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Author Topic: 'Hard mode' modifications  (Read 925 times)

1v0ry_k1ng

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'Hard mode' modifications
« on: June 10, 2009, 07:05:24 am »
Like alot of people, I was unimpressed by the challenges vanilla represented in the seige department, so I had a think of how to increase the difficulty while keeping things as balanced and close to vanilla as possible. The result:

A) The orc mod.

I Modified this in a number of ways:
1) Orcs only have a damblock of 1
2) Orcs only have melee dam of 1:6
3) Orcs have [NOSTUN][NONAUSIA] instead of [NOPAIN]. I want them to hurt!
3) Orcs have their own unqiue weapons, for example:
Spoiler (click to show/hide)

4) All invader types (goblins, orcs, trogs..) have [LOCKPICKER]. Black Orcs have [BUILDINGDESTROYER:2]. this is because I dont think a locked door should be an infallable defence against invasion. lockpicking for orcs might be more along the 'hack the lock with a huge sword' but the overall effect is that doors are no defence

5) Orcs no longer have trap avoid. this made ithings easier, but there was no good reason for big dumb orcs to have this :(

6) Black orcs; a subspecies of orc that lives in caves and rarely emerges except to make war. they are bigger, stronger, tougher, immune to pain, capable of destroying buildings, have damblock:3 and use steel.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

8 ) Invaders of all types are anphibious (although still can drown)- no more hiding behind your moats, fat boy

9) all invader species are capable of enter martial trances, which helps a great deal when the going gets tough


B) Crossbows and Bows only do 20 damage/shot. you might think this was a huuge nerf but in actual fact they still acheive plenty of instakills. however, when they dont, they only peirce a location, not break it. this helps invaders alot more than dwarves since dwarves are likely to be hiding behind fortifications

C)  All Invader of all types are active 3 seasons/year

D) orc and Black orc raiding parties are added to wild life. in game terms, this means a groups of orcs appearing on the map, wandering around, and stealing anything they get their hands on


The difficulty this all creates for you is actually unspeakable
any comments or things ive missed?
Im aiming to make the other races challenging without simply giving them op stats- i think this is a pretty decent start
« Last Edit: June 10, 2009, 07:09:39 am by 1v0ry_k1ng »
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Erom

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Re: 'Hard mode' modifications
« Reply #1 on: June 10, 2009, 09:48:31 am »
This is pretty similar to how I play the game. Of course, moats are still effective - even with amphibious, it's still a trench that nothing can climb out of...

I've found the following changes also help push you to not bottle up your fort and just lock the doors:
- make above ground crops take a full spring-summer-fall cycle, so you get one harvest per year
- make below ground crops unfarmable (so only findable wild if you get an underground river / pond)

Fighting off enemies until you have a suitably large walled farm is pretty fun.
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Jay

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Re: 'Hard mode' modifications
« Reply #2 on: June 10, 2009, 06:38:56 pm »
Those weapons sound like they're meant for orks, not orcs.
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Calvin

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Re: 'Hard mode' modifications
« Reply #3 on: June 10, 2009, 06:47:10 pm »
Make dwarves have 0 damblock, and a size smaller.


That makes EVERYTHING harder.
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Blakmane

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Re: 'Hard mode' modifications
« Reply #4 on: June 10, 2009, 07:41:04 pm »
seems to me like you've actually made the game easier....
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Earthquake Damage

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Re: 'Hard mode' modifications
« Reply #5 on: June 10, 2009, 10:50:39 pm »
The game should be plenty difficult if you add half a dozen goblin civ clones.  Just make several copies of the EVIL entity and label them EVIL2, EVIL3, &c.  Every entity type can interact with your fortress, so you should find yourself besieged by great hordes.  Personally, I use this method as an excuse to include all the awesome goblin tilesets I find in a single game (using new creatures:  GOBLIN2, GOBLIN3, ...).

For extra fun, go ahead and use some of your tweaks on goblins.  In particular, [LOCKPICKER], [trANCES], [BUILDINGDESTROYER:2] (does 1 let them smash floodgates, or does it have to be 2?), and [AMPHIBIOUS] (or just [SWIM_INNATE] instead of [SWIM_LEARNED] -- that should cut down on the drowning).  Since unconsciousness renders them harmless, add [NOPAIN] (you may want them to hurt, but a nauseated, stunned goblin is far more dangerous than one that passes out 'cause it lost a toe).

[MISCHIEVOUS] (sp?), [CURIOUSBEAST_ITEM], [CURIOUSBEAST_GUZZLER], and [CURIOUSBEAST_EATER] should make them far more obnoxious.  They'll still try to kill you, but they'll also raid your stockpiles and pull all your levers (bonus points if they flood or cave in your fort).

If you insist on foes (like orcs) with [trAPAVOID], you might try adding extra kobold civs as well.  Remove [SKULKING] from a few of the duplicates and you should get consistent kobold ambushes in addition to thieves.  [MISCHIEVOUS] is particularly dangerous with kobolds since they're so much stealthier than goblins.
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