Nick-Danger

[quote quoting="post"]Created three cities (am I doing something wrong? Can never create more than three cities, as I run out of )[/quote]Assuming you were going to write that you run out of essence after creating 3 cities, when your Sov levels up you get points to spend (10/lvl), and essence is one thing you can spend them on (1 point per essence). So you can replenish essence that way. Essence is only required to create cities in un-revived land, and you can capture cities --

Expanding on my previous irrelevant opinion from my reply 41 (not repeated here for brevity): Data (not John_Hughes' android DATA, the not-capitalized numerical data) -- some is referenced in reply 41: Strength is determined by # of units, their 'hit points', armor, weapons, strengths&weaknesses relative to attacker's units, etc. Significant attack failure = more than half attacker strength lost in a failed attack, lesser failure is otherwise. Upon signific

[quote who="StillSingle" reply="49" id="2607568"] Quoting Nick-Danger, reply 20For game phases (early/mid/etc.), a hard definition (turn 50 for early, etc.) bothers me, as it gives players some out-of-game foresight on when things will change. I'd prefer it be random, one that would vary amongst AI and change from game to game. Also, a gradual change would be better than an abrupt one (since priorities are multipliers, instead of jumping from 3 to 4, make it more gradual). <br

How a non-programmer envisions AI might work for sending out an attack force (as an example): First I'm hoping it's not just 'put together a force and send it out'. There'd be several elements: -list possible targets (cities, roving stacks, outposts, etc.) -estimate each target's strength (technology, hit points, etc), weaknesses (ie -- weakness to fire, no cavalry or ranged weapons, etc.), strengths (stone walls or ranged weapons, etc.) -estimate diffi

[quote who="John_Hughes" reply="35" id="2607231"]"The AI could easily just log the results of all combat experience (along with strategies / patterns other players make) into a file." My point exactly, except that 1 file will obviously not be enough. 1 brain, sure. 1 file? Not so much.[/quote]I'm not a programmer, so can't specify how it'd work. What I'm thinking is that since Frogboy mentioned priorities, and the AI will be using some logic to decide when/where/how to

[quote who="Tormy-" reply="27" id="2607182"] Quoting Nick-Danger, reply 22 Also, I'd like to see AI learn during a game -- it it's attacks keep failing, have it try something else. If their attacks are succeeding, keep at it but 'improve' on what it's doing so it's even more successful. Sounds good, but isn't this a bit utopistic? I haven't seen a game with a decent AI like that so far.[/quote]Utopistic? You bet! How exactly to do it, I du

I'm one of those who'd like to make use of succession by being able to choose one offspring to continue on if my Sov dies. I wouldn't mind having to fight any sibling that decides to challenge the offspring I chose, or having the original empire split up amongst offspring, or the like. Having additional, new foes (siblings who challenge succession) and having my original empire diminished (split up amongst challengers) would be sufficient 'punishment' for allowing my original Sov

[quote who="alh_p" reply="17" id="2607044"] Quoting TCores, reply 13what I wanted was an AI that would be good at any game, that was a desire. It is better if the AI is really good at this game, and it is better to be very explict about complex things. Having played all too many games where the AI doesn't utilise the tools and combinations offered by the game, as a player I'm strongly in favour of these two maxims. There is nothing more frustrating than playing a game that to t

For game phases (early/mid/etc.), a hard definition (turn 50 for early, etc.) bothers me, as it gives players some out-of-game foresight on when things will change. I'd prefer it be random, one that would vary amongst AI and change from game to game. Also, a gradual change would be better than an abrupt one (since priorities are multipliers, instead of jumping from 3 to 4, make it more gradual). [quote who="TCores" reply="13" id="2606969"]... what I wanted was an AI that would b

Demolishing a lumberyard causes the forest to vanish too. I reckon it's true for all similar land features.

More lore in the initial release, increase customization in the expansions?

