Is Having a 565 for Each Kingdom Right?

[Ry Vor]

Just want to check player opinion. Initially, there were only a couple kingdoms that had a special recruiting order. Over time, it became about half of them, and then it seemed that was too big an advantage over those not so endowed. So the idea was pretty much every kingdom would get some kind of new recruiting. They don't have to be all equally strong, but I think it adds interest if they are interesting brigade types, whereas I can see some players might think it is making kingdoms more similar.

Much easier to not do the 565's than do them, if that's something players are split on or ambivalent about. Let me know here.

[unclemike]

Definitely, having a 565 for every kingdom would be more exciting to play and balance things out. I'm already bored with the need to recruit/train veterans for my groups in several games. Looking forward to do something else with the kingdoms that don't have a 565 and start recruiting/summoning different troop types. It'll bring about another aspect of the game to strategize with others.

[Hawk_]

The current 565 give certain kingdoms a distinct offensive advantage. To maintain game balance I think it would be good to limit the recruiting 565 rules like you have described in the past OR allow more kingdoms access to special troops.

Additionally, you might consider new spells designed to defend pop centers prior to dome of invulnerability.

How about "ring of fire"- like casting wall of flame except it will protect a PC for that 1 turn. This would offer some protection to kingdoms capitols earlier in the game.

[Beatific]

Another possibility could be to let no one have special recruiting brigade types at the beginning, but rather, they have to explore to get access to them (like Merry and Pippin came across the Ents in LOTR). This would also seem to have the nice side effect of reducing the early game rush (find the capitals and crush them) strategy that always seems to prevail, especially after HPs become available. You can still rush, of course, but not exploring could ultimately cause you the game when those hobbits find those Ents....

[Jumpingfist]

I do not think all kingdoms should have 565s. With latest changes Elves can beat dragons in the forest and DW can hold there own in the mountains. Adding 565 to all kingdoms only escalates the arms race where next the RD or more likely BL would need more tweeking to be brought up to speed.
Perhaps allow all kingdoms except the 565 ones to add a third stage after veteran where they become kingdom brigades. This would help kingdoms like RA and DW more but would not change the balance as much because it costs orders and resources to advance through three steps of training.

[Hawk_]

I do not think all kingdoms should have 565s. With latest changes Elves can beat dragons in the forest and DW can hold there own in the mountains. Adding 565 to all kingdoms only escalates the arms race where next the RD or more likely BL would need more tweeking to be brought up to speed.
Perhaps allow all kingdoms except the 565 ones to add a third stage after veteran where they become kingdom brigades. This would help kingdoms like RA and DW more but would not change the balance as much because it costs orders and resources to advance through three steps of training.

The idea of veterans becoming kingdom brigades isn't bad.

I know you don't want to do a bunch of programing but another thing that might add balance would be allowing kingdoms to garrison armies in a city or capitol.

This would increase the defense of the army and pop center and would be only a defensive order. This would put some defensive strategy back into play.

Currently the military kingdoms mow down their opponents in the open.

[Ry Vor]

I do not think all kingdoms should have 565s. With latest changes Elves can beat dragons in the forest and DW can hold there own in the mountains. Adding 565 to all kingdoms only escalates the arms race where next the RD or more likely BL would need more tweeking to be brought up to speed.
Perhaps allow all kingdoms except the 565 ones to add a third stage after veteran where they become kingdom brigades. This would help kingdoms like RA and DW more but would not change the balance as much because it costs orders and resources to advance through three steps of training.

The idea of veterans becoming kingdom brigades isn't bad.

I know you don't want to do a bunch of programing but another thing that might add balance would be allowing kingdoms to garrison armies in a city or capitol.

This would increase the defense of the army and pop center and would be only a defensive order. This would put some defensive strategy back into play.

Currently the military kingdoms mow down their opponents in the open.

I've considered having Veterans become Elite (EL in use so ET likely). Also having kingdom brigades be able to become Elite, but that's a bigger programming change.

Both the above and garrisons are in Fall of Rome. In FoR, brigades can be green, regular, veteran, experienced, elite, renowned, and legendary. There are lots of tactics in FoR, for example, attacking a PC using the Trojan Horse tactic requires a Marshal and an Elite brigade. Flanking requires speed and leadership, etc.

Anyway, as regards 4th Scenario, we may do the Veteran to Elite. The rest will likely be held to 3rd Cycle.

Additionally on the board for the future are instead of the generic "Recruits" and "Veterans", there would be different recruitable brigade types based on terrain and region.

With the introduction of the new 565's, and possibly the Elites, we are looking to allow groups (I prefer the term "force") to possess up to five brigade types.

