Journals

Dev Journal

Channeler Customization: Part 3

Choosing opponents should just use the advanced screen. Sovereign Customization: Sex : Male or Female Base Attributes: All default to 10. You get 10 points to add from this. Each point over 10 represents a 10% bonus to whatever it is applied to. So a strength of 11 would be Attack = Base Attack X (11/10). · Strength (helps with attack) · Intelligence (helps with spell learning) · Wisdom (helps with spell casting cost in terms of mana) · Charism... [read more]

Dev Journal

Sid Meier’s 10 rules for game design

Here are our 10 commandments that we live by: Choose a topic you have a passion for. Game Design is about creativity. Do research after the game is done. Tap into the player’s brain. Define your axioms, refine your axioms. Prototype, prototype, prototype; sit in all the chairs. Double it or cut it in half. You are more wrong than you think. Make sure the player is having fun, not the designer/computer. Games should be easy to start playing, but hard to stop pla... [read more]

Dev Journal

Channeler Customization: Continued

…A few quick notes… The point of DEVELOPER journals and the early Elemental beta is to let people, like ourselves, who are hungry for this type of game to be made the opportunity to participate in the kinds of “design meetings” that are typically closed to the public. A typical BETA program in the modern sense is more of a late-game marketing exercise designed to help provide good publicity. This is not one of those betas. When these developer journals are posted, the idea is to s... [read more]

Dev Journal

Sovereign Attributes discussion

Picture this game-flow: Choose new game…set up world…choose faction (or create a new one)…customize faction…choose sovereign…customize sovereign… Now, at that point, we’re talking about customizing ones sovereign ( as opposed to your faction ) So what might some of those traits be that you’d want to tweak? Here’s a few off the top of my head: · Essence (-1, 0, +1, +2) · Fertility (-10%, 0, 10%, 20%) · Base Attack (-1, 0, 1, 2) · Base Defense (-1, 0, 1... [read more]

Dev Journal

Some thoughts on succession

We’re starting work on Dynasties in Elemental.  Here’s a basic outline: Sovereigns will get the opportunity to get married. Once married, they will, for a period of time, be able to have children. The sex of the child will result in very different game options. Males stay part of your family line.  Females are married off to other families.  However, should the sovereign of a particular kingdom die, then his kingdom is inherited by the player whose daughter is... [read more]

Dev Journal

Some quick battle notes

Damage types: Damage from mundane  (being whacked with a club or cut by a sword) Damage from magic Fire damage Ice Damage Mystical Damage Electrical Damage Armor / shields that protect from mundane Protection from magic Protection from fire Protection from ice protection from mystical protection from electrical   Players can mine crystals which can be used to create enchantment kits that are then enchanted at the time the player trains the unit. The mana is take... [read more]