Strat 4 Announcement

[Penitent]

But it's just grind, and random one at that. It also forces people into playstyles they wouldn't do without. It had to go.

I see what you mean.  For me it wasn't a grind...it was rare enough it was just a happy little bonus when it happened.  However, I didn't take strat too seriously so maybe for some people that REALLY tried for it it was different.

Maybe there can be a different way to link the two game types in a fun way.

[Nyalan]

But it's just grind, and random one at that. It also forces people into playstyles they wouldn't do without. It had to go.

That's what I was thinking...it really connected CRPG and strat in a meaningful way.

So maybe we could keep the craft, but by reducing it's power on the next Strategus... Players could keep getting this All thine hard(...) message, but heirlooming gear could also be made by the new Strat 4 method your are proposing: Making the costs close to buying one in a town, but getting a small advantage by crafting it, smaller on the Strat 4 than the 3.


I think Crpg is pretty much a grind game also(but not only grind)... This would be more fun for everyone, keeping a fun aspect of the game, and letting new players without having a big disadvantage over other older players, just like level 34 characters over level 30

[FRANK_THE_TANK]

Over the last few weeks the Dev and Beta testers have worked on and come up with the following Strat 4 Plan.  We are publishing the summary here for your comments and discussion so enjoy

Summary   

• Changes to goods crafting and recruitment system that mean no more sitting idle in fiefs, not actually doing anything. Recruiting and production of gold will happen everywhere, even while moving. Weapons and Items will be bought from fiefs, with varying costs. There is no more crafting.
• Changes to trade that reduce the distance you need to travel for a good price but still reward traveling a long distance.
• Customizable Fiefs to add variety and options for factions and fief owners. Fiefs steadily produce points that can be reset manually or by raiding a fief. Fief owners can use those to:       
  • increase heirloom state of items (default: broken)
  • decrease cost of items
  • increase or decrease default price of trade good
  • increase the amount of goods available for buying/selling
  • increase or decrease tax on items and goods
• New Equipment tier system that makes it easier to get the looms you want, but makes it harder to make fully loomed armies.
• Steeper troop upkeep graph that encourages smaller more numerous armies over larger armies as this gets more people involved.
• No more neutral fiefs - players can do a hidden vote for a fief owner in the first 8h of the game. Being in a fief gives you a boost to your votes. You only have those initial 8h to reach a fief, though. So factions will have split up areas, which should increase the tension.
• Fief Corruption for empires that grow too large, but done in a way such that faction splitting does not give you an advantage.  Corruption can still be overcome for organised factions that want to expand. Each faction will have to decide how much corruption it can cope with though.  Factions will also have a Vigilance rating that can decrease corruption.  Vigilance will be a war/fighting based score.
• AI Bandits, AI Caravans (if possible) - also, the AI will auto hire for people who haven’t noticed they are getting attacked
• People will get peasant gear when spawning naked. no more naked peasant genocide
• All in all - a faster game

   
 

Just not sure about the steeper upkeep cost, but I'll wait and see what happens
It will be great for me because I work with a bunch of smart reliable folk but it's going to hurt some of the clans with people that don't give 2 hoots aka a fuck.

BRING IT ON!

-----

Thought's on ATHW:

It was a grind. It trapped me. A number of people would remember the 3 gens I spent running around with just a csite and con mat driving everyone mad.

It however compelled me to keep playing even thought the Australian community was dead and the best ping I could hope for was 270. It compelled me because I could help my strat clan and friends.

But over all I feel like chadz has unshackled me, and pulled me out of the oobliette. I never thought I would see the sun again, I never thought I would be free. But there it is, hanging in the sky, through the murky haze.

I died a thousand deaths in that whole, but none ever killed me. NOW I'M FREE! I'll probably trip over leaving the castle and crack my head on a rock.

[MarktpLatz]

I'd like to see if it's a 49 vs 49 army you should allow up to 49 people on each side to sign up for battle.  No respawning necessary...this should be the case for any battles that one side has less than 90 people (since we have 200 man servers).  And it should also be slightly scaled.  So if you have a 1000 vs 1500 man army, one side would have 105 troops, the other side would only have 95 (or sometihng like that, but would need to make it a very minimal amount).

