Improvements

[Scaredgirl]

Improvements are things you build on certain hexes to get more resources from that hex.
 
Skill trees (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,17109.msg232659#msg232659) now have 4 different kind of skills that enable you to build improvements.

  Wind Mill (plains)
  Mine (mountains or hills)
  Forge (lava)
  Water Mill (river)

I was first going to make one for each element but I think that this would be too much. We might add a couple more, I don't know.

Post comments and ideas, thanks.

[einherjar145]

  Woodhouse(forest)
  Soul House?(Graveyard)
 
 All i could think off?

[Scaredgirl]

Woodhouse(forest)
  Soul House?(Graveyard)
 
 All i could think off?

Not bad.

I would change the one to Lumbermill though. Reason I why I didn't add this in the first place, is that I didn't know to which element to put it. Doesn't make much sense when in because you are destroying forest.

We could have a "Soul House" of sorts in Dead Forest hexes.

But my main issue here is that if we give each element an improvement, that might become way too complicated.

[einherjar145]

Oh then wouldnt it be simpler if there is like a town that has like a pillar or something that gives them a specific quanta for the ones without improvements?

[vanlong441]

My opinion:
The reason why we need resource is that it is the only material to make/construct something. For example, I need a ship. It costs mostly Lumber, Metal and some Precious stone (to make a compass, binoculars). Although we can buy all material or even a whole ship from the market or from the traders, it takes lots of Electrum  . Exploiting resource is a cheap and effective solution 

Improvements are built by the government (under the King's order), guarded by players using it and/or the army because it doesn't take just a couple of tree logs to build a Wind Mill or a Mine  .

Players get more resource by exploiting it from the improved-hex, however, each improvement has a capacity of worker in it. Either the government or the players themselves get involved in Expanding the improvement. Each player must spend several APs for one working shift in oder to receive resource in an improvement.

After a siege or an assault, the improvement will get damaged no matter what the result of the battle and must be repaired before in use again. It costs resource taken from neighbor areas and several turns to repair the improvement. This mostly is done by the government (and the players' donation). The winner of the battle controls the improvement that the hex has.

Some improvements/kind of resource and its usage I can summarize:

Hex	Resource	Usage	Improvement
Plains	Cereals	Trading, alchemy	Wind Mill
Mountains/Hills	Metal, precious stone, stone	Trading, build/construct/repair stuff	Mine
Lava/Volcano	Sulfur, gas	Trading, improve siege weapon damage	Forge
River	Gold, precious metal	Trading, making stuff, used instead of electrum	Water Mill
Dead land	Souls	Enhance spells of its owner (can't trade)	Graveyard
Forest	Lumber, rare plants	Trading, build/construct/repair stuff; alchemy	Tree houses

[einherjar145]

Well i mean to say that this town has a pillar which u can salvage like the improvement which u r talking about but nvm about that.(for free i guess)

So u need any more improvements???
Or why cant we do something like the skill for the rustler.
Use a item/skill to transfer this element(maybe from the improvements) to another element.(just guessing)

[TimerClock14]

Woodhouse(forest)
  Soul House?(Graveyard)
 
 All i could think off?

Not bad.

I would change the one to Lumbermill though. Reason I why I didn't add this in the first place, is that I didn't know to which element to put it. Doesn't make much sense when in because you are destroying forest.

We could have a "Soul House" of sorts in Dead Forest hexes.

But my main issue here is that if we give each element an improvement, that might become way too complicated.

But if we don't then there will most likely be an inbalance in how many players there are per element. For example, if Bob is trying to pick between earth and light, he's more likely to choose earth because he can get more benefits from it in the long run, light however has no benefits, long or short term.

[Malduk]

Make improvements universal across elements. Its the easiest to do, and simplifies things when improved hex is occupied by another element.
Improvements could give:
- more money per turn
- various fighting bonuses if fight happens on that hex (several different improvements, giving say limited number of upgraded cards, like lvl1 tower lets you upgrade 1 spell card if fight is on that hex etc)
- roads that allow you to travel faster
- barbed wires / crap on the road, that makes traveling slower for "enemies" (ie, they cant leave the hex for 1 round)
- lookout (still unsure will everyone be visible on the map. if not, lookout would reveal all players several hexes around it)

etc etc. Universal approach gives plenty of simple options here.

[Dragoon]

Make improvements universal across elements. Its the easiest to do, and simplifies things when improved hex is occupied by another element.
Improvements could give:
- more money per turn
- various fighting bonuses if fight happens on that hex (several different improvements, giving say limited number of upgraded cards, like lvl1 tower lets you upgrade 1 spell card if fight is on that hex etc)
- roads that allow you to travel faster
- barbed wires / crap on the road, that makes traveling slower for "enemies" (ie, they cant leave the hex for 1 round)
- lookout (still unsure will everyone be visible on the map. if not, lookout would reveal all players several hexes around it)

etc etc. Universal approach gives plenty of simple options here.

I second this idea.

[Scaredgirl]

Make improvements universal across elements. Its the easiest to do, and simplifies things when improved hex is occupied by another element.
Improvements could give:
- more money per turn
- various fighting bonuses if fight happens on that hex (several different improvements, giving say limited number of upgraded cards, like lvl1 tower lets you upgrade 1 spell card if fight is on that hex etc)
- roads that allow you to travel faster
- barbed wires / crap on the road, that makes traveling slower for "enemies" (ie, they cant leave the hex for 1 round)
- lookout (still unsure will everyone be visible on the map. if not, lookout would reveal all players several hexes around it)

etc etc. Universal approach gives plenty of simple options here.

I second this idea.

I'm guessing that "universal" here means that all elements can use them. If so, then yes they are universal. All you need is the skill from a skill tree. Those icons there in the first post show the skill trees element.

Having roads would be pretty cool, but it might turn out to be difficult to implement in our map. Also getting a movement bonus would be tricky, because regular speed is 1 hex/per turn, and being able to move 2 per turn would be too much. because you could rush big armies very fast.

[Malduk]

What I meant was not tied to any element in any way. IMO crafting should also not be tied to elements, but thats a smaller issue.
Improvements helps the whole element, and cost a huge chunk of money. Any player trying to do this will be severely crippled himself, both by spending money and taking skills from off element he doesnt want to take. Likely final result here is zero improvements across the WoE.

If I may suggest alternative version: Put improvements and crafting in "other" spec tree, and you get to take bonus skill point in that tree every Xth level.
Frankly, making spells, creatures, buildings, etc etc, is not a "property" (in a lack of better word) of any element.

[Scaredgirl]

Improvements helps the whole element, and cost a huge chunk of money.

Really? And where is this price list?

Frankly, making spells, creatures, buildings, etc etc, is not a "property" (in a lack of better word) of any element.

The keyword here is not "property", the keyword here is "skill". It's not that some elements own a specific improvement, it's just that these elements know how to build it. This is why in order for you to be able to build the same thing, you need to travel to that part of the world to learn that skill.