pigeonpigeon

[quote]Give the possibility for a unit to have one or two of those as well. Based on training, or on items, or perhaps on monster type, or whatever. Having some units that can do more than "strike with sword" gives more tactical options, and most often: more fun. I mean, it's a lot funnier to have a giant throw a boulder or dwarven alchemists (or whatever you want) throw greek fire at the ennemy.[/quote] <div id="ctl00__Content__RepeaterReplies_ctl07__ReplyBody" cl

I'm really looking forward to seeing what you've come up with for the tactical combat. I have one question though, about combat length. Average combat length really isn't very informative. How many battles are small skirmishes? How many are clashes been actual armies? How many include powerful creatures and/or sovereigns or champions on both sides? An average combat length of 3 minute might mean that 50% of battles last 1 minute, 33% 3 minutes, and 17% ~ 9 minutes. Or it could

At the risk of repeating something that has already been said (don't have time to read everything atm), mousing over building icons in the research and breakthrough screens should display a tooltip with the function of the building and all of its requirements including resources, prerequisite buildings, and maybe even city level. You could even have buildings that require multiple techs to build, and list them as well. Likewise, a grayed out building that cannot be constructed because

Nice thread. But I'm a little bit terrified of your stated goal of the game being finished in 3 weeks, with another 2 1/2 weeks for minor little tweaks... The game does not seem that complete to me. Not to mention we haven't even seen tactical combat yet, and there is essentially no AI in the game... And it still crashes enough (for me) to be really annoying. Is that really enough time? Also, one unrelated question that I keep forgetting to ask but always try to figure

[quote]It depends on how simultaneous TBS is implemented. If it's 'action halts, all sides issue orders/etc. to all units, then action commences simultaneously (with possible pauses to resolve certain issues not covered by orders/etc.) as all units act, then action halts as that turn ends' then you could see something similar to that screenshot. (Not saying Elemental will do this)[/quote] You just described a WEGO TBS system, which I wou

[quote]Ugg, more of the **** from the "lore". I hope this obsession with the selling the book doesn't totally cripple the game. We already lost any chance of decent races because of that.[/quote] Haha, this is great. As far as I'm aware, the book was devised as a means to sell more of the game more than the other way around. The lack of elves and dwarves and such that you're pining over, though, has nothing to do with the book's existence. It has to do with the fact that the d

[quote] Why do you think it can't look similar using turn-based and tile-based combat? Maybe some details will be different, but I think it will look much like on this screenshot.[/quote] If it is turn-based, then everything will be static except the one 'stack', and maybe another stack of any fighting happens. Not even remotely the same level of awesomeness as the above screenshot would be in continuous turn format (or WE-GO turns), where everyone

[quote] interesting to hear that terrain detail can be turned up, and you could adjust the level of units needed b4 things become tactical battle. But i also wanted to see both in action. THURSDAY???[/quote] Tactical battles won't be in Beta 2. :(

I just found this screenshot: I am going to miss you, continuous-turn combat [e digicons]:'([/e] . That screenshot just looks so amazing.

I kinda hope there's an "automatic" option, at least. I really don't want to have to create a "construction phase" for every building I make. I consider the construction phase far less important than the completed structure, as I will spend much less time looking at it. An option to automatically generate the in-construction phase based on the completed structure would be very welcome. I honestly don't think I'd mind if that were the only way.

I don't see the need for extreme specialization (picking one line of research and leaving it there for the whole game) to be particularly viable. Honestly, that would be pretty boring. I'm also skeptical that it'd be feasible to have such utterly diverse unique play styles based on which tech tree you follow, and give us the freedom to mix and match. Many combinations would be incredibly difficult to reconcile, let alone balance to even a small degree. As it stands, like

Was this map made by hand, or was it a randomly generated map? If it was randomly generated, then why are there no hills? In nearly all the videos and screenshots we've ever gotten, hills are mysteriously non-existent. With the world divided into flat plains and mountains, it really does look artificial and boring. But in the handful of images/videos we've gotten with hills, the world feels so much more real! I really hope the RMG uses hills well, it'll be a real shame if it doesn't.<

[quote]There has got to be a list. The names have to come from somewhere! My question is whether the game pulls from the list at random or just pulls from the first name in the file (like GC2).[/quote] No, they are randomly generated. There is no list. There is merely an algorithm that produces random words based on a set of rules. They are generally completely made-up words, but occasionally it coincidentally outputs a real word, in some language or another.

