Mood of town should change when enemy faction controls it... | Forums

[Frakel]

My first post in these forums. Ok, here goes...

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In the old Heroes games one thing allways bothered me: When my evil demon hero conquered a haven town the town still looked the same in the town screen: the sky was blue, a divine light shone from above, colorfull banners decorating the houses... When the Inferno faction conquers a haven town I want the mood of the town to change. Instead of a blue sky I want to see a thunderstorm approaching. Instead of sunlit, orderly streets, I want to see small fires across towns, and other signs to reveal that a chaos faction now controls this town. Following the same idea: when the sylvan faction controls an enemy town I want to see the houses and structures covered in roots, whines and branches. When the necromancer factions controlls an enemy town I want to see the colorfull banners replaced by grey and black. When the haven faction controls an enemy town I want to see just a single ray of divine light shine from above, indicating, that this former enemy stronghold (though still occupied by enemy races and creatures) now serves a greater good.

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This could be a purely graphical (and / or musical) effect that happened automatically when an enemy of a different faction conquered a town. But there could also be a game effect - associated with the controlling faction. Morale bonuses, bonuses in castle combat, increased creature growth...

Perhabs these effects should be a kind of faction-unique buildings: building that could be constructed in any town, but each faction can only build a specific type. Inferno build a kind of â´brimstone stormclouds`, heaven build â´divine lightâ´etc. When a town is conquered by an enemy of a different faction than the loosing controller, any faction-unique building of the loosing controller should be automatically demolished.

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What are your thoughts about this, and what should the game mechanics be like?

EDIT ---

Haven invaded by inferno:



Haven invaded by necropolis:


Havrn invaded by sylvan:

[Frakel]

My first post in these forums. Ok, here goes...

-------

In the old Heroes games one thing allways bothered me: When my evil demon hero conquered a haven town the town still looked the same in the town screen: the sky was blue, a divine light shone from above, colorfull banners decorating the houses... When the Inferno faction conquers a haven town I want the mood of the town to change. Instead of a blue sky I want to see a thunderstorm approaching. Instead of sunlit, orderly streets, I want to see small fires across towns, and other signs to reveal that a chaos faction now controls this town. Following the same idea: when the sylvan faction controls an enemy town I want to see the houses and structures covered in roots, whines and branches. When the necromancer factions controlls an enemy town I want to see the colorfull banners replaced by grey and black. When the haven faction controls an enemy town I want to see just a single ray of divine light shine from above, indicating, that this former enemy stronghold (though still occupied by enemy races and creatures) now serves a greater good.

---

This could be a purely graphical (and / or musical) effect that happened automatically when an enemy of a different faction conquered a town. But there could also be a game effect - associated with the controlling faction. Morale bonuses, bonuses in castle combat, increased creature growth...

Perhabs these effects should be a kind of faction-unique buildings: building that could be constructed in any town, but each faction can only build a specific type. Inferno build a kind of â´brimstone stormclouds`, heaven build â´divine lightâ´etc. When a town is conquered by an enemy of a different faction than the loosing controller, any faction-unique building of the loosing controller should be automatically demolished.

---

What are your thoughts about this, and what should the game mechanics be like?

EDIT ---

Haven invaded by inferno:



Haven invaded by necropolis:


Havrn invaded by sylvan:

[Kartabon]

First of all, congratulations for your first post!

Your idea is really a good. I must agree with you when you says the town must change its look when a hero of another race conquers a castle of another faction. You have a great idea also when you say that should be a kind of faction-unique buildings... Great idea, i hope that Fabrice and ubi hear you...

[thadivine]

i totally agree but..

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content"> Morale bonuses </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
when a demon hero controlls angels they wont be very happy and neither will the devil who is there too be...
Didnt they do that already in h3?

anyway, if we wanna make avrything really realistic i think we'll have to wait a few month longer...

But this idea is easy to implementand i hope the devs do something with it

[ThE-HyDrA]

The misoccuption of a town should only instigate a cosmetic change. We already have morale penalties for fighting with creatures of an opposite alignment in the same army, which is an adequate penalty.

