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| Thread: Might and Magic Heroes VII: My Perfect Vision |  This thread is pages long: 1 2 3 4 · «PREV / NEXT» |
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DarkDXZ
Known Hero
Haiku sensei
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posted April 05, 2013 08:31 PM |
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Imbalanced?
Can't say anything about balance until other factions' cores remain unknown.
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Boring? Plain stupid?
Actually not. The faction seems original and really interesting according to the revealed information.
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Scorchling
Is the "No Retaliation" ability a reason for 40 HP? The non-upgraded unit has 50 HP...
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Spit Lava - this creature can create a pool of lava with a cooldown of 6 turns at a suitable location. This lava pool is 2 hexes deep, 3 hexes wide and 3 hexes long and will block and damage any creature entering it. (unless it has Fire Resistance ability or one of its variants)
Fire damage?
The idea of Worms is great, to my mind. Interesting units with quite valuable abilities!
The main premise of the Lair is that they are excellent at sieging towns (and keeping them), as well as have some greatly mobile units, but lack in magic and ranged combat. (but I can say that their elite tier contains both of those)
Also, a moment of restraint - the battlefield will be based on squares now.
As much as I would honestly love hexes again myself, certain mechanics just force me to change it back to squares. Diagonal attacks and movement is still in place.
But in the end, it doesn't change a whole lot, does it?
Also, Scorchlings are kinda high-risk, high-reward glass cannons (combining two tropes at once? only here!), since they're basically madmen (although I have trouble calling them men, but there isn't an appropriate term for drakkhens in that respect).
More content coming, so stay tuned!
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DarkDXZ
Known Hero
Haiku sensei
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posted April 05, 2013 10:15 PM |
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Another update, woo! Coming fast and furious.
Revealed the first Lair elite unit and its respective upgrades - the Lavablasters, Outbursters, Scorchshooters and Plasmablasters reporting for duty, ready to shoot and decimate your adversaries from range!
Also, drakkhenlings, scorchlings and cremators are nerfed a bit. (they have a new trait which limits their airborne movement). Airslashers are unchanged.
You may think it's strange that there was a major update yesterday and I already made another one - look, I had the concept ready, it just needed some polishing. Although I'll admit, some of the stuff was made on the fly, but that's why you're here - so get me some feedback, please.
(even if SepSpring seems to be the only one posting around here, but I guess I'm the only one in your thread, too...)
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SepSpring
Known Hero
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posted April 06, 2013 02:54 PM |
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Although I'll admit, some of the stuff was made on the fly, but that's why you're here - so get me some feedback, please.
(even if SepSpring seems to be the only one posting around here, but I guess I'm the only one in your thread, too...)
I think you'll have to reveal the majority of gameplay information, and then other users will leave more responses here.
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Armor Piercing
The fact that the basic version has this ability and 2 of its alternative upgrades don't seems disappointing to me.
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HP - 70
With cores having about 50 HP... Of course, the elite creature has more powerful attributes... But 20 points is quite small gap.
But in general I really enjoy the variety of units provided by you in the game. Players of the same faction can have absolutely different armies. That's what I like.
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DarkDXZ
Known Hero
Haiku sensei
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posted April 06, 2013 03:43 PM |
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I think you'll have to reveal the majority of gameplay information, and then other users will leave more responses here.
I guess so.
But the thing is, not everything has changed in the whole scheme of things. This is still a turn-based strategy game with RPG elements.
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The fact that the basic version has this ability and 2 of its alternative upgrades don't seems disappointing to me.
[/qupte]
Alright, let me just say that sometimes units are more like "sidegrades" rather than upgrades. Although yeah, I feel like Plasmablasters might be kinda lacking in that respect. (but this ability is counter-intuitive for Outbursters' role)
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With cores having about 50 HP... Of course, the elite creature has more powerful attributes... But 20 points is quite small gap.
