Characters and nations

[Ajantaka]

Since the game is in developement and strategy level fantasy games are relatively rare I want to get my suggestions in. I don't think I'm hogging the forum since there is not much action on it yet. At worst I am talking to myself.

Developers, may I request consideration of the following:

1)Many individual characters. Why only three 'heroes' for each PE (political entity; nation/race/tribe/queendom ect.? Total War Medieval led the way in showing that with today's computer power it is possible to people a game with a huge number of characters, each with an individual mix of facets to their personalities. I am not much fond of the specific way they did it, seeing personality as a melange of traits and tendencies but there are many other different approaches. Nothing makes a game come alive more than living characters, who are born, age, have talents, virtues and vices, beget children ect.

2)Sounds like there won't be a random map generator. If that is true, or even if it is not, please include a way we can make our of PEs, some quick and easy but deep system. The Alpha Centauri Faction Editor is an excellent example of this.

3)Give each PE an internal political dimension. One of the great failings of strategy games from their inception - the Civilization games are among the worst at this - is for the PE to be 'seamless', that is to have no coups, assasinations, civil wars, political factions fighting over policy ect. An occasional riot because the population of a city is not 'happy' or 'content' is far too weak.

4)For combat that is resolved by the computer quickly rather than by the player moving the units and playing through the battle game makers have usually wanted to put too little into it. You click to have the instant combat and are then told who won, what the casualties were ect. Sure there is a middle ground between the two. For example you could let the player choose a number of options before the computer resolves the battle; which battle formation to use, which of a number of plans (stand fast, outflank, attack enemy center ect.) You could give short summaries of the battle in progress with options for the player to break off combat. Again it would seem that none of these things would tax today's computers and would provide a nice position in between a detailed time conmsuming move by move playing out of the battle and an instant no details provided and no imput from the player computer resolution.

Thanks and look forward to the game.

[zakblood]

talking to yourself is great, as the replies you get are more to your liking, but once answered you then remember something else you wish to have added but omitted, then follows conversation, or not.

[:'(]

i'm here, mad as ever, keen and waiting fingers crossed, also looking forward to the game