I didn't change anything too drastically, I basically wanted to keep the feel of Dungeon Keeper 2 but with updated graphics and controls, and perhaps rebalancing a few mechanics along the way.
Let's start with creatures, and work our way through things.
Creature Levels
Creature
levels are now rated from 0 to 9. Level 0 and 9 creatures show their
level as their rank (see below)
In
addition, creatures are now ranked by level:
- Level 0-2 creatures appear as rank <
- Level 3-5 creatures appear as rank <<
- Level 6-8 creatures appear as rank <<<
- Level 9 creatures appear as rank *
You
can choose to view your creature levels as ranks, numbers, or the
default combination (numbers except for 0 and 9) (note: look at the <
ranks sideways)
Creatures
gain experience in proportion to how many hits they get in. Note that
healing type spells also gain experience.
They gain abilities based on what rank they are. Abilities can come at levels 0, 3, 6, and 9.
Non-Combat Skills
NCSes
are a particular creature's method of gaining experience for an
activity other than fighting or training. Imps for example gain
experience for doing work around the dungeon, as you wouldn't really
expect them to fight.
Non-combat
skills can only gain experience up to level 6 for most creatures.
Imps can still gain a full compliment of levels without ever seeing
battle, but they are an exceptional case.
Health Flowers
Each
of your creatures has a health flower, which displays their current
health, level, and experience to next level. There are six 'petals'
around the outside which represent the creature's health. The first
indicates that it is alive, the second that it is conscious, the
third through sixth represent whether it has at least 25%, 50%, 75%,
and 100% health. The when on the first and second petals, it will
flash when it is nearly going down to the next level (either being
knocked out or dying).
When
a creature levels up, there is a sound effect and a special effect
for their health flower.
Bestiary
I tweaked the bestiary a bit; I have added notes about significant changes. I have much more detailed notes, and this is basically a summary. I have divided creatures into classes, which I will explain as we go.
Zero Population (summoned)
These do not use up any supply cap, and either subsist on mana, or are otherwise limited in their population.
- Imp
Imps are weak to sunlight. They are otherwise unchanged.
- Spider
Spiders are the spawn of Arachneus (see below). They are weak with moderate damage, and tend to leave spiderwebs everywhere. They cannot cross water, and will not set off most traps. Their population is limited to 5 per Arachneus. They are animals, and therefore cannot train, but gain experience over time.
- Horned Reaper
Horny. He is back, and as angry as ever.
Zero Population (undead)
Undead populations are limited mainly by the supply of bodies, and the size of the rooms that produce them.
- Skeleton
Basically unchanged, they now have magic resistance.
- Vampire
Their abilities are tweaked slightly, their special abilities can be cast not just while possessed, and are gained as regular abilities. They also have the Raise Dead ability, which turns the fallen into Ghoul servants.
- Ghoul
Ghouls are the slaves of Vampires. They will lose health over time, which can only be replenished by feasting on the fallen. Anything they bring down will come back as a Ghoul. So long as they have Vampires to serve, they will never be unhappy.
One Population (minion)
These lesser minions can serve your dungeon in greater numbers, but are generally weaker than creatures.
- Turtle
Turtles are a new race. They are weak, animal-type minions. They are natural swimmers, and only need water and a lair to be attracted to your dungeon. They have a chance of spawning as Red Turtles, who can also swim in lava. Like Spiders, they cannot train, but gain experience over time.
- Goblin
Goblins are largely unchanged, except that they are now weak to sunlight.
- Dire Wolf / Hellhound
Dire Wolves serve as low level scouts. Once they reach level 3, they turn into Hellhounds. Hellhounds have better stats and abilities, and a different appearance. As animals, they cannot train, but gain experience over time, with bonus experience for scouting.
Two Population (creatures)
The common species you see in a dungeon.
- Warlock
His basic attack is now Ice Bolt, both to differentiate him from Hero Wizards, as well as just to be cool. It has a slow effect. They also gain experience from studying.
- Salamander
Basically unchanged, except that they now have a rival race: the Naga. Having one race will deter the other from joining your dungeon; in addition, both races hate each other and will become unhappy if exposed to each other.
- Dreg
Basically just a renamed Rogue. This was for theme, as they are the dregs of society. They gain experience from stealing and exploring.
- Troll
Trolls were tweaked slightly, their regeneration is enhanced, as well, they have a weakness to fire and sunlight. They gain experience from crafting.
- Dark Elf
Dark Elves mainly just needed to be rebalanced, as they were weak as hell in DK2. In addition, they now gain experience from guarding. They now have a weakness to sunlight.
- Black Knight
They now have a weakness to lightning, but are otherwise unchanged.
- Mistress
Slightly tweaked, I have removed their most annoying habit of torturing themselves. They will however, assist in the torture of anything you put in the torture chamber, and will gain experience for doing so.
- Bile Demon
They are now immune to poison, but otherwise unchanged.
- Naga
A new race. They are a race of fierce Snake-Men, similar in appearance to the Naga from Warcraft 3. They are a water-oriented race, able to swim through shallow and deep water quickly. They are attracted by the Training Room, and are fairly strong warriors. They have no abilities.
They are a rival race to Salamanders. Having any Naga will deter Salamanders from joining your dungeon, and vice versa.
