Wish-List for Dominions 4

[HoneyBadger]

Dominions 3 is a wonderful game, but there are quite a few people lately (including myself) who have expressed ideas for the future of Dominions that go beyond the current form of the game. Rather than lose track of what people want when the time comes, I thought I'd establish a thread just for the purpose of posting ideas for the next generation of Dominions.

This thread is for the posting of ideas that go beyond patches, for things that would require major changes/improvements/renovations to the game.

Try to remember that it's a turn-based fantasy strategy game...No elves, no lazer beams, no saved games.

Let's stay focused! Eye of the tiger, people!

[Loren]

I think the biggest thing the game needs is things to reduce micromanagement.

Off the top of my head:

Routing on new production.

Pathfinding--order a commander to where you want him and he'll find the best way to get there.

A spell that increases the supply available in a province. (There are magic items that provide supply, being able to provide an increase to the province itself shouldn't be imbalancing.)

Work lists: Mark a province that you want <x> done. A commander may be given an automate order--he runs around doing all the <x>'s.

Get rid of the meaningless messages caused by insanity. I don't need a hundred messages telling me my insane commanders failed to find magic sites.

Magic item work list: You indicate what you want produced. Mages with a generic <forge> order produce things on the list.

A larger item inventory.

Repeat production orders--queue stuff and select repeat, it keeps being provided until you cancel it.

Remember your orders after insanity.

Spell inhibition--turn off spells you don't want cast. (You could still script them, though.)

A bit more control in the scripting--the ability to give the mage priorities. I really disliked having a high power mage completely unable to harm my opponents because he buffed himself like crazy then relied on low-level summoning spells until he routed at turn 50.

Get rid of the automatic rout at turn 50. I do agree there needs to be some sort of auto-rout to avoid infinite battles. This could be handled by looking at damage, though--compute the slope of the line graphing the number of hp's of real units (not counting summoned units that will vanish at the end of combat.) Go past turn 30 and you rout if the line ceases to be negative.

[HoneyBadger]

I'd like a severely expanded magic system including:

Spells and magic items that are only available for certain ages.

Summoning spells that are tied to terrain-types so that you can only cast a certain spell while in a forest province, for example.

Maximum spell-levels expanded to 15, to match maximum path-levels.

[Dakar]

I'd like more versatile scripting options. For example, something like "Close in, fire a volley of spears, attack" or "cast damage-dealing spells".

[MaxWilson]

It's been mentioned before, but I want it recorded in this list that I'd really like

1.) The ability to disband units (without having to round them up and suicide them) to reduce upkeep and/or clean up routed forces;

2.) Some way of reducing gem micromanagement (e.g. a toggle which specifies that the commander will ONLY use gems for spells he's specifically scripted for);

3.) A way to turn off spells I don't like (on a temporary, per-player basis), so they don't show up in the ritual/battle scripting UIs and aren't cast on the battlefield.

-Max

[MaxWilson]

4.) The option to arrange commanders and/or items in my laboratory inventory by something other than unit ID. Either alphabetically or by category, say.

5.) Moddable blessings and/or new spell paths.

-Max

[Xietor]

1. option to have archers hold fire, if a clear shot is lacking(ie 4 enemies in a pack of your troops).

2. spell scripting as mentioned before, only use gems if scripted option, after script 5 spells a cast offensive spell option, a cast buffing spells option, and a mixed option.

3. map editor, a way to actually change terrain. ie place mountains here(and it looks graphically like mountains). Some games had this 15 years ago, so i know it can be done without much effort given the improvements that have occurred.

4. a way, without running a mod, to make your ma race fight some la races etc.

5. more options at making the pretender.

A. spend points to get a hero at the start of the game(random hero).

B. spend design points to get better pd.

C. spend points for an increased chance of heroes appearing.

6. Better recruits when you capture an enemy capital. Sometimes, if he had misfortune and death, you do not get a great province. You do get 5 gems, but i would like to see either the troops you get at your own capital, or some unique troop that is related to the people you capture.

off the cuff examples: take ulm, you can make arbalest and smith, take ctis, you can recruit shaman and swamp guards, man, lonbowmen and bard; Pangaea, dryad and centaur warrior.

[Salamander8]

1) I'd like to be able to have missle troops stop firing at routed enemies when melee troops are in pursuit, or vice-versa, as this tends to cause some bad friendly fire incidents. Some scripting option likeo not fire at fleeing enemies, or: Do not pursue fleeing enemies.

2) Better accounts of Fortress assaults when you win. Getting: We captured the fortress!, isn't all that helpful for casualty assessment. Some of them are pretty obvious, but often you have to scour commanders' forces afterward to determine how much damage you took in that victory.

[jutetrea]

1. Categorized spells: Self-buff, army-buff, offensive and scripts to go along with them, army-buff,army-buff, offensive, etc.
2. Disband
3. Global (per player) default army arrangements per unit type. Grouped Cav are always started back left with hold, hold, attack rear.
4. Toggle for # of gems used, or limit
5. Construction queuing
6. More nation/era limited spells, items, heroes and pretenders (also dominion effects)

[Gandalf Parker]

I want a true text host. One that doesnt need graphic libraries to run.

Id also like a seperation of host and client. That would pave the way for many upgrades (such as client-side scripted AIs)

Id like to see the random map generator accept a seed

Id like to see the add-on graphics (little farmhouses and dead cow heads) that get put into the maps be optional. Or even user-replaceable.

Id like to see a switch that does an "Eyes of God" then outputs the map as a graphic file.