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Yep, they're too big both in size (AoW2 does not have the crisp pixelart going for it so high-end JPGs should suffice) and width (1024 pixels wide is the commonly accepted limit. Also, some of us read this on notebooks and other junk with smaller screens). Also, portraits/icons seem stretched. I'm guessing the game doesn't cooperate with widescreen, so it'd probably be best to play in native 1024x768. Pierzak fucked around with this message at 19:21 on Dec 22, 2013 |
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Dec 22, 2013 19:07
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Alright, I can't change the stuff in the first update, but the next one will have smaller jpg files.
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Dec 22, 2013 19:19
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Age of Wonders 2 - Fire, Initiation Phase: Phase Two I keep most of the forces with me to secure our base of operations, while Belendor, the knight, and the cavalry ride out to investigate our surroundings and root out any Tigran lurkers. They find a couple of sailors who have sought shelter in a nearby watchtower.  Me posted:The Swashbuckler is not too different from his AoW 1 equivalent.  As much as I would like to increase my forces to push Yaka from this lands, I know that I must honor my promise to those refugees that are still camped to the north of us. I promised them that I would rebuild their homes, and now I must fulfill that promise. Otherwise I would be no better than those Wizards I seek to subdue. Me posted:The Pioneer is a new unit in AoW2. It mostly replaces the Constructor from the first game, but with the added ability to create a new outpost, which will eventually develop into a full city. You cannot build one within I think 15 hexes of any pre-existing city.   Belendor finds a forgotten item in the valley to the south of my holding, a strong bow that had been forgotten to the wilds during the original loss of this land. There is magical power in this bow, but it is minor. As he touches it I feel the ability to call it back to me, should I desire. Me posted:This is our first item in the game, a rather simple bow that provides Archery. A new feature in this game is that you can teleport items at a mana cost, a cost that depends upon the base power of the item and the distance to the person receiving the item. This allows for non-hero units to collect items for you.  My first success at mastering the powers of magic, and one that I waste no time in employing. Belendor and his escorts are touched by my magic, their weapons glowing with the power that I infuse into them. The bow that Belendor now carries takes this energy as well. Me posted:Enchanted weapon is mostly unchanged, 2 attack instead of 1, but due to the greater scale that results in no real gain. Damage remaining at 1 is a bit of a drop, but it's not as much due to the changes to combat. As I said before, Enchanted Weapon now applies to ranged attacks as well, so Belendor's archery goes from 8-Attack 4-Damage shots to 10-Attack 5-Damage shots that do magic damage.  And that enchantment is none too soon as they are attacked by a pair of Tigran Prowlers. Their surprise appearance does not help them and both are swiftly defeated. Me posted:Note the improved stats on Belendor's archery attack.   After traveling through the pass they ignore the Tigran settlement before them, instead curling around to the east to investigate a report of another settlement that has held out. The battle-hardened defenders are most relieved to see friendly forces outside of their stone walls for once.  (Also Blurred, which gives melee attacks a 25% miss chance after the initial hit check) They tell Belendor that another settlement lies to the south of them, a Tigran town that has not yielded to Yaka. Unfortunately they do not yield to us either (I didn't feel like buying them off) so Belendor put them to the sword. Me posted:The Tigran Mystic is a very interesting unit. It's kinda weak for a Tier 3, at least offensively, but its decent defense combined with Blurred actually makes it a very good distraction. Phase is a one use ability that lets it move anywhere on the battlefield at the cost of all of its movement (Allows for one attack/magic bolt shot)  But that victory does not come without a cost. The Knight has been severely wounded and the Cavalry succumbed to the Mystic's magical powers.  And with that victory Belendor regains a bit more of his lost power. Memories are starting to return to him, his fighting form and, more importantly, tactical mind are sharpening. Me posted:Welcome to the level-up options of AoW 2. Unlike in the first game there are no points to spend, just three options to choose from that are dependent upon the class of the hero. Of the three available now, Health provides +2 HP and +4 movement, Defense gives +1 to Defense and Resistance, While Leadership II is pretty obvious. I go with Leadership II as it is a reduced form of Defense in this case that applies to him and everyone with him.  And to the north my construction crews have finally arrived and have started to rebuild. I am proud of my people as they quickly move to join in, restoring their former homes to full glory once more. Taerkar fucked around with this message at 21:17 on Dec 22, 2013 |
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Dec 22, 2013 19:43
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Other way around on the HP/Move. +2 HP, +4 Move. Mystics are much better garrison units than field units. Your ranged units can't get decent shots at them, and their amazing resistance means magic is a coin flip at best. The biggest feature the Mystics bring is magic damage to get around annoying physical resistance types (air elementals).
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Dec 22, 2013 21:04
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You're really going to have to tinker with the resolution and compression settings a bit. Maybe the tech-support fort crew could help you?
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Dec 22, 2013 21:07
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Now this brings back memories. One suggestion/request: your gameplay blurbs could be set more in-lore by making them "merlin posted" or "gabriel posted" rather than the current "me posted"
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Dec 22, 2013 21:25
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Those bits are by me as out-of-game comments on aspects of the game. Wouldn't exactly make sense for anyone in game to be talking about "Attack Stats".my dad posted:You're really going to have to tinker with the resolution and compression settings a bit. Maybe the tech-support fort crew could help you? As I said before I've finished this mission, but I'll fiddle around with the options next time. As much as I might hate it, I may be forced to play it in 1024x768.
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Dec 23, 2013 00:13
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Wow, did we really have a swashbuckler unit in AoW1? I cannot remember that at all, I always thought they were invented in AoW2. They are really terrific, one of the best units of their tier in my opinion. If you defend a walled city they can do some major damage.
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Dec 23, 2013 00:45
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Torrannor posted:Wow, did we really have a swashbuckler unit in AoW1? I cannot remember that at all, I always thought they were invented in AoW2. They are really terrific, one of the best units of their tier in my opinion. If you defend a walled city they can do some major damage. Not swashbucklers, as such, but charlatans were very similar.
