright did something sim, but I didn't really care for this game ;0

 

Reply #46 from Elemental Forums Top

This (idea) is rather strongly related to Tactical Battles ...  https://forums.elementalgame.com/387469

 

as for Dungeons ... definitely would like those, though will probably only be in Mods and Expansion packs (doubtful for 1.0)

Reply #47 from Elemental Forums Top

Quoting Marks1381, reply 45

Quoting pad152, reply 42Ahh but, will this beta finally answer the question of will Elemental have dungeons?

Well maybe not on release but I'd really like to see X-Com type tactical battles when you do Quests. Instead of allowing your Army in a Quest only use Sovereigns+Champions+Summons or atleast limit Quests to small tactical squads. Birthright did something sim, but I didn't really care for this game ;0

 

End of Marks1381's quote

 

Yeah, I thought we are planning to have X com tactical battles earlier? kind of hide and seek elements

Reply #48 from Elemental Forums Top

Quoting Raven, reply 41

Is that Hard Coded or can we Mod it?

*crosses fingers*
End of Raven's quote

You can mod it. Looks like they didn't put techs in to let you create something like a Battalion. If a mod created that tech and stuck it in the warfare tree, then you could unlock say 1000 unit stacks.

Reply #49 from Elemental Forums Top

Quoting VermillionChaos, reply 28
I can agree on the smaller army size Brad, with a population that near maxes at 15000 realistically, having more than 1500 troops as a standing army would be near insane(rough equivalient would be conscripting EVERY male between 18-27, who wasn't an essential support profession, eg blacksmith).
End of VermillionChaos's quote
That is pretty much a last alliance against an almost winning AI army... Can you imagine the prospect of banding together to stop an AI from overrunning the 'free world'?

Also, yay beta 3B! :D