Roads

and other forms of infrastructure

from Elemental Forums

The first 4x game had roads. Civilization had pioneers that could build roads.

MoM let you build roads (and enchant them)

 

What do I want to do when I play Elemental ? Okay, I want to be the most powerful magic user in the world, but I also want to create a kingdom or an empire that can be described as truly awesome. Not just a few cities, but a fully working kingdom or empire. An Empire !

For that it would be nice to be able to build roads. Yes, we have caravans. One per city. I want to create a complex network of infrastructure, especially in the later games.

Where are my enchanted roads that bring my units quickly from one city to the next ?

Where are my ports, that let me ship people from one city to the next ? (okay, there are harbours and transports, but at least within my own kingdom that should work automatically)

Where are my portals of transportation that move people and troops instantly ? (great spell for MoM and great improvement for MOO2

Also, I would like to build fortresses and the borders of my kingdom, to watch out for and guard against enemies. Watchtowers. Maybe even a huge friggin' wall

And Roads. Little dirt roads. Bigger paved road for my soldiers. Great magic roads for my kingdom

 

10,457 views 15 replies
Reply #1 from Elemental Forums Top

I'd like to see more roads too. One reason I think they nerfed roads and caravans is for performance. Imagine having to render ALL those lategame caravans, move them each turn, and add their bonuses.

They did it in GalCiv2, Civ4 does it (roads), so Elemental should do something better with them too.

Reply #2 from Elemental Forums Top

Thirded.  I mentioned this in my review thread.  I want to build roads, bridges, and clear forests.  As a mage, I want to be able to terraform the world around me to my liking.  Yes, I would like to be able to build a ring of mountains around my palace.  I want floating castles in the sky!

But roads would be good.  :)

Ashes of the Singularity II
Reply #4 from Elemental Forums Top

If rendering gets in the way of gameplay, I want to nerf rendering.

 

I always thought enchanted roads in MoM were too overpowered. They should have just been 2x or 3x speed of normal roads.

Reply #5 from Elemental Forums Top

-checks the box that reads "yes plz"-

-nods in satisfaction-

Reply #7 from Elemental Forums Top

give us roads or give us roads! :D

Reply #8 from Elemental Forums Top

All great ideas and I agree with them so I'll add more because there is never enough ideas. :P

On the issue of caravans it has been said before, I'll say it again here. You should be able to add guards to the caravans! At least give them some chance to reach their destination. It would be easy to balance too. Caravan guards cost upkeep add too many guards to a caravan and you'll lose more money than the caravan generates.

Eudamon(OP) mentioned walls, why not have the function to build a wall (upgradeable to different grades wood, stone, etc) around the cities area of influence. When a enemy unit enters the area of influence they will be forced into a tactical battle. The tactical battle map will force the attackers into a bottleneck (the city wall/city gate). During that tactical battle the attackers will be forced to battle (some fraction) of the cities defenders. If the attackers win the battle they have to move on to siege the city. The city will be considerably weaker having lost some of its defenders from the battle at the walls.

Currently I haven't had the chance to use siege equipment in Elemental yet but from that idea it could have many possible uses.

Reply #9 from Elemental Forums Top

I'd be happy if roads didn't go through my walls. I think caravans should be taken out. It's always weird to see the enemies entire army chase after 1 little caravan - maybe link the caravan bonus to the roads and when the enemy is on the road, a penalty occurs.

Reply #10 from Elemental Forums Top

Quoting Ishantil, reply 2
Yes, I would like to be able to build a ring of mountains around my palace.
End of Ishantil's quote

I didn't check these spells myself, but descriptions say they do exactly that - 'raise land' and that one from morrigan spellbook which raises mountains.

Reply #11 from Elemental Forums Top

I kinda like the way Roads are currently created by Caravans.

Although having enchanted roads seems nice. As well as having Forts and quite possibly Walls.

Reply #12 from Elemental Forums Top

Quoting Tasunke, reply 11
I kinda like the way Roads are currently created by Caravans.
End of Tasunke's quote

Randomly generated roads hurt my sense of order - and efficiency.

I gotta admit, it is easier to build caravan roads with the current system than to have to do the shoveling like in MOM.
Army of caravan + channeler leaves town, teleports next to destination town, next turn the road is complete.

 

I don't see the problem rendering the actual caravans. A single large town uses a gazillion objects so the caravans couldn't hurt that much?

Reply #13 from Elemental Forums Top

I agree with everything being said here. The way the system currently works, trade and infrastructure are at cross-purposes--if you send out your caravans to build roads in the right places, they typically go places that don't generate nearly as much income. Maybe what would work is to keep caravans, but only for inter-kingdom trade. Your own cities would automatically generate a road between them that covers the shortest possible distance, and trade would occur along it automatically. It sucks having to burn the single caravan your city has going to some relatively nearby, podunk outpost have because you really have to be able to get troops into position exactly when you need them..

Reply #14 from Elemental Forums Top

But when current caravan is destroyed, the roads don't go away, no...?

The fastest way to spread your empire is still an organized monarch tagging a pioneer and caravan along.
Drop city, attach to road network using the caravan. *click*
Yes, it's silly. But that's how it works. =P

Reply #15 from Elemental Forums Top

Well seems we just need the option for pioneers to buid roads :p