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Dec 23, 2013 00:53
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They are sorta like musketmen but possess swimming and taunt as well as are a tier lower. Not really like a Charlatan though. I was misremembering them. Mainly because of how much I favored Cavaliers/Knights. vvvv True, although with the new combat mechanics that isn't entirely a good thing. Taerkar fucked around with this message at 15:37 on Dec 23, 2013 |
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Dec 23, 2013 02:05
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Swashbucklers can also fight in melee, although not very well. Still puts them ahead of Musketeers, though.
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Dec 23, 2013 09:32
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Age of Wonders 2 - Fire, Initiation Phase: Expansion and Consolidation The inhabitants of Kahiri are energized by their rescue and are able to turn their attentions once more back to improving their city instead of keeping watch for the approaching forces of Yaka. There is such a surge of activity among them that they are able to complete construction on a temple complex ahead of schedule.  And more good news comes from the north. Kingur has been restored to its former glory, or at least a good part of it. The City is bustling with activity once more and will soon be the productive capitol that it once was.   With the eastern holdings under our control Belendor and his Knight companion head back to the Tigran settlement that they had originally passed up. Yaka has reinforced it with a pair of siege weapons, but they are not enough to stop the two. Me posted:In AoW 2, Ballistas only get one shot instead of two due to how the rules now work. They hit harder as a result. You might not be able to see it, but the Knight is just barely clinging to life.  Astrbar now flies my flag, increasing the number of settlements I hold in this area to five. I am making good progress, but I am worried that I may start to be outstretching my ability to defend. As a result I instruct Belendor and his companion to probe into Yaka's remaining holdings and hopefully give us advanced warning of any threats.  One of my scouts has been poking around the valley to the southwest and has reported to me that he spotted some critical building supplies that were left abandoned in the desert beyond. Likely intended to be used to found a mine, they will be useful to me to help grow my holdings.   As Belendor and his companion recover from their recent fighting, they take the time to report to me on the new conquest. Far from driving away the population of the land, we allow the Tigrans to continue to grow and expand. What better way to show them that Yaka is a false god than to prove that he cares not for them, only for himself? Me posted:Note the change in production and other resources from Astrbar when it grows from a Village to a Town. Keep in mind though that some of the gold income difference is due to nothing being built. Under most circumstances settlements in AoW 2 will slowly grow until they reach the cap of 2500 people. There is a special build option that allows you to increase the population growth, but that's mainly only useful with new outposts or when you can get that extra tick-over of population in a turn.  The campaign ahead of us will undoubtedly result in a number of casualties and with that in mind I call for the construction of a monastery in Cindra. The monks will be able to tend to the wounded and give final blessings to those that are beyond their ability to heal.  My scout has traversed the noxious swamps in the valley and has crossed into the desert beyond. Along with securing of the supplies that he spotted before, the scout also brought to my attention the presence of a magic vault nearby. A sign has been erected next to it, offering to any traveler the spells contained within.   The rewards of both are quite useful and are utilized immediately.  In addition to the spell collected from the vault, I have also completed my research into what is perhaps the signature spell of this sphere, Fireball. Although many other spells beckon me to learn their secrets, I decide to turn my focus to the betterment of myself. My magical powers are but a shadow of what they once were and I need to rebuild them. Me posted:Want some more spellcasting? Course ya do! And the fact that Fireball costs  Belendor and his companion have rode further south, exploring into Yaka's holdings. As they travel they come across more altars to his brutality, the ruins of more of the former holdings of man. And in one of those holdings they find a handful of Tigran scavengers lurking about.  Or perhaps hunters, seeking out any survivors from their fell work. Me posted:The Tigran Hunter is their T1 Melee Unit. Nothing too special about it compared to, say, the swordsman. They lose the block ability of the swordsman and a bit of defense in exchange for being much faster (34 vs 24) and the Tigran trait of night vision. Overall pretty meh.  The Tigran group is quickly dispatched, though not without some wounds to Belendor. After that victory the two spend a bit of time investigating the ruins and find buried in a collapsed manor a golden blade.  With that new blade in hand they continue south, only to find a large Tigran war party south of them, led by one of their 'Cat Masters'. Although it is likely that they would be dispatched without loss, Belendor decides that it would leave him and his companion too exposed and too far away from relief. Me posted:The Tigran Cat Master is one of my favorite units in AoW 2. Mounted ranged units are very good in the later games since they can still shoot while moving. Starting with Marksman I means that they can eventually end up with 11 Attack, 7 damage archery at gold XP which if you toss enchanted weapon on them becomes 13A/8D with magic strike. Their speed isn't quite as good as horse-mounted cavalry, but it's still quite significant. For a Tier 2 unit they're pretty drat solid.  As Belendor and his companion withdraw back to my holdings I hear the voice of Yaka once more. He attempts to taunt us with the ruined settlements around my followers, but that only increases our resolve to defeat him.  Belendor has also regained a bit more of his past expertise, his tactically-inclined mind becoming even sharper again.  And that sharpness is put to test as a pack of Tigran Hunters attack. Under Belendor's guidance the Knight charges forward and tears a path through the beasts, leaving none standing. Me posted:Look at that knight! Look at him. That's Leadership III + Magic Weapon in effect. He can't quite go toe-to-toe with a Tier 4 unit, but he'll give a pretty drat good showing. All told the Knight is getting a bonus 4 Attack, 1 Damage, and 1 Defense.  Behind the two of them advances a large Tigran war force, flying Yaka's banners. They are far too high in number for my champion and his companion to deal with. Fortunately though such a large group does not move quickly, allowing for some emergency methods to be employed.  And those methods will be both physical and magical. I will need more energy to turn the tide of this battle. After all, what is the greatest weakness of wood but that of fire?
