Master of Magic - Implode's Multiplayer Edition

20 book start is not really workable. At 16 books you can have a 100% discount on casting costs which enables you to summon an infinite number of creatures every turn... this is fun but does become a bit uber-powerful (just get a city on magic roads and hammer the whole continent with endless swarms...

How much of this stuff will be externalised in the server XML file? Seems like starting restrictions (retort costs, max books in one realm, available races) and all spell costs, research costs and availability (common/uncommon/rare) wouldn't be too much to externalise and that'd be enough to balance...

Sounds like a big improvement. There is still a whole new level to be reached with proper buffering though. Optimising the rendering code is one thing but the real payoff is to be had from massively reducing the number of pixels to be rendered each frame by storing the rendered image. Any work that ...

Have you considered keeping the entire map pre-drawn in a buffer? High memory usage, but its easy to calculate exactly what the usage would be and it could cut the intensive cpu usage massively. use one of the following methods: - blit the visible area from the map buffer every frame before drawing ...

Firebolt/lightning bolt - It affects only *one* figure no matter how much mana you pump into it. In the early game, you will be fighting normal units anyway eg netural cities guarded with spearman/swordman with 6-8 figures, so who cares if you kill off one figure! not true. You can take out a whole...