Upcoming Changes

[unclemike]

Just received the final changes to The Choosing release and will hopefully get them in place within a couple of days. Here are some of the changes so that you may plan your upcoming turns appropriately.

• Dome of Invulnerability spell will be moved one wizard level higher to cast for all 24 kingdoms
  

• A new trait, Rich, will be added to the Dwarves, Gnomes, Pirates, Red Dragon, and Underworld though the extra gold will only apply for newly created games (current games will be unaffected)
  

• The Flight trait (and groups with flying artifacts) will gain the ability to use the Flank tactic (as if their kingdom normally allows such an action). Kingdoms with the Flight trait's emissaries (political and covert) will have a range of 10 (normal is 8)
  

• Trait changes for the following kingdoms:
  

              Dark Elves:  removal of Oratory and Resistance to Sleep
              Illusionist:    add Forethought and Charisma
              Underworld: add Feudal

• Red Dragon brigade upkeep cost changes to 3500 food, 3500 gold
  

• Wyvern brigade upkeep cost to 1700 food, 1700 gold
  

• Cimmerian brigade upkeep cost to 1800 food, 1800 gold
  

• Red Dragon 1RD will get an extra Red Dragon and Great Bat brigade, 2RD receives extra Great Bat (only for newly created games)
  

• Cimmerian 1CI group will get an extra Cimmerian brigade and 2CI group receives extra Northmen (only for newly created games)
  

• Underworld 1UN group receives an extra Ogre brigade (only for newly created games)
  

• Both Cimmerians and Red Dragon kingdoms will receive a 5th group (inactive)
  

• Kingdom reinforcement changes:
  

              Turn 15: BL, CI, RD all raised to 4 brigades
              Turn 15: DW, RA raised to 3 brigades

• New companion recruitment:
  

               Demon Princes will be allowed to recruit Ogres
               Illusionist will be allowed to recruit Scorpions
               Underworld will be allowed to recruit Wildlings

[Acererak]

Shouldn't all of these changes go into effect in later games and not current ones? Otherwise the entire choosing process (which is exactly what 3rd cycle is modeled on) is tainted. Removing/adding traits or anything else from kingdoms mid game is pretty silly. If you want to balance them then fine, but do it in a game when someone who chooses that kingdom knows what they are choosing up front. I wouldn't choose anything that can be changed mid game.

Imagine putting this into any kingdom dossier:

"The following traits provide special and unique bonuses for our kingdom. These effects are inherent and do not require specific action to enable unless otherwise specified in the section below. However, a god that is unknown to us could potentially remove any of these for any reason all of a sudden and you'll just have to deal with it in the middle of the campaign "

Silly and ridiculous. All changes that are kingdom specific should be for new games only.

I'm much more ok with changes that are not kingdom specific such as dome going up one level, everyone is impacted equally.

[Ry Vor]

The intention with these last changes is to ensure (in the best estimation) that all 24 kingdoms will be strongly considered when there is that moment of The Choosing at the onset of a game.

While it might be ideal to have zero impact on the first 7 games in The Choosing, of the more than 180 Alamaze games we've started in The Resurgence, there is not separate code for each game.  So while all the changes that impact starting position like number of brigades and adjustments to starting treasury only effect future games, a kingdom either has a trait in all games with that kingdom involved, or it doesn't.

Of the handful of changes we're making that Uncle Mike summarized, the only subtraction was removing two cultural traits from the Dark Elves, who had the most of any kingdom, and might still have.  If a Darkelven player feels this was a wrong, you can have a free setup next time you join a game. 

The kingdoms that received a bump will be pleased with the changes, which overall are on the margins.  Listening to feedback in this forum and with some correspondence at support, and with recognition of which kingdoms were actually selected in those games started in The Choosing, I hope these bumps will have players consider more closely the kingdoms that were not selected in the early stage of The Choosing. 

I think that after a little time is allowed to digest the info that the player community agrees that this makes the dilemma of choosing a kingdom even more tantalizing. 

[Jumpingfist]

I know I much prefer having a large single chance/update to the small tweaks we kept seeing in 2nd cycle for months. Also overall I like the idea that most kingdoms had things added to them rather than removed, this I feel if possible is always the best approach to the player base staying happier.

[Lord Thanatos]

I'm much more ok with changes that are not kingdom specific such as dome going up one level, everyone is impacted equally.

This statement regarding equal impact certainly is not accurate.

Nevertheless, Rick told us all he wasn't quite ready with everything. We all cajoled him into allowing us access to the new game as soon as possible. We should all take the high road and allow Rick to tinker. We are going to have many years of playing The Choosing. The first few games everyone is still adjusting to the new mechanics and we can take some design changes in stride.

I don't even have my preferred format available yet. Warlords is not even being offered. Still I am playing and enjoying learning the new game. I guess I am asking everyone to take a deep breath and focus on the long term enjoyment ahead of us instead of the short term effect on these initial contests.

[Lord Diamond]

Some of those changes could affect orders already issued in the system. I would much prefer a "this is happening...... NOW!" to a vague estimate of "hopefully a couple of days".

[Ry Vor]

I'm much more ok with changes that are not kingdom specific such as dome going up one level, everyone is impacted equally.

This statement regarding equal impact certainly is not accurate.

Nevertheless, Rick told us all he wasn't quite ready with everything. We all cajoled him into allowing us access to the new game as soon as possible. We should all take the high road and allow Rick to tinker. We are going to have many years of playing The Choosing. The first few games everyone is still adjusting to the new mechanics and we can take some design changes in stride.

I don't even have my preferred format available yet. Warlords is not even being offered. Still I am playing and enjoying learning the new game. I guess I am asking everyone to take a deep breath and focus on the long term enjoyment ahead of us instead of the short term effect on these initial contests.

I appreciate that, and what I am trying to make clear is obviously we are not trying to harm any position, but trying to get all kingdoms to player-perceived-viable. 

We had two betas, but didn't get feedback from a number of kingdoms.  Irritating.  So we delayed the start until months later after a third beta.  And still, we had some absence of feedback who really wished to be in the betas.  So we need some adjustments now. 

And to the current wishes of the players, and Mike, and myself, honestly, we will move on from here, thinking we have provided the greatest multi-player strategy war-game ever conceived.   But that's what we shoot for.  Meaning The Choosing should be done except for errors we perceive or are reported but I have to say: making thousands of changes and having only a few turns to cipher them is pretty demanding on the designer. 

And lastly, isn't Uncle Mike awesome?   Pretty much the whole interface you see is from him.  I just do the design and business stuff.  I am so pleased he is so involved in moving Alamaze forward as long as our community enjoys it.  As always, tell your friends.  If everyone adds one.....

[Acererak]

I understand what Rick is saying and couldn't agree more on Uncle Mike and his awesomeness.

[Frost Lord]

I have worked with many developers in my career and have even done some development work myself... I can tell you that UM is probably one of the best I've seen in a while. He is fast, efficient, and can grasp complex concepts without batting an eye (& believe me, Rick's designs (at least the one's that I have been exposed to) are always well thought out and very very complex in many situations).

UncleMike: I know that I do not say it enough....but you are AWESOME!

[Lord Diamond]

We all agree that UM is awesome and has really mastered this whole Alamaze thing. That being said, I would really like to know exactly which changes will happen before my next turn runs.