Journals
Dev Journal
One of my tasks for this beta was getting in basic diplomacy, although it's still pretty primitive because the relations code is still pretty basic. You can bring up the Diplomacy screen by going to KingdomWnd and clicking on Foreign Relations. If you've encountered another player, you can click on their entry and click the speak to button or double click on the entry. This gives you 3 options, one of which is disabled: Info, Trade (disabled) and Negotiations. Info compar... [read more]
Dev Journal
It’s still primitive. It’ll still cause psychological damage. But we have released a major update to Beta 1 for the beta team to start playing with. Those of you who aren’t in the beta, fear not, we will be opening the beta for BETA 2 which is scheduled for February 25th currently (subject to change). Here’s what’s new: Elemental - Beta 1C Change Log ********************************** ** New Features ** --- Research System Overhaul --- Overview: A new (a... [read more]
Dev Journal
Hope you all had a good Thanksgiving -- even if you’re not in the United States! The team has today off. The team is starting on tactical battle work. We’ll be talking a great deal with you guys on the battle system in the coming weeks. Here’s an old sketch. If there was a game called Magic: Total War (request to the Creative Assembly – please make this) this is a bit what I’m picturing the tactical battles being a bit like. Players could zoom in as close as they’d ... [read more]
Dev Journal
As mentioned recently, I occasionally get flame mails from people who don’t realize I work at Stardock. They think I’m trolling against Elemental. So to be clearer, my point is simply that we have all year or years to get this game where we want it. I’m in no hurry. I bloody want a game that if I hung out with the guys who made Age of Wonders Shadow Magic, Master of Magic or any of the other games of the genre they’d say “That’ll do, Frog, that’ll do.” As Boogie mentioned, we’re ... [read more]
Dev Journal
Elemental: Let's Talk, Good Sire.
Before Elemental, most of us worked on a little title called Galactic Civilizations 2. In this game, you would do spend a significant amount of time conversing with AI players. They would plead, threaten, and barter with you in as intelligent a fashion as we could muster, with much of that 'intelligent' feeling coming from the PAGES of conversation text written. Based on everything from relations to military might, the AI would pop up with dynamic dialog that changes based on gameplay... [read more]
Dev Journal
Elemental: Pen & Paper – Game 1
[in flux] THE RULES LOG: MAP CREATION: The continent of Anthys is broken into two pieces after the climatic battle of the immortal titans shattered the world of Elemental. For the last one hundred years, the intelligent creatures of the world have subsisted in the vast wastes. Now, 5 beings have come forward who have the ability to channel the magic that had been trapped by the titans in the 5 elemental shards. Using their life essence, they can begi... [read more]