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Author Topic: Wands Race - [Moskurg] {COMPLETED}  (Read 204304 times)

Kashyyk

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Re: Wands Race - 912 Design Phase [Moskurg]
« Reply #45 on: March 20, 2017, 02:51:23 pm »

We have two revisions this turn. I'd be happy to use both.
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evictedSaint

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Re: Wands Race - 912 Design Phase [Moskurg]
« Reply #46 on: March 20, 2017, 03:23:01 pm »

I agree with using both revisions to fix our teletalk wands.  Fix the bleedthrough is most critical; if we can pull that off, then try boosting range to a distance more useful.

Gust isn't so important; our arrows still punch through mist just fine.  And since we can beat their ambushes, it would be a waste of our turn.  Speaking of which, recurve bows would nicely give our troops an anti-mist bonus (as well as locking down a solid advantage in the plains).
« Last Edit: March 20, 2017, 03:24:58 pm by evictedSaint »
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Nirur Torir

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Re: Wands Race - 912 Design Phase [Moskurg]
« Reply #47 on: March 20, 2017, 03:23:30 pm »

That was with a +1 from a simple spell. We're going to get at least a -1 from wind blast due to not having anything similar and needing to invent and entirely new school. Since our mages have fairly limited mana, one well made spell is going to be worth more than two horrifyingly buggy spells.

Their design had major failings too, giving two-for-two on new spells being badly buggy.
Quote
Strangely, a madness seems to have affected the enemy as well as our own.  Common soldiers in hide vests with well-made longswords were seen giving orders to brightly armoured buffoons who seemed to have little idea how to ride a horse.  Arstotzkan thanes argued in broad daylight over questions of tactics and strategy, sometimes making it almost unneccessary to read their thoughts. 

We don't even need the gust spell for clearing their mist yet.
Quote
Magical concealment in the form of rolling clouds of steam help somewhat, but Moskurger raiders are seemingly always able to tell which clouds contain real troops and which are decoys, raining arrows down upon them. 

Plus, I'd much rather use our revise actions on armor and shields.
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NUKE9.13

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Re: Wands Race - 912 Design Phase [Moskurg]
« Reply #48 on: March 20, 2017, 03:46:48 pm »

That was with a +1 from a simple spell. We're going to get at least a -1 from wind blast due to not having anything similar and needing to invent and entirely new school. Since our mages have fairly limited mana, one well made spell is going to be worth more than two horrifyingly buggy spells.
Design phase is for designing new things. It's early days yet, now is the time to experiment.
We can use a revision to try fixing Teletalk again. We rolled a one last time, what're the odds of that happening again? (one in six, but that's not the point)

Gust isn't so important; our arrows still punch through mist just fine.  And since we can beat their ambushes, it would be a waste of our turn.
Quote from: Regarding the campaign in the mountains
...they fail spectacularly to even get to the battlefield, losing skirmish after skirmish to Arstotzkan traps, many of which are concealed behind rolling clouds of fog.

Wind can also clear out the bugs that are attacking our troops and burning our sails, and provide our ships with extra speed. And if we roll a bunch of sixes, it might even be good enough to deflect arrows.
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evictedSaint

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Re: Wands Race - 912 Design Phase [Moskurg]
« Reply #49 on: March 20, 2017, 04:09:38 pm »

Quote from: regarding the campaign in the jungles:

Magical concealment in the form of rolling clouds of steam help somewhat, but Moskurger raiders are seemingly always able to tell which clouds contain real troops and which are decoys, raining arrows down upon them. 

I was basing my claim off of this, but fine, I guess we can spend our turn designing wind.  Revisions needs to focus on the teletalk wands, though - I get the impression people are glossing over the fact that it kills whoever uses them and that their short range prevents grander strategy and subterfuge.

NUKE9.13

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Re: Wands Race - 912 Design Phase [Moskurg]
« Reply #50 on: March 20, 2017, 04:23:03 pm »

Revisions needs to focus on the teletalk wands, though - I get the impression people are glossing over the fact that it kills whoever uses them and that their short range prevents grander strategy and subterfuge.
Oh, yeah, absolutely. At the moment they're a wash, but with the right modifications, they could be the most important thing we ever design. We should spend at least one of our revisions on Teletalk, if not both.
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Nirur Torir

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Re: Wands Race - 912 Design Phase [Moskurg]
« Reply #51 on: March 20, 2017, 04:36:27 pm »

They have four problems - Range, being paired, expensive enough only our rare skilled wizards can use them (ONCE per fight), and trashing our skilled wizards.

