In other "single-scenario" strategy games, as you call it, there is usually a significant degree of challenge in mid-game, as the opponents gain strength to match the player's own growth. In KoDP, however, the opponents are more or less static, and as the player grows stronger there is no correspondingly stronger challenge.
>
> Hi,
>
> I second the idea that the hardest part is the first years of the clan.
> I think the main reasons have already been mentioned:
> - Less food/cows/magic/people, so surviving a poor year becomes very
> much more difficult and complicated.
> - Less weaponthanes/defenses, so enemy attacks can inflict heavy losses
> on the clan.
>
> Generally speaking, though, this is no different from any other
> "single-scenario" strategy game (as opposed to, e.g., RTS games with
> multi-scenario campaigns). Few strategy games get harder the longer you
> into the game you get.
>
> Better leaders and more resources to start with (i.e., starting the
> player off as a rich clan) would probably smooth out the game a lot.
>
> Ensuring that the game is also adequately explained in terms of player
> instructions is also extremely important, of course.
>
> Regards,
>
> Michael A.
>
> On 20.01.2011 15:21, Bryan Thexton wrote:
> > In all honesty, I think the hardest part is the first yeras of any clan, where you are very vulnerable and don't have much in place. Over time things get easier.
> >
> > This is the opposite of how most modern games are built, I think....they deliberately start easy, then make it harder as you gain experience. But the game is modeling a particular situation, which would make it odd if it were too easy early on. I suppose this could be finagled, but it might seem a bit artificial:
> >
> > - always have one elderly ring member of your main cult who has excellent or better leadership and renowned in another appropriate ability.
> > - start with a treasure that reduces wounds when fighting on your tula, but it breaks down after a few years. Or an event offering the same sort of thing for a few years.
> > - trigger an event, such that if your weaponthanes drop too low, a few fighters from your old clan show up to join you.
> >
> > Having said that, there are some things you can take advantage of early, if you know to do so (find the dragon and take appropriate action, go and hopefully steal the dragonnewt statue, explore kero finn then tell another clan about it to get that boost of magic....then do your first heroquest with the magic still in the bank).
> >
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> >
> > --- On Thu, 1/20/11, David Dunham<david_at_...> wrote:
> >
> > From: David Dunham<david_at_...>
> > Subject: What's the hardest part?
> > To: KingOfDragonPass_at_yahoogroups.com
> > Received: Thursday, January 20, 2011, 1:18 AM
> >
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> > A common comment about KoDP is that it's too hard. One factor is of course that the difficulty labels weren't very accurate, and people played on a harder level than they realized. But in fixing that, I'm wondering what in particular makes the game hard. Food? Cattle? Goods? (Heroquests are intentionally hard, though perhaps some could be easier.)
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> > BTW, if you haven't seen the new UI at<http://kingofdragonpass.blogspot.com/>, check it out!
> >
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> > David Dunham http://a-sharp.com Twitter: _at_KingDragonPass
>