Maybe monk/seamstress/wifes ideas are too radical for KaM as we know it ..
P.S. IMHO the avatar idea has been overworked - there could be nothing spectacular that would not fit into 80x80. I for myself have avatars disabled altogether )
I must say though its ironic when the one person I have seen around here with an avatar has them turned off.
Perhaps- or perhaps they are the first major optional feature you could add for a "plus" version. I admit they may seem a little extreme, but they are realistic enough, and the monk was already being discussed due to the monastry that was cut from the alpha. They are pretty damn radical ill admit, however, I think it could work in such a way that everyone could be happy.
I suggest a new button on starting either your own multiplayer game or single map option- It could be called "Addons" or "Modifcations" or perhaps even "Customisation Options". The default would be default KaM with only Markets checked as a new feature (due to their general acceptance) Then there would be multiple sections as follows
Gameplay
Faith System
Marrage System
Lane System
Continuous Trading
Interactive Sentences (ticked by default?)
City Capture
Buildings
Monastery
Market (ticked by default)
Seamstress
Sheep Farm
Wheelwright
Geologist
Forrester
Units
Cart
Battering Ram
Mantlets (like the idea themyth, especially if bow units were somehow more likely to hit them)
Peasants Rebellion Features
Town Hall
(Town Hall Balancing)
Siege Workshop
(Siege Workshop Balancing)
Essentially, how this would work is simple. You tick Sheep Farm - It activates sheep farm, which produces Wool, and Sheep Carcass, has no dependancies so it turns on alone.
However, if you turn on Wives it will turn on Monastry, Seamstress, and Sheep Farm
Turning on carts will turn on wheelwright, siege workshop and siege workshop balancing as will turning on wheelwright.
Turning off say, sheep farm and seamstress but keeping on wives would result in a warning (Warning, you will have to trade for dresses in the market with these settings) or if the market is unchecked too (Warning this feature is not available without raw resources.)
Why you may ask? Well it is obvious that people want this to go in two ways. One group such as myself would like to see additions, the other group would not. By giving users the choice to pick then things becomes oodles easier. Right now as it stands, new features like the market have to be discussed and debated to no end. Now while that wouldn't change on itself, it may allow both sides to give more concessions. If this system was adopted, ideas would have to be simply realistic and well supported. They would be allowed to change more then the average patch, since the users who want the traditional game-play still have it.
In fact, this system allows for even more traditional non-biased gaming by giving users the option to enable even the unfair magic siege or gold trained super troops- if they and the users they play with want that. When joining a game, users would be able to see the addons in play, and possibly there could be a "vote" button. So just say you are playing with 3 other people, with everything turned on. But 3 of the people who joined your server hate siege engines with a passion. Well, if all three voted against it, the host could simply turn the addon back off.
Is the extra effort worth it? Well, possibly. I believe so, but then again I am one of those in a camp who would benefit from such a change. It would open the door later for modding (if you wanted to add it), would be a marketing point (new content is always a way to entice more people. More people helping with the project means more people on multiplayer- and more fun.) and it would allow you to not only keep your vision of a Perfect KaM remake alive, but give plenty of others enjoyment. People love the market- why not let them love some other things too?
IF what you are worried about is the size, simply make it that bigger changes (such as an alternate music set) would require an aditional download (which would happen the first time you ticked the box (you would be warned first). This whole system would be similar to the modding system in OTTD.
Also, Themyth. I like that idea, however, due to the wheels required and such, perhaps that could be built in the siege workshop with 4 wood and 2 wheels (or without that step if you just had the unit on, and not the siege workshop) and then taken to the castle where it could be trained with the two recruits you suggested.
I wonder if it would be good to class them as siege, then you could make it that other siege weapons kill it easily (including towers) but it is immune to bow-fire (however is a priority target) Point is, I love the idea. And its a perfect addition to help me say why we need a customisation menu.
