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| Thread: HOMM-V Expansion Concepts | |
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algosa
Tavern Dweller
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posted October 22, 2006 01:32 PM |
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HOMM-V Expansion Concepts
Suggestions/Ideas for HOMM-V's Dwarven Faction Concepts
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I'm new to this forum stuff, but I would like to share my thoughts regarding HOMM-V's concepts on the dwarven faction. I'm an avid fan of the HOMM series since the release of HOMM-I, after reading about the expansion for HOMM-V w/c is still under development (Hammers of Fate), stirs up an opportunity for me to share some ideas in mind to help in the development of the expansion.
From what I have read in AoH site (Age of Heroes) it was announced officially last August 30, 2006 that the expansion would be called Hammer's of Faith with the addition of a new faction/race - the 'Dwarves' under the 'Fortress' town. Possessing the Racial Ability of 'Rune Magic'. The details of which are presented below but not yet finalized according to AoH last September:
Rune Magic - a resource intensive magic rather than using 'Mana' that can be cast at any time before a stack's turn. This magic which is stored in 'Runes' is instantly destroyed after the spell has been cast/used. The Dwarven creature lineup are as follows:
1: Defender. (Enraged, Armored, Large Shield)
1 Upg: Stout Defender / ShieldGuard. (+ Shield Wall)
2: Axe Fighter / Skirmisher. (Wound)
2 Upg: Axe Thrower / Spearweilder. (+ Shooter, No Melee Penalty)
3: Bear Rider. (Large, Enraged)
3 Upg: Blackbear Rider. (+ Armored, Paw Strike)
4: Brawler. (Immunity to Mind Control)
4 Upg: Berserker. (+ Berserker Rage)
5: Fire Mage / Rune Priest. (Shooter, Caster, Magic-proof, Mark of Fire)
5 Upg: Flame Mage / Rune Patriarch. (+ Crossfire)
6: Thane. (Large, Teleport, Stormstrike, Immunity to Lightning)
6 Upg: Stormlord. (+ Stormbolt)
7: Lava/Fire Dragon. (Elemental, Immunity to Fire, Fire Breath, Fire Shield)
7 Upg: Magma Dragon. (Magma Shield instead of Fire Shield)
Refer to (http://www.heroesofmightandmagic.com/heroes5/heroes_v_expansion.shtml) for more details.
======================================================================Basing from this release, I formulated some modifications on the concept & added some new ones...
Creature Tiers:
1st, it's obvious that an armor less Axe Fighter(Spearweilder)/Thrower is much less robust & powerful than a tank like infantry Dwarf Defender, therefore it should take up the place as a lvl1 tier creature. Then, let's change their name appropriately into 'Dwarven Miners' handling pike axes & Dwarven Lumberjacks using & throwing axes w/c are the common workers of the dwarven society, much like the Pheasants of the Haven faction. Now, let's provide them an additional ability like that of the pheasants - Resource Providers: Miners would provide 1ore per week per 5 enlisted creatures & Lumberjacks
would provide 1wood per week per 5 enlisted creatures. This then would aid in the dwarves Runic System of Magic that requires resources rather than Mana.
If you have noticed the dwarven lineup lacks flying prowess, except for the Teleporting Thane/Stormlord, so let's create a new means of locomotion w/c is actually common to dwarves - Tunneling. This ability would provide them the means to pass/stay beneath obstacles, which can be tract only by the controlling player. Any Earth spell will deal damage to creatures underground & will be forced to resurface away from an obstacle. This ability will be given to the Miners and to the next creature tier in mind - the Berserkers.
2nd, let's bring down the Berserkers from lvl4 to lvl2 tier - after all what's powerful with a creature running amok, they're still the same creature and their not fearing of death only makes them disregard their defenses & makes them vulnerable to attacks. The two troops in this level would be the Berserker Miner that maintains the Immunity to Mind Control & Berserker Rage of the original design, and Berserker Lumberjacks with the Raging Throws ability that works much like the Scatter Shot by the Haven's Archer with a much shorter range but with a much wider area of effect & the damage done is the same as if in a melee combat. Their nature is due to the fanatic teachings & training they gained from their Temple of Rage & Fury - that through the flaming furies in their soul; that were provided for them by their deity, they could win battles to preserve their way of life & their race.