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Dec 23, 2013 17:29
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I hate Tigran Cat Masters, because they are often your opponent, and you are quite right that they are a very good T2 unit. And that is one seriously dangerous enemy group. I look forward to see how you dealt with them.
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Dec 26, 2013 14:37
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I like that little blurb about how the most powerful Tigrans hurl firebolts when that's only done by Fire Cats, one of the weakest units in the entire game, IMO. They got a little better in SM, but not much. Still one of my favorite AOW races, though. Tiger Master spam all day every day.
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Dec 26, 2013 19:21
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Age of Wonders 2 - Fire, Initiation Phase: Hold and Exploit I placed my complete trust in Belendor as I rely upon him taking the steps necessary to deal with this invasion force. He first acts to draw the garrisons from other nearby settlements to reinforce Astrbar, but to both his surprise and mine the Tigrans pass it by and move on to the east.  This delay gives Belendor enough time to rally more forces to his banner until finally his outnumber those of Yaka. Too late that siege force turns back to retreat to their lands, too late to avoid the coming storm.  The Human defenders of Kahiri are eager to finally be on the offensive against Yaka, driven by a desire to be on the offensive side for a change. The great siege engines unleash their might upon those defenders, but achieve little save for the destruction of a ballista. One-Shot by a boulder  That action by Yaka's forces was in no small part an error for while I have left the majority of this fight to Belendor's capable hands, I am not staying out of it completely. Such a clustering of siege weapons is an inviting target for a fireball and I am not going to pass up such an opportunity.  Although none of the machines are completely destroyed by my spell, they are left so weakened and battered that they do not last for much longer. Indeed for many the smoke from my spell has not had time to clear out when arrows, bolts, and bullets cut through it, shattering machine and slaying crews.  With the core of their force devastated so quickly, Yaka's forces are unable to put up much of a defense and are quickly overwhelmed. Between my fellow Humans and the Tigrans that have joined us, we will soon see Yaka removed from this land as well. Me posted:I really thought that I had taken more shots of this battle. But we can see just from what I did that one of the new mechanics of the game coming into play, that of weaknesses. Siege weapons have fire vulnerability and as a result take 50% more damage from all types of fire, such as the fireball spell. It's actually one of the few ways that Fire Cats aren't terrible. They're pretty good for a T1 unit at killing siege weapons, but that's really not much to speak of.  During the battle Belendor did get into the mix of things a few times, but it seems like more of his old ways are coming back to him as nary a blow was landed upon his body.  After ensuring that the land is secure Belendor and his companions go off to explore the teleporter network that we had found before. A pair of gates brought us to the other side of the river from Cindra and into view of a life node to the south.  As Belendor approached it the sky above him rippled and changed, revealing the visage of the Spirit of Nature. She spoke to him and through him me, instructing us to destroy a fire node to the east of Belendor's location. While I do not like the idea of losing a source of magical power, I do not want to alienate one of those strange and powerful spirits so quickly. Me posted:Another new feature of Age of Wonders 2 is the quest system. There are a number of spirits in the game (Order, Nature, Magic, War) and they will give you quests from time to time. Sometimes the reward is them not punishing you, other times there's an actual reward that you'll receive for completing it. The nature of the reward varies by difficulty and the spirit that gives it  As Belendor searches to the east for the fire node in question, I have a servant crafted of magic exploring the western wastes. One of the lost towns in the region has been recently rebuilt, bringing to my knowledge the presence of some far more ancient ruins to the south. I consider having the servant explore the ruins as it is quite expendable, but I decided against that as it is more useful exploring the wastes.  The Servant continues to the southwest and eventually finds a fortified pass in the mountain walls. Though Yaka's banner flies from the fortifications none stand to defend it and my servant is able to progress further.   Belendor's troop has finally located the fire node and destroyed it, per the request of the Spirit of Nature. While her pleasure is expressed in the form of a powerful magical shield, someone else's displeasure is made known to us as the skies ripple with holy energy, blasting Belendor's forces.  In addition to that Divine Storm, a tall fire elemental pulled itself out of the node, no doubt having been using that gathering of magical energies as a spa. It expressed its own displeasure at Belendor's actions, but was dispersed before it could cause too much trouble.  Belendor's dealings with the Spirits of the land resulted in me being distracted from the south, allowing for another one of Yaka's siege groups to move up and attack Astrbar. I was only able to call up a handful of reinforcements before the city was attacked, though fortunately it now lies within my magical reach.  Among Yaka's forces was his Champion, through which Yaka was able to channel his own magical powers in an attempt to turn the battle more under his control. Flaming meteors fell from the sky, shattering one of the siege engines I had constructed, providing cover for his forces to bring down one of the gates protecting the city. His champion Jasfar charged into the breach along with a number of hunters, but the brave actions of a monk and a number of the Tigran defenders enabled them to hold out against the onslaught.  The city remains mine and Yaka's champion lies slain upon the ground. I have allowed the Tigrans there to bury the dead, both mine and Yaka's, according to their traditions. I am not a cruel conqueror after all. I am not Yaka.  Game posted:Merlin: "Who... who was that?"  Beyond the Elven settlement there is another Teleporter gateway with a sign next to it. It warns that noone that has recently passed through the gateway has returned. I could tell them why, of course, as the return gateway has been destroyed by Yaka.  It is still of use to me, however, as it allows for Belendor's troop to move quickly back into Yaka's territory and renew our assault upon his lands.  Not far to the east of the Gateway lies a powerful Magical Relay. A very curious construction from a past age, it allows for a Wizard to extend his powers into lands that he would not be able to otherwise. For many wizards, they made these relays into altars for their worshipers to pray at, using it as part of their claim to godhood.   Even though Belendor has returned from the eastern lands I know that there are still potential secrets that lurk in those deserts. So I have called upon the services of an Efreet and beckoned it to explore those wastes. Not long afterwards it comes across a wandering Unicorn, which joins the firey being.  As Belendor's forces continue to push into Yaka's lands I order the rebuilding of more of the cities that have been lost to Yaka. While I cannot remove all of the scars that he has left here, I can certainly sooth out some of them. Belendor himself is driven by this success to continue his own betterment, practicing with his companions to regain more of his lost strength.  Naval exploration of the waters has reached a bit of a dead end as the crew of my ship encounters some dangerous rapids. Rather than risk the integrity of the vessel I instruct them to sail along the coastline and search for a safer passage. Can you feel it, Yaka? Do you not feel the vices of my forces closing in upon you? Your time here is running out.
