Disasters and Other Random Events

from Elemental Forums
I was thinking that it'd be nice to have something random to keep the game interesting, and potential turn the tides of battle.

By disasters I was thinking of things like:

Dragon attacks: player's city is attacked by a ferocious dragon. Players must fend it off, either killing it or getting it to retreat (perhaps with treasure). If it retreats the player could seek out the dragon's layer and lay waste to it.

Barbarian / Monster hordes: Random attacks from the wilderness.

Weather: Storms, tornadoes, brimstone... you know, traditional weather patterns. :P

Plague: Having towns infected with the plague might be a nice twist.

Food / Water shortages: People need to eat / drink. etc.

Just some random events to spice up the game as you play it. It's one of those features that should be optional in a game.
9,504 views 11 replies
Reply #1 from Elemental Forums Top

Would be nice, except for two things:

1) Dragons are already in the game, and I do not think they will be doing much attacking from what I have read from the lore.

2) When the devs introduced mega events into GC2, the forum people largely rejected them because they could whap you just as you are getting ready to win. I personally don't mind them, but Stardock does want to please everyone...

Reply #2 from Elemental Forums Top

If SD wants to please everyone, have a box to turn mega events off like in GC2. Heck, I hate Mega Events myself, but thats because I dont have enough skill or patience to deal with them. Some do however, and they enjoy the twists that pop up so I say give those who want the challenge their Mega Event so long as I can turn them off if I want.

Also, Dragon attacks (or monster attacks) may be in the game already. I cant remember however if it was fan speculation or dev info stating that roaming NPC questers could wake up a beast (such as a dragon) accidentally who would then proceed to ravage the nearby countryside in revenge for having a bunch of stupid questers waking it up.

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Reply #3 from Elemental Forums Top

The weather suggestion has been on the forums for awhile.  Ideally types of weather should be something which can be seen approaching such as storm clouds, tornadoes, etc., .

Overall dragons are extremely powerful and if Stardock is referencing Dungeon&Dragons than they might be magical and intelligent as well.   Although possible dragon attacks should be very rare in my opinion.

Reply #4 from Elemental Forums Top

"If SD wants to please everyone, have a box to turn mega events off like in GC2."

 

Have two bars. One for severity, another for frequency.

 

Minor:

Have food production in one town cut in half, or doubled.

Minor increase / decrease in gold or other resources.

 

Major:

Training of one troop in one town completed instantly.

Food production in empire goes up, or down.

If there are mines outside of town, have them run dry for several turns producing only half as much, or twice as much.

 

Extreme:

Complete a research project in half as much time, or twice as long.

All troops currently being trained are finished.

Plague hits a town causing half its population to die.

Or people fleaing a catastrophe flood a city causing its population to double.

One town hit by earthquake losing some population, some troops, and some buldings.

 

MEGA!:

City goes bye-bye (asteroid) and 90% of all people, buildings, and troops are killed.

Neutral city joins your ranks.

All buldings currently being built are done, or have to start from scratch.

 

Maybe even have checkbozes for types of types of events.

Maybe you only want resources changed. Maybe troops volenteering (or deserting). Buildings being created or destroyed populations going up or down. Magic spells. Items for heros. (Imagine learning one of your magic items was a fake, and the temporary enchantment just wore off.)

 

Options!

 

I want options!

 

(On a side note, this is why I'm really looking forward to the Beta Tests.)

 

Reply #5 from Elemental Forums Top

Quoting BrotherAlpha, reply 4
 

Options!

 

I want options!

 

(On a side note, this is why I'm really looking forward to the Beta Tests.)

 

I completely agree...  and even created a topic awhile back suggesting several types of options:

    https://forums.elementalgame.com/330526

Reply #6 from Elemental Forums Top

in terms of options for events, rather than a toggle on/off switch, I'd want a slider or scale as to represent how common an event was as well as a scale to at what point in the game they most appear. 

I had more information about this idea in another thread... but I can't find it now.  oh well

Reply #7 from Elemental Forums Top

Definately options, definately sliders, and DEFINTELY random events targeted at whoever's pulling ahead in the higher difficulty levels!

Reply #8 from Elemental Forums Top

Quoting Scoutdog, reply 1
Would be nice, except for two things:
2) When the devs introduced mega events into GC2, the forum people largely rejected them because they could whap you just as you are getting ready to win. I personally don't mind them, but Stardock does want to please everyone...

Ah, the joys of Save/Load game design. Such things are effectively impossible in games designed this way. But the only realistic solution seems to be Save/Continue system, which you're not in favour of.

https://forums.elementalgame.com/344909

Reply #9 from Elemental Forums Top

I would hardly agree with that: if the events were programmed to appear when specific conditions were met, they would always show up no matter how many times you re-loaded.

Reply #10 from Elemental Forums Top

Quoting Scoutdog, reply 9
I would hardly agree with that: if the events were programmed to appear when specific conditions were met, they would always show up no matter how many times you re-loaded.

They would also cease to be random, and you could probably plan around them.

Taken to the extreme, this approach is used in IVAN roguelike (Iter Vehemens ad Necem)

. In the name of countering scumming and grinding, it punishes player for being successful by throwing progressively more brutal uniques in his way.

Reply #11 from Elemental Forums Top

Although I've never played IVAN, I think that this is more of an example of a bad event than a problem with the findamental coding. Also, if you wanted to, you could just have the program decide a few turns in advance to do the event, so that it would be carried into the save without being non-random.