ATLANTISv2 atl-design-digest #58

From: csd@microplex.com (Christian Daudt)

Date: Sat, 28 Oct 1995 00:00:00 +0000

Errors to csd@microplex.com
Now there should be a digest whenever (a) there are 10 emails
or (b) whenever there is an email waiting for more than 48 hours
for a digest to be completed.
So don't get worried if the digest has only 1 or 2 emails, that
just means the list has been slow.
(I hope it works)
If you want previous versions, they are available via WWW at
http://www.microplex.com/~csd/atlantisv2/
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Date: 25 Oct 95 09:36:52 -0700
From: "GDUNBAR.US.ORACLE.COM" <GDUNBAR@us.oracle.com>
Subject: Re: Some design/rule thoughts for A3

--Boundary-1236390-0-0

]Since A3 is getting closer, I wanted to toss out just a few minor
]ideas that I think would be nice to see.
]
]First, I want to compliment the GM on choosing a REALLY NICE price for
]A3! I was worried about how to pay for it, but I can certainly squeeze
]out $4 each month (much more easily than the $10/month I was expecting).
]I hope he's certain that that fee will bring in enough income to earn
]a profit on the game; when I start in A3, I'll want to make a long-term
]game out of it, and won't want it to go bankrupt in six months!

I hope many people feel as you do. In my opinion, the more
who play the better, and I have priced accordingly. I don't
think you need to worry about it going away quickly, I've
managed to run the free game for coming up on a year without
going bankrupt.

]Any chance of the A2 code being released, perhaps as shareware? A3 looks
]like it will be a better game, but A2 is pretty good (certainly better
]than A1!).

Not just yet. I'd rather be nice and secure with the success
of A3 before I do anything like that.

]None of these are game-breakers or revolutionary in nature, just
]some minor ideas.
]
]1. I would like to see a crossbow-specialized race. Perhaps darkmen
]   or some type of dwarf?

I'll see what I can do.

]2. (Can you tell that I like bows?) I would like to see some special
]   materials or magic enhancements to improve bow effectiveness. (I
]   haven't actually dealt first-hand with mithril or ironwood, but
]   I'm writing based on what I've heard; I could be wrong.) Mithril
]   makes swords with bonuses, but if ironwood can be used to make
]   bows with bonuses, then it's at a pretty high skill level because
]   I have never heard of it. Also, I'd like to see an "enchant weapon"
]   spell rather than a specific "enchant sword" spell, or a separate
]   spell for longbows/crossbows. Bows are powerful now, but I would
]   enjoy seeing them made more powerful for those who invest the
]   money to get the better materials and spells. (I always dreamed of
]   running a mercenary archer army in the game.)

Ok, again, I'll see what I can do.

]3. Maybe in the new version, assuming there will still be wandering
]   monsters, some weaker monsters could appear first, then the killer
]   ones? Right now, scouting with an unarmed single elf is cheap and
]   effective, but there's no reason it should remain so. I'm thinking
]   of monsters that could be beated with just 5-10 COM-2 troops here,
]   and not a whole lot of them, nothing powerful at all.

Makes sense.

]4. A long time ago somebody suggested a "tribal" faction type (back
]   when it seemed like faction types would remain in A3). The idea
]   intrigued me. How difficult would it be to install such an idea
]   into A3? My idea:
]
]	- two faction points to "buy" a specialized race
]	- units of the specialized race could reach level-4 in its
]	  specialized skills (level-2 for other skills, as normal)
]	- Any other races used by the faction would be limited to
]	  level-2 for specialized skills, and level-1 for other skills.
]	- Points spent on taxing and trade would cover twice as many
]	  regions, IF the peasants in those regions are the same as the
]	  "bought" race. Other regions would work normally.
]	  (Or, conversely, you could limit this type of faction more by
]	  counting non-racial regions double and racial regions only
]	  once.)
]	- Points spent on magic would work normally.
]
]   Example: a player spends two points on TEL as the specialized race,
]   two points on taxing, and one point on trade. If located in an area
]   with a lot of TEL regions, that player could tax in 20 regions and
]   produce in 10, as long as he kept exclusively to TEL-based regions.
]   He could generate an army of fierce warriers (COM-4), but couldn't
]   really send them out to terrorize the world, because he would be
]   limited in ability to tax or produce in non-TEL regions.
]
]   Just some thoughts. A WEL-specialized faction would do pretty well
]   in an area with a lot of forests; a TEL-specialized faction would
]   be well-suited to the Monzon area in the current game.
]
]   (Oops - I broke my word; implementing this would be a major change
]   to the current A3 plans. Sorry!)

