Companions and Summoned Brigades

[Olorin]

Brett is off on (a well-deserved) vacation and going to have very limited time for doing stuff on Alamaze, so I thought I would use this time to see if we can get a consensus on changes to Kingdoms' Companion and Summoned brigades. Things like BL should be able to cast Summon spells for the flying Monsters, or that (random Kingdom) should have Hill Giants as a Companion.  Does a Kingdom need a Companion because it fits the 'feel' of that Kingdom?  Or does it need one to balance the Kingdom better in the game?

I am also going through each Kingdom thread and listing current Companions and Summoned Brigades, then asking what should be changed.  This helps cover more general questions as well.  One of mine is that I think Monster Summoning i through IV or V should be common to all.  Is this a good idea?  Maybe only the first two?  Or the first 4, or even 6?

Is there a Companion we should make available to everybody?

Give us some feedback, guys.  We are almost at the end of the overhaul and anything you add will be looked at and at least considered.  (I cannot promise anything.  I mean, it might need programming I cannot do or unbalance something.  But I CAN promise it will be considered.)

[Xerro]

Monster summons available for all could be a good idea. But I would make when they got them based on the magic level of the kingdom. Supremacy would get monster summoning 1 at 1st level while someone with the next best mastery would get it a 2nd. Thus the really good troops are only available to the best casters. Currently only the best non evil caters get them. The elves alone would be MUCH better with access to them as an example. While evil gets ALL the undead spells generally. So a standard magic kingdom would get a summon monster 3 at 6th level. Which is comparable to summon minotaur. This idea needs some serious tweaking but generally I am in favor of summons for all.

[uncledarkseid]

Totally off topic, but heal spells could be revamped, depnding on level. Why can a level two wiz heal the same as a level 9?

[JohnnyUtah]

Totally off topic, but heal spells could be revamped, depnding on level.  Why can a level two wiz heal the same as a level 9?

Love this, msybe like valor and fear, 5% by level up to 25%

[Lord Garth]

I wouldn't give Monster Summoning to every kingdom.

Currently the 7 T1 Wizard kingdoms get it (and the FF) while the 11(?) Evil kingdoms get Undead (except the dragons). The Evil kingdoms should of course NOT get Monster Summoning. Of the remaining 13 kingdoms, many of which are in the most dire need, I would go case by case. EL, AM and RA? Sure. DW and SA? Probably not. And the ones that don't get it could possibly get their Companion lists expanded. FT and HA? Probably, but they are supposed to be weak military kingdoms so that one has to be thought about. Perhaps limited lists. And the kingdoms that don't get access to Monster Summoning could just get an expanded Companion list. And Companions are usually better than Monster Summoning because you don't need to use your wizards.

And remember, there is a Standard Summoning Package (SSP) available to almost all kingdoms: Minotaurs, Rock Golems, and Phantasms. If Necessary, this SSP could be expanded to include some other summonable, or have current recruiting caps lifted, or be available to some kingdoms earlier than others. I proposed that the DW, for instance, get Rock Golems early.

It's tough because it's not just about giving stuff to everybody but finding balance between the kingdoms while maintaining the flavor of the nation and ... ensuring that each can take a legendary.


Lord Garth
Zen Philosopher

[Olorin]

I am not suggesting the full Monster Summoning I thru IX, or 1 thru 9. I was thinking the lowest set of 1 to 4 or 5. The only ones who get the full set are the Tier 1 magic Kingdoms and FF. So the question is do we give the rest some access to the lowest?

Monster Summon 1, after the rewrite, is going to be about the same ability as a goblin brigade, with a slow progression up in ability for each increase in Monster Summon. The lowest levels are cheap, easy to get, and not going to be worth much. Look at the brigade comparison thread to see what I mean.

[Ziggy]

I wish I could be of some help in this and all the kingdom threads. All I know is that whatever kingdom I'm playing at the time doesn't seem to have nearly enough troops, gold, food, companions, etc!! ;-)

[Lord Garth]

I am not suggesting the full Monster Summoning I thru IX, or 1 thru 9.  I was thinking the lowest set of 1 to 4 or 5.  The only ones who get the full set are the Tier 1 magic Kingdoms and FF. So the question is do we give the rest some access to the lowest?

Monster Summon 1, after the rewrite, is going to be about the same ability as a goblin brigade, with a slow progression up in ability for each increase in Monster Summon.  The lowest levels are cheap, easy to get, and not going to be worth much.  Look at the brigade comparison thread to see what I mean.

In that case, sure. I still wouldn't give Monster Summoning to the Evil kingdoms though. They get undead and Trolls.

Of the 13 kingdoms left in question, I would consider doing something in tiers:

EL, RA, AM, and AN could get advanced Monster Summoning or even a full list like the FF.
FO, NO, FT, HA could all get some partial list.
CI, DW, Gi and SA would probably just get the lowest of level lists. These kingdoms have terrible mages anyway, Couldn't reach the higher levels in most games, and probably don't want to use them to recruit if they don't have to. Instead they would get enhanced Companion lists that would suit their needs better.

The AT is a different case. I would gut their companion list entirely (Hill giants, Rohirrim and Centaurs? Really?) and give them Swampmen, Sauros, Water Elementals, War Machines, and whatever more appropriate companions I could find. (Sea Trolls? Sea Ogres?). To my knowledge, none of the Monster Summoning creatures are sea borne types.


Lord Garth
Giver of Two Cents Worth.

[uncledarkseid]

I wish I could be of some help in this and all the kingdom threads.  All I know is that whatever kingdom I'm playing at the time doesn't seem to have nearly enough troops, gold, food, companions, etc!! ;-)

Perhaps you can change your tagline from Addled to not so addled. 
Ziggy the Competent!

[Ruingurth]

Hi all,

Was thinking about the DW. If any non-magic kingdom should be able to recruit an Iron Golem it's the DW. Let the DW recruit the Iron Golem at a pop with a forge. Maybe for some mithril.

R

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The RA definitely an upgrade to companions. I suggest adding griffons, apes, and, War machines.

R

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I think military kingdoms need something only they could do.

Recruit 3 brigades from pop centers a turn instead of two.
Let only the military kingdoms be able to train pop center regulars up to veteran.
Have some reinforcements throughout the game come in as veterans or elite.

R