The last few weeks have been pretty intense. Demigod has been unlike anything we’ve released before. The good news is that its sales have been really good and despite that first week which saw our network brought to its knees, the game’s average review scores have been 4 out of 5 (well over 4 out of 5 after the first week).
Our chief technology architect, Jeff Bargmann, who I brought onto Demigod a couple of weeks ago when it became clear that we were going to need to develop our own network solution for the game is clearly obsessed based on the 4am emails he sent me over the weekend. Jeff is also the lead developer on Impulse, ObjectDock, ObjectBar, Fences, and numerous other projects. When I absolutely positively must have something amazing done right and quickly, he is my go-to guy. So this weekend he’s been working on various proxy solutions. Cari, our lead game developer also found ways to solve some of the Pantheon and Skirmish issues that were reported over the weekend.
I don’t want to make any promises but given the success of Friday’s update and the likelyhood that the proxies will go online this week, we should be nearing the point of diminishing returns for getting people connected on the multiplayer match making side. I also know that Gas Powered Games is looking seriously at in-game connectivity.
Personally, I think the long-term solution is for us just to host the games entirely. That’s what we’re doing in Elemental for its multiplayer – our servers host the entire thing from the start.
But with the connectivity issues in MP likely to substantially diminish this week, it’s time to start thinking about what we should do next.
Demigod v1.1
So on the horizon there’s Demigod v1.1. Now, question is, what should be in it? Now, these aren’t expansion packs but I can think of a few things on my personal list that may or may not agree with what you guys want so let’s talk about that.
Here’s my personal preference list for v1.1 in brief:
Now, this doesn’t include DLC content such as Clan Wars, Scheduled Games, Group Join, etc. This is just v1.1. But it does give you an idea of some of the things we’re thinking of.
What would you like to see in terms of new features?
I would like to suggest implementing a combat log that could display the incoming/outgoing damage/heals/absorption. Also, I would like to be able to open the skill trees when dead.
1. Replays
2. Ability to see mana and items on enemy Demigods. This is crucially needed. At the very least you should be able to see the inventories of your teammates! (And their gold)
Smarter AI sounds good
Concede needs to be a team vote option. It's usually pretty pointless to continue playing if one person is going to ragequit/concede, because their AI will just feed themselves to the other team's bank, decreasing the likelihood of a win even further. No, a concede needs to be done as a team. Game over. I wouldn't implement the vote as "majority rules," but I don't think consensus would be necessary, either. If more than one person votes no to a concede vote, then the game should continue. That way, one person on your team can't filibuster the rest. Obviously for 2v2 you would need both to vote yes to concede.
edit: on second thought, this basically amounts to majority rules except in a 5v5
Suggestions:
1) Display players avergae Sim Speed in lobby, nothing like waiting 10mins to get a 4v4 or 5v5 going only to have it ruined by someone with a very low Sim Speed
2) When you choose a support skill (Heal, Shield etc) all nearby Allies' Demigods are highlighted to make it easier to choose them in late game with dozens of minions and grunts around. The opposite being true for offensive attack skills making them highlight enemy Demigods.
3) MOST IMPT: Please make ALL controls fully customizable to ANY key on the keyboard! Us left handed gamers are seriously hampered by the present system
http://www.demigod-live.com/news/details/article/ten-improvements-demigod-could-benefit-from-63.html
these 10 would be a good start
Update should include
-Voice Chat
-Improved chat windows
-Beginnings of clans
I also like the idea of replays
Player icons that we can cast on or attack on instead of clicking in the middle of battle.
Frogboy's Suggestions:
1. Favor points increased by a factor of 10.
- Good, also increase the loser's favor gain.
2. Option to Concede. Would let players quit a game they feel they’re losing. Their Demigod is removed. If all players from that team concede, the game is over.
- Good, you know I agree with this.
3. Smart Quitting. If someone exits within the first 3 minutes, there’s no harm, no foul. It counts as a disconnect but not a loss. Sometimes there’s lag or someone has a slow machine or whatever.
- Good, I'd like this one too.
4. Random Demigod. Players can choose a Random Demigod to play.
- No. The people who desire this function are the minority, and I feel it shouldn't be implimented. It's a gradification tool, and doesn't improve quality of game play and may cause more harm than good.
5. Updated AI. Smarter computer AI.
- Need a much smarter computer, not a cheating one. One that can't be pulled, and knows when to avoid certain demigods entirely.
6. Various balance tweaking.
- Vague, but also good.
My Suggestions:
7. Fix the Sedna's Heal bug, where Sedna must be in motion to perform a heal.
8. Fix the Queen of Thorns Bramble shield so that it can be cast on all allies at any distanse. At present, if allie is too close it will not cast.
9 . Adjust the the Unclean Beast's Venom Spit cool down time. At present it recharges far too quickly, even without cooldown items.
10. Restorative Scroll adjustment. Allow it to purge negative effects from the user.
11. Symbol of Purifty, changed its function to purge positive effects from target enemy Demigods.
12. Reduce duration of Regulus Tracking Device.
13. Slighty Reduce range of Regulus Snipe.
14. Reduce Range and Duration of Torch Bearer's Ring of Fire.
15. Reduce Cost of following items: Warlord's Punisher, Twig of Life, Warpstone, and Parasite Egg.
16. Include more increase vision radious standard items.
17. Add a new "Grenade" Style item to Purge Regulus Mines, Rook Towers, and General Minisions.
18. Double Potency of all Fortitude Structure & Building Firepower Upgrades. Keep same cost.
Fortitude Structure: 20% - 50% - 80% - 100%
Building Firepower: 20% - 30% - 40% - 50%
19: Add additional effect to Scroll of Teleportation: Deal 250 Damage to Smaller units and throw them into the air. No effect on enemy Demigods.
