Doomdark

[Ringthane]

He looks like a Wise. Maybe he should move and fight like a Wise too?

[sparrowhawk]

But that would give him a huge advantage, and thus also any player starting nearby:

Wise + can recruit foul @ 1 hour + lead an army.

Rather powerful!

Also that would mean a code change

[Ringthane]

Well, only the fight bonus then?

[merlin]

It is a good point, he is after all a wise...

Could he move to somewhere else? Or move another lord from that area to balance up?

And he shouldn't then be allowed an army.

[sparrowhawk]

It's unrealistic (odd word to use about a fantasy computer game!) to suppose that Doomy could not lead his own army, I think. Also, who would then own Ushgarak? Hand?

Doomy would have to move well away from Doom Square or he would be too powerful as a recruiter. Plains of Glorim maybe?

Btw, I was planning on moving the hand (and spider and amarin, maybe Morkin) for next release.

Should there be a 4th wise, or is good that there are only 3 to go around? I personally like only 3, though Spider is too pwerful where he is at present.

[Ringthane]

Here's what I think:

- Doomy with a fight bonus ONLY will not be too powerful

- Move Spider to W Corelay

- Turn Amarin into a female skulkrin shaman with Wise characteristics (except fight bonus)

- Morkin is so fine there, I like the double-keep thing

- Let Corleth stay where he is, if you place Spider at Corelay

[premis]

Ringthane said:

Here's what I think:

- Doomy with a fight bonus ONLY will not be too powerful

What about speed ability as the Wises? (since he looks like dark wise)

[Ringthane]

Premis said:

What about speed ability as the Wises? (since he looks like dark wise)

No, no, see above. That would make him too powerful.

[marie]

Ringthane said:

Here's what I think:
- Turn Amarin into a female skulkrin shaman with Wise characteristics (except fight bonus)

How is any newbie supposed to be able to figure something like that out? How on earth will they know what Amarin is? Sometimes I think the suggestions here are a bit advanced for those of us who haven't been playing midnight since before puberty. Remember some people have to learn all the rules from scratch.

[celebaglar]

Ringthane said:

No, no, see above. That would make him too powerful.

Well, not if the movement bonus only applies to him, but not to his armies. Yes, that would still make him the most powerful individual in Midnight, what with being the only Wise able to recruit Foul without penalty and also the only Wise with the ability to lead an army, but he wouldn't be overwhelmingly so, and it would be consistent with the original spirit of LoM.

You'd need to move him though, say over to where Xuratoth was earlier. This would balance out his new strengths. The story would be that Doomdark is performing some dark rite at the sacred lith as the game starts (you'd need to give the lith a special name to remain consistent though). Ushagarak would still be owned by Doomdark, with Hand being in residence as castellan.

It would still need a code change though.

P.S. It would solve the question a fourth Wise too, presumably with Spider moving to Corelay.

[celebaglar]

Marie said:

How is any newbie supposed to be able to figure something like that out? How on earth will they know what Amarin is? Sometimes I think the suggestions here are a bit advanced for those of us who haven't been playing midnight since before puberty. Remember some people have to learn all the rules from scratch.

Just being devil's advocate for one minute: do we want everything to be immediately obvious to the newbie? Wouldn't that somewhat reduce the voyage of discovery?

Personally, I am all for introducing complexities in the nature of the characters t make them differ subtly from each other. This need not have a massive impact on gameplay nor would it require the newbie to know everything before they can compete in a game.

Having said that, I'm not keen on a female skulkrin shaman. It's out of character with the original LoM setting. Skulkrin are small, frightened and not terribly bright. Mind you, the fairies seem a little out of place too, though I like the effect they have on gameplay.

[Ringthane]

I quite like the "flight of fairies", good idea. I have seen 2+1+1 in Lothoril, in one game ;D

[Ringthane]

Morkin for example. +1 move in woods, the boy is half fey.

[marie]

Hmm, I see what Celebaglar means but also it is very hard to keep up if you're not familiar with the original Midnight. As the voice of the newbies (that's what I'm here for!), I think there's already loads to figure out - what all the different races can do, and how the terrain works, and all the race / warrior / rider etc differences that that entails, what all the search locations can reveal, what fairies are, wolves too if you're having them (see, I can't even remember), gold when it's implemented, magic objects I think you mentioned, and once you think you've got your head round all of that, if you start having minor differences between the characters as well so you think you know what a foul is or what a skulkrin is but not in the case of X or Y lord... You could do it but JY had better write a damn good help manual! I'd add that I find figuring out strategy difficult enough as it is without complicating it even more, but that might not be a newbie thing, it might be just because I'm not very strategic.

Having said all that, I do think it is appropriate for Doomdark to have special characteristics - he is Doomdark, after all (and hey, I'm not arguing with the guy.)

[merlin]

However, the only thing that really keeps it like the original midnight is... most of the map, most of the character name, most of the races, and some game mechanic.

The intricate rules on movement, battle, recruitment... have little to do with the original midnight. Thus it is not about familiarity with midnight but familiararity with MidnighMu.

I know Midnight inside out... literally, but it doesn't help me when I go into battle with Ringthane!!! I still have no clear idea about the minute detail.