Version 5.36 changes

[johan]

Posted here while I figure out how to do a proper news post. The system has changed on steam.

--------------------------

This update brings Performance improvements, bug fixes as well as some new features. Also the 64-bit version for Windows will now be used by default if possible. Modders also get a few new commands to use.

General

• Earliest time for the eruption of the Burning Mountain delayed by one year
  
• Spell AI Improvements
  
• Battle performance improvement
  
• Blood mages smarter at sharing blood slaves
  
• Icon for Slaver
  
• Sorting of units/commanders from sites
  
• Solar Brilliance and Solar Rays can no longer be cast without a sun presence
  
• Fix for incorrect temple destroyed message
  
• New launch option: --noglfinish
  
• Out of time sound warning during network play
  
• New launch option: --timerwarn (set seconds before hosting for a warning sound)
  
• Improved cheat prevention
  
• Magic duel now only affects one target
  
• Precision 100 spells could miss in some rare cases
  
• Attack rear now behaves better when targeting flying units
  
• Speedup of map editor area editing
  
• Immobile units can no longer be seduced
  
• Automatic site searching no longer targets captured capitals
  
• Scrying sites now have a default range of 6 provinces
  
• Fix for arena winner getting an unusable item
  
• Innate Spell Caster and Time Stop didn't work properly
  
• Province owner hiding effect no longer hides from neighboring provinces
  
• AI fix

Windows

• 64-bit win version is now HiDPI aware
  
• Recreate temp dir if it has been deleted while the game is running
  
• Put an empty file in temp dir to prevent it from looking deserted

Modding

• Remember scrollbar position when selecting mods
  
• Increased maximum nbr of abilities by 4
  
• Minor mod related memory leak fixed
  
• Spell commands: #ainocast, #aibadlvl, #aispellmod, #details
  
• Event commands: #req_targminsize, #req_targmaxsize
  
• Unit & Item commands: #uwregen
  
• Item commands: #minsize, #maxsize
  
• Site commands: #scryrange

[Стоша Говнозад]

Originally posted by Taurec:

Nice, site search spells not targeting caps is great.

I'm also looking forward to some cool spell AI mods:

12.6 Spell AI Hints

#ainocast <0 or 1>
The spell AI will never select this spell unless it has been scripted. Use this for spells like Returning that should normally never be cast.

#aibadlvl <level>
The spell AI will never choose this spell if is is level or higher in the required magic path.

#aispellmod <bonus>
This modifies the vanilla spell AI to (dis)like this spell. Usually there is no need for this command. A value of -100 makes it never be cast and a value of 100 makes it twice as likable for the spell AI.

Should also add commands that makes communion master choose less deadly spell for slaves when in communion.
Like R'lyeth mage with earth path should not spam gifts from heaven instead water spells that cost almost no fatigue for slaves.

[Angus_Burger]

I'm extremely disappointed that you haven't addressed foul vapours (and other cloud spells I guess, but those don't need a nerf) in this change list. The fact that it triggers about 4 times a round, and even a single round of it being cast can kill a huge chunk of your army, is insane. The entire meta of games I'm playing is warped around casting foul vapours, gem burning to stop foul vapours, and getting PR mages to stop foul vapours. God help you if you don't have native N...

Seriously, how do you nerf solar brilliance and solar rays (lol) without touching foul vapours? Or was it intentional for it to be 10 times as powerful as it is in dominions 4? I'm sorry for my tone, but I don't really care about trivial fixes like these while this bizarre mechanic makes every battle a tedious slog. Cloud effects should NOT trigger 4 times per round...is that too much to ask?

[Angus_Burger]

If anyone needs evidence, while I was testing a mod pokemon nation with bulbasaur assassins, I had this result with a creature with poison cloud 3 fighting a barbarian:

https://imgur.com/a/vnd7Ezp

It seems to be variable how many times it occurs, but the fact that its possible for a poison cloud to trigger 6 times in a single round is so over the top ridiculous... you can see why I'm frustrated and surprised that it wasn't addressed at all. Is this bug hardcoded into the simultaneous turns?

[ApparentlyAlvin]

Originally posted by Welzi:

Hi!
As "The Forbidden Light" and the "Staff From The Sun" uniques (among others perhaps but those two come into my mind right now) are part of the sun, do they count as a presence of the sun and thus enable Solar Brillance and Solar Rays?

More importantly, does Buer the Goat Sun of the Inferno count as a sun presence? He is admittedly only a lesser sun, but one would hope that that should count for more than a mere fragment of the Sun.

[lord_khaine]

It would be nice with some more feedback on Foul Vapors.
Suposedly its meant to trigger, was it 3 timers per round, for 1/3 of the damage each?
But due to exploding dice that suddenly makes the spell far deadlier.

[Zonk]

Originally posted by ApparentlyAlvin:

More importantly, does Buer the Goat Sun of the Inferno count as a sun presence? He is admittedly only a lesser sun, but one would hope that that should count for more than a mere fragment of the Sun.

Apparently the Solar Disc pretender DOES count for this.
Inspector was just updated and I noticed a description change "The Solar Disc claims to be a manifestation of the Sun. It gives and takes life and commands great power over Fire. The Solar Disc is extremely hot and anyone who comes close will be burned to cinders. Any province where this god is, will always count as if it is in the presence of the sun."

[kristoffer]

Buer and Solar DIsc are suns. Forbidden Light is part of the sun. They allow you to cast Solar Brilliance.

Caves and deep seas have no sun presence.
Darkness and utterdark does not remove the sun, just stops its light, thus Solar Brilliance is castable during utterdark and banishes the darkness.
Theft of the sun removes the sun and unless you cast second sun there is no sun presence while theft of the sun is up.