For example, if a 49 troop army gets attacked by a 2000 man army, the one side should be able to spawn with 151 troops, and the other 49...I don't see a valid reason against this.

The "valid" reason is the fact that you can defeat better equipped armys just by outnumbering them and just taking the spawns.

[Xtrah]

Don't split the map, the defender should have the ping advantage if there is any

[Spartacus]

when can we expect this??

[niallhalloran]

Sorry if I don't get this straight but will there be 2 maps? or will there be one map with a border in between stating the mark onto NA land and EU for example:               

                                          NA land and all its Glory with its Ping and battles | EU land and all its Glory with its Ping and battles


Sorry if I structured this poorly.

[HardRice]

Sorry if I don't get this straight but will there be 2 maps? or will there be one map with a border in between stating the mark onto NA land and EU for example:               

                                          NA land and all its Glory with its Ping and drama | EU land and all its turtles


Sorry if I structured this poorly.

Fixed.

But, I'm hoping it isn't the same as last time.

[Dach]

But it's just grind, and random one at that. It also forces people into playstyles they wouldn't do without. It had to go.

how about not making it a grind? and not random... 

Say instead of giving point for crafting to village themselve... maybe you could train your character in a village or city to spend time learning your skill. Like getting blacksmith training which give you point for either reduced cost, heirloom point for your crafting, etc.

You could also have leadership skill class which give bonus to recruitment, less upkeep for your troops, etc.

Learning healing would say resurrect a % of the ticket you loss in a battle... cheaper price for healing tent, etc.

Learning trading give you a better sell price... less tax into village, etc.

etc etc etc. guess you get the point.

Also you could limit certain trainer to specific type of fief.

Blacksmith for village. Leadership in castle. Healing and trading in City.

TL:DR Well single player mount and blade basically. 

[Digglez]

Not fishy. More like the ultimate betting game. Bet too high and you waste votes, bet too low and you waste votes as well. Better train your poker skills

any sort of huge impact that is that time sensitive (8h window) is terrible design

[Dach]

Yah forgot about that, what about clan or people that join after the round start and don't have access to any fief.

Option for these people?! 

[CrazyCracka420]

One other minor change might be to have flags automatically captured (I thought of this before I realized you can look up and still hit the use key to take down flags)

[Abay]

Well, I think it is fine but always need more. Reality is my main key for the game, so... Strategus mechanics must push the people provide the power balance. In normal conditions, it would be done already but no-one(only some several does) cares about being wiped out or losing their honour for the power in the game. Maybe there would be an honour line in personal statistics that shows his characteristics like reliability and performance. Heh, seems there is a lot work to do 

[Jarlek]

Yah forgot about that, what about clan or people that join after the round start and don't have access to any fief.

Option for these people?! 

Please read the OP again. Especially what I quoted beneath:

(click to show/hide)

• Changes to goods crafting and recruitment system that mean no more sitting idle in fiefs, not actually doing anything. Recruiting and production of gold will happen everywhere, even while moving. Weapons and Items will be bought from fiefs, with varying costs. There is no more crafting.
• Customizable Fiefs to add variety and options for factions and fief owners. Fiefs steadily produce points that can be reset manually or by raiding a fief. Fief owners can use those to:       
  • increase heirloom state of items (default: broken)
  • decrease cost of items
  • increase or decrease default price of trade good
  • increase the amount of goods available for buying/selling
  • increase or decrease tax on items and goods
• People will get peasant gear when spawning naked. no more naked peasant genocide

New clans can run around and recruit/earn gold exactly the same way as the old clans and the fief owners. If they want to use something from a fief, they do so exactly the same way the fief owners do. Nothing stops you from buying/selling goods/equipment in a fief you don't own. The only advantage the fief owners get is the ability to chose what way the fief gets upgraded and they get some sort of cut when people buy/sell in their fief.

New clans that just farm troops will even get basic peasant gear for free.

No matter what, they will have full access to the fiefs.

[Dach]

Yeah I get that but people can still kick your ass out of the fief than attack you right away...

buying gear might not be easy for newcomers. 

or having rough tax too...