Loosely speaking, here are the 5 different technology paths and what you’re supposed to accomplish with them. Our challenge is to make sure each of these 5 paths are meaningful on their own as well as can be mixed and match to create an endless combination of strategies.
During the betas, we have been turning on and off different trees in order to get a sense of how effective any given path is.
The purpose of this journal entry is to discuss with you guys things you think would be interesting in these 5 areas that have not been present in existing betas. Some of these ideas will make it into the RTM version, others will make it into the release (day 0) version and some may make it into the future.
First, let’s recap the 4 victory conditions since ultimately all objectives lead to one of the 4 conditions:
Imperium/Civilization
The world has resources. And your territory expands as your influence grows to make use of these resources. This tree allows you to increase your utilization of these resources. The most important resource here is Gildar (gold).
Adventure
There were a lot of resources before everything blew up. More than that, there was a lot of really powerful stuff out there that’s now gone. The purpose of adventure is to give players access to increasingly powerful items and resources that will aid them in their pursuit of one of the 4 objectives. Also leads to the Master Quest. What you are looking to do here is to build a band of powerful champions armed with magical items you have collected.
Warfare/Conquest
Other factions have resources and stuff you want. Take it from them by building armies of increasingly lethal weaponry and defenses of your design. The most important resource here is metal. You need it. Others may have it. Might makes right.
Magic
Besides giving players access to the Spell of Making eventually, the spells you learn can help you achieve any of the 4 objectives when used right. The key resources here are Arcane Knowledge (how fast you learn new spells) and Essence (the maximum amount of mana your casters can hold).
Diplomacy
Sometimes you don’t have the stuff you want and you don’t want to have to conquer everyone. Diplomacy lets you do this. Diplomatic Capital is the resource here. The more of you get get, the more people love you. Trade others to get more of it and they’ll like you even more or trade it away to get other resources or get others to attack each other so that they’re too busy to get after you.
So there you have the basic game mechanics of Elemental. And on the surface, it’s a pretty straight forward game. Of course, actually accomplishing your goals in the game is another thing. And over the course of the next several years, the depth beneath the surface here will increase.
It's got potential. Great for dealing with AIs, now why would a human player ever use it in Human-to-Human interactions, other than to sic an AI attack dog on your friend, fun as that is?. If we can answer that question with mechanics, I think it'll really flesh out the diplo system.
One request: I want the ability to stick champions and my sovereign on powerful creatures like gryphons and dragons.
Sauron got a dragon to ride into battle on. Why can't we have one?
Because there are no flying units now
I hope this is one of the things patched in/expanded on later.
In my opinion it depends a bit what we can do in future with the diplo capital. If this is the resource needed to invoke assassin tasks or other actions to enemy empires without fearing that the other person can find out who damaged him - there would be good reason to trade them like other resources as well have some ideas in mind, depends a bit on the flexibility of the modding tools
Say what? When did Sauron ever ride a dragon?
There are flying units, you just can't build them. It's been said before that dragons can fly. But you can't build an army of knights on flying horses/bears/etc. Flying units are rare.
I'm not sure, but I think he's referring to the hideous flying beasts ridden by the Nazgul. Those were admitted dragonoid in shape, but weren't supposed to be true dragons.
I any case, I'd like a variety of fantasy mounts, whether they fly, swim or run, but am content with that being low-priority and after release.
Is it the intend that you'd win the game by focusing on one area, or that you'd focus on many areas but emphasize one?
Fell Beasts? Like the one the Witch King was on?
Just something I notice: There are 5 different Technology Paths, and only 4 different Victory Conditions. Adventure, Conquest, Diplomacy, and Magic seem to each map directly onto one of the victory conditions, leaving Imperium as the odd one out. I guess that means there's not going to be any sort of 'Culture' victory, like there was in Gal Civ?
Sauron riding a dragon? What the?? I guess NullAshton was talking about the Witch King + Fell Beasts.
They were Wyverns
This is something I'd love for a developer to flesh out as well. If Imperium lacks any purpose except to make the other four tech-types better, it would better be consumed and converted into techs for the other four. If Imperium is to be given its own goals and purpose then what is planned to make this a reality?
What is it's win condition, and how does it do anything except build and improve its cities?
How does a pure imperialist defend their cities without having to concentrate on a military?
Do your imperials take cities by breeding like rabbits and emigrate everywhere until they're numerous enough in a city to rebel and rejoin the motherland?
Do they win by building the ultimate city, so awesome that gods almighty come down and go shopping in it every Thursday? Or do they build a new Forge of the Overlord through "non-magical" means with techniques lost since pre-cataclysm?
Enquiring minds must know!
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