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Dec 29, 2013 20:20
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Julia!  I really like the new quest system. It provides you access to some nice equipment and several spells, some of which you cannot get normally.
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Dec 29, 2013 21:04
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Torrannor posted:I really like the new quest system. It provides you access to some nice equipment and several spells, some of which you cannot get normally. I agree. I'm also quite happy with how they've managed to give the spirits character with their quests, rewards, and very limited dialogue.
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Dec 29, 2013 21:32
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Caustic Soda posted:I agree. I'm also quite happy with how they've managed to give the spirits character with their quests, rewards, and very limited dialogue. Absolutely. The strange pattern of speech of the Spirit of Magic really underscores it's otherworldlyness (is that a word?). Order is rigid and righteous, War is boisterous and aggressive.
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Dec 29, 2013 22:19
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Age of Wonders 2 - Fire, Initiation Phase: Exploit and Purge While the acquisition of the life node does improve the amount of magical power I am able to draw upon, its incompatibility with my mastery does limit its usefulness to me. Gabriel has provided me with the means to master a powerful spell that can change the very nature of such a node, but only when it is within my domain. Me posted:Unlike in the first game, nodes provide either 10 or 20 mana, depending upon what your (Primary?) spheres are. The life node is worth 10 because we're pure fire. This allows you to change the nodes to something more compatible to you. I don't think the AI uses this spell.  My exploration group in the eastern desert came across a lone teleportation gate in the wastes. They traveled through it only to find that there was no way back at the other end. Instead there was a magic vault with a sign next to it, hinting that the contents were a gift to Yaka from someone identified only as 'N'. I do not know who this N is.  Belendor's troop continues to push south into Yaka's lands and are soon able to see the stronghold of the Wizard. His fear is obvious as he has drawn the majority of his forces to his side, no doubt afraid of what will soon happen to him.  And indeed what is Yaka but just a man. Like me he can command great magical powers, but are we really that different from our kin? We are much closer than most are willing to admit.  Yaka and his forces hide behind the walls of his last fortress, simply watching as the neighboring town falls to Belendor's troops. While they likely could not stop him, they could at least bloody him, but instead no such attempt is made.  And to the west a sign before the desert promises that nothing lies beyond it. I see no reason to doubt that sign. Me posted:Two things here. For one we're again seeing the AI going into what I call its 'Wait out the end' state where it simply pulls all of its troops to one spot and just waits out the end there. Gives a 'Grand Final Battle', but seriously, be more aggressive! I think this is the most passive I've seen the AI this map, but that might be because I was more aggressive than usual in the beginning.  I had recently ordered the construction of an altar to the Spirit of Magic in Cindra, and I received word of its completion this morning not from the foreman but rather from the Spirit... itself? It was a bit hard to understand as it communicated not by word but by idea, but I think it was as uncertain about me as I am about it.  I think it was a bit annoyed at me, though. Or maybe not, I'm not really sure if such emotions apply to such an entity. But the instruction to eliminate some, for lack of a better word heretics, was delivered to me along with some rather certain imagery of punishment should I fail. Almost immediately after its presence left me I sent word to hunt down these 'heretics', but soon found that they were in a rather unhelpful location on the other side of the river.  As I put into motion plans to deal with this request I received word that my expedition to the ancient ruins had finally reached it, only to find a handful of Tigrans sheltering there. They reacted to my force with aggression but were quickly defeated.   After defeating the inhabitants the expedition was able to examine the ruins. Most of them have been long since picked over, but they were able to find an enchanted helmet in the ruins of an old armory. Once it was ready I used some magical energy to transport it to Belendor so that he could put it to immediate use. Me posted:Here's a bit of item teleportation in action. Also unlike in the first game the site battles no longer get that exploration mechanic, but are rather just regular battles. While this is a downside for the most part, one needed change is that now the AI can explore such sites and get items, making them more dangerous (And more rewarding to kill).  In order to reach the Magic Spirit's heretics I must resort to magic, in this case the conjuration of a Fire Elemental to deal with them. Rift Spawn are a very dangerous force to deal with and are often known to hunt after individuals who possess significant magical ability. They are immune to a great number of magical powers and are more dangerous than the average fighter in a regular fight. One thing they are not, however, is fire-proof.  Another Shrine has been completed today, one in Astrbar that is dedicated to the Spirit of War. He appears before me as it is completed and sanctified, but his arrival I was prepared for. As I expected he was boisterous and insulting, but that is his way. He named a number of heretic priests that he wanted me to deal with. Apparently they were from a number of faiths and people and claimed to be promoting 'World Peace'. Can't imagine why he doesn't like that.  To help the Fire Elemental chase down the rift spawn I ordered Laheva to raise a number of Manticores. These great creatures have been associated with the Tigrans for a long time and serve as aerial scouts and skirmishers. They are intelligent, if a bit simple, and the Tigrans know how to communicate with them.  With the completion of the Altar of War in Astrbar I give them new instructions. A mighty and commanding Sphinx will be encouraged to join my banner, though the great cat will have to be pampered with praise and jewels to convince it to help me.  My men on the magic vault island decide to investigate it and push through the noxious swamps around it to explore the vault. What they found in there I do not know, for all I know is that my magical link to the Efreet was severed and no one else emerged from it.  The rift spawn have been dealt with and the Spirit of Magic gives what I can only assume to be its equivalent of a 'Good Job'  I consider ordering the construction of a great Air Galley in Cindra, but I decide against it as by the time it reaches Belendor I expect my campaign in this land to be finished.  Once more I am graced by the presence of the Spirit of War as those priests are slain. He expresses his rather insincere thanks to me in the form of a magical bow, which is soon in the hands of Belendor.  