Bay 12 Games Forum

Quote from: GreatWyrmGold on November 14, 2012, 08:17:59 pm

Step 5: Golems are common.
Step 6: Golems are overexploited.
Step 7: Golems rebel.
Step 8: Dwarves scorch the skies.
Step 9: The golems wonder how this was supposed to stop them.
On a serious note, I don't think that golems should be so much "rare and powerful" as "uncommon, typically inefficient, and requires care."

Whether a golem generated by a mood is powerful, useful-but-inefficient, or basically useless (and in what capacities) would be procedurally generated based on the nature of the mood, maker, materials, etc., with golems of intermediate utility and low danger being the most common.

Sounds okay. Moods should A. occur in worldgen to create the possibility of starting off with golem knowledge and B. just let one invent golems. I think B was covered by you, though.

Whether a golem made outside of a mood is powerful or w/e should be a function of the mood-golem and the skill of the maker; the danger level would be the same as that of the mood-golem, but the most dangerous mood-golems generally wouldn't be something you could make more of.

I'm not sure about "could." "Would" seems more appropriate.

Quote from: GreatWyrmGold on November 14, 2012, 07:38:21 pm

First, if one choice is inherently superior to another then there's not really any reason to have the inferior choice, and there's that much less of a game. If there's no reason not to, such choices should be balanced.

There is a reason to have such a choice: so people can make things more or less difficult for themselves. If you don't want nontrivial healing magic to be present in your game, turn it off in init/RAW; if you want nontrivial healing magic to be common in your game, turn it up in init/RAW

A modding solution is no solution, especially when it doesn't solve the problem. Anyways, it's not like balanced healing magic is a horrible break from reality if done right. And Toady doesn't do things wrong.

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Second, a miracle should be miraculous but it shouldn't be reliable or common. That's "balance" in the sense we're using it.

If the miracle is a healing artifact, the artifact should be reliable; what should be unreliable is getting the artifact.

As mentioned earlier in the thread, I don't like rare things that make the game immensely easier. Stuff should be good, cheap, or infinite--pick one, two tops.

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Third, why would being a doctor be needed to request a miracle or however it works, and why would siege operation would be needed to summon fireballs? And why would siege engineering matter at all? Seriously, if magic is just the highest level of normal skill, it's not so magical anymore.

• This would be a level beyond what would be normally achievable. Far beyond.
• Note the use of the word "generally" --i.e., there would be exceptions. These would generally be considered 'weird' in-world.
• Siege Engineering because that is one of the skills that would be used for catapults.

1. Then why is the skill even needed?
2. Why are catapults related to fireballs?

Hmmm... I might have a way to harm him...

I thought we were on the same side!

Quote from: GreatWyrmGold on November 14, 2012, 09:43:16 pm

Why was my action skipped?

Because I'm a blind ass mofo and I was interrupted while making it.

Ah...
I hope the interruption was pleasant.

Ask, then ask if she wants to investigate the elf.

Emphasize that you're asking out of concern for her well-being and because you're not used to humans' sleep patterns.

Attack and kill the three bandits.
Quietly if possible.

Remember my traits, please!

Make sure turrets are set to "Shoot At All Enemies"
Create large starship, big enough to hold all Aperture Science laboratories several times over. Make sure it includes weapons, armor, and life support.
Move all Aperture Science assets and personnel to said starship.
Take off.

Seriously, why was my action skipped?

"This is the best I've got, let's find a town and see if we can get a decent anvil there."

Test wings. If I can't fly, make a hollow tube.

Go and talk to the elf, make a decision after that.