3rd, let's also move down the Fire/Flame Mage from lvl5 to lvl3 tier - considering that they have less control over their defenses & are the elders of their community. With this in mind, we could call them Shamans w/c is more appropriate to their kind of society & magic - like the priest of the humans & the druids of the elves: The Fire Shaman that worships their deity of fire - the flames that provides them the flare for battle & the means to forge tools for these
battles; the Frost Shaman that worships their deity of Frost - the freezing cold that protects & preserves them, providing them their homeland & shelter during time of peace or reclusion. These elders commune & reflect in the Sanctum of Fire & Frost that provides them the ability to manifest a portion of their deities power in the battle field: The Fire Shaman maintains the Fire Mage ability w/o Magic-proof & can cast Righteous Might, Fireball & Fire Barrier
(circular shaped fire wall). The Frost Shaman, the same with the fire shaman but rather than the Mark of Fire, has the Frostbite ability - gives a chance to freeze target unit & any damage done to it during frozen state causes double damage, and can cast Frost Mist on an area - units inside the affected area deals & receives minimum/half damage on melee & range attacks, Icebolt & Ice Barrier - that creates a circular barrier around a target that needs to be destroyed per each tile occupied, melee attacks on the wall causes a retaliation damage equivalent to 30% of the strength of the melee attack (the
appearance might be intersecting ice pillars that walls & spikes around an area). Both the fire/ice barrier can encircle a large sized creature.
As you have noticed with the creature tiers from lvl1 to 3, both creatures in a level has a different nature & I do not even consider neither of the two as an upgrade of the other. This presents a new concept in creature tier structure called dualism. The structure is only upgraded/expanded to accommodate/train a new breed of creature/warrior with equal level of power with the other, but at the same time unique in their own way. This concept would in effect greatly affect recruitment or structure building options - this would make you consider using both types of creature in the same level tier to benefit from each creatures unique abilities but at the same time dividing their strengths or power in terms of numbers.
4th, we will introduce a new creature, the Beast Handler/Master. From here on, we'll break the effect of dualism in the creature tiers. They are the tough & fierce trainers/masters of their beasts of burden & beast of war. They can summon beast in the battle field to aid in their wars. The Beast Handlers can summon wolves(4 times their number) or sabertooths(2 times their number). The Beast Master; just like the Handlers, but can also summon polar/brown bears(equal their number), or mammoths(1/2 their number). This would also add to the Neutral creature lineups. Like the Gating ability of the Demons, the
summoned creatures doesn’t appear instantly in the battle field but always appear beside the summoning Handler/Master.
5th, will place the tank like infantry Dwarven Defender as a lvl5 rather than a lvl1 creature, and the Blackbear Rider as its upgrade & change their name into Dwarven Chargers. Both of these creatures are the elite of the dwarven army. A slow but highly robust units - the Defender retains its old ability with the addition of the Shield Guard being a defensive unit. A fast yet sturdy unit - the Charger retains the ability of the defender with the addition of the Ramming Charge; being an offensive unit, rather than the Shield Guard. With their armor, heavily headed pole arm & large shield, the Chargers can deliver a strong blow & push aside enemy units in the battlefield, taking up its position - much more realistic than the Paw Strike. A good strategy to protect shooters from walkers, or to compress enemy creatures for an area effect spell.
6th, the Thane & Stormlords are fine with me, but what are they? How come these dwarves are huge? Maybe they are the freaks of dwarven kind, blessed by both their deities - making their bodies highly ionic, giving them the ability to manipulate electricity. Maybe with these blessings & power, they are often assigned as Gatekeepers of very important dwarven relics or site.
7th, lets bring back the dualism and create the tandem of a Fire & Frost dragon. The epitome of their deities’ presence & power, one delving the fiery veins of Ashan's underworld & the other roaming the face of Ashan's skies. The Fire dragon is a tunneler & a shooter while the Frost dragon is a flier & a caster. Both, serve as silent & hidden guardians of Ashan against the eternal succumbing plague of the Demon world upon it.
