Archers

Post here any ideas or suggestions you have for improving Valor.
PhoenixEdge
Lancer
Posts: 29
Joined: Fri Dec 02, 2011 11:56 pm

Postby PhoenixEdge » Mon Jan 16, 2012 1:45 am

Why not just have them perform a "first strike" in battle, where they damage enemy troops before combat even starts? Give them a damage bonus when they are defending, since archers in historical battles had a height advantage when defending a walled city or castle.
Also a spy unit could be interesting. Make it so that I can weaken an enemy city without combat ever occurring but can be countered by other spies. Would make conquering those lone entrenched cities much less frustrating.

Kausca
Lancer
Posts: 9
Joined: Mon Jan 09, 2012 2:20 am

Postby Kausca » Tue Jan 17, 2012 7:47 pm

I'm going to be expanding on my previous post. The more I think about the first strike idea, the more I like it with some minor modifications. I think the proper way to deal with archers is to have them strike first both offensively and defensively and have them attack all units.

The way attacks would take place would be as follows: Archers and Rams >> All other units. Defensively: Archers >> All other units.

By setting it up this way, we can carry the first strike idea with archers for both attacking and defending, and make it an appealing unit to have in either scenario.

So, working with the unit stats, archers would need to have an attack rating of 1 and a defense rating of 2; setting it up this way if a Ram attacks a city with a level 25 wall they effectively cancel each other out based on both population and offense/defense strength.

You could create archers for offensive purposes by giving them such low stats; the strength of the unit comes in the fact that it strikes first. When attacking with archers, if you have considerably more archers than the defending player has units, you could legitimately destroy their entire force without losing any units (besides what the algorithm normally calculates). Under normal circumstances this is unlikely, but if you properly scout a city and discover what types of units are there and how many they have, they may be the perfect attacker.

Moving over to archers as defenders we have to make sure they aren't the only unit you would ever want to create for defensive purposes. First strike can be a very powerful defensive tool which is why I believe that rams shouldn't damage only the walls but archers also (makes sense if we assume the archers are standing on the walls). The benefit to archers as a defensive unit is that it thins the enemy lines before the aggressor hits your stronger defenders.

Rams would be used more, scouting would become more important, and the question of wether or not to utilize archers in a given battle adds an extra layer of troop management.

If we designed archers this way they become the most versatile unit in Valor while still keeping the game balanced.

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Valorgamer
Guardian
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Joined: Wed Dec 14, 2011 12:47 am
Location: England

Postby Valorgamer » Tue Jan 17, 2012 7:58 pm

I think you just posted the perfect answer to how to get archers into valor, they are definitely something missing from a medieval game and your post shows a definate way they would work.

Orlor

Postby Orlor » Tue Jan 17, 2012 8:41 pm

I agree with Valorgamer, that was a very well thought out idea.

Keep the discussion going on this one.

Kausca
Lancer
Posts: 9
Joined: Mon Jan 09, 2012 2:20 am

Postby Kausca » Tue Jan 17, 2012 10:26 pm

I think the idea of ambushing and first strike are essentially the same mechanic. I don't think it matters if the ambush takes place outside of the city or at the time that forces meet.

I really like Marti's idea about slowing down resource production but I think that a rouge/saboteur deserves a completely seperate thread and the current design is overpowered.

As far as attacking merchants, once again a great idea but it needs its own thread and a whole new trading system could be developed.

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Valorgamer
Guardian
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Location: England

Postby Valorgamer » Wed Jan 18, 2012 5:34 am

Kausca I think your plan works better than ambushing etc

Joshuasky
Knight
Posts: 94
Joined: Mon Dec 19, 2011 4:25 am

Postby Joshuasky » Fri Jan 20, 2012 12:44 am

Kausca that is an exelent idea. My favorite so far.

Kausca
Lancer
Posts: 9
Joined: Mon Jan 09, 2012 2:20 am

Postby Kausca » Wed Jan 25, 2012 6:44 pm

Archers would rock as support units. How long should the walk time be? Do you think it would be overpowered to have them move faster than any other infantry unit?

Joshuasky
Knight
Posts: 94
Joined: Mon Dec 19, 2011 4:25 am

Postby Joshuasky » Wed Jan 25, 2012 7:00 pm

Archers typically were the lighter armored fast moving unit so they should be somewere between knights and guardians

liljames326
Knight
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Location: Pensylvania, USA

Postby liljames326 » Thu Jan 26, 2012 6:59 pm

Haha, i only read a few replies in regards to adding archers but I think it is a great ideas, low attack and high defense. But there should be a new calculatuion is range, range would be were the determination of what strikes first comes in. As well as If a wall is up the wall should be hit first by rams AND ballista (unless it is already like that). As well as adding different types of mages (fire, frost, storm) elementals or that sort of thing. I think it would add to the more medieval type of thing. The game will take time but think if how great it would be once the game is finished, and even still it would be a work in progress (if that makes sense?). Have mages do high damage at a close to melee distance but have them have super low defense.

Not only should range be involved but as in warcraft there should be a, so to speak, prestiege rating. Like if there are catapults on the field then all of your units would attack them first, rams second, knights, etc however is seen fit. Added to that make it to where knights are first in line so that if somebody attacks with lancers knights and rams, then knoghts are at the front and targeted first by melee units, so on so forth also however seen fit. (These are only base ideas as the developers are the ones who really make it happen).

Also you have the movement speed, apply it to the battlefield, make lancers not be able to attack till they are upon them. As in if its 100 knights 100 lancers vrs 250 knights, then the 250 knights win against the 100 knights because the lancers would not be able to keep up and help them. now only in saying the troops would get there eventually but make there be a timing fit for units to die, so say a knight dies every 5 seconds and lancers arrive to the battle in 1:30 seconds then they are able to help them so it would be like 100 lancers and 50 knights vrs 200 knights or something to that affect. Wall defense being calculated in and everything.

Now going back to archers that I think about it, there should be a building research in the forge that "adds" archers to the wall, and it increases the attack of defending units by 2% per level. but have it only be available at lvl 20 wall or something.


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