Forbidden Arts Discussion And Interest

[Xathan]

Exactly right. Since we're going for longer turns, everyone's a genius, and were adding some complexity on other ways, getting rid of communication limits seemed like a good idea

You can communicate through any medium you like, though communication not in the thread should still  be in character and needs to be sent to me (ill handle sending it to Rael). This is so we know what's going on and can answer any questions as well as, if orders get confusing, hopefully clear up your intent in those cases. :)

[Humabout]

Sounds spiffy!  When do we get a map?  I wanna start looking for a nice starting location.

For that matter, are you doing starting locations like in UD where once the first couple people declare theirs, the rest are kind of meh?  Or are you going more meta and making sure each person gets something that's not total garbage?  Or somewhere inbetween?

Also, on Fog of War, will there be a way to research creatures/contractions/Cyclopean horrors that have a larger visual radius?  Are there advantages to being on high terrain or trudging through thick forests?

[Raelifin]

Also, on Fog of War, will there be a way to research creatures/contractions/Cyclopean horrors that have a larger visual radius?  Are there advantages to being on high terrain or trudging through thick forests?

Research basically lets you do anything. Larger vision radius is in the subset of anything.

I hadn't thought about terrain's impact on vision! A silly oversight. My guess is that mountains will give +1 vision to units on them, while forests, jungles and marshes will reduce vision by one space. (So you can see units on the edge of a forest, but not if they're more than one hex in.) Hills, grassland, desert, water, and city will all probably have no change to vision. I'll have to talk to Xathan about it, tho.

[Humabout]

While we are on Fog of War....another question!

I don't know what sort of time scale a turn will represent, so this may be a moot point, but how would weather affect vision?  Incredibly clear, dry air (IRL) makes longer vision easier, assuming the horizon isn't an issue (jumping from a plane two and a half miles up, I've seen islands over 60 miles away pretty clearly, though obviously not in detail), and bad weather should royally mess up vision (e.g., a blizzard, fog, rain, haze, sandstorm, etc.).  Of course, if turn length is more than a day or two, this probably doesn't matter unless the weather lingers....

Note:  Remind me to research establishing a permanent cyclonic blizzard with a several-hex eye centered on my lair.
Note:  Remind me to research a giant burrowing creature with a exit portal in its gullet linked to a portal in my lair.

[Xathan]

Sounds spiffy!  When do we get a map?  I wanna start looking for a nice starting location.

I'll hopefully have a crude hex map ready by the end of the week at the latest, my goal being to have one by wednesday night/thursday morning. I have an old version of Campaign Cartographer 3 I can hopefully find soon which will make this whole process much easier.

For that matter, are you doing starting locations like in UD where once the first couple people declare theirs, the rest are kind of meh?  Or are you going more meta and making sure each person gets something that's not total garbage?  Or somewhere inbetween?

It does make it a bit more complicated as far as what makes a "good" starting location - with no hard defined pathways you must take, there are a lot more variables. Do you pick a wilderness location for your starting lair to avoid difficulties with patrols to be better isolated? Do you instead pick a location along or near a roadway for easy travel to other areas? Do you pick a location near a city to go for early strong economy, or further out to avoid early reprisals? Do you pick a location in rough terrain to slow down opposing armies, or one on easier terrain to allow your armies faster movement?  Do you go closer to the center cities for their better wealth at higher risk, or further out to avoid danger early on with plans to creep in?

While we are on Fog of War....another question!

I don't know what sort of time scale a turn will represent, so this may be a moot point, but how would weather affect vision?  Incredibly clear, dry air (IRL) makes longer vision easier, assuming the horizon isn't an issue (jumping from a plane two and a half miles up, I've seen islands over 60 miles away pretty clearly, though obviously not in detail), and bad weather should royally mess up vision (e.g., a blizzard, fog, rain, haze, sandstorm, etc.).  Of course, if turn length is more than a day or two, this probably doesn't matter unless the weather lingers....