Belendor's troop has reached that magic vault, only to be greeted by a fierce hailstorm that is unquestionably magical in nature. Before it passes two of his Tigran companions are dead and a third is seriously wounded. Fortunately the rest are able to defeat the guardians of the vault and find the remains of the previous group of explorers Me posted:For those of you paying attention, the Knight was left behind as the boat can only hold 7 guys, not 8.  Once the defenders were defeated Belendor was able to explore the vault. Contained within he found scrolls detailing a rather useful water spell, one that could call down refreshing rain upon the battlefield.   I did not want Yaka getting adventuresome while Belendor's troop was off on that island, so I cast a powerful spell upon his stronghold. The magical energies caused a great explosion in the city and blasted a giant hole in the walls of the city. The chaos caused by the spell was sure to slow down any production there for a number of days.  Belendor's return from the island also brought with him more of his lost skills, this time in the form of how to shield himself from physical harm, albeit in a limited fashion. Me posted:This is me actually messing up a little. I completely forgot about the Shield of the Ankh which is still idling on Merlin. Oh well.   Belendor's surviving troops are soon joined by the Fire Elemental and the Sphinx in time for the assault on Yaka's stronghold. The fight is fierce and quick, ending with most of Yaka's forces dead, the Wizard defeated, and most of Belendor's troops still alive. The Spirit of War approves of the victory and provides me with a token of his recognition. Me posted:I accidentally auto-resolved this battle.  A quick strike before the surviving defenders are able to regroup allows for the complete conquest of the city, removing Yaka's influence from this land and driving him back to his sanctuary.  ****************************** Fire 2 will be started soon. I haven't played any of it yet so that means you can now suggest a special rule or two that I'll have to follow for it. I'll go with whatever's most popular if it's within reason, possibly two if I find them to be interesting enough.
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Jan 4, 2014 00:40
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I could never bring myself to change that nature node. What if the Spirit of Nature gets mad at me?  I don't even know which special rule would make the next map more fun. Perhaps this: Don't use the healing spell you got, since you normally would not have one as a fire mage.
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Jan 4, 2014 11:38
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Combining spells of opposite alignments is the best part of the game.  Convert every node you see. Build a single shrine to the spirit of magic. Hilarity happens in 3... 2... 1...
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Jan 4, 2014 14:50
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Use only human units and migrate or raze any non-human city. Humanity will rise again.
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Jan 4, 2014 16:42
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Migrate every city to Tigran, disband all non-hero humans. Bonus points for combining with the above.
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Jan 4, 2014 20:18
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Orcs are the future of the world. All cities must be orcish by game's end
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Jan 4, 2014 22:59
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One note for challenges: If I remember right our second hero is a Tigran
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Jan 4, 2014 23:16
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"The Pathetic", huh? Does that title change dynamically during the game, or has he always been called that?
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Jan 13, 2014 03:25
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They change depending upon the leader's power and reputation. Generally if you grind them out to nothingness and defeat them you get Pathetic or a similar 'little power' title. I've completed Fire 2, the challenge chosen was a slight tweak to the "Only Humans" approach, though to be fair the only Tigrans you get are by an early recruitment option
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Jan 13, 2014 04:19
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Teaser for this update:
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Jan 13, 2014 21:00
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Taerkar posted:Teaser for this update: Well, good luck with that! Remember, fireballs are a wizard's best friend.
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Jan 13, 2014 22:22
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Damnit, I had a good chunk of the update written and now it's missing.
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Jan 14, 2014 22:10
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Taerkar posted:Damnit, I had a good chunk of the update written and now it's missing. Well, that sucks. Stupid LP curse 
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Jan 15, 2014 07:46
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Age of Wonders 2 - Fire, Mastery Phase, Stoking the Flames Your sphere-appropriate music for this update is Fire Song  Merlin posted:If they remain at war, I can topple them both. The Humans will have a fertile homeland. I ride at the vanguard of a long line of my people. Many have remained behind in their old homes, choosing to stay in the river valley surrounded by the desert wastes. The Tigrans that remain have forsaken Yaka and have renounced his ways. I can only hope that they will be able to coexist in peace as I have shown them.  By my side is Belendor. No longer is he a former champion, the great Hero Belendor has returned to full once more. My people look to me for guidance, but they look to him for strength, and he deserves no less. No more does any proverbial rust linger upon him, instead he has surpassed his former glory and is even more a hero now than he was before. And I have changed as well, my knowledge, my methods, and my skills are greater than they were when I first started on this quest. Every night I look over the material that Gabriel has provided me, familiarizing myself with the various beings I shall likely face.  Frostlings posted:In times of peace and abundance, the Frostlings have forged legendary structures, and adorn their world with glittering diamonds made of ice. A thousand legends surround the enigmatic Frost Queen who often takes shelter among Frostling cities, while the lights of the northern sky blink, crackle and bend to protect the Frostlings from malicious forces desiring to steal their secrets. To the north of the region lie some of the Frostlings, and where there are Frostlings there is almost always Artica. I must admit that I fear that I will likely not be able to work with Artica, for she is as cold to others as her Frostlings.  Orcs posted:They are the priestesses of the Orcs, using their powers they offer up the weakest of the orc tribes to the gods of their enemies so as to insult them.  Goblins posted:Older Goblins are sent to the afterlife by means of a large bomb strapped to their backs. Often in their haste to get to the "Land of Echoing Screams," the goblin paradise, they may "accidentally" take a few of their younger kinsfolk with them. Life is cheap among the Goblins.  