Old Boy Answers Questions

[ThunderTitan]

So they're still a good distraction if you have the advantage.... i see the light now.

[Qurqirish Dragon]

Well. This
"- AI now ignores summoned creatures in combat if it can eliminate the main forces shortly. "
is one 7 lines of the 1.5 readme that start with the word "AI"
I think, that qualifies for a statement like that, does it?

So the summoned creatures have a sign around their neck "I am summoned", eh?

Actually, they do!
Check the r-click info on a summonned stack, and it lists it under "status"

Also, the icon in the initiative bar indicates summonned status as well. Note that this includes gated.

[Grumpy Old Wizard]

Well. This
"- AI now ignores summoned creatures in combat if it can eliminate the main forces shortly. "
is one 7 lines of the 1.5 readme that start with the word "AI"
I think, that qualifies for a statement like that, does it?

So the summoned creatures have a sign around their neck "I am summoned", eh?

Actually, they do!
Check the r-click info on a summonned stack, and it lists it under "status"

Also, the icon in the initiative bar indicates summonned status as well. Note that this includes gated.

Yeah, it is listed under status, but the AI shouldn't be able to differentiate summoned creatures from others that were present when the battle started. The creatures are not illusionary, they have all the characteristics of normal creatures.

Besides that change renders the Summon Elemental spell (a level 4 spell) pretty much useless. You get a relatively small stack of a random elemental in a random place and now the AI will ignore it too.

The spell should at least be changed so that the caster can chose where to to cast it in his 2 back rows so it could be used as an emergency blocker. Else increase the power of the elementals or allow stacking again or increase the number summoned. Or just delete the spell.

GOW

[Gaidal Cain]

Why should the Ai be made artificially stupider than it need be? Make the spell go back to the stackable version and it'll be fine.

[Jolly Joker]

No, the stackable version is too powerful.
And GOW still can't read.

[Silence]

1.5 will have some AI improvements.

Duke Nukem Forever will use Quake II engine. That is(was) an official statement from some years ago.

[Gaidal Cain]

Too powerful? Explain yourself. The elementals shouldn't be able to win the battle for you if this change is any good. As it is, the spell is a much weaker version of Summon Phoenix, with one unit that's too slow to act as anything but meatshield, one that's fast and has no retal, so it can't soak them, one that's a shooter with decent damage and abilities, and one spellcaster, which is stronger if it's replaced, if the Nival coders has more sense when it comes to spell points than NWC had.

[Jolly Joker]

You can summon a 100 Elementals and more in no time which would be too strong. Please note that the other spells are only to be cast once at the same time as well. You cannot Puppetmaster the whole opposing army and you cannot cast more than one Phoenix.

[Apocalypse]

Yeah, it is listed under status, but the AI shouldn't be able to differentiate summoned creatures from others that were present when the battle started. The creatures are not illusionary, they have all the characteristics of normal creatures.

Besides that change renders the Summon Elemental spell (a level 4 spell) pretty much useless. You get a relatively small stack of a random elemental in a random place and now the AI will ignore it too.

Oh yeah, why should YOU differentiate summoned creatures from others, huh? The AI should behave exactly like you, no need to make it 'artificial idiot'.

Summon Elementals is a weak spell, mainly because two elementals are very weak creatures (Earth and Air). Look what I suggest:
- select where to summon them
- select which elemental to summon
- reduce cost of mana a little OR increase the number of elementals summoned

Nival also think Summon Elementals is a weak spell because Elemental Waistband, only at 5000 Gold, gives you this spell and ALSO increases the spellpower of the hero when casting it by 4! This pretty much sums everything...

And JollyJoker: how come you know about the 1.5 readme? are you a beta tester? if so, do you know anything about AI improvements on the adventure map, because that's where it is really silly for me and not in the combat... Thanks.

[Jolly Joker]

I have access to things like readmes since I translate them. I'm usually not at liberty to leak things before they are due.

[Apocalypse]

Oh ok, I guess I'll wait

[Grumpy Old Wizard]

No, the stackable version is too powerful.
And GOW still can't read.

No, I can read quite well, thank you very much.

As it is the level 4 summon elemental spell is way underpowered due to the nerfstick and about the only thing it can be used for is to create a diversion when you are outguned. Now even that is being taken away. It will be a totally useless spell unless changes are made to strengthen it.

You can summon a 100 Elementals and more in no time which would be too strong. Please note that the other spells are only to be cast once at the same time as well. You cannot Puppetmaster the whole opposing army and you cannot cast more than one Phoenix.

Stackable elementals pale in comparison to the mass spells. Ok, how's this. At the first level of expertise you can stack elementals once. Second level, stack it twice, and at third level three times.

GOW

[Jolly Joker]

I'd simply make the elementals a bit stronger. especially in the damage department.

[King Imp]

In the case of the Earth Elemental, they either need to increase it's Initiative or increase it's Defense and Hit Points.



I don't even remember the last time they even got to move before I destroyed them.

[Jolly Joker]

I think it would be enough to give them an additional special: suffers half damage only against regular ranged attacks (Archers, Hunters, Assassins, Skeleton Archers, Gremlins, Spear Wielders) due to Stone Skin.

[Apocalypse]

Yeah... it's also strange that Footmen and Squires can hold the attacks of the Mages, Liches and Shadow Matriarchs, etc

About the Earth Elementals: I think their damage should be increase as well, because lower initiative means lower damage...