Catnip 0.5, a test version

[kyrub]

Here is first bunch of Catnip project changes (+ Insectide).

CATNIP 0.5a

Test, report bugs, submit savegames with bugs, please.


Release notes:

Anti-exploit measures
- once you Buy something, you cannot Change it until next turn
- the 50 turn limit in combat is gone, no automatic withdrawal
- destroyed magic items now give only 25% of their price

Economic changes
- new speed "Buy" cost brackets [6x if no hammer, 4x if more than 25% build, 3x if more than 50% built]
- new alchemy ratio = 1:3. For alchemist wizards = 1:2
- new tax rates system

Code:

gold  new  old
0.0gc  -    0%
0.5gc  -   10%
1.0gc  5%  20%
1.5gc 10%  30%
2.0gc 20%  45%
2.5gc 30%  60%
3.0gc 45%  75%
3.5gc 60%   -
4.0gc 80%   -

Wizard traits changes
- artificer now gives magic weapons
- conjurer now needs only 50% upkeep of magic creatures
- channeler makes your spell cost 1/2 mana in overland (same effect as fortress fight)
- mana focusing now gives 50% upkeep discount (combined with conjurer it gives 25%) on top of the old bonus

City defence enhancement
- city walls give defenders +5 shield bonus
- on top of that, defenders get +2 bonus against ranged attack or +1 against thrown/breath attacks
- no suppression effect on the gate defender
- defenders shooting from a walled city get long range bonus

Experience
- large shield bonus grows with levelling up (1 + lvl, 1 + lvl/2 for heroes)
- all units may now reach Champion level
- new experience level bonuses

Code:

name        swd def hrt crs tht tdf

Regular      -   1   -   1   -   -
Veteran      -   1   -   -   1   -
Elite        1   1   1   1   -   -
Ultra-Elite  1   1   -   -   1   1
Champion     1   1   1   1   1   -

TOTAL       +3  +5  +2  +4  +3  +1

- new XP gained from combat (+1 fame is awarded when the total gained is bigger than 10 ep)

Code:

UNIT
xp = upkeep + level / 2

HERO
xp = upkeep + level +  upkeep * (level / 2)

(The total experience of a battle is divided by 2.)

Lairs
- the lairs are tougher in general, really weak lairs should be an exception rather than a rule
- towers are really well guarded, they will have creatures from different magic realms
- the game should create more unusual defender combinations (3 primary, 4 secondary et simile)
- the mana and gold reward from lairs will be significantly higher
- you may ultimately collect up to 15 magic books as a reward
- the heroes freed from lairs will never be the basic ones (0 fame heroes)

Combat mechanics
- new poison conception: for every inflicted hit you have a chance of Unit_resistance - posion_level to score another hit
- no shooting after a move!
- all combat summons, except for AIr elemental and Demon, suffer from summoning sickness (cannot move that turn)
- weapon immunity now adds +10 defense (instead of putting defense to 10 for all units) against non-magic weapons

Overland
- Pathfinding should now give you a 2MP movement (instead of 1MP)

City
- production hammers now carry over to the next item built
- units stationed in a city cannot quell unrest
- new percentage unrest system

Code:

Building effects:
Shrine 10%
Temple 10%
Parthenon 10%
Cathedral 10%
Animist's Guild 5%
Oracle 15%

Spell effects:
Just Cause 5%
Stream of Life 20%
Gaia's Blessing 10%
Dark Rituals -10%

[kyrub]

[reserved for further use]

[Catwalk]

Amazing work kyrub, thanks! Now I really have no excuse for being a lazy bum... I'm actually running out of excuses for not getting more done here as I've been busy playing Civ4 and Werewolf lately Promise to get on it, and thanks again!

If anyone wants to help, it would be greatly appreciated. Especially with testing and balance considerations. If there is someone who's really excited about the project and wants to lend me a really big hand, I could *really* use someone to implement the unit changes once we finalize them. You will get fortune, fame, credits and eternal gratitude. Maybe a hero or artifact named after you as well (undecided, but certainly not impossible).