As the Savannah and desert meets the glaciers, life blooms. And it is at this spot that I call a halt to the caravan. With this life comes the warfare that I have heard of from travelers, so now we must settle.   Per Gabriel's advice I order the construction of an outpost along the start of the river, where the little streams from the glacier come together and run deep enough for travel along the waters to be possible.  I also order the construction of a second outpost behind us in the fringe of the Savannah. Borshire will both serve as support to Dascine and as a waypost for the rest of my people as they eventually travel to their new homes.  As I lay the plans down Belendor carries them out. Nary a soul complains as they go about their work as we all know the importance of what we are doing. In Belendor each of them sees the future of my people, of the glory and power that we will return to.  Dascine and Borshire will soon grow to be the basis of the rise of the new Empire of Humans, but every tree must start from a seed, and from there they must survive as saplings long before they can grow to a great height. Me posted:All newly founded cities start as Outposts. These are for all purposes a 'Tier 0' settlement with very limited usefulness, production, and defenses. They can only produce the Tier .5 unit of every faction (Such as the Human Halbredier) and the only structure that they can build is a wooden wall, and with only 15 production points in this case, neither will be done quickly.  While the majority of my people set about building their new homes and the homes of those that will soon be joining us I dispatch scouts to explore our surroundings. A nearby hill has a sole watchtower upon it, neglected in the current warfare that rages to our east. As Belendor rides to claim it with a handful of messengers he spots a small group of Tigran riders to the south.  Leaving the messengers at the tower he rides to the south to confront them. Wary as to their purpose he approaches them openly and soon one of their party moves to meet him. she introduces herself as Shira and offers the service of herself and her companions to our cause. It pleases me greatly that Belendor accepts that offer without pause, for he has as much reason as any of my people to hate them.  And it is not long before he draws blood with these Tigrans. An ancient ruin not far from the Tigrans is home to a small group of raiders that must be dealt with before they can threaten my people. After their defeat Belendor and Shira examine their spoils and come across a rather interesting device. Resembling one of the older muskets of my people it is significantly larger and seems to be made to be braced against a shoulder. Even in Dascine I seem to be able to feel the almost childish joy that Belendor has within him as he picks up the contraption and 'tries it out for size'. The bow that he was using is now carried by Shira. Me posted:
 My two scouts are active to the east and to the south, the latter traveling ahead of Belendor and Shira. My eastern scout has found a bridge beside a burned out farmland, and decides to turn back instead of crossing it as he spotted more smoke and flames in that direction. Per my initial instructions to him he is not to take any unnecessary risks.     Back to the west Belendor and Shira have found a small warband of Orcs camped in the wilds. At first we worried that they might be some of Karissa's Orcs, but upon further observation it was determined that they are not associated with her or, perhaps, are deserters from her force. Me posted:While Campsites can have recruitable forces this is not always the case. Here they are defended by hostiles and are a treasure site like any other. The Orc Axeman here is their basic T1 Melee unit so pretty typical of its kind, as the Archer is a rather generic T1 Ranged unit. The Impaler is their Tier .5 unit and broadly similar to the Human Halbredier. The only interesting unit is the Abomination, which is one of their Tier 2 units and serves as the 'utility' unit akin to the Human Swashbuckler. The Abomination is a bit better against lower tier units than the Swashbuckler due to possessing both a ranged and melee poison strike as well as the useful entangle ability, but it lacks the potential of being a threat to higher tier units that the Swashie has in the pistol.  Those Orcs were quickly dispatched and among their campsite Shira found an enchanted flute. As she picked it up her tiger mount seemed to be almost entranced by it, providing a strong hint as to its purpose. Me posted:Compared to the Shoulder Cannon the Animal Flute is not that great of an item, but it still has its uses. A bit of a regression to the mean I suppose, but still, Shoulder Cannon!  Not far from the campsite are two more small warbands. One of them, composed of Orcs, was currently in the process of utilizing a forge to craft more crude weapons and armor, while the other consisting of Goblins was busy collecting a great number of construction supplies from the surrounding lands. Both would clearly have to be dealt with.  As I was currently unable to dispatch workers to recover the supplies from the Goblins, Belendor and Shira rode out against the Orcs first. They announced their presence to the raiders with the thundering boom of Belendor's new device and quickly overwhelmed the panicked Orcs. Me posted:Look at that! Look at the stats on that Fire Cannon. With Enchanted Weapon and Marksmanship IV it becomes a 24 Attack, 20 damage weapon! It can easily one-shot most units in the game and can even cripple most Tier IV units.  The Eastern scout has turned to follow the southern branch of the eastern road and soon came across a long forgotten crypt among the trees. As before he stayed well away from it, not wanting to find who, or what, lurked among the tomb.  The Goblins have been left alone for now as my workers still labor furiously to continue to expand both outposts. To delay that work right now could be potentially disastrous. Due to this Belendor and Shira ride to the east towards the Crypt, seeking to calm the spirits or purge what may be present there.  They have indeed found a rather dangerous presence there. The animated remains of a great dragon burst from the crypt and bears down upon my champions. The Tigrans unleash their bows upon it without fear, but their arrows are unable to disrupt the dark magics that give false life to the corpse. Belendor's cannon, however, has no such difficulty and blasts incredible chunks out of the monster until those magics finally fail, unleashing a hail of dragonbone around the area. Me posted:Actually the arrows killed it, but only after Belendor's cannon shot tore away a chunk of 15 HP from it.  Even an undead dragon feels the urge to horde, apparently. But while most living dragons horde gold an undead one seems to horde bones and skulls. Shira's keen senses however did find a rather unusual ring of stone wrapped around a fingerbone among its lair, a strange little ring that allowed her to move her hand through the very earth like it was water. Me posted:Again the Stone Ring is an item that is, on some level, pretty nice but really only of much use if the map is designed for Cave Tunneling to begin with, which isn't that common.  