If combat changes are implemented...

Ideas to work with new combat system:

This is really a follow through from the feedback on the TSO Testing forum, where I posted my thoughts on re-balancing the `iron chain'.
As there is no `suggestion' category in the Test forum I thought it better placed here and cross linked.;)

Miners pasties (Buff) - Made in provision house ( buff tab ) using meat flour and new collectible `sacks of vegetables' ( Note to devs repace half the barrels with this more useful collectible).
Use on coal and iron mines to provide 2x output for 24hrs
cost 250 meat + 250 flour + 20 sacks of vegetables

Military academy ( New building ) Cost 7500 gems in merchant Upgradable to lvl 5

Using Toastkid_test's brilliant idea shown below:
http://i.imgur.com/Vb2J4Bb.png

This building allows the conversion of one troop type to another and adds an option to totally scrapping the well established bronze chain on longer players islands, or supplementing a smaller iron chain due to lack of space. This building also incorporates the much requested larger troop production batches as the building is upgraded
Each upgrade provides a larger quantity of students to graduate to the next tier of troop ( slider capacity) providing you have the resources/students
The building would also `hold' an appropriate number of population capacity at each level (lvl 1 = 25 > lvl 5 = 250 )
Level 1 limits class size to 25 cost 7500 gems

Level 2 limits class size to 50
cost to upgrade 5000 Gold Coins 50000 Marble 25000 tools OR Gems

Level 3 limits class size to 75
cost to upgrade 10000 Gold coins 5000 granite 25000 tools OR Gems

Level 4 limits class size to 150
cost to upgrade 8000 exotic wood planks 8000 Granite 25000 tools OR Gems

level 5 limits class size to 250
cost to upgrade 12000 exotcwood planks 12000 Granite 50000 tools OR Gems


General skill tree
This was hinted at when the skill tree was first introduced for the geo's and explorers.
To me this would be the simplest way to introduce variability and a more tactical approach to killing camps, or even PvP ( especially if your opponent was not aware of your own generals skill configuration).
If the same system currently employed for geo's and explorers was used, manuscripts would apply bonus's to recruits and /or bowmen; tomes would apply bonus's to militia, soldiers, cavalry and longbowmen at the lower levels and elites, crossbowmen and cannoneers at the higher levels. The codex's could apply a special power such as recover a portion of lost troops following a successful defeat of a camp. Or, shorten recovery time of the general himself following being defeated.
The skill options through the skill tree would add an increase to either the striking power/accuracy or ability to absorb more hits/ armour ( defensive) ability of that type of troop when under the command of that skilled general.

Elven Metallurgist ( new building)
Cost 10000 gems
Only available once you have completed all the Fairytale adventures
Converts bars of one metal to the next higher value metal:
Copper bars are converted to iron; Iron bars are converted to Titanium both with a 50% drop down in quantity, so 500 copper bars > 250 iron bars > 125 titanium bars
Each transformation takes 12hrs production time and costs 25 magic beans stalks ( adding longevity to the Fairytale castle )

I was planning to write a longer suggestion for the general skill tree, but haven't gotten round to it yet. The main thought I have is that each general type (vet, reaper, MMA etc) should have an individual skill as the top one. There's two huge advantages to this:

-Each general excels in some task better than others, avoiding the current situation where generals of bigger capacity make old generals useless. Currently the Grim Reaper can never outperform the Veteran, and the Veteran can never outperform the Major. With skilled generals it will really hit players hard if, after they have maxed out their Major general, a new general is introduced with 300 unit capacity. That would make all the work and effort used on the Major void. However, if each skill tree has a unique skill, then it's possible to design them in a way that no general ever becomes completely useless. It will also add longevity to the science system, since you don't just have to skill up your best general (currently Major or MMA), but want to get one of each general type maxed up.

-Players will have to choose which skill to go for first; as it's not easy nor fast to get a skill tree fully upgraded, it would be very hard for a single player to get each general fully specialized. From a co-operative point of view, this opens up new possibilities for players to join in on a multiplayer adventure, each using differently skilled generals to beat the adventure at maximal efficiency. From a pvp point of view, players would be less able to predict exactly the opponent's strategy and there would be some room for tactical choice when going to battle with a player: "I see he brought a Major, a Veteral and a BHG - but has he specialized the BHG to the top skill, in which case my cannoneers are at a huge disadvantage against him, or maybe he's got the Veteran skilled up instead, making my melee troops less effective?"

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Larili

Elven Metallurgist ( new building)
Cost 10000 gems
Only available once you have completed all the Fairytale adventures
Converts bars of one metal to the next higher value metal:
Copper bars are converted to iron; Iron bars are converted to Titanium both with a 50% drop down in quantity, so 500 copper bars > 250 iron bars > 125 titanium bars
Each transformation takes 12hrs production time and costs 25 magic beans stalks ( adding longevity to the Fairytale castle )

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At first glance, the specs for this building don't seem to me like they'd be worth 10k gems. The idea itself is interesting though. Maybe the cost of the building could be beans or beanstalks instead. It's been a while since anything worthwhile was added to the shop's epic category anyway. You could also think about having the quantities lowered a bit, and scrapping the beanstalks as a conversion cost. Instead, there could be 3 levels to the building, each costing beanstalks - so lv1 is copper to iron, lv2 is iron to steel, lv3 is steel to titanium. That way you would make a big initial investment, which then slowly starts paying itself back. This is in line with the value logic of many other shop items. If the levels cost e.g. 2000, 6000 and 12000 beanstalks each, you'd be spending quite some time doing FT's.

There's also one other problem if the resource conversion costs beanstalks. The revamped combat system can make fairytales pretty expensive to play, effectively meaning that for you to play them, you need high end troops. To get get high end resources for the troops, you need the Metallurgist. For the Metallurgist to get high end resources, you need to get beans for the resource conversion. For that you'd need to lose high end troops to beat FT adventures, so it turns into a zero sum game.