Portals

[Hawk_]

I think it would be an interesting tactical twist if around turn 4-5 the locations of all the portals became known for everyone.  

It would provide more "wrap" to the game board.

It might also be interesting if emmys could move through the portals like troops.  They would have to be able to be located in a portal square.

Just a suggestion. 

[Lord Diamond]

The thing about the portals now is that finding them gives you a potential tactical advantage not enjoyed by the players who didn't find them. I am not in favor of broadcasting their locations.

[Lord Alz]

I think that if it was say a turn 15 reveal it would be maybe ok but it is a huge advantage early if played right.

[Ry Vor]

Portals were an idea with more promise than has ever turned out to be in practicality.  Trying to address that.

The inspiration was Gnome and Dwarves are natural enemies but within normal methods most unlikely to impact upon one another.  So putting a portal with one end in Runnimede and one in Talking Mountains was introduced to allow that.  Then we added a second portal to connect around Oakendell and Synisvania to expedite Elves meeting Dark Elves.  A third might have been put in.

Sometime in NC the portal orders got convoluted and had some penalties, were just difficult to use.   We have streamlined that (not sure if in Clipper code yet), so that instead of the multi-turn process that has been required to find the exit of the portal and requiring a group to actually move there to discover, and understanding four different movement possibilities with using them, now when you investigate the portal, you get its exit area.  You must start on the portal entrance to use it, it costs 5 mp to move through, no morale penalty, and you can continue moving using the portal's (one) special movement order.

So I wouldn't be in favor of telling all kingdoms about their locations, as they were intended to bring those natural enemies a chance to perhaps surprise their foe, but I don't think it ever happened due to the clutter.  As players may know, finding portals was so disappointing when using a HP that we stopped allowing them to be the subject of divination many months ago.  Now when the changes are in place, they may be their own class, so a player looking to find one may get a portal and portal only through the HP divination of that class - not in place now.  Alternatively, I may include portals in the Benevolent class that will have Rings of Protection, Palantirs, armor and shields, Great Red Bats and Last Herd of Pegasi, and the wandering wizard encounters.  Again, additional refinements to HP divinations will be coming down the road.   BTW, in the new code, Rings of Protection and Palantirs are in the wild, not at neutral PC's.

[Lord Diamond]

The third portal pair connects Torvale and Synisvania. I think one pair sometimes shows up in Southern Sands and connects in Oakendale.