Beyond the Crypt the scout has traveled back into the Savannah, seeking to join the other one already to the west. As the scout traveled along he came across a rather interesting finding, a rare bit of magical catalyst that has fallen from the stars. These Catalysts are believed to be fragments of the stars themselves and are charged with magical energy. Wizards like me can tap into that energy and use it to either empower their spellcasting for a limited period of time or be distilled and burned, the vapors enhancing one's ability to comprehend and understand the secrets of magic.    The initial stage of construction at Borshire and Dascine has been completed, allowing for me to dispatch some workers to collect the resources from the Goblins. Of course this would require the Goblins to be dealt with so Belendor and Shira travel back to the west to deal with them. They try to resist my two champions but are easily dispatched by the veteran warriors, allowing for the resources to be recovered. The infusion of ready supplies allows for the rapid construction of a workshop in Dascine, which will allow for all further projects to be completed quicker. Me posted:The reason why I waited until now is that when Dascine was an outpost the resources would only allow for me to build wooden walls, whereas if I waited until they became actual cities I would be able to choose between two of the possible construction options for the city. If I was lucky the option of a Wizard Tower would be one of them, but sadly it was not to be this time, so I went with the Builder's Guild for the extra +10 production that provides.    With that task completed my two champions head to the east again and descend down into the underground, an action that brings them quickly into contact with the first of the two warring wizards in the land, Karissa. Her initial reaction to our presence is not exactly welcoming, but her tone changes quickly as she offers us a temporary peace. While under other conditions I might refuse such an offer, my position right now is too fragile to risk the ire of her Orcs.   One of my scouts comes across a forgotten pool of visions, which provides me with some information regarding my surroundings, including a reminder that I have somewhat neglected the land to the north of my settlements.  Of more interest though are the remains of two large cities that once belong to the Azracs. No one really knows what happened to them, though some believe that they are the people that the Tigrans were created from. Only Yaka likely knows and knowing him, it's likely he'll never speak of those that have disappointed him as they did. Me posted:It's possible for the player to forgo settling in the initial spots and take both of their settlers to these cities and rebuild them, netting a pair of Tier 4 settlements to start with. Obviously though you would have to know about them to do this.  My scouts have traveled to the north now as I need information about Artica's land and her frostlings. A mine was cleared of some wolves that were residing within it, allowing for my people to start operations in it once more, but a nearby magic nexus was found to already be connected to Karissa. Better her than Artica at least.   It is of no surprise to me when we make contact with Artica. Her initial greeting is as cold as I was told to expect, and it is quickly made obvious that we will expect nothing but hostility from her and her Frostlings.  My scouts also come across a small pack of Karissa's Goblins, led by one of her champions, Jattah. He reminds me somewhat of Shira, though the Tigran rogue is far more capable than the Goblin.    Not long after that we have our first contact with some Frostlings. A small group of them are camped out around one of the numerous Magical Relays in this land. Such a potential strategic facility cannot be allowed to remain in hostile hands so Belendor and Shira move to take it from them. Me posted:Here we have the basic Frostling units. The Raider and Shard Thrower are their T1 Melee and Ranged units, respectively, while the Snowscraper is their Tier .5 unit. It's one of the few Tier .5's that has a ranged attack and is therefore one of the more useful ones.  Another Magical Relay is now under my control, though I do not yet have the means necessary to control them and exert my powers through them.  Or at least I did not until now. Taerkar fucked around with this message at 22:50 on Jan 17, 2014 |
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Jan 17, 2014 22:45
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Okay... I thought I had made the resolution smaller than that. What the hey. I'll have to use timg for this mission, but after this one I'll make sure they're the right size (1024x768) before I upload them. Sorry about this. Taerkar fucked around with this message at 22:51 on Jan 17, 2014 |
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Jan 17, 2014 22:47
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Wow, I never realized how powerful the shoulder cannon really is! Lucky find. The Fire Song is awesome by the way. I think Shard Throwers are one of the best T0.5 units in the game. If you man your walls with shard throwers who repeatedly freeze units that try to attack your gates you can defeat much higher quality forces.
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Jan 18, 2014 00:08
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You can cheese the construction resource bonus by queuing up all the structures you don't want to build before grabbing it. Sadly, this trick doesn't work in Shadow Magic. Edit: And abominations are a powerful force multiplier when you have the numbers and the enemy has the quality advantage (entangle+bumrush), or when you are defending in a siege, particularly if they can entangle someone standing at the gates. my dad fucked around with this message at 00:47 on Jan 18, 2014 |
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Jan 18, 2014 00:45
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Quite true, but generally when I am reviewing the effectiveness of units I am looking at not just how a player would handle them but the AI as well. It's not nearly clever enough to use entangle at the gates of a city, for example. The frost bolt ability of Snowscrapers is nice, but when it comes down to it the effect doesn't proc all that often so they don't tend to have that great of an effect. Overall I would say that the best Tier .5 units are either the Dwarven one, which is the Axeman (Who is pretty much a regular Tier 1 melee equivalent) or the Tigran Blade Thrower, who not only has pretty typical stats for a Tier .5 but also has the not-terrible throw blade ability and a rather impressive 12 HP at that level. A three-shot ranged attack that's 9 ATK 2 DMG base with the possibility of Marksmanship ranks isn't bad at all.
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Jan 18, 2014 04:39
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Okay, I'm just laughing at the shoulder cannon. Is it copying some dwarven unit or is it just a rocket launcher out of nowhere?
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Jan 21, 2014 03:49
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I think it was the humans who were gun-ho for cannons and rifles? 
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Jan 21, 2014 15:59
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Humans had the rifles (Musket) in the first game, but the Dwarves had the cannon as their replacement for catapults.