Stats, as with everything else, is a subject to change - but you should also note that Lavablaster's family is not very close-combat oriented (unless we're talking about Plasmablasters).
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But in general I really enjoy the variety of units provided by you in the game. Players of the same faction can have absolutely different armies. That's what I like.
That's great to hear.
Also, I changed one of the dates on the timeline (namely the one when Ancients develop the Farionian races), because it didn't make sense for it to last up to 1501, since Ancients left the planet way before that point.
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DarkDXZ
Known Hero
Haiku sensei
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posted April 12, 2013 10:51 PM |
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Just to let everyone who's been lurking around here know, a major update is in the works.
What's to come? (the list may and will change, in all likelihood)
- major restructurization (is that even a proper word?) of the OP - everything will be broken up nicely into Word documents, which should prevent me from running into character limit issue later on.
- the second Lair elite unit revealed (I don't think I will be able to deliver all 3 upgrades, but I'll try - at least one will be shipped, that's for sure)
- Lair champion units - whether I'll manage to get both of them and/or their upgrades is still up in the air, but I will try to manage to get it done.
- POSSIBLY - Lair racial(s).
- various smaller changes here and there.
In H7 (in my vision, at least), there are 2 racials per town - 5 levels each, but you only will be able to upgrade them 5 times TOTAL - which means that you will either get one fully upgraded Racial and skip the other one, or have one at level 3, the second at level 2 etc.
There are both passive and active racials, and most towns have one of each. Not always, though, as some towns have 2 passive racials and others may have 2 active ones.
How will that play out is up to debate.
But they'll have other effects outside of battle, and amy infact be purely economical. (but major)
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DarkDXZ
Known Hero
Haiku sensei
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posted April 27, 2013 09:35 PM |
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So.
I know that this is taking WAY longer than it should, but I haven't really been bothered to work on it lately. (that said, most of the content you've seen so far is converted and ready, but I've still got the line-up needed to be finished)
So!
Should I finish the line-up documentation (I doubt I'll get to Champion tier, but I have the other un-unpgraded Elite creature nailed down for the most part. Upgrades in progress.) OR release it as-is, excluding the Lair documentation?
Even if Sep is the only one to respond, I still want to know.
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SepSpring
Known Hero
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posted April 27, 2013 10:27 PM |
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Should I finish the line-up documentation OR release it as-is, excluding the Lair documentation?
Finish the line-up documentation.
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I know that this is taking WAY longer than it should
No, it's OK. Just have a look at my thread development rates and realize that you're quite operative. 
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DarkDXZ
Known Hero
Haiku sensei
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posted April 29, 2013 02:05 PM |
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Should I finish the line-up documentation OR release it as-is, excluding the Lair documentation?
Finish the line-up documentation.
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I know that this is taking WAY longer than it should
No, it's OK. Just have a look at my thread development rates and realize that you're quite operative.
If I wasn't the lazy ass I am, it'd be done ages ago.
I'm not rushing it by any means - I simply got the idea planned out for quite some time, and all I was doing (for the most part) was writing it down.
Also, I wish I could make some proper creature art, but I'm snow when it comes to "large-scale" art (I'm only good at pixel-art, and I make some half-decent pencil sketches from time to time, but nothing particular.), and...
If someone wants to create their own, artistic visions of things I've made so far (I'd suggest waiting for me to finish the re-write, since some descriptions are less vague now.), feel free to make them. Just leave some credit so I don't look like a damn fool.
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DarkDXZ
Known Hero
Haiku sensei
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posted April 29, 2013 10:02 PM |
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Finally!
The update has gone live!
I couldn't add any upgraded creatures, unfortunately, but I managed to bring you not only the other Elite Lair creature, but also both of the Champion units, holy f!
Everything should be way easier for me to update now. Yay for Word docs!
Here's something that's supposed to resemble a changelog:
* Rebuilt the OP from scratch, breaking everything down into seperate documents.
* War Machines are also represented in the same format as normal creatures.
