Sylvan unit cards
Sylvan unit cards
Here are the Sylvan (Elf, Treetop) unit cards. Like the Alpine, they are serving as neutrals for the time being.
For Level 4, I'd suggest an Elf unit fused with elements. I don't know how it would be expressed when hiring: elf + elemental?
This unit is basically a strong spell casting unit based on surrounding terrain. The less diversity in terrain there is, the less diversity or combination of spells it can cast. This unit, when not acting, can passively activate (being this a good and bad thing) the surrounding stronger element to act as defensive bonus. As such, it can also be vulnerable to the opposite element. This passive ability only activates when elementalists are not taking action. After they cast a spell, the passive ability will be only activated on the turn next that.
Elementalist
Basic abilities:
This unit is basically a strong spell casting unit based on surrounding terrain. The less diversity in terrain there is, the less diversity or combination of spells it can cast. This unit, when not acting, can passively activate (being this a good and bad thing) the surrounding stronger element to act as defensive bonus. As such, it can also be vulnerable to the opposite element. This passive ability only activates when elementalists are not taking action. After they cast a spell, the passive ability will be only activated on the turn next that.
Elementalist
Basic abilities:
- Unit can cast elemental spells based on terrain it is positioned
Unit can cast elemental spells based on terrain a target is positioned
Unit can combined elemental spells based on terrains from the starting point to the target
Passive -> Unit can imbue the stronger element on the surroundings to its own body for defensive purposes or to move about:- EARTH: increases physical defense
AIR: increases movement and speed
WATER: increases slightly overall defense and self healing
FIRE: immolates surrounding units
PLASMA: increases magic defense
- EARTH: increases physical defense
"There’s nothing to fear but fear itself and maybe some mild to moderate jellification of bones." Cave Johnson, Portal 2. 
For level 1, I'd suggest a nocturnal unit, such as the Flying Fox.
Adding, perhaps, some size, and sharpened iron talons, it could be a hit and hide unit. Given that I don't know if there will be day and night cycles in the game, I think the idea of different abilities for both times can be put on hold, if you ever think of using this system.
Flying Fox
Basic abilities
Adding, perhaps, some size, and sharpened iron talons, it could be a hit and hide unit. Given that I don't know if there will be day and night cycles in the game, I think the idea of different abilities for both times can be put on hold, if you ever think of using this system.
Flying Fox
Basic abilities
- Concealment: completely erases its presence when located on wood terrain - granting no reaction when attacking from concealment. If enemy unit turns its back on it, Concealment activates.
Night 'walker': doubles effectiveness in damage and speed during the night
"There’s nothing to fear but fear itself and maybe some mild to moderate jellification of bones." Cave Johnson, Portal 2.
For level 1 or 2, Faun could be considered.
Faun
Basic abilities
Faun
Basic abilities
- Guidance: increases movement over certain terrains (related to this unit)
Hinder: defeating this unit on battlefield, when not accompanied by any other unit, will hinder the opposing army, costing few movement points
"There’s nothing to fear but fear itself and maybe some mild to moderate jellification of bones." Cave Johnson, Portal 2.
Elementalist is a very complicated unit, which I see is your specialty. 
I haven’t added it yet because I have questions and/or reservations about some of its features.
I’m not sure how you envision Elemental creature(s) in this game. I see them as monumentally powerful, equivalent to level 5+ on the current scale. Something on par with forces of nature expressed through earthquakes, tsunamis, volcanic eruptions, etc. I haven’t added them to the creature lineup as yet because they don’t fit the established mould of living in dwellings, being trained, etc. Nor can a magician simply conjure them up; their size and scale are too vast, their power too great. It would make sense to me to make them summonable by a group of wizards working together, with the right combination of spells/artefacts and terrain, but I haven’t given the mechanics enough thought at this stage.
Making it an “Elf + resources” unit instead would be problematic because it would give the Sylvan player access to a level 4 unit from the start.