Right now a turn is probably going to be a week or two. Persistent bad weather should absolutely ruin vision; probably reduce it to one hex same as forest and such, because over the course of several days there will be enough of a break in the weather to keep it from completely ruining your vision.

Note:  Remind me to research establishing a permanent cyclonic blizzard with a several-hex eye centered on my lair.
Note:  Remind me to research a giant burrowing creature with a exit portal in its gullet linked to a portal in my lair.

That's the spirit! Over the course of researching those you'll gradually get things that build towards those goals; so the first path you might get "control weather 1" which lets you manipulate the weather in a single hex at first, for example. A permanent blizzard that covers several hexes would likely have a mana cost, so you might also end up getting the ability to build a mana battery that would provide for mana upkeep at that particular lair - high enough to cover the eventual cost of your doom defense storm.

[Humabout]

The lack of pathways does certainly help alleviate bad-spawn-syndrome.  I think I'd love to find a nice spot on a plateau or up a mountain in the cold - more remote with good vision of the surrounding area and difficult to approach.  And then I can begin delving into the secrets of angles and the space between dimensions, and the somniforous whispers of the glorious gods whose blessing is sweet a anodyne to lull me into lethargic oblivion and away from the horrors of reality!  I must bring peaceful rest to the world, so they may taste of the sopoforic nectar of the Ubiquitous One!  I must open the portal and restore the world to its antediluvian glory!

[Xathan]

That sounds awesome, Humabout!

Which reminds me - players, if you could start adding some ideas of things you may want to work on in future turns to your initial post (in a spoiler block, of course), so I can start pondering research, that'd be greatly appreciated. :)

[Humabout]

Thanks, Xathan!  I have updated my original post with a wishlist.  I'll add to it periodically as things strike my fancy.  I may end up putting some pretty weird things in there, so beware!

Psychic sapient blueberry muffins of doom?!  I'm sure they'll be useful for something!  Maybe dessert!

[Raelifin]

Xathan, please amend the rules to grant troops that are voluntarily withdrawing (not fleeing from attrition) during the maneuver step a +4 defense.

Additionally, please change the line in the retreating section:
"An army may choose to retreat from a battlefield rather than fight to the death. This is treated the same as if all units (free-willed or not) flee from a failed morale roll, except that all attacks of opportunity suffer a -4 accuracy to hit the retreating units."
to
"An army may choose to retreat from a battlefield rather than fight to the death. This is treated the same as if all units (free-willed or not) flee from a failed morale roll, except that they gain a +4 defense against attacks of opportunity when leaving the front lines just as if they were withdrawing."

And change the following paragraph from

When an army (or the remnants of an army) retreats, they attempt to move away from their foes on the map. If their enemies want to (and are not engaged by a third party), they can pursue the defeated army. Pursuers only catch fleeting units if they have a higher speed stat. If they do catch them, another battle is initiated (and the retreating troops must wait a full round before fleeing). Up to one battle per hex traveled can occur in this fashion. If an army is out of moves, they cannot retreat, and any losses from attrition become prisoners of war.

to

When an army retreats from combat they begin to move away from their foes on the map. If their enemies want to (and are not engaged by a third party), they can pursue the defeated army. Whenever both armies are simultaneously in a new hex they enter another battle. Up to one battle per hex traveled can occur in this fashion. If the movement phase ends with both armies in the same hex, if the pursuers have 2 or more movement points remaining, they enter a final battle wherein the defenders are too fatigued to flee, and can only surrender.

You also have a /quote tag at the end of the combat post.

[Xathan]

Changes will be made soon as I'm back on a real pc. :)

EDIT: And fixed!

[sparkletwist]

This is my "showing interest but I have no idea what I'm going to play" post.

[Llum]

I'm looking at playing an Inventor of some kind :)

[Nomadic]

Showing my possible interest since UD has ended (and rejoining chosen at this late point doesn't seem feasible).

[Rhamnousia]

As you know, I'm working on my Destroyer Fleshwarper.

[Raelifin]

That makes 9 players! I'm going to have to suggest we cap it at that, lest we take on too much work. Xathan can disagree with me here, of course.