* Added the Lair Elite unit - the Dracomancer!
* Added the Lair Champion units - the mighty Hyddrakhens and the great Deathworms!
* Buffed the Lavablaster's HP.
* The Plasmablaster was given the Penetration ability.
* Updated descriptions of most creatures.
* Experimental. Added the first Lair racial. I have yet to figure out the second one, and might scrap the idea altogether and come up with something better later down the road.
NEXT?
* Dracomancer upgrades.
* Hydrakkhen and Deathworm upgrades.
* Lair buildings.
* More informations about the combat system. (although you can visit SepSpring's Silver Lash thread already, since it's safe to assume I'm going to be using his format - everything by permission.)
...Phew!
Now to get some more people to comment around. (yeah, yeah, more gameplay mechanics, I know - but simply put, I'm not going TOO deep yet since there isn't really anything physical/digital we're talking about here.)
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SepSpring
Known Hero
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posted May 01, 2013 05:31 PM |
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Though some information still remains hidden, I can already say that I enjoy the faction for its essence and originality. As I understood, this faction specialises on fire magic, sieges and mass attacks. Champions: the first one, Hydrakkhen, reminds me of Chimaera, cool unit; nevertheless, the second one, Deathworm, is more enjoyable personally for me, especially for its "Deadsplit" ability. Was the "Tremors" motion picture an inspiration for you?.. 
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DarkDXZ
Known Hero
Haiku sensei
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posted May 01, 2013 06:28 PM |
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Though some information still remains hidden, I can already say that I enjoy the faction for its essence and originality. As I understood, this faction specialises on fire magic, sieges and mass attacks. Champions: the first one, Hydrakkhen, reminds me of Chimaera, cool unit; nevertheless, the second one, Deathworm, is more enjoyable personally for me, especially for its "Deadsplit" ability. Was the "Tremors" motion picture an inspiration for you?..
Actually, no.
Never heard of it.
The name was inspired by the Mongolian death worm, and the design would be a cross of the said cryptid and the sandworm from Dune.
(well, apparently Mongolian death worms kinda appeared in the Tremors, but the inspiration was coincidental).
But if you want to use the deathworms solely as a boost to your earthworm production, you're kinda doing it wrong.
And I do like it more myself, too.
Now that I think of it, I was indirectly inspired by Terraria's Mother/Corrupt Slimes and maybe even Starcraft's Zerg (Broodlings).
Also, I know that Deadsplit is a fairly lame name, but I couldn't really think of anything. Suggestions?
And although I didn't mention it, I'm sure that deathworms could also swallow friendly creatures (if you consider that being worth it, but you can "save" a creature that would die anyway and still give your big worm a significant boost.)
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SepSpring
Known Hero
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posted May 01, 2013 06:33 PM |
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Also, I know that Deadsplit is a fairly lame name, but I couldn't really think of anything. Suggestions?
Deadly Breeding, maybe?..
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DarkDXZ
Known Hero
Haiku sensei
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posted May 01, 2013 07:46 PM |
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Also, I know that Deadsplit is a fairly lame name, but I couldn't really think of anything. Suggestions?
Deadly Breeding, maybe?..
A quick update!
I renamed that ability, but also added the Oilspiller back. (which I for some reason left out when first re-writing the documentation, probably by accident)
It's Labor Day here. Don't expect huge things to happen.
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DarkDXZ
Known Hero
Haiku sensei
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posted May 03, 2013 02:35 PM |
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Edited by DarkDXZ at 14:45, 03 May 2013.
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Slight change of plans regarding the next wave of content.
Unfortunately, still no Dracomancer upgrades. (I'm kinda braindead on that one - don't you worry, they'll come when I get a good idea.)
BUT!
First Hydrakkhen and Deathworm upgrades will be revelead, but the most changes will be applied to the economical side of the game.
What do I mean by that?