[quote who="Raven X" reply="13" id="2602535"] Quoting Magicke, reply 7ty BoogieBac, think I'll be using WinXP for a while still. Think there are still quite a few of us Up until I got Win 7 I was FIRMLY planted in the Win XP court. I hated Vista like it was the plague and avoided it as such. Win 7 is amazing in comparison though. It did take me a little while to get used to the slightly newer configuration and they tended to hide a lot of the useful things but mai

[quote quoting="post"]...There are two general directions to take: Eliminate the race distinctions and instead build out the Factions with more lore and artwork. Current customization of factions would remain. Expand the race distinctions and provide more assets and code to support players creating their own custom factions made up by their own custom races... So the question is, where would people like to see the focus? More emphasis on making the game lore with the 10 f

Spells I've seen (I think this is all so far but could be wrong): Revive Land Teleport (you and your army back to your lands) Mass Heal (you and all units in your army) Imbue Champion (use your essence to improve a Champion's magical power) Summon Fire Giant (which looks suspiciously like a troll ;) ) Charm Monster (to join you) Raise Land Lower Land Create Desert Create Forest Create Hills Create

[quote quoting="post"] My bias is to focus on our own canon and introduce players to it. Players could still create their own races but they’re not going to be making any half-dragon half man races or Ents or what have you. That’s my bias on it because that sort of thing can be added later in post-release if the game’s successful whereas we only get one opportunity to really explore the depths of the rift between say Kraxis and Capitar or the doom of Pariden and

I like the work you Devs do, so I'd like to see your provided races. I think your races would make a more... complete/integrated world. I'd also like to be able to import races made by others, and make my own, and be able to play against them in my games. So yes, I want best of both worlds. Given that there are only so many things you can do and if you provide races then something else will have to give, I'd still like to see your provided races. I'd rather

@Publius of NV 1- You're correct, but it's the ability to place in another's territory that seems questionable. If it's not intended there needs to be a check before allowing construction. 2- You're correct (regarding full screen mode) -- Thanks! *feels dumb* Original post edited to remove my mistake.

Building Option Menu Extends Off Top Of Screen You can see the info bar (gold/population/food-per-turn/etc.) that occupies the very most top of the screen, to show how the building menu extends too high. There's just that one row of options that are partially cut off, and they can be moused-over to select/tooltip them. http://dl.dropbox.com/u/5475789/BuildingOptionMenuExtendsOffTopOfScreen.PNG

I noticed a few stacks of enemy units (they're pale blue in color, and I'm at war with them) on top of my city ('Bait'). http://dl.dropbox.com/u/5475789/EnemyUnitsOnMyCity.PNG I was unable to attack them or move next to them (in part due to terrain adjacent to my city). Deleting buildings 'underneath' the lowermost enemy stack (enough to also have an open area next to them -- without this open area next to enemy troops, when I moved in to attack my units attacked indiv

Didn't see this mentioned elsewhere (probably missed it, but...), I'm able to start building construction outside my borders. http://dl.dropbox.com/u/5475789/BuildingOutsideBorders.PNG In the pic my city Navaalima is in the upper-right (blue city border). My borders are red, to the west are orange borders, and to the south are purple borders. I was able to place a lumberyard to the south-west, below the mountains, in purple's territory. After the building was bui

I've had the same with pioneers and ebbonwolves, though with ebbonwolves the last 2 games their initial portraits were black, they didn't start out normally then go black after loading/restarting a new game (I always quit Elemental before starting a new game).

I think another Z is prudent. Stability is greatly improved for me in Z3 (I got to 1000+ turns in a game finally!) but I'm still seeing too many CTDs, Freezes, Windows Crashes, and an OutOfMemory. Plus things like houses disappearing when cities upgrade. Fast is slow and slow is fast. The best way to get Elemental finished ASAP is going slow now.

Ending turn with SPACBAR, game froze up, had to CTL-ALT-DELETE out and use task manager to end process. No .dmp file http://dl.dropbox.com/u/5475789/debug-11.err http://dl.dropbox.com/u/5475789/DxDiag-32bit.txt http://dl.dropbox.com/u/5475789/DxDiag-64bit.txt

Another CTD. Was just ending a turn (SPACEBAR), not building/etc. http://dl.dropbox.com/u/5475789/debug-10.err http://dl.dropbox.com/u/5475789/Elemental0_302-2010-04-25T17-06-42-509.zip

I got a CTD when placing a study. http://dl.dropbox.com/u/5475789/debug-9.err http://dl.dropbox.com/u/5475789/Elemental0_302-2010-04-25T16-34-21-130.zip http://dl.dropbox.com/u/5475789/DxDiag-32bit.txt http://dl.dropbox.com/u/5475789/DxDiag-64bit.txt