User blog:Rodmar18/Fun in variety

In case the game ever becomes boring, here are a few ideas about how enhancing the already rich variety of this game.

This year 2004-game is quite old now and has its lot of flaws, and it came to bore me several years ago (with v1.03.23, but version is clearly not the point here), and I didn't think about exploring all the diversity it may allow, as a solo player. To be frank, I didn't try and play against seven allied Emperor AI, I couldn't win and it's not this kind of incentive I needed (Even now, I keep using the pause key, just to say that the true challenge of RTS is not the kind of thrill I look for). What bored me is rather the AI keeping on sending troops on the same attack path only to be eaten by a mischievous towers and walls trap, the eternal rush to the dragons (and then the game is over), or the turtling in my base or in a hot spot, until the enemy heroes die in front of my towers, and then until their mines are depleted, even if this meant fighting a Titan or two (but before 1.03.25, that wasn't a great deal, I mean when faced to an AI). In short every gaming sessions turned to become quite the same (I could have played against/with humans, that I didn't do).

Playing with fog of war on
Units and buildings have various view ranges, and they can be very different, sometimes. Imho, it is like wasting the game when fog of war is not activated, except in some cases like pitched battles or challenges of the same ilk, of course. It's good when the thrill of the initial exploration (revealing the hidden map) can be prolongated during most of the game, especially on larger maps.

When you consider how some advanced troops are short-sighted (Berserkers, Khazrimi Guards, Knight Champions and Lords, ...), then you start fearing for ambushes, and you need those scout units even if the map is revealed. Then you start escorting Dwarves with Eagles, advanced Knights with lighter Cavalry, Catapults with "aiming" troops... even Barbarians have use of Lightning Hawks.

It's even better in Skirmish mode when you can select the "Realistic View Range" that tries and follows the direction the unit is facing toward.

Sticking to the class/race flavor
For a time. Upon creation, your first level hero can be quite diverse, according to his class/race combination. This diversity is even more marked in later versions. Now there are two paths (and all the paths in between!).
 * 1) the efficient path: go and rise the four attributes to suit your goal (=supremacy). Now you know how many points to put in Strength to get 30-ish Combat, how much Dexterity to hit often and get 30-ish Resistance and Armor, how much Intelligence to cast mastery level 3 spells and produce level 4 (5?) troops. Then, caricaturing a bit and skills asides, the difference between class/race combinations tend to shrink down to a meager +2 Combat at night. All the heroes, or at least all heroes of same profession (wizards, fighters, ...), end tasting and smelling the same.
 * 2) the "RPG" path: now that I replay the game (with v1.03.25, but version is not the point here, did I say that?), I have several dozen of heroes and I manage to keep them diverse, including in not optimizing their 4 attributes. How to do so? It could be random, of course, but the way I've chosen is easy, and quite successful in adding this RPG flavor. Just follow the points allocation that you get at level 1. As an example, the Imperial Tinker starts with 5 points in all four attributes. What this means in the "RPG" path is that you'll strive to keep to this egalitarian balance of the first 20 attribute points. Hence, at level 21, with 20 points more, you should have around 10 points in all four attributes. At level 41, 15 points in each. Exceptions are tolerated (plus, nobody knows), but this is the rule of thumb. Amongst exceptions, there's the need to survive, and 3 HP regeneration per 20 sec. is certainly wanted in most cases quite early. Thus, this way, you can put on you RPG-flavored handicaps and have fun to play with a non charismatic Dark Elf Lichelord, a dumb Minotaur Warrior, a very slow Dwarven Runemaster,... or a balanced (and useless?) Imperial Tinker. You can even feel how a charismatic Elementalist or Shaman play differently than a more egocentric Icemage or Defiler. On top of this comes the skill points allocation. As your are "forbidden" to max attributes at will, some skills may receive a renewed attention (in either way), such as Ferocity, Ritual, Lord, and the XP-increasing skills.

Exploring the Skirmish modes
This is pretty evident. You may chose to play without Titans, with fewer resources, or raze the more buildings in 30 minutes, etc. There's a lot to test, even for the solo player. You can also test temporary heroes up to level 50.

Capping the Keep level
Only in Skirmish mode, you can choose a limit to the level of all Keeps being build on the map. Now you can feel the differences or the similarities between your faction and the enemies' better. I mean that the battle will not be solved with titans, dragons and massed advanced missile units. I mean, not in the same way.

It forces you to play with, and start loving?, those sometimes despised basic units. Also, your hero interacts differently with his own troops because your means are different. And RPG-wise, it's like saying "Eh, what if an Elven outpost was confronted with daring Dwarven miners?" (that means playing with level 1-2 Keeps, of course)

It's not necessary but you could even associate Keep level with the Ages of Empire-like ages. Somewhat, somehow.
 * Level 1 Keep: it's the outpost. Only basic units (sometimes, only one type), pioneers, sentries. Your are limited in several aspects of the gameplay. The "races of the bow" get their archers. And you start sending Pikemen against enemy towers...
 * Level 2 Keep: with more units and buildings, you start feeling the faction you play with. It could be like an historical town (only as far as Elves, Dwarves, etc are historical!). Cavalry starts patrolling, and even some magically-gifted races get spellcasters.
 * Level 3 Keep: it becomes fantastic, spellcasters are out, you breed or attract small fliers (v1.03.25) that follow your orders (!), and nearly all your faction's setting is in place.
 * Level 4 Keep: heroic times are ahead, with advanced fliers (v1.03.25), advanced/elite units, nearly all the upgrades.
 * Level 5 Keep: it's mythical playground with generals, dragons and titans.

Of course, the same feeling could be achieved by mean of extending the time played at each Keep level, and that's what aimed at the successive versions and mods. But that doesn't necessarily force the player to fight with basic units and limited means (at least, against the AI), because he could just turtle and endure the enemy even longer than in current non limited Skirmish mode, until he finally gets his usual assault troops mix.

Self-imposing unbalanced resources
It's not quite the same as playing with scarce resources. By mean of a custom map (or rather a customized existing map), you may taste how it feels having plenty of a given resource and none or few of another one. For instance, how would fare isolated, mining Dwarves with plenty of stone and metal but very few gold and crystal. How would they reach Keep level 5 against another race that would have unbalanced resources too?