Frogboy Frogboy

War of Magic: v1.29 beta log

▼

War of Magic: v1.29 beta log

from JoeUser Forums

It’s looking possible that this week will see the first beta of War of Magic v1.3.  v1.3 is the most significant gameplay changes since the game launched.

We are anticipating having 3 beta phases of it. v1.29 (this build) will introduce most (though not all) the coding changes. v1.29a will being introducing the balance changes and the AI overhaul. And v1.29b and on will be polishing, bug fixing, and tweaking.

Here’s what is in the v1.29 build:

 

Brad

Elemental: War of Magic v1.29

Change Log

+ AI more reactive about updating strategy when a target city has been conquered / destroyed
+ Janusk has been removed.  Goodbye old friend. See you in the Fallen Enchantress tutorial...
+ AI now evaluates which player they care about the most with Dynasty ties being a big motivator. When a sovereign dies, it will give its kingdom to its heir.
+ Repeatable improvements now increase with cost as more are built.
+ World difficulty now sets the default AI player difficulty
+ Modders can set the base cost of repeatable improvements in the appropriate .xml file
+ Base unit CON reduced from 5 to 3
+ Special buildings now longer required to build special units. Instead, these buildings provide bonuses (i.e. no need for a command post to train groups)
+ Minimum number of units you can train has been increased to 4.
+ Trained units default HP reduced from 5 to 1
+ Trained unit groups that survive a battle will heal to full strength (i.e. If your group of 4 survives the battle with 1 guy left, it will be replenished to 4 over time). Hat tip to Konan.
+ Insufficient free tiles message added
+ Zone of control from improvements reduced
+ Tech costs increased
+ Number of starting quest locations increased
+ Pedastrians disabled (for now)
+ More aggressively freeing memory
+ Notable locations may now be explored regardless of your level.
+ Notable locations will be spawned NEAR you when you increase your exploration level (but now remember, your opponents can access them too so don't do it if you're surrounded)
+ Objects that have been marked as destroyed are now ignore by subsystems (performance improvement, stability improvement) This is throughout all game systems.
+ LOTS of code to handle the increasing costs in terms of people to run your improvements. If anyone thinks that getting highly talented people remains equally easy as you grow, ask google, microsot or apple about that. It's not.
+ Random events added (not many random events yet though)
+ Pioneers are still trained as individuals
+ Units move faster by default on the map (animation-wise)
+ Units move A LOT faster in tactical battle (let us know if it's too fast)
+ Minor factions removed. Sorry guys, they're just too lame to live for now.
+ New notable locations added to provide weapons, armor, and other "stuff"

IF it makes the window for this week, it will be Thursday evening EST. 

 

Update: We've staged the beta build but QA wants to give it more of a go so it won't be publicly available until tomorrow afternoon EST at the earliest.

Cheers!

173,835 views 89 replies
Reply #26 from Elemental Forums Top

This is the only game that after 3 major patches will actually have less content than when it was released. 

Reply #27 from Elemental Forums Top

And yet less is more in many cases.   I'm interested to see how these changes play out.

 

Star Control: Origins
Reply #28 from Elemental Forums Top

+ Special buildings now longer required to build special units. Instead, these buildings provide bonuses (i.e. no need for a command post to train groups)

 

If I may be so bold, this change will drastically improve the AI. When was the last time you saw the AI build groups of units (squads, companies etc)? it wasn't because the computer didn't have the tech but rather that it couldn't because of the command post. Haevenfall released an AI tweak a while back that really increased the odds that the AI would build a command post and reduced the number of other buildings the AI could build. The net result was that more squads and companies were fielded by the AI. When Frogboy removes the command post requirement, the AI will be free to build these larger size units providing a much greater challenge.

 

 

Reply #30 from Elemental Forums Top

Yeaaah ! No more Janusk !!! He was really annoying !

I also really like the minor factions to be removed ! Totally Agreed !

But the animations being faster ? Hmm, it never bothered me so I'm a bit sceptical there !

So what about population, any change?

Reply #31 from Elemental Forums Top


+ Trained unit groups that survive a battle will heal to full strength (i.e. If your group of 4 survives the battle with 1 guy left, it will be replenished to 4 over time). Hat tip to Konan.

 

Konan! God I love that game (Konan 1 + Ahriman's gift). Just that you know, you need to have them in your zone of supply! So... Does this mean that the sqaud members only return in your own land, or do the sqaud members return even in enemy lands? Or did I forget that you'r units can't regenerate in enemy lands (I have not played EWoM in a while now)?