5 Population (monsters)
These are the centrepieces of your dark armies, with very particular requirements that you must fulfill to attract them.
- Dark Angel
Largely the same as before. They gain experience for prayer and research.
- Arachnus
An adaptation of the late-introduced Maiden of the Nest from DK2. I felt that they didn't fit well as rank-and-file minions, and instead deserved to be monster class.
Abilities:
Spawn - create a Spider minion. They can have up to 5 each.
Venomous Spines - a ranged poison attack. It will cripple whatever it hits.
Ensnare - prevents the target from moving or attacking.
They will conduct research, and can gain experience for it. They require a large laboratory (see below), a private lair (3x3 with no inhabitants) as well as having all the traps researched.
- Beholder
A powerful magic using monster. They have no basic attack, but powerful magic at their disposal.
Abilities:
Firebomb - a large fiery explosion.
Hailstorm - deals cold damage over time in an area
Forked Lightning - damages and stuns several enemies
Miasma - poisons everything nearby
They require a private lair, a large library, and all the spells to be researched. They can study, and will gain experience for it.
- Dragon
Dragons are massive, powerful creatures; second only to Horny in power. They are belligerent, greedy, and expensive to keep around; but ultimately a worthwhile investment.
Abilities:
Fire Breath
Dragons require a private lair, a large treasury, and for you to have at least 100,000 gold in the bank. They are attracted by wealth.
As animals, they cannot train, but gain experience over time. In addition, they will sometimes eat your lesser creatures, and gain experience for it.
- Succubus
Succubi are like elite Mistresses, although the two should not really be confused. They are physically the weakest of the monsters, but have a powerful attack, and regain health from damaging their enemies.
Abilities:
Drain - slows the target's movement and attack speeds, reduces their damage, and prevents them from using abilities.
Convert - converts the target to serve you temporarily.
Succubi require a large torture chamber, and are attracted by the sounds of screaming. They will torture victims like Mistresses, and will gain experience from it.
The Laboratory
The
laboratory is a new room to come to Dungeon Keeper 3. It is used to
research traps in the same way that the library is used to research
spells. Its furniture should be mainly glass vials, brains in jars,
and various props that wouldn't feel out of place in Frankenstein.
Furniture
is put on the every other perimeter tile, and every other central
tile. Each piece of furniture allows one additional researcher, and
increases capacity of traps blueprints by 2.
Sunlight, Daytime, and
the Surface World
In
maps that are not underground, the time of day is important. During
the day, the surface world is lit up with sunlight. Several of your
creatures have an aversion to sunlight, including greenskins, dark
elves, imps, and the undead.
The
surface world and the underground are divided by special tiles known
as Cave entrances. They bottleneck to one tile, but cannot have a
door built over them. Outside the cave, lies fertile meadows, lush
gardens, trickling streams, and happy peasants – disgusting. Inside
them is the dank dungeons we are so familiar with and have come to
love.
Random Stuff
Just random things I thought up while doing this.
- Torture Chamber – conversion is made much more efficient with the assistant of a Mistress or Succubus (succubi are even better than mistresses)
- Library – upgrading spells now takes up space on shelves
- Levels now run from 0 to 9 rather than 1 to 10
- Some water is now considered "Deep" water, it is darker blue and cannot be crossed except by bridges, swimmers, or fliers
- You may slap webs to get rid of them
- A wounded dungeon heart has a reduced capacity for mana
- As you capture territory, negative environmental effects start happenin
- evil critters will spawn instead of good ones, water becomes tainted, plants wither
- You can elect to build a room on undug rock, or unclaimed dirt, which will prioritize capturing territory
- Treasury: 3k central, 1k outer, 3k reinforced wall outer
- Fleeing icon – purple vertical swishy stripes or a skull maybe?
- Any free imps are summoned automatically at dungeon heart
- Single use traps cannot be attacked like regular traps, only triggered
- "Keeper, all of your creatures are happy. Are you sure that you're being evil enough?"
- Possessed creatures look distinctive – possibly black smoke pouring out from their eyes
- New spell: eclipse (600 mana) blots out the sun in a large area
- All spells need cooldowns
- Hydra Trap – fires fireballs in each of four directions
- Gargoyle Trap – comes alive and fights
- Bridges are built in lines rather than like regular square rooms
- You can't build rooms that would trap a creature, instead the area will be marked and friendly units will leave (unless they are defending it from hostiles)
- Your evil hand illuminates the area around it with light that only you can see
- Units are slowed (40%?) while poisoned
- You may select (left click) certain areas to force your imps not to do that task – e.g. capture enemy territory, replace furniture – such areas are indicated by being lit up red
- Alternatively, Imps will only capture territory that you designate them to
- Gem seams should have a limit (~60k)
- Unhappy and angry creatures have improved attack speed (10-30%)
- Population counter in the UI?
- Critter List:
- Good
- Butterfly
- Dragonfly
- Firefly
- White Dove
- Rabbit
- Squirrel
- Crab
- Pigeon
- Evil
- Bat
- Rat
- Raven/Crow
- Centipede
- Snail
- Lizard
- Frog
- Beetle
- Snake
I will probably do another article later about other changes (the heroes have some significant changes coming, as well as an outline for the campaign).