20: Increase potency of Hex Scroll or Reduce its cost.
Other People's Suggestions I agree with
InfiniteVengeance:
21. Allow us to see enemy Demigod's Mana.
Slim:
22. Optional Team Heath and Mana bar window. Clickable and Targetable for Heals and Buffs.
I want to chime in with my support of a "party display" (as in most MMOs) showing the icon, name, health, and mana of your teammates. Along the left in the ususal fashion would work, as would across the top. The chat should be moved from center-left anyway.
I really ran into this problem this past weekend, where it's hard to see how much health your teammates have, and impossible to see their mana, so it's hard to coordinate when you'll attack and when you'll hang back.
Each icon/health/mana/name piece should be something you can click to target that demigod, which will help a lot with heals and enhancement effects and so on.
I think this is a bit much. I can't tell you how many oaks and my erebus were toe 2 toeing it for a early game flag and i used my last bite on him and we both stand toe 2 toe swampping hits, both of us low on life. The oak will flee, thinking I have a bite ready when the truth is I am as dead as a door nail if he mans up and decides to risk it and stay. Theres alittle bluffing element in there because if I was smart, i would have likely fled to avoid death. However, I risked it and did not, knowing I was out of mana tricks, but since the enemy was low or out as well and had no idea what I had, he decided to flee.
Thats pretty cool because to gain the benefits of such a bluff I must risk obviously getting killed to do it.
If we can simply see all enemies mana bars, its going to be an easy sign of whos fresh for battle and who isn't and I don't see it adding as much strategy to the mixes as it would be taking away the variable I described above. You still have potions and what not, but no enemy should roll up on you and know that you only have 2 bites left or that you dont even have enough mana for hammer slam before they even engage you. As it stands now, each foe has a potential to them and their actions lead into their potential, much like the enemies your sometimes chasing suddenly begin chasing you or a full life Rook flees from your 63% health, hinting hes needed elsewhere or potentially out of mana.
i disagree with being able to see an opponents mana, part of the game is not knowing every little detail of your opponent and to feel things out and it adds another layer to the game. for instance if you are sitting with no mana after a skirmish with an enemie player if he doesnt know your out of mana then you can still harass, but if he were to know you were out of mana then there is no mind game anymore he jus chases you out. i think mind games is a great layer to games and it should be kept that way. this game would get boring pretty quick if every little detail was shown of your enemie just by clicking on him. feeling games out is an important skill ppl need to learn to use imho.
1. Fix favor. I still do not accumulate favor.
2. More maps.
3. With more maps, a random map feature.
4. Random demigods.
5. Reasses the favor items. The swift anklet must be the favorite by far. So it either needs to be nerfed, or the other items made more attractive.
6. Include rankings next to people's name. Does not need to be numeric, but some indication of where they stand. Nothing worse than getting into a 3v3 only to find the other team is stacked big time.
7. When someone quits right now, you have to wait 30s before you can do anything. Either allow a vote so people can kick the person, or allow access to the menu. When a game goes bad with a 5v5 and you need to remake, waiting 30 secs for each person to leave is annoying. I usually just terminate the Demigod process and re-launch the game rather than wait.
8. When a person leaves, rather than replace with an AI, bump their gold rate by 2x (would need to be diminished the greater the number of people in the game).
9. Oak should not be able to attack structures with last stand.
Hi,
I'd like to see more functionality built into matchmaking for pantheon and skirmish games:
Options to completely exclude AI
Matches bigger than 2v2 for Pantheon
Ability to select game types for Pantheon
A lobby system similar to custom games for Pantheon / Skirmish
1. favor point increase is good
2. concession is good as long as they get a loss. at the very least, removing BOTs from player games is needed. i don't think bots should appear in any player games, as inexperienced players can just play single player skirmish, tournament, or custom games if they want easy practice.
3. smart quitting is good.
4. the option to have a random demigod would be fun. alternatively, a mode of play that randomized everyone's demigod would be nice as well, but perhaps that should be saved until there are a few more demigods in the game.
---
5. there should be a party pane for allies and minions, or at least the ability to click on another allied demigod and see their HP and mana
6. replays are needed badly. should be able to see every demigod's gear and stats in the replays as well
7. the addition of in-game player profiles would be great
A pause button!
A List - from a month ago, but covers 90% of the responses I'm seeing here
The silent dc I mentioned way back here is still alive and well and wrecking everybodies stats. (If you've played me anytime in the last week and it seems like I ragequit? I didn't.) I'd say it occurs on 20% of my games in the last 5 days and it doesn't give me the 30 second timeout countdown either, it just pops me out of the game into an AI instance...not fun
Thanks
I don't see the need to increase favor gained. If favor actually worked most players would already have the items they wanted within a dozen or so games. Most complaints about favor are because favor from the start has been broken, not because it was difficult to accrue.
I would like to have a way to show my allies a certain point. Like pressing "B" or whatever and click on a point in the map makes it flash for my allies.
Would be a faster way than typing "OMG hes taking our portal!" and can easily be implemented
This exists in the game already. Press "P" and it will create ping where you mouse is located in-game, on the minimap. No need to click on the minimap.
This exists, but by Default games have No Timeouts to activate Pause. You must allow Time Outs in the Custom Game Settings for Pause to function online and offline.
I don't really understand the increase in favor, 10 times? Really up to 1900 favor per win? So basically everyone will have every favor item within a week? I think it'd be a better idea to fix the bugs causing people to not gain any favor at all, rather than increasing the favor gain to a ludicrous amount for the few that still do gain favor.
We need to be able to give gold on the fly to our allies so a team purchase may be made. Buying, dropping, and selling items takes way too much time to transfer gold.
more maps/demigods/items
Of course the feature I really really want is: Group Join (But it's nice to see it actually mentioned!!!
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