Sounds pretty cool, but I probably won't do it. At least for
A3. Sorry!

Geoff

--Boundary-1236390-0-0
Content-Type: message/rfc822

Date: 23 Oct 95 20:42:00
From:"owner-atl-design@tango.rahul.net" <vjg@cbnea.att.com>
To: atl-design@tango.rahul.net
Subject: Some design/rule thoughts for A3
Cc: vjg@cbnea.att.com
X-Orcl-Application: Original-From:  v.guinto
X-Orcl-Application: Original-To:  att!tango.rahul.net!atl-design
X-Orcl-Application: Original-Cc:  vjg

Since A3 is getting closer, I wanted to toss out just a few minor
ideas that I think would be nice to see.

First, I want to compliment the GM on choosing a REALLY NICE price for
A3! I was worried about how to pay for it, but I can certainly squeeze
out $4 each month (much more easily than the $10/month I was expecting).
I hope he's certain that that fee will bring in enough income to earn
a profit on the game; when I start in A3, I'll want to make a long-term
game out of it, and won't want it to go bankrupt in six months!

Any chance of the A2 code being released, perhaps as shareware? A3 looks
like it will be a better game, but A2 is pretty good (certainly better
than A1!).

None of these are game-breakers or revolutionary in nature, just
some minor ideas.

1. I would like to see a crossbow-specialized race. Perhaps darkmen
   or some type of dwarf?

2. (Can you tell that I like bows?) I would like to see some special
   materials or magic enhancements to improve bow effectiveness. (I
   haven't actually dealt first-hand with mithril or ironwood, but
   I'm writing based on what I've heard; I could be wrong.) Mithril
   makes swords with bonuses, but if ironwood can be used to make
   bows with bonuses, then it's at a pretty high skill level because
   I have never heard of it. Also, I'd like to see an "enchant weapon"
   spell rather than a specific "enchant sword" spell, or a separate
   spell for longbows/crossbows. Bows are powerful now, but I would
   enjoy seeing them made more powerful for those who invest the
   money to get the better materials and spells. (I always dreamed of
   running a mercenary archer army in the game.)

3. Maybe in the new version, assuming there will still be wandering
   monsters, some weaker monsters could appear first, then the killer
   ones? Right now, scouting with an unarmed single elf is cheap and
   effective, but there's no reason it should remain so. I'm thinking
   of monsters that could be beated with just 5-10 COM-2 troops here,
   and not a whole lot of them, nothing powerful at all.

4. A long time ago somebody suggested a "tribal" faction type (back
   when it seemed like faction types would remain in A3). The idea
   intrigued me. How difficult would it be to install such an idea
   into A3? My idea:

- two faction points to "buy" a specialized race
	- units of the specialized race could reach level-4 in its
	  specialized skills (level-2 for other skills, as normal)
	- Any other races used by the faction would be limited to
	  level-2 for specialized skills, and level-1 for other skills.
	- Points spent on taxing and trade would cover twice as many
	  regions, IF the peasants in those regions are the same as the
	  "bought" race. Other regions would work normally.
 	  (Or, conversely, you could limit this type of faction more by
	  counting non-racial regions double and racial regions only
	  once.)
	- Points spent on magic would work normally.

Example: a player spends two points on TEL as the specialized race,
   two points on taxing, and one point on trade. If located in an area
   with a lot of TEL regions, that player could tax in 20 regions and
   produce in 10, as long as he kept exclusively to TEL-based regions.
   He could generate an army of fierce warriers (COM-4), but couldn't
   really send them out to terrorize the world, because he would be
   limited in ability to tax or produce in non-TEL regions.

Just some thoughts. A WEL-specialized faction would do pretty well
   in an area with a lot of forests; a TEL-specialized faction would
   be well-suited to the Monzon area in the current game.

(Oops - I broke my word; implementing this would be a major change
   to the current A3 plans. Sorry!)

-Vince Guinto
 vjg@cbnea.att.com

--Boundary-1236390-0-0--
----------------------------------------------------------
Date: 25 Oct 95 13:33:12 -0700
From: "GDUNBAR.US.ORACLE.COM" <GDUNBAR@us.oracle.com>