 

P.S. Whoot! Frogboy!

Reply #32 from Elemental Forums Top

I'll give it a whirl when it gets released.

 

Shame about the minor factions. Hopefully they can be brought back in the future somehow.

 

All in all, it sounds promising though.

 

+ LOTS of code to handle the increasing costs in terms of people to run your improvements. If anyone thinks that getting highly talented people remains equally easy as you grow, ask google, microsot or apple about that. It's not.

 

Heh heh. Sounds like your real life experience is working it's way into the game. ;)

 

 

Reply #33 from Elemental Forums Top

Good stuff. Most excited about the performance stuff, and to see how the unit size changes pan out. Even if it just means a more gradual increase in power through logistics techs.

But the citizen stuff... I’m sorry to sound like a broken record, but I still just don’t see the point. The increasing costs just seem like a very convoluted and confusing attempt to make the system relevant. We already have a method to limit buildings by population: settlement level. This would be much simpler to understand. Even if it works, what does the citizen system add to the game other than forcing me to check back on my towns every few turns to see if they have 10 more citizens yet?

Reply #34 from Elemental Forums Top

Quoting Alfdaur, reply 31

quoting post
+ Trained unit groups that survive a battle will heal to full strength (i.e. If your group of 4 survives the battle with 1 guy left, it will be replenished to 4 over time). Hat tip to Konan.

Konan! God I love that game (Konan 1 + Ahriman's gift). Just that you know, you need to have them in your zone of supply! So... Does this mean that the sqaud members only return in your own land, or do the sqaud members return even in enemy lands? Or did I forget that you'r units can't regenerate in enemy lands (I have not played EWoM in a while now)?


Funny I thought was a Dev Nic until saw this. The game was called Kohan... and it was awesome. :)

Reply #35 from Elemental Forums Top

Quoting Lord, reply 26
This is the only game that after 3 major patches will actually have less content than when it was released. 

FTLOG - Will someone please give this man a pony!

(Although why anyone who has a hot girlfriend needs a pony is beyond me.) }:)

Reply #36 from Elemental Forums Top

So would a 4 man unit with 8 def and 8 attk be 6/6 when it is down to 3 members (3 hit points of 4)?  Where the number of soldiers in the unit work as a kind of force multiplier, or would it remain 8/8 when at 3 hp? The health gain translating into more of the total number of units being visable makes some sense if you think of it as them being too injured to continue fighting vs. dead until the total health hits 0- Im just wondering if their combat effectiveness will work on a sliding scale in the same way.

Reply #37 from Elemental Forums Top
A 4 man unit that displays 8 atk, 8 def is actually four distinct figures each with atk 2. Not 100% sure about the defense since I haven't been playing for a while. I've requested for MoM style of displaying the stats: always show stats of the figures, not something calculated together, but it hasn't been changed. The 8 atk is quite misleading since there's no number 8 anywhere in the calculations being done... just 4 rolls of 2. There used to be an associated bug too. When figure count got lower, the calculations didn't take it into account correctly. The above example unit with a single figure remaining would have a single strike with atk 8. Glad that got fixed.
Reply #38 from Elemental Forums Top

Quoting Vallu751, reply 37
A 4 man unit that displays 8 atk, 8 def is actually four distinct figures each with atk 2. Not 100% sure about the defense since I haven't been playing for a while. I've requested for MoM style of displaying the stats: always show stats of the figures, not something calculated together, but it hasn't been changed. The 8 atk is quite misleading since there's no number 8 anywhere in the calculations being done... just 4 rolls of 2.

There used to be an associated bug too. When figure count got lower, the calculations didn't take it into account correctly. The above example unit with a single figure remaining would have a single strike with atk 8. Glad that got fixed.

 

yea it would be nice for polish after these core mechanics have been tested and balanced that a tool tip be inserted over a units attack. Something ot the extent of "4x 2 att"

Reply #39 from Elemental Forums Top

All in all, a lot of good stuff here.


+ AI now evaluates which player they care about the most with Dynasty ties being a big motivator. When a sovereign dies, it will give its kingdom to its heir.
Oh heck yes. Just like that, dynasties have become a thing which matters. I hope this change makes it into FE too, even though that game will have dynasties disabled by default.
+ Repeatable improvements now increase with cost as more are built.
Wait, even houses? That sounds like a really big potential limiter to city size.