[Hawk_]

I do not think all kingdoms should have 565s. With latest changes Elves can beat dragons in the forest and DW can hold there own in the mountains. Adding 565 to all kingdoms only escalates the arms race where next the RD or more likely BL would need more tweeking to be brought up to speed.
Perhaps allow all kingdoms except the 565 ones to add a third stage after veteran where they become kingdom brigades. This would help kingdoms like RA and DW more but would not change the balance as much because it costs orders and resources to advance through three steps of training.

The idea of veterans becoming kingdom brigades isn't bad.

I know you don't want to do a bunch of programing but another thing that might add balance would be allowing kingdoms to garrison armies in a city or capitol.

This would increase the defense of the army and pop center and would be only a defensive order. This would put some defensive strategy back into play.

Currently the military kingdoms mow down their opponents in the open.

I've considered having Veterans become Elite (EL in use so ET likely). Also having kingdom brigades be able to become Elite, but that's a bigger programming change.

Both the above and garrisons are in Fall of Rome. In FoR, brigades can be green, regular, veteran, experienced, elite, renowned, and legendary. There are lots of tactics in FoR, for example, attacking a PC using the Trojan Horse tactic requires a Marshal and an Elite brigade. Flanking requires speed and leadership, etc.

Anyway, as regards 4th Scenario, we may do the Veteran to Elite. The rest will likely be held to 3rd Cycle.

Additionally on the board for the future are instead of the generic "Recruits" and "Veterans", there would be different recruitable brigade types based on terrain and region.

With the introduction of the new 565's, and possibly the Elites, we are looking to allow groups (I prefer the term "force") to possess up to five brigade types.

Sounds like Fall of Rome had some really cool features to it. The detailed military system seems fun.

Wish had I had tried the game before Java wrecked it.

[Ry Vor]

Yeah, I don't think it should be that hard to fix. Java insisted on some extra security protocol and some change of theirs broke our group transfers.

I think someone that knows Java and could see our transfer code could fix it in an hour or two. I just haven't found anyone to do it.

Another thing about FoR is there is no human intervention. Players join and see the queue online, as soon as there are 12 players (map slightly bigger than Alamaze and is in hexes instead of squares) in the queue, the program starts the game. A minute after the deadline, it runs the game, it does victory and ESO, it updates Valhalla, and reminds players to join the next game. Players access their turns online, and of course there is a graphic user interface that shows all orders graphically, ensures no order errors by players, auto updates the map, has a running calculation of gold and supplies (food in Alamaze).

Also, Fall of Rome has PC Improvements. So a barracks is needed to garrison troops, a temple to hire a High Priestess, a watch tower acts like advanced recon, and there are various economic and defensive improvements that can be built. All character types can be in PC's. Kings are also military leaders. Unusual Sighting encounters have icons that indicate if the encounter is fine, excellent, or superior, with a guardian to match and the encounters are much more dangerous. Forces have more variables like the aforementioned experience, speed, and defensive value is affected by experience as well as brigade type. There is the health status, and lots more agent and noble actions, as well as maybe a dozen tactics.

I was surprised more Alamaze players didn't try it when we had the free trial offer.

[Hawk_]

Yeah, I don't think it should be that hard to fix. Java insisted on some extra security protocol and some change of theirs broke our group transfers.

I think someone that knows Java and could see our transfer code could fix it in an hour or two. I just haven't found anyone to do it.

Another thing about FoR is there is no human intervention. Players join and see the queue online, as soon as there are 12 players (map slightly bigger than Alamaze and is in hexes instead of squares) in the queue, the program starts the game. A minute after the deadline, it runs the game, it does victory and ESO, it updates Valhalla, and reminds players to join the next game. Players access their turns online, and of course there is a graphic user interface that shows all orders graphically, ensures no order errors by players, auto updates the map, has a running calculation of gold and supplies (food in Alamaze).

Also, Fall of Rome has PC Improvements. So a barracks is needed to garrison troops, a temple to hire a High Priestess, a watch tower acts like advanced recon, and there are various economic and defensive improvements that can be built. All character types can be in PC's. Kings are also military leaders. Unusual Sighting encounters have icons that indicate if the encounter is fine, excellent, or superior, with a guardian to match and the encounters are much more dangerous. Forces have more variables like the aforementioned experience, speed, and defensive value is affected by experience as well as brigade type. There is the health status, and lots more agent and noble actions, as well as maybe a dozen tactics.

I was surprised more Alamaze players didn't try it when we had the free trial offer.

At that time I was trying to play Alamaze and Duelmasters and was having a hard time keeping up. Now I just play Alamaze and the online order system has made that a lot easier.