A fourth age

[HoneyBadger]

Hey, I'm making mod nations without an actual computer to even play them on, what more do you want?

[Sombre]

It isn't that I'm demanding people make mods, I'm just a little weary of the talk to action ratio around here sometimes. I know coming up with ideas is worthwhile, but there comes a point where it would be far more worthwhile to actually act on some of them. It seems like even the simplest easiest stuff to do which people are talking about they aren't willing to put the half an hour of effort into getting working (or finding out if it can work) but they are interested in making long posts about it.

It's especially aggravating when people start talking about mod commands that should be added for example, when they aren't making any use at all of the mod commands that are already there.

/vent

[Gandalf Parker]

True enough.
But there is also something to be said for making use of the pure idea people who are willing to give up ideas to anyone else who wants to make them happen. Some people arent into what goes with finishing the project. The credits, the comments, the updating and maintaining.

My hands are full with the Dom3 projects Im already doing but I dont mind adding to an idea conversation. And I definetly do not mind that most of the projects that I have done in the past (maps, mods, scripts, programs) have been taken up by someone else and carried forward. Anything I post to the forums here is pulic domain ideas for anyone who is more capable than they are creative and needs a project.

[Gandalf Parker]

True enough. And you have been a very big contributor.

But there is also something to be said for making use of the pure idea people who are willing to give up ideas to anyone else who wants to make them happen. Some people arent into what goes with finishing the project. The credits, the comments, the updating and maintaining.

My hands are full with the Dom3 projects Im already doing but I dont mind adding to an idea conversation. And I definetly do not mind that most of the projects that I have done in the past (maps, mods, scripts, programs) have been taken up by someone else and carried forward. Anything I post to the forums here is pulic domain ideas for anyone who is more capable than they are creative and needs a project.

[HoneyBadger]

I do understand, Sombre, and I know that I'm probably the biggest antagonist. But, there's literally only so many mods a single person can make, and unlike yourself, I'm not very good or very fast about it. So my position is that, if I can't make a mod myself in a given period of time, then atleast I want to get the ideas out there for other people to harvest, and be influenced by.

Amos-another superb mod maker-was saying just a few weeks back about how he'd run out of ideas, because everything has been done. I just don't agree with that.

[HoneyBadger]

Anybody is free to use any of my ideas, especially if they're willing to give me credit, but even that isn't really necessary, since I'm usually influenced by 10 different things, myself. It gives my ego a warm fuzzy though

[Omnirizon]

concept:

A nation based off the Haitian politics and folklore from 1500 - 1700. The concept is a little odd, as it would be largely comprised of mages and assissins with the Heretic ability, similar to Pyth; inspiration for these is obviously the African slaves in Haiti, especially the voodoo and other folklore. Other commander recruits would be weak priests and mounted commanders, as well as stealthy 'mulatto' mounted commanders who aren't heretics. All heretic troops are stealthy and most use poison of some sort.

I know this sounds odd, but keep in mind that Haiti was a French colony with very little French. It was separated from the crown and courts, and no French actually wanted to spend time there. Slaves then were treated with brutal violence by whatever sadist landlords would want to be there, and the only people that wanted to be there were the ones who found some pleasure in this. Additionally, without much French presence, slaves were able to roam freely and often obtain freedom by simply running away to a neighboring town; along they way they would steal clothes, pistols, and a horse so that they could ride into town. Doing this they would hope to convince the townspeople that they were a freeman who could afford these things. Additionally, the lack of French meant the few whites there would often take African mistresses, and birth many mulatto children, who were often in a torn position between white master and black slave. voodoo formed as a means of resistance among the slaves, and largely involved the parodying of French Catholicism. Slaves would often sacrifice animals, place them in a coffin, and have white priests perform rights on the slaughtered animal (the priest wouldn't bother opening the coffin, because it was just a slave, and would be fooled into doing what was essentially an unholy act by their own standards). voodoo was also a means of slaves 'fighting back', even if they were only fighting the spirit world. totems and dolls were a large part of this in the religion, of which the 'voodoo doll' is a somewhat overdrawn cliche. herbalism was also a very integral part of the religion, and voodoo practitioners were supposed to be able to make deadly poisons from herbs, although it is likely the toxicity of their concoctions came not from the herbalism, but from arsenic, which was often supplied to them by free blacks. ritual dancing was also part of voodoo, and blacks would often leave plantations at night to participate.

I want these types of themes to figure into this nation. the only way i can think of doing it is as a 'heretic' nation. that seems somewhat paradoxical, but it was pulled off with Pyth, so it is what I would like to do with this nation. i've tried to begin drawing up some commanders, starting the the more powerful voodoo mage priests. however, i will need to pull out my books on haitian history and look up some details and get some ideas for names.

[TheMenacer]

I think a fourth age would be pretty nice, not only because who can complain about having more stuff to blow things up with, but because I think it'd help define the nations a little better. There're a bunch of nations floating around the early ages that I don't think really fit the mold, like Maverni and Tien'Chi that don't boast the tech to be in later ages, but don't have the mythical feel of the other EA nations. Granted, they have the same high-powered, capitol-centric mages of the other EA nations, but ultimately those awesome mages are just regular dudes with higher numbers than their later incarnations.

EA nations that I think really fit the mold have things like nonhuman recruitables, with bonus points if they aren't just some other species, but something really mystical in origin. They should just overall have a real feel of the uncanny about them, that this was a time far in the past where magical crap rubbed shoulders with the common man on a daily basis. Humans should have low level access to magic at best unless they're really above and beyond their fellow man, perhaps as unique hero units. An age slipped between early and middle would be something like those largely magical nations having fallen, giving primitive humans the opportunity to scavenge their secrets, and then the remaining two ages are as they already are, increasing levels of technology with decreasing levels of magic.

Edit: Roughly I'm thinking the progression should be
Magical Beings with the occasional mortal thrown in ---> Mortals with tons of magic ---> Mortals with less magic ---> Mortals with very little magic at best

[HoneyBadger]

How about a nice mod option (please, devs?) to create whatever set of "ages" we want? You could have LOTR Middle Earth ages, some weird age mod where everything is set in space, and provinces are really planets, or whatever you dream up.

[JimMorrison]

OMG I want to do a space battle game. I may just have to learn how to mod now, that seems so exciting.