Possibility of Brand-New Ages

[HoneyBadger]

With the advent of three ages to the game, we begin to see a perspective of time in Dom 3. Nations rise and fall, races become extinct while new ones come into being. Humans rise as the dominant race, and technology begins to overshadow magic. The very fabric of the magical universe becomes unstable and uncertain. The stars align in mysterious ways and gods die and are reborn.

Soooo...I want more.
Ideas for new Ages in Dom3:
The Dawning Age.
Technology is Late stoneage through copper to early bronze age, low magic as peoples first start coming together into nations (IRL something approximating the conditions between 12,500-6000 years ago). Undead always have stone weapons and no metal armor. Research ability is always locked in to very slow in this age, with low-powered mages overall. Cavemen and lizardmen replace humans as the dominant race. Humans are nowhere to be found. Monkeys and apes are everywhere, just to tick off the Creationists . Icthytosians and a race of intelligent crab-people (1: I couldn't resist, 2: they could be done in a way that they'd be cool, and 3: they could represent a nation in this era with good Prot.) are dominant in the oceans-Mermen are present though few in number, suggesting them as our evolutionary ancestors. Many independent provinces are guarded by SC monsters and powerful prehistoric beasts.
While magic is still on the rise, units are in general even more powerful individually than they currently are in Early Age. Jotun nations have access to recruitable trolls and more Niefel giant heroes, the Fomorians show up, as do the Nephilim. Treelords are alive and well and in the prime of their power. Kailasan Devas, Devatas, Rakshasas, etc. are also in the full of their power-including the more powerful 4 armed breeds as recruitables-and don't yet employ monkeys. A Pre-C'tus Lizardman nation has access to huge, powerful dinosaurs, Caelum units average larger in size and employ large, vicious, flightless birds called Axe-Beaks. Mammoths are now controlled by a blood-magic caveman nation led by ogre kings who can shapeshift into giant bears. Agarthans start in the oceans, while Atlantis starts on land. Hydras are amphibious (if they aren't already-I forget) and are worshipped by a merman nation with some pure human recruitables and shambler recruitables (suggesting Shamblers as an offshoot of humans, which atleast gives Shamblers a certain pathos, helping them to be a step above the "big dumb amphibous spearfodder" they usually end up being) There is also a nation of Elder Things (ala H.P Lovecraft-"At the Mountains of Madness") who are the most magically advanced at this time (The other nations stole the finer secrets of magic from them after their nation collapsed.) and have bonuses when using Crossbreeding and Advanced Crossbreeding. Thematically, they are supposed to be the originators of many of the most bizarre races in Dom 3-they create, for instance, Shuggoths, which will feature in this age. Tien'Chi is an empire of the undead and spirits ruled by Pennanggalan (a breed of vampires who can remove their own heads at night-the heads then fly around and bite victims) and various celestial demons-a bit like Late Age Ermor in practice, but ofcourse considerably more Asian-flavored. There are no longbows, crossbows, recurve bows, etc. in the game, except as forged items. Shortbows and crude shortbows are present and fairly widespread, as are javelins and harpoons. The Atlatl is the dominant missle weapon technology, enabling javelins to be hurled 2xstrength. Slings are ubiquitous. Swords are rare and short, axes, maces, knives, and spears are much more widespread. Tridents, glaives, and other polearms are almost non-existent. Calvalry is also rare, especially horse-calvalry (where present, it consists of units riding ponies-no kick). Tower shields are non-existant except as forged items. Wardogs are prevalent, chariots are present but rare. Apes are not the only ones who hurl sticks and stones-this is a common practice and some units specialize in this.

If we can't possibly get this approved as a new age, I'll most likely just create a mod around the concept, but I figured I'd give it a try since new ages would be for everyone to modify and use.

[HoneyBadger]

By the way, instead of just early, middle, and late ages, I came up with some more thematic (cough*less boring*cough) names for the Ages:

The Dawning Age (above), Age of Miracles (early age), Age of Heroes (middle age), Age of Iron and Gold (late age), and Age of Wisdom (to come). I figure it wouldn't take a lot to change the names of the ages, since all you'd be doing is changing a short piece of script, so it's a quick fix and would definitely add a little to flavor.