Reply #40 from Elemental Forums Top

Well these changes look good. Keep cutting the fat and you'll end up with an awesome game.

 

+ LOTS of code to handle the increasing costs in terms of people to run your improvements. If anyone thinks that getting highly talented people remains equally easy as you grow, ask google, microsot or apple about that. It's not.

 

Oh hey there bug central. 

 

http://forums.impulsedriven.com/402688/page/1/#2850750

 

By the by, can't imagine why I'd like this change.

 

+ Janusk has been removed.  Goodbye old friend. See you in the Fallen Enchantress tutorial...

 

Ding dong the douche is dead. 

Reply #41 from Elemental Forums Top

Quoting NetNomad, reply 34

Quoting Alfdaur, reply 31
quoting post
+ Trained unit groups that survive a battle will heal to full strength (i.e. If your group of 4 survives the battle with 1 guy left, it will be replenished to 4 over time). Hat tip to Konan.

Konan! God I love that game (Konan 1 + Ahriman's gift). Just that you know, you need to have them in your zone of supply! So... Does this mean that the sqaud members only return in your own land, or do the sqaud members return even in enemy lands? Or did I forget that you'r units can't regenerate in enemy lands (I have not played EWoM in a while now)?



Funny I thought was a Dev Nic until saw this. The game was called Kohan... and it was awesome.


Thirded, Kohan Ahriman's Gift remains the best RTS ever. It is for sale again now too (on Impulse and a few other places I think?).

Reply #43 from Elemental Forums Top

Quoting Mistwraithe, reply 41

Quoting NetNomad, reply 34
Quoting Alfdaur, reply 31
quoting post
+ Trained unit groups that survive a battle will heal to full strength (i.e. If your group of 4 survives the battle with 1 guy left, it will be replenished to 4 over time). Hat tip to Konan.

Konan! God I love that game (Konan 1 + Ahriman's gift). Just that you know, you need to have them in your zone of supply! So... Does this mean that the sqaud members only return in your own land, or do the sqaud members return even in enemy lands? Or did I forget that you'r units can't regenerate in enemy lands (I have not played EWoM in a while now)?



Funny I thought was a Dev Nic until saw this. The game was called Kohan... and it was awesome.


Thirded, Kohan Ahriman's Gift remains the best RTS ever. It is for sale again now too (on Impulse and a few other places I think?).

 

I want Stardock to make a spiritual successor to Kohan.

 

Reply #44 from Elemental Forums Top

Quoting Cruxador, reply 39
All in all, a lot of good stuff here.


quoting post
+ AI now evaluates which player they care about the most with Dynasty ties being a big motivator. When a sovereign dies, it will give its kingdom to its heir. Oh heck yes. Just like that, dynasties have become a thing which matters. I hope this change makes it into FE too, even though that game will have dynasties disabled by default.
+ Repeatable improvements now increase with cost as more are built. Wait, even houses? That sounds like a really big potential limiter to city size.

Houses don't consume people, they provide housing.

Reply #45 from Elemental Forums Top

Quoting Frogboy, reply 44

Quoting Cruxador, reply 39All in all, a lot of good stuff here.


quoting post
+ AI now evaluates which player they care about the most with Dynasty ties being a big motivator. When a sovereign dies, it will give its kingdom to its heir. Oh heck yes. Just like that, dynasties have become a thing which matters. I hope this change makes it into FE too, even though that game will have dynasties disabled by default.
+ Repeatable improvements now increase with cost as more are built. Wait, even houses? That sounds like a really big potential limiter to city size.

Houses don't consume people, they provide housing.

 

Frogboy, I believe Curxador was wondering if the material costs of houses would increase gradually. Based upon your response Frogboy, i take it that material costs do not increase with housing and may be static for the other buildings as well.

Reply #46 from Elemental Forums Top

Release the hounds!

Reply #47 from Elemental Forums Top

duplicate... freakin forum. 

Reply #48 from Elemental Forums Top

material costs don't increase. it's just specialists.

 

Reply #50 from Elemental Forums Top

 Notable locations will be spawned NEAR you when you increase your exploration level (but now remember, your opponents can access them too so don't do it if you're surrounded)

Does this mean that things like the Darkling nest, those special locations that you have to research are still going to be spawning in another country's area for THIER use instead of YOURS?  Please tell me I am ready this wrong.