Overall, after a few hundred turns and several trial and error sandbox reboots I'm with the camp that says excellent game, needs the kinks worked out, a few options added.
The only real disappointment I have is that the dynasty system is a missed opportunity as it stands. It's really quite shallow as it's simply a way of recruiting heroes for free. Line of succession should mean just that or that term should be removed. I also think a trait system would really add some life to the various champions--family or otherwise. The Total War series gotthat part of character development right with the acquisition of traits such as rage, infidelity, impiety, drunkeness, murderer, etc.
Right now the dynasty and champions are flat as cardboard with no more personality than a recruitable peasant.
who am i to disagree?
Succession does indeed come into play when a player is defeated--if you've married a child off to another faction, they will inherit the cities and units.
Interesting concept.
I'm having a tough time seeing how this can be used strategically though.
Another take is also Crusader Kings. Where you could have your empire ruined by the hand of your children having debilitating traits. It was great fun ! Allows possibly in MP one player to still have hope when someone has taken the lead. You could get revenge when is inept children have taken charge after the death of the sovereign.
It also makes for dramatic moments. You will feel sorry for your sovereign
2kryo
I think everyone just wants more Soul in the RPG aspects of the game. This was also mentioned in Beta and highlighted as "message received" by Stardock management. It's not that this aspect was overlooked. This game just holds such promise that everyone is asking for more. We want a reason to care about the named Characters. We want to fondly remember three games ago when a child had a "winning" combination of skills and abilities. We want an occasional wandering NPC to make us go "holy crap! I must have you on my team". That is all. When everything is tied to gear you can recreate the same powerful combination game in and game out. No variety; just a method emerges.
I'm developing a ton of confidence in you and your team. It's amazing what you did from Beta 4 to day 0. It's amazing what you've accomplished just this week. So keep on keeping on. I'll keep playing and enjoying your offerings.
I totally agree with this. Even the sovereign doesn't feel special enough. More differentiation between champions and unique skills/abilities that only some champions have would really add more flavor and character to the game.
Interesting thread.
I'm just about to finish my first game with the new 1.06 version. I had quite fun. In the late game phase however, I was really hoping for getting more from dynasties.
- I had a daughter, but the husband of my sovereign died.
- I kind of knew I couldn't remarry my sovereign. Was anti-RPG because there were no good candidates so I could live with that.
- But you should be able to remarry. I know it is not simple to implement because of all the links you can draw between siblings and such.
- The daughter was finally 20. I was asked for arranged Marriage (I fail to precisely see what's in it for me, I'm french speaking so I'm not sure I did understand you Kryo). If I lose, all my stuff go to someone else ? It's a good feature, but I should have lost all the family line before.
- I went suicide with my sovereign (after saving ) to see what happens.
- First, I think sovereign should be as killable as any other hero. I went alone against other faction capital => auto-resolve, that did the trick => game-over. I expected that because I had read that on the forums. Was kind of a disappointment though.
- I think eldest child should take over.
Thanks, Kryo. I hadn't seen that dynastic wrinkle yet.
I'm loving this game. Having played everything from Mom, AoW, Fantasy Wars, FF2, Total War et al, etc, there is no question Elemental holds its own. Someone made a comment about characters needing more soul. and for me that's dead on. Just my lonely datapoint--if dynasties and other rpg elements get fleshed out, E will likely be my number 1 desert island game.
I think the criticism from SD fans such as myself stem from passion upon glimpsing the amazing potential of what you developers have wrought. I'm among those who are quite pleased to have pre-ordered.
Is there anyway to view other factions dynasty tree like we can our own?
I hate clicking all over the map looking for a good match for my kids.
Why can't each city be run like a city state! Each of your offspring get's a city, and their kids either inherit it's control or take it from them (takes into account both the personality of the mom and dad). You are the king/emperor/sovreign so you control the whole show on a macro level, but you let them micromanage their domains. Let them fight amongst themselves for your favor. Now that is depth!!! A game within a game. It would really make you chose your spouse, and which arrainged marriages are worth it. A little like GRRM's series, which is an easter egg in the game actually (dragon acquisition research title) anyways.
I think it would be cool if your kids could turn against you. Hell I also think it would be cool if you could die of old age:)
In my last game i had several grandkids go to the other parents faction an evil one over my own.
So in short i killed 3 grandkids when i took out the last city their faction had talk about a family fued.
In fact out of 6 or 7 grand kids i forget exact number now only one join me. 3 I killed and the others where sill babies when i won.
Hahaha awesome...now, if they could add a son taking a city and forming his own faction...man that would be insane.
Traits and succession system would make having a family much more strategic and the traits would give all characters more personality, and the players would get attached to them more easily.
Right now my relationship with every champion I get is "what can you do? farming huh? well, you do that and have this cool armor as well, since I need a general". Say, if that same farmer character had a trait (like sovereigns do) that made him bad at combat, or reduced the morale of his troops, I would probably use him in a different way. Same goes for positive traits.
And, of course, the succesion thing is a must. What's the point of having a family line in a game about managing a kingdom, if your leader is the only leader you manage?
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