Special buildings of Lair and the Order of Legacy - yes, pacts also share certain buildings and mechanics. And as usual, towns have their own unique buildings.
EDIT: Gotta remember that uploading the newer version of the files onto the Google Drive automatically updates the links in the thread.
Anyway, "changelog".
[*] Added the Molten Hydrakkhen and the Broodqueen.
[*] Slight visual changes to the buildings document. (should make it easier to recognize building "trees".
[*] Order of Legacy's special buildings revealed.
[*] Lair's dwellings and special buildings have been revealed as well.
[*] Oscillation Overthruster renamed to Rebirth Catalyst. (the former name has been recycled for a different use)
And although none of the documents reflect that as of yet, the Sylvan was renamed to Preserve.
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DarkDXZ
Known Hero
Haiku sensei
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posted May 08, 2013 10:02 PM |
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Edited by DarkDXZ at 22:06, 08 May 2013.
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Another update!
A lot of upgrades this time around!
The Lair's creature lineup is officially finished with the arrival of powerful Pyromancers, fiery Fire Monks and versatile Magmashifters.
The champion upgrades are in as well! The Metal Drakkhens can be used offensively, defensively and supportively, while the classic Black Dragons are in...Now featuring 200% more heads! (now known as Hydragons. Get it?)
The Dreadnoughts are going to guarantee your units are safe and bring the stacks back - well, it's as close to stack you can get, at least. Last but not least, the Abyssal Worms are going to chew on your enemies like no tomorrow.
In other news, the Scorchlings underwent a major revamp so that they're no longer just a quirky crapshoot creature. Enjoy!
Until I decide to work on another faction or I'm going to rework/tweak some creatures, I'm done with units.
What should I do next?
Heroes? Combat mechanics? Racials?
Let me know, and I'll bring it!
...Or die trying.
Also, the creatures documentations are going to be in seperate-from-the-town-overview files, with others possibly to follow. I'm not entirely sure on that one yet.
But hey - the more comfortable for you, the better!
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Jiriki9
Honorable
Undefeatable Hero
Altar Dweller
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posted May 09, 2013 09:40 AM |
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Hey, you're quite active, nice! Unfortunately, I still didn't fidn time to take a closer look, but I hpe to find it on the weekend...
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DarkDXZ
Known Hero
Haiku sensei
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posted May 09, 2013 02:12 PM |
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Hey, you're quite active, nice! Unfortunately, I still didn't fidn time to take a closer look, but I hpe to find it on the weekend...
It's not the writing that takes the time (although when I was porting this thing over to the current system it was).
It's the ideas. Which I usually don't have trouble with.
Also, thank god someone other than SepSpring posted in here in quite some time. (no offense, but I was feeling a bit alone for a while)
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Jiriki9
Honorable
Undefeatable Hero
Altar Dweller
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posted May 10, 2013 09:17 AM |
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It's not the writing that takes the time (although when I was porting this thing over to the current system it was).
It's the ideas. Which I usually don't have trouble with.
To me, it's mostly the shaping, the step that turns vague ideas into something concrete, that takes mst tim, I think...
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Also, thank god someone other than SepSpring posted in here in quite some time. (no offense, but I was feeling a bit alone for a while)
I know that feeling.
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Jiriki9
Honorable
Undefeatable Hero
Altar Dweller
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posted May 10, 2013 07:40 PM |
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So, finally, I find the time to do some comments on your work. I'll go document by document and see how far I get for now
Storyline
It has some nice aspects, though it seems a bit "product-made" for me. (It's the in-setting-justification of why the alliances are formed.) But it is only an overview for now, so it's quite okay!
Factions & Pacts
Nice overview and, now I understand the combining factors, nice idea. I'd prefer you using one style of explanation, though. Sometimes your tone is very matter-of-fact and at other times, rather poetic. It seems more coherent if, at least inside a document as thematically focused document as this, stay with one style, imo. But otherwise, nicely made overview, the pics make it look like a page from a manual!
