Question: Old Age mechanics

[jutetrea]

Can old age mechanics be modified? i.e. can the "penalties" for old age be modified?

May be interesting to have a summoning nation a la saulot's urdheim idea where units are summoned in a young form. A "baby" salamander with say start age 1. Old age is set to say 2-4 and instead of the standard penalties they would receive bonuses. I doubt you can actually mod a form change based on age (anyone try?) but a significant increase in stats would be an obvious benefit.

So the summon would be cheap, either free or low gems, but the troops wouldn't be that great. If they survive for a year or two they suddenly become forces to be reckoned with.

Possible?

[Theonlystd]

You can make a unit change at a certian age im sure. Early Age Ry has units that do that if im not mistaken

[Endoperez]

I have never noticed that, or heard about it. Several races' descriptions imply it, but AFAIK it doesn't actually happen.

edit: damn, that was a lot of typoes!

[Edi]

It does not happen. It's flavor description.

[jutetrea]

If it currently doesn't happen, does that mean it cannot happen?

[Endoperez]

It would require a new mechanic. It wasn't added during development even though it is a rather generic idea that'd fit many, many races and specific units (EA R'lyeh, void monsters, Atlantis, Agartha, several undead creatures, pretenders such as Ancient Olm, Vampires, Eternal Knights...). I think that means that it was deemed too hard or too complicated to implement, but that's just my educated guess.

Shapechange based on age and reversed stat bonii from old age have both been requested in the mod wish thread, so there's a slight chance of us getting them... However, the mod wishlist thread is huge, and we can't expect to get even half of our ideas implemented.

[Saulot]

Assuming much of the mod wishlist won't be done anytime soon for Dom3, I hope it's more seriously considered as part of the Dominions 4 wishlist.