Race Customiztion? Any way to get details?

[Arnelos]

Betatesters, designers, reviewers, anyone in the know willing to comment:

From looking at the strategy guide and from reading what I've seen available so far online (especially screen shots), it is very unclear just how customization works.

I gather that we get points and that we use those points to change the level in each of the various different characteristics or add special abilities.

The problem is that obviously each species starts with different default settings that none of the previewers or reviewers have specifically defined (and the strategy guide does not provide) and it seems that certain species or races have discounts toward adding levels in certain characteristics and handicaps for adding levels in others. It also seems that subtracting levels from the default gives you less points than adding levels costs, thus discouraging customization.

Would those in the know please comment on these issues:

1. Default values for each species
2. What the cost of raising a level and reducing a level actually are and why there are any differences in the costs by race/species for individual characteristics.

etc...

That would be REALLY nice information to have to play around with before the game comes out.

Would give me an idea whether or not I can make a superior diplomacy geodic race like I want, or perhaps a MoO1-style diplomacy+trade human that isn't as severely handicaped as he one in the strategy guide seems to be.

Just would be something nice to have... let us mull over that for the next week

[QwertyX]

Go to the IGMoo forums Strategy pages and look for Lore Weaver's Strategy Series. Its not complete by any means but its real valuable info by species.

[Arnelos]

Lore Weaver seems to be giving COMPLETED custom races which he thinks are optimal, but does not fully explain what their default values are nor incremental point totals in altering them (just the final version).

[QwertyX]

He is also noting usualy what is a cheaper pick for the race and a few other juicy tidbits....its not a complete breakdown of the system, but for now its the closest thing I've seen

[Jamski]

You'll have the manual in your hands in a week, Arnelos. I'll have to hold on a bit (maybe) so perhaps you can answer this question for the rest of us (ie in Europe) when the time comes ? Hmm?

Please ?

-Jam

[Arnelos]

The only problem with the game manual is that I think one of the reviewers (Jonah Falcon?) told us (don't remember whether this was when I was talking to Jonah Falcon on IRC or whether one of the reviewers posted this) that the manual doesn't come with a description of this (or at least the reviewer hadn't found it yet).

So it may be that the only way to get this information and post it for public review is to sit down while playing the game and literally record it manually yourself. If I can get the game right when it comes out, I'd be more than willing to do that and post it on Apolyton.

It'd be nice to have.

[drsparnum]

not too bad

This seems like exactly the sort of info that should be in the manual, and if it is not that is annoying. With that said, it shouldn't be too hard to compile since you can get this info right at the start of the game, so:

1. start a new game
2. recorder info on paper
3. restart game with a new race
4. go to 2.

If it isn't done by the time I get the game I will do it, unless Arnelos beats me to it. I think we will get the game in the US a little bit earlier then the UK, and i will try and post something interesting for people still stuck waiting for no fault of their own. Although, if they are going to wait a full month for no good reason I don't see why they can't have it in stores all over the world by now. Is IG using Federal Express or the Pony Express? I vow not to forget you guys though. Although I would guess posting interesting tidbits will go way up on that day.