Major Changes
The dangerous area
Battlefields & Battle Rules
Some changes I like, others I'm a bit suspective of...3d dimensions sounds nice, but is quite complex...is there terrain height as well? Do walls have height? I'd like more information, the idea is quite interesting imo.
Size variation is a solid idea, commonly seen in proposals, but I allways think it reasonable!
Not sure about the mode-system. Though tI was, but cannot understand the exclusion thingy...
Prisons is a good thing, one of the nicer inventions of H4 brought back!
Creature System
I allready told my opinion about takoing stacking away, i think, biut I want to state again: I don't dislike it in general, it just is a core (in fact, maybe one of THE cores!) of HoMM for me...thus, I'll try to look at your game as it is, and not judge too hardly if its "Heroesish" enough!
Upgrade system is alternate upgrades with 3 choices? I'll look at how it's used on the units, then judge it...
CEC is nice - but only 4 different creatures by town is poor, very poor, in my eyes!
A question: Are War Machines taking a unit slot, and are one of the available town's units or are they seperate? But maybe this will be clear when reading the facs...
Not sure about how it will be with the units casting spell book spells... takes caster units uniqueness and limitatiosn away, imo.
Ressources
Like the genral system of 3 "classes" including special resources (fits well with the pact-theme!)
For the precious ressources, I want to know who ueses which more and which less, but maybe it's seen at the pacts?
Form an HoMM pov (which, I know, I try to avoid, but it IS hard...) I dislike this, too much micromanagement, does just not fit the game. Generally, I still think it could overload the gmae (ANOTHER thing to manage) and carry it a bit away from the rpg and battle aspects which are its' core. On the other hand, I like more complexity, so I'm simply uncertain =D
Zones of Control
Not sure about zones of control, have never played hoMM with it (it is in H6, not?), not sure I'd like it...
Towns
Now, quite some changes...
Deconstruction sounds so nice, but I'm still not sure about it...However it seems necessary where choice of building is important...
"Town level system is not present"...which means what? I'd just leave this stanza, Town level system is an Invention of H5, I think (maybe H4, but I do not really think so^^) so I don't htink it important to mention it's not there, otherwise I would think it more important to mention if its there.
Town rebuilding can have nice options (especially in campaign, one could make a "reconstruction" scenario)!
Full-size town screens of course YES Them reflecting the surrounding slike in H4 again? Awesome!
Grail
It's split. Interesting idea, certainly!
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DarkDXZ
Known Hero
Haiku sensei
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posted May 10, 2013 08:36 PM |
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Quote:
So, finally, I find the time to do some comments on your work. I'll go document by document and see how far I get for now
Storyline
It has some nice aspects, though it seems a bit "product-made" for me. (It's the in-setting-justification of why the alliances are formed.) But it is only an overview for now, so it's quite okay!
Factions & Pacts
Nice overview and, now I understand the combining factors, nice idea. I'd prefer you using one style of explanation, though. Sometimes your tone is very matter-of-fact and at other times, rather poetic. It seems more coherent if, at least inside a document as thematically focused document as this, stay with one style, imo. But otherwise, nicely made overview, the pics make it look like a page from a manual!
Major Changes
The dangerous area
Battlefields & Battle Rules
Some changes I like, others I'm a bit suspective of...3d dimensions sounds nice, but is quite complex...is there terrain height as well? Do walls have height? I'd like more information, the idea is quite interesting imo.
Size variation is a solid idea, commonly seen in proposals, but I allways think it reasonable!
Not sure about the mode-system. Though tI was, but cannot understand the exclusion thingy...
Prisons is a good thing, one of the nicer inventions of H4 brought back!
Creature System
I allready told my opinion about takoing stacking away, i think, biut I want to state again: I don't dislike it in general, it just is a core (in fact, maybe one of THE cores!) of HoMM for me...thus, I'll try to look at your game as it is, and not judge too hardly if its "Heroesish" enough!