If we start introducing penalties for capturing a town whose beliefs are against your own, then people may be discouraged from attacking a town because of the penalties they may incur. Instead, they may look for an adjacent town of a less objectionable alignment or reload the map if it is a random town.

I agree that the mood should change if it is under the occupation of an opposing alignment. This would involve less action within the town, perhaps a more despondent setting, maybe the grass being burnt or dulled etc. Simply visual changes that will make the player seem that they've actually conquered it. I agree in this respect, towns need to be as lively and dynamic as possible.

[Frakel]

Thanks for your feedback.

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by thadivine:
i totally agree but when a demon hero controlls angels they wont be very happy and neither will the devil who is there too be... </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

You make a good point. Perhabs there should be some kind of tradeoff... Any change in mood towards the controllers faction could give a morale bonus to creatures of that faction, and perhabs a penalty to creatures of the original faction (depending on how strongly those factions are opposed). This will be a good choice if you have just conquered an enemy town and has a large army with creatures of your own alignment. Perhabs later (when your own army has shrunk and you rely more heavily on the creatures recruited in this particular town) you would consider returning the town to neutral mood (by demolishing your own faction-unique building) to make better use of the creatures native to the original faction of the town.

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But still - if this idea should be implemented (one can only humbly ask...) I would also like to see these faction-unique building to have an effect besides of any morale effects: sylvan whines randomly binding enemies in castle combat etc.

[DarkAngelTale]

It would make a stunning cosmetic change.

I do like that idea for a faction-unique building that can be built in any town to provide bonuses. Perhaps the bonus could be to defend the town, and only for the original troops of your faction? This is what I've come up with so far...

- the divine light of the Haven town could add an effect that strengthens the city's walls and boosts the morale of the fighters by one. So when the Haven defends their new Sylvan town, all the Haven troops defending in that town have +1 morale.

- those brimstone stormclouds that the Inferno town would build may increase the health of all demon troops defending that Dungeon town by 5% or 10%, and do very minor damage (maybe 10 or 15) every round to each enemy attacking the castle.

- the Dungeon faction could enhance the shadows of the town, adding a much darker general look to the city screen. The shadows cast by each building would be much sharper, and the sky would darken slightly as well. These shadows would also improve each Dungeon troop's defense (by maybe 20%) and lower the enemy attack power slightly as well (by maybe 5%).

- The Necropolis faction could have an unholy aura in the town that weakens the structures and people in the town, creating a look of a plagued city; the doors on buildings would be falling off, the people would turn gaunt and skeletal. The aura, in combat, would bolster the strength of all undead creatures in battle by 20%, but would weaken the strength of ALL living creatures in the battle by 5%, be they defending or attacking. The undead don't really play well with others.

- the Sylvan faction's vines and roots sprouting from the ground would create a much more natury look in the city. As you said, vines would spread over the houses and buildings, and small trees would start growing from the ground. This makes enemy movement in combat slower, reducing the movement of all attacking creatures by a tile and the speed of all attacking creatures by 5%, but makes the Sylvan troops defending the town more agile, increasing their speed by 5% and movement by a tile as well.

- the Academy faction I don't really know enough about to be able to make a guess as to what they could do for their building. :-\ Something magical, I would assume, but eh, I don't have the slightest idea what, since I know nothing about that town.

Anyway, even if it is just cosmetic, it's still a good idea, in my opinion. You got my approval. ^_^

- Tale,
edited to add spaces between each idea.

[Frakel]

He he - we think alike! Thanks for your approval - and for expanding and exemplifying on the idea! In my mind this is really coming to life now. One can only hope this makes it into the game, or an expansion...

[Tetsumonkai]

Lets hope they consider this for homm6.

[Frakel]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Tetsumonkai:
Lets hope they consider this for homm6. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Yes - but the earlier the better .

Being totally ignorant on how the game graphic engine actually work, I still wouldnâ´t think it would take such a great effort to implement these mood changes. Since all the towns are rendered in 3D a simple change of lighting, some adjustment on the saturation and colour of the textures, and you have come a long way allready. Its not like they have to change the actual 3D model or anything...

Oh mighty developers - I bow low before you at least consider this humble proposal...