Preaching skills increasing with experience

tinkthank · #1 March 27th, 2004, 10:47 AM

Currently, it doesn't, but it would be nice if it did.
Perhaps something small, like 2% chance per star? Or tied into the preaching success formula, such as +1-per-quintile?
It would be nice if older, more experienced priests did their job slightly more effectively.

Inigo Montoya · #2 March 27th, 2004, 03:24 PM

I don't think this would be a good idea. There are magnitudes of difference in just one level of holy/unholy magic. Right now the only ways you can increase your priestly skill are by getting a unique item (one for holy, one for unholy) or becoming a prophet. Right now, a race that has level 4 priests has certain advantages over a race with level 2 priests. If you make experience turn level 2 priests into level 3, you weaken the level 4 races.

Edit: I forgot the crystal shield can increase priestly skill in combat. Thanks to Graeme Dice for pointing this out. Also, I never knew communion raised priestly skill.

[ March 27, 2004, 14:15: Message edited by: Inigo Montoya ]

LordArioch · #3 March 28th, 2004, 06:18 AM

I think it would be fine...if a bit impractical to make very high level priests gain a level. At 3 it would be pretty hard to get and requiring 4 levels would mean only the very top priests would ever get it anyway.

tinkthank · #4 March 28th, 2004, 06:09 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Inigo Montoya:
I don't think this would be a good idea. There are magnitudes of difference in just one level of holy/unholy magic. Right now the only ways you can increase your priestly skill are by getting a unique item (one for holy, one for unholy) or becoming a prophet. Right now, a race that has level 4 priests has certain advantages over a race with level 2 priests. If you make experience turn level 2 priests into level 3, you weaken the level 4 races.

Edit: I forgot the crystal shield can increase priestly skill in combat. Thanks to Graeme Dice for pointing this out. Also, I never knew communion raised priestly skill.

OK, but please note I *wasnt* talking about raising the priest level at all. That would certainly destroy much of the game, as you say. I simply meant a slight increase to the chance of success when preaching in a province, that is all.

rabelais · #5 March 28th, 2004, 06:27 PM

Actually, I think if you limited the priest level bump to the 3,4,and 5 star levels it wouldn't be horribly unbalancing.

I am on turn 30 of a MP game and there aren't more than half a dozen units with three or more stars in the game, and almost all of them are pretenders. No priests.

Unless a priest has lvl5 already it is difficult to rack up kills, so it's just a penetration boost, really.

Be kinda nice for the Ulm/Man compulsives who have never seen fanaticism/smite.

But if this is seen a too "munchkinish" I agree that increasing preaching level by # of stars is a fine suggestion too. Perhaps preaching level goes up the first two stars and then...

Rabe the Sacerdotal Lobbyist

Saber Cherry · #6 March 28th, 2004, 07:21 PM

I like the idea. I think that experience and levels should affect all units, not just combat units. Researchers get more research, archers get more precision, melee units get more attack, defense, strength, and morale... even void-summoning gets a special void-summoning experience.

But what about poor scouts, preachers, and blood hunters? Experience is worthless to them. I think the probability of success when sneaking, hiding, instilling unrest, preaching, and blood-hunting should all be modified by experience level - it would be more fun!

(edit) And of course, to keep things balanced, unholy reanimation rates could be increased by experience - each star might give an N*10% chance of reanimating extra units, for example, where N is the number normally animated. So a 3-star unholy priest that normally reanimated 5 longdead would reanimate 5 plus 3*10%*5=150%, or 6 longdead with a 50% chance of 7.

[ March 28, 2004, 17:30: Message edited by: Saber Cherry ]