pablo's ideas

[.pablo.]

hey, i just started playing this a couple hours ago, loved it, bought it

anyway, i came up with some ideas while i was playing, i read the readme's at the top of the board and didn't see these, so sorry if i repeat anything...

1. the ability to choose the line-up for a battle -- it would be nice if i could decide which units i want to send in to battle first, especially if i'm joining in a fight (honestly, i'd rather have all my allies' troops die first )

2. implement morale that affects combat potential, and ai that route from the battlefield a la the Total War series

3. stamina for both horses and people during battle (again, just like in the Total War series)

4. training missions for archery and horseback riding (also, a minor suggestion: explain to the player during the initial training mission that he does not have to use different buttons based on the type of attack, he only has to start pressing the block button after the attack has started in order to react to that specific direction; that was something that i didn't quite get at first)

5. have people in the stands during the tournaments (maybe even cheering and jeering sound effects?)

6. let the player join an ai's group; for example, if he "joins the army", deploy him as an infantryman (or cavalryman, depending on his skill) in one of the scout/war groups that we see moving around the world map. the player could then either stay in the group as it patrolled around and slowly gain rank, or try to desert the army at some point and maybe even join a group of bandits!

7. maybe this is more of an idea for a mod, but basically what i always wanted was to play a game of Total War, except from the perspective of a soldier or general on the ground. i just think it would be really cool to start out as a crappy infantryman being dragged around the countryside by superior officers, and have to survive and slowly build up your abilities and gain rank, until you can control your own men, etc. the objective of the game could still be the same (elimination of other clans/kingdoms/whatever).

8. this is definitely a mod idea; i remember when the first previews of warcraft 3 came out the game sounded a lot like this game plays. i was thinking that it would be pretty cool to have a warcraft total conversion, and i could definitely see warcraft combat happening with this kick-ass combat engine.

9. don't let the player start with a horse, and make horses more expensive. i don't think i fought a single battle where i started on the ground; i think the player should advance in power slowly, and not have all the best stuff (like a horse) available to him at the beginning.

anyway, i just want to end by saying how much fun i've had playing this game, and i know its only going to get better from here!

 

[okiN]

1. You can already affect this by arranging your troops in the party screen.

2. Suggested many times. Mixed feelings, it could be cool, but might also be annoying.

3. Suggested many times, armagan said he might add this.

4. Suggested many times. Would be good, but I don't think it's high priority. It's not that difficult.

5. Not high priority, but I guess it'd be nice, and I wouldn't be surprised if it was eventually added.

6. I don't think this would be a good idea. Why would someone want to just tag along with an AI group and not really able to do anything? I don't think it'd be fun.

No comment on suggestions 7 or 8, someone can mod them if they feel like it.

 

[.pablo.]

thanks for the responses okiN! could you add the repetitive ideas to your top thread?

1. that's what i figured, but i wasn't sure

2-3. maybe they're something for a TW realism mod instead...

I don't think this would be a good idea. Why would someone want to just tag along with an AI group and not really able to do anything? I don't think it'd be fun.

starting at the bottom makes a game more fun, because you get to experience every tier of the universe that you are exploring; for example, all the GTA games have you start at the bottom, and work your way to the top; you start out as a goon, and end up controlling dozens of goons yourself. it isn't really about whether it's more fun at the bottom or the top, it's the about the journey; that is the real fun.

 

[okiN]

The sprinting/stamina thread is already there, for the others I couldn't find a thread worth linking, even though they're both frequent suggestions.

And like I said, I don't think I'd enjoy it. You pretty much start at the bottom already, I don't think being forced to move around the map in an AI-led party would make the early stages of the game any more exciting. I like the "freelancer" angle M&B has going for it.

 

[MMad]

6. let the player join an ai's group; for example, if he "joins the army", deploy him as an infantryman (or cavalryman, depending on his skill) in one of the scout/war groups that we see moving around the world map. the player could then either stay in the group as it patrolled around and slowly gain rank, or try to desert the army at some point and maybe even join a group of bandits!

7. [...] i just think it would be really cool to start out as a crappy infantryman being dragged around the countryside by superior officers, and have to survive and slowly build up your abilities and gain rank, until you can control your own men, etc. the objective of the game could still be the same (elimination of other clans/kingdoms/whatever).

6. I don't think this would be a good idea. Why would someone want to just tag along with an AI group and not really able to do anything? I don't think it'd be fun.

