Dev Thinking on Balance?

[Gandalf Parker]

be careful

If you wish to continue this conversation you will need to avoid personal slanders.

[Norfleet]

Originally posted by Huzurdaddi:

quote:

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Many pretenders can use these spells to conquer independent provinces. Being able to conquer an independent province a turn with your pretender is commonplace.

Really? Please list.

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Okay, so let's assume an average, commonly favored independent setting of 6. I think 6 is a fair benchmark, because it seems to be the prevalent setting of most MP games.

Pretenders that I have found can do the job against common independents, not including Tritons and other rare flier-infested provinces, but including provinces that may contain knights) with nothing higher than L3 research, a sum, under normal research conditions, of 120 RPs, assuming that the designer of the pretender has specifically tweaked his chassis for battle, and is attempting to operate solo, or with only very limited support (no army, at most maybe an attending mage or priest who will may search or build in the province after battle):

Allfather
Carrion Dragon
Colossal Head
Ghost King
Lord of the Wild
Monolith
Mother of Tuathas
Nataraja(Arco)
Vampire Queen

These pretenders are either unlikely to suffer from afflictions, can recover from any afflictions taken, or are not greatly affected by many of the afflictions (limping Monolith).

Other pretenders that can attempt the job, as long as excessive knights are avoided, with slightly higher levels of research or items, or with more accompanying chaff, afflictions are willing to be risked, or occasional failure acceptable:

Green Dragon
Medusa
Prince of Death
Phoenix
Titan(male)
Virtue

So between first-class and second-class choices, you have a fair number of pretenders to choose from. Note that all of these assume that you have tweaked for BATTLE as a primary objective, and filling national magic gaps or attaining a useful blessing as secondary. Air blessings and nature blessings are, however, synergistic with combat prowess.

[Catquiet]

Originally posted by Kristoffer O:

My current thoughts:
Clam. Overpowered particulary in large games where there are players that are not prepared for it.

Clam hoarding: boring. One shouldn't have to prevent people from doing it.

Does this mean you are going to address clam hoarding in a patch or not?

Steroids : an unfair advantage for the althetes who use them

Steroid Use : dangerously unhealthly. One shouldn't have to prevent people from doing it. (but I doubt they are going to stop unless the people in charge do something)

[ May 04, 2004, 22:10: Message edited by: Catquiet ]

Originally posted by Catquiet:
Does this mean you are going to address clam hoarding in a patch or not?

Steroids : an unfair advantage for the althetes who use them

Steroid Use : dangerous unhealthly. One shouldn't have to prevent people from doing it. (but I doubt they are going to stop unless the people in charge do something)

2x4: A common building material used in many forms of construction for various structures and items.

2x4 Use: Some people use 2x4's to hit people, preferably in the knees or back. The makers of 2x4's should implement something to stop them since they arn't going to stop themselves.

[Catquiet]

Originally posted by Zen:

quote:

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Originally posted by Catquiet:
Does this mean you are going to address clam hoarding in a patch or not?

Steroids : an unfair advantage for the althetes who use them

Steroid Use : dangerous unhealthly. One shouldn't have to prevent people from doing it. (but I doubt they are going to stop unless the people in charge do something)

2x4: A common building material used in many forms of construction for various structures and items.

2x4 Use: Some people use 2x4's to hit people, preferably in the knees or back. The makers of 2x4's should implement something to stop them since they arn't going to stop themselves.

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Let's have a boxing match, you can use steroids, I'll bring a 2x4

But it won't be an official match, because there are rules against both of those things in boxing. That's why it's considered a sport instead of a felony.

[ May 04, 2004, 22:28: Message edited by: Catquiet ]

I didn't know Dominions 2 was boxing. I thought it was more like a street brawl with up to 16 other people. He who lives wins.

[Norfleet]

Originally posted by Zen:
2x4 Use: Some people use 2x4's to hit people, preferably in the knees or back. The makers of 2x4's should implement something to stop them since they arn't going to stop themselves.

MWAHAHAHA! That's a good one, Zen!

*whomps Catquiet in the back of the head with a 2x4*

[Zapmeister]

MWAHAHAHA! That's a good one, Zen!

I disagree, since no point has been made.

Steroids have a useful purpose, and no-one is suggesting that we stop making them. 2x4s have a useful purpose, and no-one is suggesting that we stop making them.

Steroids may be abused to cheat at sport, and you'll get punished if you're caught doing it. 2x4s may be abused to assault people, and you'll get punished if you're caught doing it.

So what? We should continue to fight crime by all means possible, including removing the means to commit crime, where possible. Nerfing clams is possible.

You asked for their thinking, they gave it to you. Did you want to ask a different question? Or were you just unhappy with their answer?

[Zapmeister]

Perhaps because I live in Australia, most of the traffic here occurs while I'm asleep, and it is with some dismay that on waking I find that the thread has turned into exactly the kind of flamefest that it was not intended to be. Naive of me, perhaps.

However, the original question has been answered (thanks Kristoffer) and for anyone who hasn't seen it buried somewhere on page 3 or 4, it was that the alleged imbalance with clams may be addressed, but the VQ probably won't.

So then, the raison d'etre for this thread is no more, and if Gandalf wants to nuke it for any reason, there'll be no complaint from me

[ May 05, 2004, 02:35: Message edited by: Zapmeister ]