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Jan 21, 2014 16:09
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Age of Wonders 2 - Fire: Mastery Phase, Inferno  Belendor's group continues to push into Frostling lands, this time engaging a small siege force that was lead by one of their wolf-riders. The siege weapons that the group had with them brought an unfortunate end to one of Shira's companions, but that loss was quickly avenged. Me posted:Wolf Raiders are once again the Frostling Tier 2 cavalry unit. Possessing the standard traits of the Frostlings (Cold Protection, Fire Weakness, and a slight tweaking to their other stats) they're a pretty mediocre mounted unit.  Shortly after dealing with that siege force Belendor's group finds a nearby Frostling city that is almost devoid of defenses, quite likely having been stripped to provide that defeated group with troops. A very foolish action on both accounts.  Almost as soon as Belendor's group takes that city I receive an offer from Karissa for an alliance. I have mused about her before and my views on her still remain. She can be trusted for now, and the point at which she cannot be trusted no more tends to be a very obvious one. Like her Orcs she does not often employ underhanded tactics. As a result I feel safe accepting this offer for the time being.  As Shira and the rest of the group oversee the removal of the Frostlings from the captured city, to be replaced by my more cold-inclined humans, Belendor rides alone to the south. My watchers have reported a small pack of Frostlings moving about and he is the closest one to deal with them. And deal with them he does.  By the time Belendor has returned to Shira and the others a bit of interesting action has occurred to the south of them. Karissa's forces have taken another city from the Frostlings and had just finished removing them from it when a large group of Artica's troops came down and recaptured the city from her so that they could return it to her Frostlings. Karissa's forces were too far away to respond in time, but my forces were not. To that end Belendor's troop rode down and captured the city back from Artica, upon which point I offered to give it to Karissa in exchange for one of her mines in the region. An offer that she accepted.  Once that matter had been settled Belendor's group resumed their push into the Frostling North once more. It was after a day or so of riding through the snow that they came across a Rift Lord in the frozen wastes. A very powerful and dangerous creature, it was hanging around a Magic Vault for some reason. Me posted:The Rift Lord is the big brother to the lesser Rift Spawn. He's a solid Tier 4 unit with good stats, a whole bunch of immunities (Only Physical and Fire can hurt him and he possesses Willpower), and a couple of nice offensive traits (Including the unseen trait of Wall Crushing). As a straightforward brawler he's pretty good.  My people living in the now rebuilt former Azrac cities have reported to me a rather sizable number of Orcs emerging from the caves near them, lead by one of Karissa's Champions. For a moment I feared that this was her betraying me without notice, but they soon continued north, heading towards the Frostling lands.  A quick diversion underground brings a rather interesting sight. Frozen Caves full of snow and ice, but with a road running through them. Belendor's troop follows that road to the west and finds a Frostling City at one end of it. A city which they quickly capture.  Karissa loses another city to the Frostlings, only for my forces to recapture it once more. I return it to her as I did with the previous city, but with a slightly higher price this time.  The completion of a Temple of Order brings me into contact with the Spirit of Order once more. He gives me a task that I have no issue with completing.  After many long weeks of hunting her down, Belendor's troop finally manages to locate Artica's stronghold. She hides behind the walls of her sole remaining city in this area, with what little remains of her Frostlings around her.  Though that is not to say that what does surround her is all that weak. Me posted:The Mammoth Rider is one of the Frostlings' Level 3 units. It's a rather solid unit that trades some defensive capability for the Wall Crushing ability and a rather sizable punch. Their defense isn't that great but they possess a good amount of HP, allowing them to eventually crush a significant number of low-level units beneath their feet. A pretty solid unit overall.  The war against the Frostlings has been an educational one to Shira and has lead to the further development of her magical and defensive abilities. While she is not nearly as powerful as Belendor, she has become a rather capable individual in her own right.  I think that the Spirit of Order just might possess a strange sense of humor.  The days have been quiet as Belendor's troop awaits more reinforcements before assaulting Artica. A wait that is lengthened only ever so slightly by a second offer from the Spirit of Order. His reward for his task being completed is much more useful this time.  Eventually though more reinforcements do reach Belendor, but they fly Karissa's banners, not mine. But even so help is help and I will certainly take advantage of it.  I wonder if Artica's blood runs so cold that she cannot feel fear, even in a time like this. To see such a large number of hostile forces surrounding her final fortress, bringing with them the promise of her doom.  Her loyal Frostling defenders all lie dead beyond the walls, slain by Human, Tigran, and Orc weapons after a foolish attempt to sally forth. Her walls and gates sound with the strikes of battering rams against them.  And in the end her final defeat comes quickly, at the end of a Tigran blade. Her influence in this land is no more.  This land now belongs to Karissa and myself, and will remain so as long as peace persists between Orcs and Men. Though we are allies now, I make sure my people are preparing for the future when that is not true.  Merlin posted:These savage creatures are well-suited to withstand the hellish heat of Yaka's volcanic homeland. I will make good use of them. Yaka's cruel dream must be stopped.  Though I am accompanied by Belendor and Shira, the majority of the forces that I shall command in these blasted lands are Orc. Karissa has shown a rather uncharacteristic amount of generosity with her offer here, but I am no fool. If I fail then a potential foe of hers is weakened, and if I succeed then a challenger to her fire, Yaka, is defeated.  She certainly has provided me with some potential tools to start with. Me posted:Ah, the Orc Warlord. Still as awesome as always he continues to be a tier 3 beast of physical combat. He actually picks up the first rank of Leadership at Silver tier, which upgrades to rank II at Gold tier, though right now that is being overwritten by Belendor's Leadership III ability. As in the first game his only real weakness is his low resistance stats, though it's effectively even lower in AoW 2. ******************************************** So that's it for the second mission of the Fire Campaign. At this point the player has the option of doing the extra mission or continuing on to the next sphere, which is water. Each sphere is a mini-campaign so you start over from scratch. This pattern of three mission mini-campaign will continue into the next game, Shadow Magic. But with the glimpse into the next mission we get to the point where another challenge can be proposed. I don't remember offhand if Human or Tigran cities are even on this map or not, but I do believe that there is a rather significant amount of undead present.
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Jan 25, 2014 17:26
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