Upgrade system is alternate upgrades with 3 choices? I'll look at how it's used on the units, then judge it...
CEC is nice - but only 4 different creatures by town is poor, very poor, in my eyes!
A question: Are War Machines taking a unit slot, and are one of the available town's units or are they seperate? But maybe this will be clear when reading the facs...
Not sure about how it will be with the units casting spell book spells... takes caster units uniqueness and limitatiosn away, imo.
Ressources
Like the genral system of 3 "classes" including special resources (fits well with the pact-theme!)
For the precious ressources, I want to know who ueses which more and which less, but maybe it's seen at the pacts?
Form an HoMM pov (which, I know, I try to avoid, but it IS hard...) I dislike this, too much micromanagement, does just not fit the game. Generally, I still think it could overload the gmae (ANOTHER thing to manage) and carry it a bit away from the rpg and battle aspects which are its' core. On the other hand, I like more complexity, so I'm simply uncertain =D
Zones of Control
Not sure about zones of control, have never played hoMM with it (it is in H6, not?), not sure I'd like it...
Towns
Now, quite some changes...
Deconstruction sounds so nice, but I'm still not sure about it...However it seems necessary where choice of building is important...
"Town level system is not present"...which means what? I'd just leave this stanza, Town level system is an Invention of H5, I think (maybe H4, but I do not really think so^^) so I don't htink it important to mention it's not there, otherwise I would think it more important to mention if its there.
Town rebuilding can have nice options (especially in campaign, one could make a "reconstruction" scenario)!
Full-size town screens of course YES Them reflecting the surrounding slike in H4 again? Awesome!
Grail
It's split. Interesting idea, certainly!
Thanks for the feedback, man!
I know that the storyline is kinda meh at the moment, but I just wanted to provide a pre-game base for it, since I already have a few in-game scenarios in mind forming. For instance.
First mission in a Lair campaign could look like this:
Your start somewhere in the southern coast of the Lower Pa-Agon (so in the Red Elves' territory) with the Riftwurms digging out the way for your relatively small squad of Lavablasters and Drakkhenlings (or whatever upgrades) and your mission is to prepare a foothold for the rest of Reghon's forces.
In order to do that, you have to conquer a nearby Retreat, convert it to a Lair and build a Teleporter and an Underground Network within X amount of time. Of course you'll also have to deal with Red Elves coming your way (and because you have to deconstruct the original city before getting the new one going, you'll have trouble defending it during sieges).
Etc.
As for War Machines, they're units in a sense, but they can't form armies on their own and require at least one proper creature in it.
Also, I know that 6 base units per town (technically 4, but you can obviously get more if you have more towns or do a lot of constructing) may not be a lot, but we're dealing without stacks here, so with more unit types the battlefield would be even more cramped than it can potentially be now.
Also, I may re-word the Town Level system - it will be in the game, but the H5 one, not the H6 BS that dumbed down the town building patterns to be pretty much the same.
It may look chaotic, especially the battlefield, but trust me - it would be far less complicated if I had a proof-of-concept demo. But unfortunately I don't and probably will never have, so there's that.
And the resources - while I'll add the general info about those in the future, you can almost by common logic tell that Lair would require substantially more Sulfur than, let's say, a Necropolis (which on the other hand is much more Core resource heavy).
And the fact that there are 10 resources total may be a bit more micromanagement heavy, but I don't want a situation like in H6 where the Market was the most pointless thing ever (since you always needed all resources, there wasn't anything that you could sell and not feel bad about).
The run/attack mode is something I may also reconsider, since I don't really think it adds anything truly good into the game. Might be re-made into a creature ability, not sure.
And the casters casting spells - remember that they still follow the normal requirements (so a creature that can only cast spells of levels 1-3 won't be able to cast a 4th level spell) and other shenanigans.
So everything is subject to change (which already happened quite a few times), but this definitely tells me what to prioritize next.
Thanks!
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