Thanks!

[Caduceus]

This sounds like quite an ambitious project. I look forward to hearing more about BadgerMod.

[HoneyBadger]

Well, the purpose is to illustrate the desire for the ability to have more than 3 ages in the game. While I do intend to create such a mod, I'd like to see the ages themselves become extensible, and I felt this would be more appropriate a place to request such a thing than to clutter up the Mod Wishlist with several huge posts, since I'm currently formulating the directions I have in mind for a 5th later-than-Late age, and will post them when it all comes together. Worst come to worst, it's atleast fun to share ideas and perhaps get some feedback on how others think pre-and-post ages may shape and be shaped by what's come before and will come after them. It's kind of a Dom3 speculative sci-fi

[Gandalf Parker]

Well the did just create an era zero (used by modders to make a nation unavailable). Maybe they can create an era 4. It might be fun to make a game that only allows modded nations.

Hmmm come to think of it, since you can create a network game with era-by-number I wonder what will happen after the next patch if you start a game --era 0

(I can hear Johan moaning now and rushing to block another of those crazy-gandalf-hacks)

[HoneyBadger]

Age of Wisdom:
Technology level is approximately (very roughly) that of 1250 A.D.
While there are no gunpowder weapons as such, fireworks have been invented and are used in battle by Tien'Chi. Occasionally an independent Pyromancer offers her services to the highest bidder, and within a century the pyrochemical arts will likely be widespread. Crossbows are at the peak of technology, and come in many different forms. Ship-building and sailing have reached new heights and many nations can cross deep water. Larger and more complex weapons are used on the battlefield-it is the age of the machine. The nation of Ermor has finally been obliterated, but it's legacy has affected most other nations, and several are direct or indirect descendants of the empire. Races tend to be well-mixed in this age. What one does and how one lives is far more important than who your grandfather was, as the power of kingdoms and monarchies has forever been diluted. Fewer than ever before claim, or are particularly proud of, the so-called "purity" of their bloodlines as feudalism begins a long fall into disfavor. Even the divine right of religion and the place of the gods is being questioned, as the literary works of the sceptics of old Arcoscephale are rediscovered. Pretenders of this youngest age are wise to open their arms to all who choose to worship them, as this is also an age of questions. Humans are now in decline, as so many races of the past have been. Hoburgs are now rising as the dominant race, and there are no less than three major hoburg nations.
The most militant hoburgs form a society, originally and ostensibly to protect hoburg villages from the undead hordes of the last age. Drawing from the tactics and strategy of ancient Ermor and the fanaticism of Marignon, they have far surpassed defensive goals and now rank upon rank of pike and crossbow wielding, chain-mail clad hoburgs march across the countryside, leading pogroms against human ghettos, burning jotuns at the stake as witches, and making war on all who oppose them, in the name of hoburg security. Beyond their carefully measured borders, the most warlike sell themselves to the highest bidder as mercenary companies, while other tough hoburgs guard caravans of goods which flood in to the capital of what was once called Midgard. The second hoburg nation strides through the endless jungles and savanna, perched upon the mighty backs of armored elephants. Allied with the dwarven steelworkers who make the great beasts' armor, exotic tribes of flying monkeys, and all manner of refugees, vagabonds, and hangers-on, they are a nomadic merchant people on an endless caravan, who only build walls to defend their winter villages and sacred elephant graveyards. The third hoburg nation fled underground to escape the ravages and disease of the last age. Having merged with the remnants of Agartha and with the earth-gnomes, earth-worshipping hoburgs riding giant black bats now patrol the underworld.
The dead too have their nations: Ulm has been eaten from the inside by it's vampire rulers and gone the way of cursed Ermor. It has swallowed what was left of Marignon up, and Ulm's death-knights and ghost-ships haunt both hills and high seas, hunting for any sign of rebellion because to them such is the signal to a feast of souls. They are opposed by the stalwart slayers of Man, who, with refugees from lost Marignon, have sworn themselves enemies of all undead.
A nation of ghouls has dug itself up from beneath the ruins of ancient C'tis to feast upon the innumerable dead, and now that they've gorged themselves on the dead, they'll feed on those who's blood still runs warm. They've already devoured Pangaea and Patala, and now set their hungry sight on anything else that breathes.
As though to signal the welcome end of the last age and the beginning of the new, the long-dormant Smouldercone of Abyssia has erupted, burying their cities and the high aeries of Caelum perhaps forever beneath a blizzard of black ash. The Abyssians fled far from their homelands and into the desert, mixing freely with other races, especially Caelum refugees and humans, and now worship their new masters, the demon Afreit. Machaka, having turned away from the spider and to the lion continues to flourish under the guidance of benevolent voodoo priests, although many among them have not forgotten the old ways, and some have turned to even darker paths of hoodoo. Jotuns, long diminished and now persecuted by the hoburgs, have formed a secret society who's hidden members guard the greatest magical powers still remaining in this world. For years they had no true homeland and few safe retreats, but the powers at their command are as vast as were their ancestors, and they've found dark and bloody allies in the mountain jungles of Mictlan. Jomon, having turned into itself for centuries, has decided to turn outward towards conquest. Seeking a weapon to conquer the whole world with, they now attempt to reopen the Oni gate. From out of the frozen wastes came the hunters of Atlantis. Affected less than other folk by the madness of R'lyeh, they became one with the Dreamlands. Having helped R'lyeh conquer old Arcoscephale, the seers, mystics, and cultists of R'lyeh seek to share their bizarre visions with everyone, under the guidance of their dreaming god. Other Atlantians held on to the ways of the cold lands, and learned to summon up mighty and deadly spirits of the past. Finally, as the ashes of Ermor were finally extinguished, a lone consul escaped the purifying fires. Fleeing far north into the endless steppes, he discovered a Pretender overlooked by all others and, through acts of worship most terrible and foul, became forever Corrupted. Now more awful than even the undead and at the head of a Corrupt army unlike any ever seen, he seeks to purify the world in a different kind of fire.

