Possession/Creature binding bug

[FrancoK]

Asfex reported a bug about gaining control of an enemy unit, the control appears undispellable.
By pure chance I get attacked and I could "experiment" with Confusion and Creature Binding.

Situation:
My city (no wall) with Nightblades and another unit is attacked by some Rangers. Both me and the AI are proficient in Blue magic.

Strategy:
I decided to keep the Nightblades away and cast Guardian Wind on the other unit, so the Rangers will move closer and fall prey of my Phantom Beast(s).

What happened:

AI casted Creature Binding and possessed my unit.
I waited until AI exhausted the casting capacity then cast Disenchant True removing all area enchantment, my Guardian Wind, but not Creature Binding.
So I used Confusion (with the help of Mind Storm) waited for my unit to align again with me and dispelled Creature Binding (along Mind Storm as well).
It worked.
A second shot finally dispelled Confusion (of course when the unit was under my control).
After winning the battle, the unit was still with me.


What can we conclude?
1. Dispel (and variants) cast on units (even temporary) aligned to enemy try to destroy beneficial spells and leave unharmed negative spells, strictly from the point of view of the unit, not the wizard casting dispel, neither the wizard that casted the enchantment on the unit.
2. Creature Binding and Possession are considered negative spells on enemy unit, so they are almost undispellable.

Fixing the bug.
It's not easy to fix this bug.
The first quick way to get around is to change the involved spells so they result "positive" spells instead of "negative" spells, where positive are spell that enhance the unit, like flame blade, haste. This should me marked somewhere I do not where...
This way you are able to dispel the controlling spell, along with any positive enchantment that unit could have...
In addiction other spells could interfere (I.E: Spell lock could protect the controlling spell).

I see no other solutions, right now.

Changing the dispell procedure to dispel the controlling spell could be difficult and wrong.

Example.
One of my unit has been controlled and the unit also has various positive and negative spells on it.
I have only skill/mana to try a single dispel.
What should the dispel do:
1. Try to dispel only the controlling spell? If I fail the unit and all positive enchantment on it will stay with the enemy.
2. Try to dispel the controlling spell and all positive spells? If I succeed in both I have my unit back, but with less positive spells.
3. Try to dispel the controlling spell and all negative spells? If I fail to remove the controlling spell, the enemy will keep my unit with less negative spells.
4. Try to dispel all negative and positive spells? ... and so on.

What if the unit has Spell Lock on it?

We can discuss what should be more close to the original spell, but it not really easy, so far it will be enough to put the controlling spell in the positive ones, so it can be dispelled.

There is one interesting option to implement: if a creature of mine is controlled by enemy, if I cast the same spell I dispel (or try to) the controlling enchantment only.
What do you think?

[I like Serena]

Hmm, so you can only dispel creature binding or possession if you bound the creature yourself?

Sounds like the dispel should be checked against the original owner.

Confusion is more interesting.
It could be handled the same, but isn't it kind of fun the way it works now?

[FrancoK]

Hmm, so you can only dispel creature binding or possession if you bound the creature yourself?

No, only if the creature is aligned (allied, under your control) when you try to dispel it.

Sounds like the dispel should be checked against the original owner.

The original owner of the unit? Yes.

Confusion is more interesting.
It could be handled the same, but isn't it kind of fun the way it works now?

Since I (and the other player I suppose) do not use the combo Confusion + dispel the bug only benefit AI, so it is a small help for it (and the only way AI as to remove one of my War Troll).