I would generally prefer to use higher-level magical creatures instead of an Elf. Main candidates would be Morg (level 2), Djinn (level 3) and Angel (level 4). Possibly Lich, Deva and Demon as well. My favourite would be Morg because this is the main protagonist of my fantasy novel.
The complexity of using the unit makes me think that it would work better as a hero. This would enable it to learn spells and wield artefacts that would grant it these abilities. Generally speaking, I would prefer to build up complex abilities in lego fashion than to have them innately present in any single unit.
The game doesn’t currently distinguish between physical and magical defence. This has been working well enough so far, so I’ll probably keep it that way.
With all this in mind, I’ll put the unit on hold until I have a better grasp of the game mechanics.
I haven’t added it yet because I have questions and/or reservations about some of its features.
I’m not sure how you envision Elemental creature(s) in this game. I see them as monumentally powerful, equivalent to level 5+ on the current scale. Something on par with forces of nature expressed through earthquakes, tsunamis, volcanic eruptions, etc. I haven’t added them to the creature lineup as yet because they don’t fit the established mould of living in dwellings, being trained, etc. Nor can a magician simply conjure them up; their size and scale are too vast, their power too great. It would make sense to me to make them summonable by a group of wizards working together, with the right combination of spells/artefacts and terrain, but I haven’t given the mechanics enough thought at this stage.
Making it an “Elf + resources” unit instead would be problematic because it would give the Sylvan player access to a level 4 unit from the start.
I would generally prefer to use higher-level magical creatures instead of an Elf. Main candidates would be Morg (level 2), Djinn (level 3) and Angel (level 4). Possibly Lich, Deva and Demon as well. My favourite would be Morg because this is the main protagonist of my fantasy novel.
The complexity of using the unit makes me think that it would work better as a hero. This would enable it to learn spells and wield artefacts that would grant it these abilities. Generally speaking, I would prefer to build up complex abilities in lego fashion than to have them innately present in any single unit.
The game doesn’t currently distinguish between physical and magical defence. This has been working well enough so far, so I’ll probably keep it that way.
With all this in mind, I’ll put the unit on hold until I have a better grasp of the game mechanics.
Yeah, a bat, a fruit bat, the biggest one in our world. Some people eat them too.
Faun abilities are about his ability to guide and hinder people. If he's alone against an army, he might divulge bad information or shortcuts at whim and hinder that army, a penalty of sort, for killing him.
Faun abilities are about his ability to guide and hinder people. If he's alone against an army, he might divulge bad information or shortcuts at whim and hinder that army, a penalty of sort, for killing him.
"There’s nothing to fear but fear itself and maybe some mild to moderate jellification of bones." Cave Johnson, Portal 2.
You mean they wouldn't just kill him and move on? They would try to interrogate him and then use the information he gave them?
Something to keep in mind regarding mechanics that are tied to army and battlefield composition - the whole game is essentially one giant battle, and the entire map the battlefield. In HoMM-like games, combat is treated as a sub-game, which automatically identifies the armies and the battlefield. This makes it straightforward to define mechanics like "when in combat..." or "if also in combat..." The corresponding mechanics are quite tricky to bed down in this game.
Something to keep in mind regarding mechanics that are tied to army and battlefield composition - the whole game is essentially one giant battle, and the entire map the battlefield. In HoMM-like games, combat is treated as a sub-game, which automatically identifies the armies and the battlefield. This makes it straightforward to define mechanics like "when in combat..." or "if also in combat..." The corresponding mechanics are quite tricky to bed down in this game.
Something like deception, magical deception. If the army bothered to attack that unit, it ends up in a magical deception. Even killing that unit will cost them 'guidance', thus they lose small movement points for that day.
"There’s nothing to fear but fear itself and maybe some mild to moderate jellification of bones." Cave Johnson, Portal 2.
I'm busy with a complete redesign of the faction unit lineups along the lines I've just described in the Prototyping thread. I'm starting with the Sylvan and Alpine factions because I have a better grasp of their themes than the Homestead and Barbarian factions. I'll post the new unit lineups as soon as they have stabilised.
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