[Sphynx]

Is there now a line of site requirement for ranged attacks? Or possibly something that prevents ranged attacks in some situations, such as creatures over a hill?

If it isnt intentional, then it is probably a bug.
Use the attached save game; move the army including serena to attack the lair with the cockatrices.
In the combat, move the four hellhounds one square forwards then let the enemy move.
After they have moved, one of the cockatrices will be on the hill terrain.
One of the priests and serena cannot use their ranged attacks on that cockatrice.

[Dunhere]

- channeler makes your spell cost 1/2 mana in overland (same effect as fortress fight)

This part doesn't seem to be working; it neither reduces the displayed cost of spells nor the amount of mana I spend on them.

Also, while it hasn't happened every time, for some reason this game I'm not allowed to change my starting city's production to anything other than Housing on the first turn (see save).

[kyrub]

Thanks for first reports.

I am a bit slow to react - mainly because I managed to spill some good wine all over my notebook. All my data (MoM, MoO, X-com, SMAC/X etc.) became blocked in an instant. The notebook is on the road to recovery, but it will need more time. Data back up is necessary, I guess - that was close.

One of the priests and serena cannot use their ranged attacks on that cockatrice.

Most probably a bug in the "no shooting after a move". Thanks for the save!

@Dunhere
- Note taken for Channeler. I may have accidentally moved its effect to Mana focusing (along with the 50% upkeep)?
- As for the first turn problem, do you see the red message: "you cannot change until next turn"?

[Dunhere]

I have Mana Focusing as well in that game.

Yes, that was the message I got.

[Dunhere]

New game, same bug Sphynx reported plus a new one, and one that I'm not sure is a bug, but if it isn't is one heck of a recommendation for the upkeep reduction retorts.

- Load save, send stack in to attack the zombies. At various times the longbowmen will be unable to fire on some or all of the zombies.

- Cleared a lair of many hell hounds + a fire giant, then a lair of many zombies + 2 ghouls. Got same reward from each:



- Mana Focusing + Channeler + Conjurer = 100% upkeep reduction:



Most of the summoned units were displaying no upkeep at all. The sprites showed 1 upkeep, but the army screen shows 0 total paid.

[kyrub]

"Inside you find absolutely nothing"
:neenernee

That's surely unintended though I find it funny. Thanks for all reports & saves! I am still computer-less till next week, but keep the bugs coming.


It would be nice if you witness (and report) something that fonctions as it should as well. At least I can have an idea what was tested / not tested yet. Hopefully, not all is broken, is it?

[Sphynx]

I think I am quite liking the new unit experience levels.
It is a bit on the painful side with bowmen who are stuck at 1 attack all the way till they get to elite, but with mid sised units such as cavalry, it is quite nice. And I do like seeing experience gains beyond elite.
There is a fairly hefty amount of experience to be earned with the new formula from some of the larger fights, too, whcih seems nice.

You didnt comment on it, but I reported a bug about the unrest reduction not working (in the unrest thread).

Changing gold into mana at only 1/3 efficency (ie without alchemy) feels very expensive. Although that may be partially because I cannot put taxes up due to not being able to reduce unrest at all.

- Pathfinding should now give you a 2MP movement (instead of 1MP)
It is notable that this seems to affect magic spirits, ie non-coporeal, which is a fairly huge nerf for them. Is it intended?

Poison doesnt feel very good, with it's new mechanic; not sure if I have had enough testing with it, though, and will have more of a go. I've tried a hero who had poison, Nagas (felt about as good as hell hounds, possibly slightly better, but a lot more expensive), and should be able to try Wyvern Riders very soon.

I did have a hero die to a basilisk; I was surprised at the end of the fight to not retrieve his weapon. Is stoning expected to cause this? Do I need to keep a look out and try to get a reproduction?

I'm liking the production carry over.