Set Party Unglomming Order

[contributor]

Ok, I knew there was a thread about this and I found it, but it's been marked with and anchor and therefore won't show up at the top anymore. I know it's bad-form but I'm going to bring it up again.

Giving the player control over the order of your party as it ungloms is something that a lot of people on the forum voiced support for and I think it is really important if this game is about tactics. Having a tactics game where a player doesn't have control of certain important elements is a recipe for frustration. Its true, we could explore unglommed but that raises the tedium factor pretty high.

The place where this gets me the most is leading with Vraes/Kincaid. The placement of the mage right behind him is terrible, especially as you get into the second episode. He is just way too over exposed and if you're in a narrow passage he blocks any other melee fighters from coming forward. Time to turn on the backup lights and retreat until you can get the party arranged how you want and then go push through the tunnel that now has enemies clogging it. Sure it's a challenge, but not one that adds a lot of fun. It's enough that it makes me not want to plan on leading with Kincaid, even though, otherwise, he has great potential.

[crimsonshadow]

I second this! It only make sense in a strategy game that you would plan your order strategically to account for strengths and weaknesses and overall tactical plans. Maybe the issue is the coding is too hard/impossible within the given developers package?

[fallen]

I believe the reason it was marked with an arrow was because we said "can't do it." Thanks for the post!

[contributor]

Is there any chance that it could at least be set so that KJ/Vince, aren't directly behind Vraes/Kincaid, if they are leading the party.

[fallen]

contributor - we'll take it into consideration, but its not a priority item at the moment.

[Cory Trese]

I absolutely hate saying "no" to feature requests. It makes me sad.

In fact, I hate it a lot more than anyone on the forum hates to hear it.

The sad fact is that right now, we cannot afford to make this type of change.

That said -- I promise, the next time we take this engine to production, we'll do our best to include character order control throughout the system and from the beginning of the design.

-----------------------------------------

Every strategy game includes elements that you must build strategies around. We designed Heroes carefully to make the party's order part of it -- built it into the foundation, into the balance, into the equipment, into the way the AI was designed. Every game that has ever been played, tested or run via the alpha has used that set of rules.

To paraphrase what crimsonshadow said ...

It only make sense in a strategy game that you would plan your strengths and weaknesses and overall tactical plans around the elements that you must strategically to account for.

[contributor]

So I get that it can't be a feature. I guess what's frustrating is that it really will keep my from leading with Kincaid, because I don't want to build a Vincent that can stand getting pounded by archers in episode two every time I don't win the stealth roll.

[fallen]

contributor - we too wish that we had the time and money to make a game that had every option!

[fallen]

P.s. here is a great way to help support us in that goal! A big part of the Patreon idea is to help us continue to update earlier generation games and have the leeway to add non-critical features to our games:
www.patreon.com/tresebrothers

[contributor]

Yeah, I guess I'm not asking for every feature. If you guys can't do it then at least consider not putting the mage behind the fighter when he leads. It's a huge tactical blunder that nobody would make if they could control such arcane mysteries. I can't honestly see how that makes the game more balanced. It only makes random uncontrollable death more likely unless you want to build your mage like a tank or a ninja and what's the point of that?

[fallen]

contributor - sure, we hear you. Some things are very hard to change, very expensive in terms of time for the potential reward. We have to take all feedback into account, prioritize, and work on it.