If the game is eventually developed to have more of a linear story, this might be a good idea for an initial part of the game. Like, the player signs up for an army, walks around with it and fights for a while (learning the ropes about army management and combat tactics through dialog scenes with fellow veteran soldiers maybe) until some story event (the entire army except from the player is killed and he/she has to bring news to the baron, or something similarily unoriginal ) leads to the player's promotion, so that he's trusted to hire troops and form a war party of his own.

This would probably only apply to swadian/vaegir forces, not neutrals; tbh I almost found it kinda weird that soldiers from all the town will join up with anyone who wanders into their tavern, instead of only trusted commanders from their own side.. why would a Swadian peasant join up to fight Swadians, pillage the swadian countryside, attack merchant caravans and so forth..? So perhaps the player could start as a neutral, only able to hire a small party of neutrals, until he/she travels to a faction town and pledges himself to a cause, effectively enlisting in the army. Only after serving for a while would you be able to access the faction troops and quests, and the main story line, if one is ever to be implemented.

Just a few random ideas. I dunno if there are any plans ever to make this kind of game out of M&B. I do, however, feel it would make for a much more sensical introduction to the game world for someone new to the game (remember that we all here are very baised in our perception of the game; I remember thinking it kinda odd in the beginning how you were just supposed to start an army out of nothing, for no reason and with no real explanation of how you managed it).

 

[Worbah]

I actually liked the sixth one. But only if your group seeks out the enemies. patrolling the same bit of land for a week gets boring.

 

[BobG]

This would probably only apply to swadian/vaegir forces, not neutrals

Don't forget about the bandits and pirates. If they were made joinable, you could do exactly the same thing to get your introduction with them.

I almost found it kinda weird that soldiers from all the town will join up with anyone who wanders into their tavern, instead of only trusted commanders from their own side..

That makes a lot of sense. Before you can hire factional troops, it would make sense that you would first have to gain some factional reputation, in the form of a military rank from the King. And you definitely shouldn't be able to hire troops from the faction you're fighting against.

 

[okiN]

BobG, I actually once made a suggestion about making the ability to hire faction troops dependent on rank. Peasants at such and such rank, militias/footmen at such and such, all the way up to knights, but none at all before you join up with the army. I suggested making the amount of faction troops you can control dependent on rank as well. That way at a low rank you could only control a small band of peasants, but at highest rank you could command a large troop of knights. If you had lots of leadership but a low rank, you'd have to supplement your army with mercenaries (Basically everyone but faction troops), who would have a much higher upkeep cost (And I mean really high). That way rank would actually mean something

 

[BobG]

I was really just thinking about the point MMad made: it should not be possible for a Vaegir war leader to walk into a Swadian tavern, hire Swadian units, and then turn around and attack Swadian caravans and Swadian patrols with them. It just doesn't make sense. It's iffy enough that a Vaegir war leader can walk into a Swadian tavern and stay there unmolested in the first place. The town noble will tell you that you're there under truce, but chivalry and hospitality should only go so far -- I'm sure it shouldn't extend as far as conscripting the local troops.

I think that the number and quality of units you can have in your party is a separate issue, and since there's already a thread for it, I'll put my thoughts there instead.

 

[kroc]

*kroc slaps pablo with a stick*

 

[Ingolifs]

*ingo drills kroc's buttocks*

 

[Treamhis]

i pour a pot of boiling pitch over the lot of ya

 

[mazzadude]

1. You can already affect this by arranging your troops in the party screen.
.

How do you do this. I just tried to join in a battle with my allied vaegir scouts against river pirates and i couldnt see a way to make the vaegir men go in first instead of mine

 

[kroc]

*ingo drills kroc's buttocks*

retort

 

[.pablo.]

BobG, I actually once made a suggestion about making the ability to hire faction troops dependent on rank. Peasants at such and such rank, militias/footmen at such and such, all the way up to knights, but none at all before you join up with the army. I suggested making the amount of faction troops you can control dependent on rank as well. That way at a low rank you could only control a small band of peasants, but at highest rank you could command a large troop of knights. If you had lots of leadership but a low rank, you'd have to supplement your army with mercenaries (Basically everyone but faction troops), who would have a much higher upkeep cost (And I mean really high). That way rank would actually mean something

that's a really good idea, and its related to what i was imagining with my "start at the bottom" idea; the player should be grateful for every item (or rank) he has, and the only way to do that is to start him with nothing. i'm not talking about forcing the player to just go in circles the whole time, i was imagining the player being sent out with the scouting armies or caravans you always see marching around.

i just finished Fallout a week or two ago, so if any of you have played that game, you should know where i'm coming from.

 

[MMad]

Fallout's a great game.