[Welzi]

Thanks for the clarification kristoffer!

Have a great day!

Cheers

[Dast]

That incredible level of internal detail is one of the reasons I love this game so much.

Now, I have to go test if Erytheia's troops with sun awe (who apparently have it improved under a second sun) are boosted by other "counts as a sun" things.

[Zonk]

Originally posted by kristoffer:

Buer and Solar DIsc are suns.

Note that Buer's description does not mention enabling solar spells directly, unlike the Disc's:
" Any province where this god is, will always count as if it is in the presence of the sun."
Might want to write it, since people might reasonably believe that as a lesser, ground-bound sun Buer will not count.
PS: Is there any mechanical difference between "Heat of Buer" (what he autocasts) and "Heat from Hell"? Looks like it's the same enchantment, so unlikely doesn't stack if so might as well make him use Heat from Hell, which is very fitting anyway since he's a Demon Lord.

Theft of the sun removes the sun and unless you cast second sun there is no sun presence while theft of the sun is up.

Maybe the sun spells should be castable when fighting in Xibalba's capital province? Not sure this is worth coding, though (and maybe the sun is not just there but also 'locked'/hidden, otherwise the cave province would also be illuminated right?)

Now, I have to go test if Erytheia's troops with sun awe (who apparently have it improved under a second sun) are boosted by other "counts as a sun" things

Well since Kristoffer is here maybe he can just tell us :P If every sun source stacks that sun awe could get ridicolously high...

[kristoffer]

Originally posted by Angus_Burger:

If anyone needs evidence, while I was testing a mod pokemon nation with bulbasaur assassins, I had this result with a creature with poison cloud 3 fighting a barbarian:

https://imgur.com/a/vnd7Ezp

It seems to be variable how many times it occurs, but the fact that its possible for a poison cloud to trigger 6 times in a single round is so over the top ridiculous... you can see why I'm frustrated and surprised that it wasn't addressed at all. Is this bug hardcoded into the simultaneous turns?

I cannot reproduce your incredibly poisoned barbarian.
I think the spell is as efficient as intended (compared to fire storm and similar spells), but it might be too easy to cast and/or too cheap in gems. (Noted for the next balance patch).

[kristoffer]

Heat of Buer is the same battle enchantment effect as Heat from Hell, so it doesn't stack.

[kristoffer]

Sun awe is probably not affected by number of suns but specifically by the global Second Sun, so I guess they don't stack.

[Mormacil]

Originally posted by kristoffer:

Buer and Solar DIsc are suns. Forbidden Light is part of the sun. They allow you to cast Solar Brilliance.

Caves and deep seas have no sun presence.
Darkness and utterdark does not remove the sun, just stops its light, thus Solar Brilliance is castable during utterdark and banishes the darkness.
Theft of the sun removes the sun and unless you cast second sun there is no sun presence while theft of the sun is up.

Would it be possible #sun presence to be a monster tag?

[Angus_Burger]

Originally posted by kristoffer:

Originally posted by Angus_Burger:

If anyone needs evidence, while I was testing a mod pokemon nation with bulbasaur assassins, I had this result with a creature with poison cloud 3 fighting a barbarian:

https://imgur.com/a/vnd7Ezp

It seems to be variable how many times it occurs, but the fact that its possible for a poison cloud to trigger 6 times in a single round is so over the top ridiculous... you can see why I'm frustrated and surprised that it wasn't addressed at all. Is this bug hardcoded into the simultaneous turns?

I cannot reproduce your incredibly poisoned barbarian.
I think the spell is as efficient as intended (compared to fire storm and similar spells), but it might be too easy to cast and/or too cheap in gems. (Noted for the next balance patch).

Firestorm is a great example! Foul vapour is pretty much on par with firestorm, if not a bit stronger. It seems that foul vapour hits about 3 times when it targets a square (meaning 3 chances for a big roll) vs firestorm only rolling once (but 6 damage vs 1 damage * 3).

However, while most units will wear armour (even 10 or so armour means firestorm needs many hits to kill a unit), few units are innately poison resistant. And most mages can cast fire-resistance or buff spells (N = elemental fortitude + regen, E = marble warriors/legions of steel/temper flesh, F = fire resistance, W = fire resistance), there is literally only one path that can stop the poison damage; nature.

This makes foul vapours MUCH harder to counter, especially for a nation without N magic which is completely screwed. They need to get indie nature mages and empower one, or trade for a thistle mace, and then need to get enough N gems to make thistle maces and cast poison ward in EVERY single army they have. That means targeting constr4 and ench4 immediately, because foul vapours does so much damage so quickly that fighting a battle without PR is the complete death of your army.

Here's the kicker; firestorm is evo7. Most nations will not be rushing evo7, because they have tons of other paths they need to hit. Even Abysia, which loves fire, needs conj5 for fire elementals, and probably constr6 for lanterns, along with blood and thaum for their blood and astral mages. It will be a while before they hit evo7, and nations will have plenty of ways to counter it by then. And of course it needs a mage to have at least F3, which very few nations can do natively, and the fire helmet is very expensive and hard to make.

Meanwhile foul vapours is at ench5, which lots of nations are going to hit for other spells anyways. C'tis for example will rush it for horde of skeletons + quagmire (as will Pythium), Jomon wants it on the way to arrow fend, etc. And the resist spell (at Ench4 and Ench7) is on the same path as foul vapours itself; how convenient! Not to mention any N2W1 can cast it, and any N1W1 can cast it with an easy-to-make thistle mace.

Thus, though it seems like on the surface foul vapours and fire storm are similar in power level, only one of them is completely warping the meta in every single game its in. If you think they work similarly, then shouldn't foul vapours be at ench7 as well? Or at least Ench6?