Our revise action only had a single roll. I really don't think two revise actions will be enough unless they're both perfect rolls.
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Taricus

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Re: Wands Race - 912 Design Phase [Moskurg]
« Reply #52 on: March 20, 2017, 04:41:25 pm »

They will be enough though Nirur.
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Quote from: evictedSaint
We sided with the holocaust for a fucking +1 roll

evictedSaint

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Re: Wands Race - 912 Design Phase [Moskurg]
« Reply #53 on: March 20, 2017, 05:52:05 pm »

They have four problems - Range, being paired, expensive enough only our rare skilled wizards can use them (ONCE per fight), and trashing our skilled wizards.

In order of most to least important:

1) Trashing our skilled wizards.  Does anyone else remember the last Arms Race where troops would "accidentally" drop their recoilless rifles off cliffs because the damn things kept breaking their arms?  After that last debacle, we'd be lucky to get any wizards still willing to use them, even if we do fix the bleedthrough effect.

2) Range.  Their short range means they can't be used for grand strategy and subterfuge.  If they could transmit say...a mile, then it'd be feasible to have a general rely on them to get orders out to have entire armies work in unison.  In an age of runners and trumpets, walkie talkies would be king.  Plus our spies would love it if they could just quietly transmit info across the continent rather than having to report back to HQ, but that is a far lesser detail.

3) Expense.  Being "expensive" means we only get one per squad, which is perfectly fine.  It's more of an issue that they can only use them once - only the commander of the squad has a real need to use them, anyways. 

4) Being paired.  This is pretty much a non-issue, since it just plays into the "expense" aspect.

Nirur Torir

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Re: Wands Race - 912 Design Phase [Moskurg]
« Reply #54 on: March 20, 2017, 06:16:41 pm »

3) Expense.  Being "expensive" means we only get one per squad, which is perfectly fine.  It's more of an issue that they can only use them once - only the commander of the squad has a real need to use them, anyways. 

4) Being paired.  This is pretty much a non-issue, since it just plays into the "expense" aspect.
Very Expensive equipment is 1 per 10 squads, not 1 per 1 squad.
It's listed under spells spell, not equipment. One cast of a Very Expensive spell drains a skilled wizard, of which we only have "a handful."
« Last Edit: March 20, 2017, 06:18:43 pm by Nirur Torir »
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evictedSaint

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Re: Wands Race - 912 Design Phase [Moskurg]
« Reply #55 on: March 20, 2017, 06:28:11 pm »

Ah, my bad, I thought it was merely Expensive.

Taricus

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Re: Wands Race - 912 Design Phase [Moskurg]
« Reply #56 on: March 20, 2017, 07:14:18 pm »

At the current time the expense issue isn't a concern, not least due to having bigger worries.
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Quote from: evictedSaint
We sided with the holocaust for a fucking +1 roll

Iituem

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Re: Wands Race - 912 Design Phase [Moskurg]
« Reply #57 on: March 20, 2017, 08:33:22 pm »

Gust of Wind: [2, 1-1, 5-1]  As this spell draws upon an entirely new type of magic, [2] evoking physical force and motion from nowhere, your research proves extremely difficult, as does your final implementation.  Nevertheless, you emerge from months of work with a spell that will clear up fog clouds and other simple forms of magical concealment in an instant.  It is not quite strong enough to affect swarms.  Unfortunately, you only have one prototype, anchored into an elaborate rod of gold and pearls that is presently far too elaborate to replicate without improving the spell's efficiency.  There is additionally a minor side effect that when cast the spell sounds like an enormous fart.  It is somewhat embarassing but does not provide any significant tactical disadvantages.  A National Effort.

It is now the Revision Phase.
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Taricus

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Re: Wands Race - 912 Revision Phase [Moskurg]
« Reply #58 on: March 20, 2017, 08:37:26 pm »

...Okay the cost of that is the only bad thing. The sound is just going to make it more hilarious.

Anyway, for the revisions:
Fix the teletalk bleed issue
Reduce the cost of the Gust of Wind spell
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Quote from: evictedSaint
We sided with the holocaust for a fucking +1 roll

evictedSaint

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Re: Wands Race - 912 Revision Phase [Moskurg]
« Reply #59 on: March 20, 2017, 08:44:52 pm »

Fix the teletalk bleedthrough.
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