There is no list. World names and city names are randomly generated. If you keep seeing the same handful over and over, then something is wrong...

And will lone flying creatures, or armies consisting solely of flying creatures, be able to cross otherwise impassable terrain?

[quote]Well that screenshot is likely just an example of a user generated map. It does look on the small side for a full map, so it is more than likely that it is a minor island that doesn't really have room for hills.[/quote] It's got room for snow-capped mountains and forests. It has room for hills. Frankly, I'd like to see the generator have a tendency to surround mountains with hills (foothills). It'd make the world look more believable. Not the end of the world, of course, but it

[quote]Still, in most small or medium map sizes ... the specialization person can kick the school guy's ass. Its only in the most peaceful (or large) of games that the School is the obvious choice. Of course, this assumes that the specialization person invades before the School guy's schools start to pay off (or even before he builds his first school on small maps). Its very much a Potential vs Here n Now question ... and doesn't have a definite answer. Certainly schools are preferred

I have a somewhat unrelated question, prompted by the image of the map editor. In that screenshot, the whole continent looks completely flat except for the mountains. It looks pretty fake, actually! And yet, I think in other screenshots I've seen hills... Will there be hills? Are there hills in that screenshot and I just can't make them out because they're too small? If they're there, you should make them bigger! More/bigger hills would spice up the world a lot, I think. Edit: Never m

[quote]Personally if your stupid enough to charge your whole army down the dragons maw that's your own problem. Part of war is knowing yourself and your enemy. If your enemy has been showing signs of magic mastery (Has little development militarily, lots of spell research, many spell related buildings etc.) You should count on him using his big guns and throw a feint to draw his attack then follow up with your real force... That's basic strategy, it's called deception and is kinda the point o

[quote]Umm .... I think its SUPPOSED to be a fairly difficult achievement. Nuff said. If you want to wield 5,000 soldier army that is naked with a club, that is one thing. Wanting to do such a thing with decent armor and weapons should be next to impossible. Now, if you wanted 10-100 well equipped soldiers, and the rest of your army naked with clubs ... that is a perfectly doable matter.[/quote] Oh? So far, I haven't seen anything to make me think a 5,000 soldier army

[quote]I will be content when the AI learns: -during a game, so that the AI analyzes my Strategies&Tactics and adapts, so that I have to adapt to the AI's adaptations. -from game to game, so that the AI's game continually improves the more games it plays -- just like player's game will (or should...). To quote a Korean friend "If you have dream then you have future".[/quote] That's like saying you won't be content until flying to the moon is no more exotic

[quote]Yeah, I'm not actually that keen on completely specialized research. [/quote] I really like your suggestion, and I think I do agree with this concern. I think that they should either go with something like your suggestion, or retain the general research structures like schools, but also make specialized structures provide research for the relevant research line. But then, would specialized RPs build up even if you aren't researching that line?

[quote]Or that Mana will be in such abundance that rapidly raping armies with SMD would even be possible? If my sovereign focuses entirely on magic I'd expect him to be able to wipe out an army with one massive show of magic... I'd also expect him to be severely drained and vulnerable after that. Balancing however, definitely needs to be a focus of we players from here on. I don't want any one play-style to so severely trump the others that it becomes the only way to play... I'm pretty sure I

[quote]Is a +2 bonus to research big or small? How many research points per turn is a lot? Assuming +2 is small, will there be NPC's that give bigger bonuses later in the game?[/quote] More importantly, does it scale? I imagine +2 research points will be worth much more early on and then diminish as your cities become more numerous and more developed. Will the bonuses provided by champions scale with level, or something? It'd be kind of unfortunate for one of the major aspects of cham

[quote]Actually I agree with Raven. [e digicons]:P[/e] [/quote] Me too. Of all aspects of Elemental, the AI is the part I'm least worried about. Not because it isn't important - it's one of the most important - but because Stardock/frogboy have proven that they are among the best when it comes to TBS AIs. And perhaps even more incredibly, they have a track record of continually improving their AI in huge ways.