Rune Magic:
A resource intensive magic rather than using 'Mana' that can be cast at any time before a stack's turn. This magic which is stored in 'Runes' is instantly destroyed after the spell has been cast/used. In addition to these, I would like to suggest some details on this Runic Magic system: These Runes which holds magic to be cast are prepaired only by accessing a structure (Rune Stone Pillars) present on a Town or on the Adventure map where the ceremonial creation of these Runes are done. Much like the wizards' creature artifacts, you generate runes by spending resources & distributed it to your creature lineup. Runes are stackable and are pre-assigned before a battle, this fact ultimately affect strtigic planning of battle plans, specialy in preparing an army for battle. Due to this limitation, we could also add an adventure map spell that could also create runes just like accessing the Rune Stone Pillars.
A few additional common Rune magic might be - Stone Skin requiring 1ore; Steel Skin requiring 2ore; Tree's Blessing that work much like that of the First Aid Tent but requires 1wood per 100pts healed; and Lumber of Wonders which can replenish creature ammo for 1wood or be used to fully repair damaged or broken War Machines; Seering Steel that adds an additional fire damage to creature's attack & defence during the entire battle that requires 2sulfur - making their armors & weapons searing hot; Frost Guard that gives Frostbite ability to the creatures defence requiring 2gems - creating an icy shield or
armor for the creature; Charge of Lightning that gives additional lightning damge to attack & deffence of the creature for the entire battle with the effect of stunning the enemy, this requires 2crystals - making their entire body charged with electricity.
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I am hoping that these concept/ideas would greatly help in the design & development of the comming HOMM-V expansion.
...For the Glory & Honnor of HOMM... and for the people that are enjoying this game.
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Doomforge
Admirable
Undefeatable Hero
Retired Hero
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posted October 22, 2006 02:07 PM |
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No way.
Ubi/Nival won't change anything in the creatures' appearance, tiers. All that can be changed is their stats - maybe some abilities can be altered, too, yet the rest will appear exactly as it is said to appear.
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Shauku83
Promising
Famous Hero
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posted October 22, 2006 02:26 PM |
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I am going to be critical.
We already have 3 shooters at level 1, we surely don't need more.
The Spearwielder has an amazing ability for a level 2 creature, I already think the ability is overpowered.. The Bear is the only level 3 Large creature; again it is nice to see variety. You hadn't read the description of the Berserker? Berserker is not like the one in H4 that runs amok, this one has an activated ability. It increases the creatures offence by taking the defence and attacks nearest creature without retaliation. A very good ability.
And you are suggestin fire/ice theme... it was a nice idea, that there would be a polytheistic race too, but it is too late for that a drastic change. And since that is the case, only fire is and can be aligned with the creature lineup.
I find the Magma Dragon to look horrible... and i hate to have another creature with Fire Breath...like there is no other abilities for level 7 creatures.
You had good ideas for more Runic Magic spells, even though they are on the borderline of being too effective. Hard to say at the moment as one has no clear idea how they will work in practice.
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SBlister
Famous Hero
Rakshasa Commander
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posted November 05, 2006 06:11 AM |
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They should change the creature names to the following:
Level 1: Defender/Grand Defender or Shieldguard/Shieldbreaker
Level 2: Highlander/Veteran Highlander
Level 3: Grizzly Rider/Kodiak Rider
Level 4: Brawler/Berserker
Level 5: Rune Priest/ Rune Patriarch (or Runemaster)
Level 6: Thane/Stormlord
Level 7: Magma Drake/Magma Dragon
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algosa
Tavern Dweller
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posted November 05, 2006 07:22 AM |
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Thanks for Threading
Thanks for your concerns. I hope this would become a hot thread & be spread along other HOMM communities before Nival & Ubi releases "Hammers of Faith".
Sorry Doomforge & Shauku83 if my concepts got way out of hand, but those were just ideas I'd like to share that I thought could help expand the horizon of concepts for the HOMM-V game system. I sure
wish that this could still change their design, or if not - some of it.
Shauku83, thanks for the comments but almost all of the creatures' abilities are activated abilities except for Resource Providing, Tunneling & Ramming Charge(requiring 2sqr tile distance to take effect), and the Fire dragon don't breath fire - they shoot fireballs with an effect much like that of the archmage. But, I'm glad you like my some of my RunicSpell - I hope you like also my concept of the runic system. And about the polythiest idea - I'm glad you liked it too. I hope you could share some thoughts regarding my Dualism concept.
And SBlister, I'm happy that you also like to share some thoughts to make the game a little bit more interesting. Even with such siple things as naming conventions can do a great impact on the game.
"Big things are built from small things - the details creates a big impact"
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