[HoneyBadger]

Well Gandalf, originally, I had 7 ages in mind, but considering the scope I have planned for just 2 more, a total of 7 ages might cause either too much redundancy or make games very unlike what I consider a "true" Dominion-flavored game to be, since the earliest of the 7 would occur well into prehistoric times, and the latest would be late middle to early Renaissance. I do hope that I've successfully shown that more ages are viable, and I would like to see the ability to mod in a total of 7 ages, I just don't know if I personally can come up with interesting and distinct pre-Dawning and post-Wisdom ages.

[Foodstamp]

HoneyBadger said:
Age of Wisdom:
Technology level is approximately (very roughly) that of 1250 A.D.
While there are no gunpowder weapons as such, fireworks have been invented and are used in battle by Tien'Chi. Occasionally an independent Pyromancer offers her services to the highest bidder, and within a century the pyrochemical arts will likely be widespread.Crossbows are at the peak of technology, and come in many different forms.

Ship-building and sailing have reached new heights and many nations can cross deep water. Larger and more complex weapons are used on the battlefield-it is the age of the machine.

The nation of Ermor has finally been obliterated, but it's legacy has affected most other nations, and several are direct or indirect descendants of the empire. Races tend to be well-mixed in this age.

What one does and how one lives is far more important than who your grandfather was, as the power of kingdoms and monarchies has forever been diluted. Fewer than ever before claim, or are particularly proud of, the so-called "purity" of their bloodlines as feudalism begins a long fall into disfavor.

Even the divine right of religion and the place of the gods is being questioned, as the literary works of the sceptics of old Arcoscephale are rediscovered.

Pretenders of this youngest age are wise to open their arms to all who choose to worship them, as this is also an age of questions.

Humans are now in decline, as so many races of the past have been. Hoburgs are now rising as the dominant race, and there are no less than three major hoburg nations. The most militant hoburgs form a society, originally and ostensibly to protect hoburg villages from the undead hordes of the last age. Drawing from the tactics and strategy of ancient Ermor and the fanaticism of Marignon, they have far surpassed defensive goals and now rank upon rank of pike and crossbow wielding, chain-mail clad hoburgs march across the countryside, leading pogroms against human ghettos, burning jotuns at the stake as witches, and making war on all who oppose them, in the name of hoburg security.

