[quote]If you have a sword and you invent a doublebladed sword, the old swords will never become the doublebladed ones[/quote] This wouldn't auto-upgrade, just like an axe would never become a spear. Auto-upgrades would be from Bronze Sword I to Bronze Sword II.
As of now, it is planned that the discovery of similar equipment types will yeild automatic upgrades for units using that item. However, if you unlock a new Axe and all units are using spears, you'll need to manually upgrade that unit type (if desired).
The IC and GPG teams were both in our booth last year, but other committments (weddings, SupCom2 and such) mean it'll be all SD folk this time around.
[quote]When I first saw that unitpic I immediately thought "Master of Magic units!" But then I remembered that you can create as big squads as you want....and I wonder about the XP system. What happens if you combine a 10 man squad with 900 XP and a 100 man squad with 200 XP?[/quote] You're assuming the 'cannon fodder' units are the ones that get the experience ;)
[quote]but still I'd expect that the unit size to scale up/down based on zoom so that you can more easily select them.[/quote] Yes, though even zoomed in all the way the unit's aren't PERFECTLY in proportion, but it's pretty close.
[quote]One option is that they don't exsist, until you rejuviante the land arround them[/quote] This is an interesting and easy to implement idea...you expand enough and you get random "In alchmest has set up shop to the nort of City X" or "Near our northern border a great tree has begun to blossom...perhaps we should explore this phenominon." Sort of like GC2 randomd events but 1. triggered by your expansion and 2. something physicially on the map, not jsut a dialog. /scott put
His schedule says that today he'll be doing some on-camera stuff..dunno if that's for Elemental or something else, but I'll keep everyone posted if some videos get released.
[quote]Can we get developer permission to smack him around?[/quote] No, Hortz is our guest, and as long as he dosen't get too beligerant he can exist in these forums. I don't mind being kept in check on the visual stuff, as long as the critics are reasonable ;)
We're getting pretty close IMHO...I have shots of a fire shard from the newest build that blow https://www.elementalgame.com/Screenshots/Empire_Fire_Shard_1280.jpg away. It actually makes me a little queezy thinking that that is the graphical fiedelity people are arguing over. Bleh!
[quote]Wow, I had no idea those guys charged so much - that seems ludicrous.[/quote] Hey, they do AMAZING work...well worth the money and 'peice of mind' if it's in the budget ;) We outsourced the GC1 intro for around $40k and that was a measly 3 shots! The DoW intro is 2 minutes of (crude estimation) 80-ish cuts, and we all still remember it so that was probably money in the bank. We just don't have that kind of cash to gamble when the team feels strongly that we can do s
[quote]What are the changes between the alpha and the beta?[/quote] Beta 1, which will focus on major gameplay elements and last several months, will remain as the cloth map, so all users will get to try our great experiment: "If it's fun as X's and O's, then it'll be fun with fancy gfx." edit: I know the cloth map is a bit more involved that X's and O's, but get the idea ;)
[quote]And a good game with a good trailer can do better than a good game with no or a bad trailer.[/quote] It comes down to money....any game with an expensive peice of marketing (like a cgi intro or trailer) has to make that much more just to break even (a trailer of DoW quality was probably around 500k - 750k). The budget is finite (especially ours), and spending that kinda' cash for something that adds nothing to the gameplay (talking functionalit
[quote]I was drawn in to Civilization from the age of 5[/quote] I remember playing Civ1 at 12 and having a blast just exploring and building my cities and roads. Of course Abe Lincoln would always ruin the fun with his squadron of fighter jets (my canoes didn't stand a chance) but there's definatly something inherently visceral about the 4x model.
pnakotus: Very true, and like Agent said, I don't think anyone want's us to ignore the graphical side of things. Impressive graphics are what get the mainstream players interested....they 'expand the marketplace', as your post talked about. I think the locals are just annoyed with this random wave of gamers popping up pushing the notion that the success of a TBS game rides on it's graphical appeal, when the 5/5's for GC2 (not a graphical powerhouse) champion th
With alpha behind us, I should have more time (read: a few extra minutes per-day) to update twitter ;) Sorry for the lapse.
I dont know how we're doing espionage ATM, but just to clear the air... --------------------------------------------- [quote]From the programming perspective, heores don't enter enemy cities[/quote] Actually, If I get my way, Heroes WILL be able to enter foreign cities, just like in any RPG. You can sleep to recover health, buy items, or offload loot. Stationing a unit in a foreign citiy is really no different than having him 'occupy' one of your cities. You don'
scoutdog: We're still playing with the look of all those icons, but one problem with ClothMapOnly is that you're getting VERY close to icons that, in the main game, you'll only see from a distance (you zoom in that close and it switches to the main map). What looks iconic and fitting with the style from further back looks too crisp and too modern zoomed in. We'll play with it though ;)
[quote]They haven't advertised it much or any, I thought it is a side project, not the next biggest game.[/quote] You tend not to advertise 'till closer to your release, thought we'll be starting our PR push around PAX, when the first oficial vids will be released. It's looking like August 2010 is a possibility though, and I'm sure the rest of the team would enjoy some extra polish time ;) The sexier we can get the game, the more mainstream appeal it'll have (and more likel
[quote]The map of Elemental is only brown for me....I hope Elemental to be a great game, but I can't see this in your screenshots today.[/quote] These are only graphics from the Cloth Map, the 'Tactical' view of the map (when you zoom out enough). Check out the screenshots section ( https://www.elementalgame.com/media.asp ) to get a better feel for the graphical style we're shooting for. All these shots are pretty ancient
[quote]high-quality animations significantly prolong the longevity of any game[/quote] Hortz, I think you're trumpeting gfx and animation to the wrong crowd. If we make Elemental correctly, it should be a fun playing ONLY on the cloth map (tactical mode), where core gfx are removed and the only animation is the pewter peices sliding around the world. Don't get me wrong, we'll be busting our asses to make the game visually appealing to everyone we can, but if there's ever a point
Sorry for anyone that didn't get in...' Damn you, random number generator!!!!! ' ;)
[quote]play-through story[/quote] HaHa...dont know what kind of story you could really cobble together out of an Alpha playthrough, but I assure you...you're not missing out ;)
[quote]Hold on a sec- I thought beta access was determined by how active you are in the community.[/quote] That's for next weeks Alpha...Betas can be played by anyone that preorders.
[quote]Will there be pre-game strategy decisions (for example, about your character or faction)?[/quote] There will be full faction and sovereign customization (both the visuals and stats) if that counts.
[quote]For the people who find complex and detailed economies fun, a simplified version won't be as fun. No matter how well done it is.[/quote] I fear the war of 'simple' vs 'complex' is over-complicated in its own right. What we will be doing is implementing a system that is straightforward and easy to expand upon so, as people play and flaws/concerns are noted, we can come up with FUN solutions. There were alot of great ideas in the 400+ posts from that journal entry o