Game mechanics

[Seravy]

It seems like overland skill is right, but the game thinks you're out of skill at your base skill, regardless of modifiers so you only get the extra skill when you can use it between turns.

Yes. That's how "hero" skill works. It's intentional, otherwise I would have added it to normal skill. Astrology is based on the movement of planets so you have to wait for the correct timing to be able to utilize it...in gameplay that translates to "you can't spent it immediately".

[Nelphine]

So, for 2 picks, someone can cast 50% more, until their skill gets high enough that it's instant, at which point, they lose the 50% bonus?

That seems.. very backwards. (Obviously not a problem for the current game since I found it in a node)

Incidentally, is the AI overland bonus done the same way? If so, they really aren't getting the bonus most of the time, since the majority of spells cast will always be instant. (Like the game with great unsummoning twice per turn. . Means the AI actually had 1400 skill, because the overland bonus doesn't work on instant cast spells? )

[Seravy]

So, for 2 picks, someone can cast 50% more, until their skill gets high enough that it's instant, at which point, they lose the 50% bonus?

Not really. You can cast your instant spell, then start another one and have it progress using the extra 50% so next turn you have that much more left over.

Incidentally, is the AI overland bonus done the same way?

No. It grants the AI progress on the spell when it starts being cast. For example if the spell costs 1000 and they have a 50% casting bonus, then they start the spell with 500 already done. I also hacked Spell Blast so this 500 doesn't count into the mana needed to blast the spell.

[Nelphine]

Ah. OK. And while I disagree about the astrologer bonus working that way (I'd say at least.. 60-80% of the overland spells I cast are instant, and my primary reason for increasing caster skill is to make more spells instant - if possible I would try to copy the AI bonus for the retort) having thought about it, in early game you get most of your casts enhanced with the bonus, and late game you only get a few spells enhanced, but you get double node power (which often doesn't matter early game be a use you won't have nodes anyway) which can make a big difference. So 2 picks is probably still fine.

But, making astrologer clearer in terms of explanation text might be important.

[Seravy]

Oh I remember why I made it "hero" type skill. Because normal skill would apply to combat...
Updated the help text for the next version.

[Seravy]

I'm thinking about changing treasure chances just a little.
It's now 4/15 for spell and 3/15 for item, and I'm considering to swap those two values. The AI is smarter at fighting against and with heroes now so item treasure should not be as game breaking as before, especially as the predefined item are more balanced too.

[Nelphine]

I'm actually finding (on impossible) there are too many items. I have everyone decked out in found items, and even still I'll clear a node, and get 3 staves with things like +6 attack, -3 spell save, multiple other abilities (like haste). It's not so much about the strength of the predefined items, as the treasure has to reach the node value, and unless there are sPell books, the game ends up just throwing massive numbers of items, good items, into the pile.

Having a higher base chance of items would make that even worse. I would be tempted to reduce items to 2/15; they still get used as filler, and plenty still show up. I simply can't use 20 awesome weapons. It's to the point I could customize my heroes per battle, if I could keep more items in the vault.

[Nelphine]

To be more ckear: no matter what reward I get, items are attached as filler. But if the item is initially rolled, I can't get spells or spell books as filler. So I'd rather see less initial items, just so there is more variety.

[Seravy]

But if the item is initially rolled, I can't get spells or spell books as filler.

You can unless the item uses up all the points which is not guaranteed. I guess the chance is high if the amount of points is low, but if it's like 6k then you have like 80% chance to still have enough points for a book.

I agree, late game items are plentiful...early game items, not so much. Maybe the problem is the ratio of weak to strong lairs? Or the difficulty level raising the monster budget too much so even weak lairs no longer feel weak? Or maybe it's fine as is...more Sorcery areas will make things a bit better for early game since low to medium value Sorcery places are much easier than other realms...phantoms and nagas are easy pickings with ranged units, they are slow and don't have much armor.

[Nelphine]

Hum. Interesting. So then it's simply because you can have multiple items?

Even still, getting 1-3 items or a spell and 1-3 items or a prisoner and several items are all common. Spell books often come with items. In all cases you can have multiple items, but you have limits on the other rewards, so I would rather not see any further increase to number of items.