Chronic Logic

Cursed would be too cheap.  Wizard makes it a 50-point range-4 kill.  Any token generator (particularly barracks, hydra, or masons) makes it a deathtrap for short-range units; so does a chieftain.

I'd place it at 150 points.  Alternately, consider that it'd make an interesting 350 point wizard if it had a bit more range and/or no cancellation on the curse.

What if the Heretic only lowered life when it dies, rather than per hit, or had a once per turn limit like many other abilities (serpent, healer, mourner).

Well, clockwork is actually evident: clockwork units are faded.  I agree that this would help reduce the need to check every AI unit.  For example: any arcane unit's image could just be replaced with a bullseye. 

Fair enough, but if they're giving up on the game because they have to read the units, it's probably not the game for them.

I'm just curious.  What are people's favourite units?  Your top 1 or 3 or whatever?

If I had to pick three, I'd have to say:
Footman - safely approaches ranged under "any within 5" range, buffers casters against slow units, combos well with feathered serpent
Druid - the unit reset is the most versatile ability in the game: stuns, un-shield-maidens, de-frog/rock/etc.-es, de-charms, re-love-potions, and heals, and can even potentially do two in a turn
Lancer - hilarious when the AI sets things up right and you kill four or five units as you pass through

Could we please have more slots to save armies in?  Since there are four constructed game types that warrant unique armies, I'm finding ten a bit constrictive.

I was playing a co-op game with karnac where a dracolich raised an enemy mourner.  The converted mourner, however, was giving its life boosts to the enemy side when we lost units, proven by their gate guard (then one of only two units controlled by the enemy, the other being a heretic) gaining two life when it killed two of my barracks-spawned soldiers.

EDIT: I do not have a dracolich and, so, am incapable of replicating this.

Quote from: mongolian on May 08, 2009, 02:06:04 PM

QuoteThe examples of martyr vs. possessed and martyr vs. bounty hunter are not difficult to figure out. 

For the people who stick around and play the game long enough, figure out all the intricacies is a core part of the game. But don't be mistaken, this is definately a learning experience.

I've been playing the game for four days!  The learning curve of the rules is not that steep.  Sure, I still haven't figured out all the interesting rules interactions, but I'm learning - partially through experimentation and partially through asking questions.  For example, lumen answered that if a scout kills a martyr or possessed, it has priority and gets returned to castle before the other effects go off.

QuoteGamers simply need to be impressed by a game's graphics to even slightly want to be turned on.

Graphics and animation would muddy the gameplay.  The interface works because it's simple and responsive.  It gives you the information you need to know without being visually overwhelming.  Zatikon appears to be a niche game.  Graphics might make it more appealing at a glance, but would represent a significant investment for what would likely be a low user retention rate.  Improved visuals would also reduce performance of the game and might alienate current users.  I, for one, would rather the team continue to refine the game as it is.

Re: minime

Quote from: minime on May 08, 2009, 04:41:39 PM
here is an other thing i can t figure without trying: if i have a strategist, do i get an extra command if an inorganic unit of the opponent attacks? and if my inorganic unit is attacked?

This, I think, is a failure of the game guide on the website to list and describe types of effects.  Inorganics are immune to skills and spells.  Any green box is a skill effect.  Any purple box is a spell effect.  Strategem is a gray box; gray boxes are non-typed, neither skills nor spells.  For a complex example, let's look at a shield maiden.  Her protection ability is a spell, but her damage-receiving is a non-typed gray.  She can be made inorganic and still take damage for her target, but if her target is made inorganic it is no longer a valid target for her spell, and she will stop protecting it.

The scout's return-to-castle ability is a skill (green) and so it won't go off when attacking an inorganic.  The scout's dodge ability is non-typed (gray), so it works fine.
I've tested the following situations regarding inorganic immunity:
An inorganic scout that attacks an organic target will still return to the castle.
An inorganic necromancer can still turn into a lich.
An inorganic lich still gains life if it attacks an organic target.
A lich (organic or not) does not gain life if it attacks an inorganic target.

From these, we can deduce that Zatikon only checks non-self targets for the inorganic trait.

First off, are you talking about the single-player/co-op or competitive game?  I'm willing to admit that the PvAI game is unbalanced, but I don't see an alternative given how difficult and resource-intensive it would be to create a competent AI.  I'm going to speak on behalf of the competitive game.

The complexity of the game is not a flaw, it is its primary feature.  The game is fairly internally consistent (I'm certain heretics are bugged).  The examples of martyr vs. possessed and martyr vs. bounty hunter are not difficult to figure out.  The possessed's ability doesn't kill the martyr, and the bounty hunter has complete immunity.  For a better example of where ability priorities need clarification: what happens if a scout kills a martyr?  Does it return to the castle or die?

The problem with your chess example is that a unit doesn't all of a sudden gain a new ability.  Whatever was going to give it the new ability would have had to have been on the board for at least a turn, and you'd have had the opportunity to see it coming.

Discovery and execution of combination-play is what makes this game worth playing more than twice.  It's high strategy.  Care is obviously being taken to balance new units, and they enrich the game.