Beyond their carefully measured borders, the most warlike sell themselves to the highest bidder as mercenary companies, while other tough hoburgs guard caravans of goods which flood in to the capital of what was once called Midgard.

The second hoburg nation strides through the endless jungles and savanna, perched upon the mighty backs of armored elephants. Allied with the dwarven steelworkers who make the great beasts' armor, exotic tribes of flying monkeys, and all manner of refugees, vagabonds, and hangers-on, they are a nomadic merchant people on an endless caravan, who only build walls to defend their winter villages and sacred elephant graveyards.

The third hoburg nation fled underground to escape the ravages and disease of the last age. Having merged with the remnants of Agartha and with the earth-gnomes, earth-worshipping hoburgs riding giant black bats now patrol the underworld.

The dead too have their nations: Ulm has been eaten from the inside by it's vampire rulers and gone the way of cursed Ermor. It has swallowed what was left of Marignon up, and Ulm's death-knights and ghost-ships haunt both hills and high seas, hunting for any sign of rebellion because to them such is the signal to a feast of souls. They are opposed by the stalwart slayers of Man, who, with refugees from lost Marignon, have sworn themselves enemies of all undead.

A nation of ghouls has dug itself up from beneath the ruins of ancient C'tis to feast upon the innumerable dead, and now that they've gorged themselves on the dead, they'll feed on those who's blood still runs warm. They've already devoured Pangaea and Patala, and now set their hungry sight on anything else that breathes.

As though to signal the welcome end of the last age and the beginning of the new, the long-dormant Smouldercone of Abyssia has erupted, burying their cities and the high aeries of Caelum perhaps forever beneath a blizzard of black ash. The Abyssians fled far from their homelands and into the desert, mixing freely with other races, especially Caelum refugees and humans, and now worship their new masters, the demon Afreit.

Machaka, having turned away from the spider and to the lion continues to flourish under the guidance of benevolent voodoo priests, although many among them have not forgotten the old ways, and some have turned to even darker paths of hoodoo.

Jotuns, long diminished and now persecuted by the hoburgs, have formed a secret society who's hidden members guard the greatest magical powers still remaining in this world. For years they had no true homeland and few safe retreats, but the powers at their command are as vast as were their ancestors, and they've found dark and bloody allies in the mountain jungles of Mictlan.

Jomon, having turned into itself for centuries, has decided to turn outward towards conquest. Seeking a weapon to conquer the whole world with, they now attempt to reopen the Oni gate.

From out of the frozen wastes came the hunters of Atlantis. Affected less than other folk by the madness of R'lyeh, they became one with the Dreamlands. Having helped R'lyeh conquer old Arcoscephale, the seers, mystics, and cultists of R'lyeh seek to share their bizarre visions with everyone, under the guidance of their dreaming god. Other Atlantians held on to the ways of the cold lands, and learned to summon up mighty and deadly spirits of the past.

Finally, as the ashes of Ermor were finally extinguished, a lone consul escaped the purifying fires. Fleeing far north into the endless steppes, he discovered a Pretender overlooked by all others and, through acts of worship most terrible and foul, became forever Corrupted. Now more awful than even the undead and at the head of a Corrupt army unlike any ever seen, he seeks to purify the world in a different kind of fire.

Fixt

[Cainehill]

HoneyBadger said:
With the advent of three ages to the game, we begin to see a perspective of time in Dom 3.

Wouldn't be thematic, unless Illwinter named them "The Very Early Age" and the "Past Your Bedtime Age". I mean, c'mon, when you have Early, Middle, and Late, it pretty much covers everything.

(Except for not giving an age when _ALL_ nations were available. *mutter*)

[NTJedi]

Cainehill said:
(Except for not giving an age when _ALL_ nations were available. *mutter*)

An age for all nations to be available would definitely be great!