The Conceptual Balance mod attempts to bring a greater variety to multiplayer Dominions games
by improving aspects of the game that are considered weak and inefficient, and reducing the
efficiency of certain spells, units, and scales that would be considered no-brainers" for
competitive players using particular nations. This mod does not attempt to make every nation
and strategy equally strong, but should bring to light more strategies and tactics than
normally seen in competitive play. Many of these "changes" are identical to the Dom2 CB mod.

It's worth noting that even though CB is primarily created for the purposes of multiplayer,
the changes it makes also has the side effect of somewhat aiding the AI. Since the AI chooses
options more or less at random, having them more evened means they won't waste as many
resources on 'pitfall' options like light cavalry.

This summary attempts to highlight some of the mod's more important changes, and some
reasoning behind them. It is divided into five parts: Scales, pretenders, recruitable units
and equipment, spells and items. An appendix of new units and equipment and their numbers
follows for modders.



--Scales--



This is perhaps the simplest area of the mod, the changes here merely strengthens several
scales that are often 'mined' for points. The most controversial change here is probably
resetting the magic scale back to Dominions 2 status. This was done not only to bring some
of the more extreme bless strategies under control, but because the leaving the scales
settings of magic 2 and drain 2 with almost no effect was both confusing and unaesthetic.
I view the current CB change of the scale as the lesser of two evils, and hopefully a
patch by Illwinter at a later point will bring a more agreeable solution.


Highlighted changes:


*Growth scale income 3% (was 2%)

*Luck scale event chance 7% (was 5%)

*Luck scale chance to cause good event 15% (was 13%)

*Magic scale research per step 1 (was .5)



--Pretenders--



Pretender changes were made for large number of reasons. Some pretenders that made the
most optimal blesses were nerfed or had paths rearranged. A couple of the most fearsome
SC gods got price hike to give other options more breathing room. Most pretenders were
simply given whatever boost could be thematically applied to bring them more on the level
of the most preferred pretenders. The overall goal is to provide some alternatives to
very narrow options that are most pervasive in multiplayer (a narrow selection of super
combatant pretenders, or an imprisoned bless pretender).


Highlighted Changes:


*Many titans cheaper.

*Many rainbow mages cost less, have more paths.

*Son of the Son style Egyptian pretenders has more dominion, better starting weapons,
and other boosts.

*Lightning attacks of Lord of the Sky, Destroyer of Worlds improved.

*Several (weak for blessing) three path titans like Mother of Serpents got an additional
magic pick.

*Oracle generates astral pearls; blood fountain generates blood slaves (to encourage
the option of not always making them imprisoned).

*Other misc pretenders with minor improvements: Phoenix, Drakaina, Manticore, Sphinx,
Divine Serpent.

*Vampire queen cheaper (scared as some people might still be of her, the combined cost
nerf and lack of ethereal crippled her for any niche but psychological warfare).

*Cyclops new path cost raised to 80 (was 50)

*Prince of Death, Ghost King, Gorgon and Risen Oracle cost more points.



--Recruitables and equipment--



Recruitable units are by far the area with the largest number of changes. However, they
are rather easy to categorize because maybe 50% of them are simply reducing the gold cost
of many overpriced units. A few changes were across the board, -1 gold cost for the
following: wielding a plain spear, infantry wielding a one handed weapon and no spear,
infantry using only very light armor. These typically very quick to die units were also
given some aid in the form of giving archers slight nerfs to range and resource cost.
In the same vein of giving normal troops more of a fighting chance, a few of the most
deadly sacred troops of each era were given a gold increase.

The other major changes are to help to cavalry - light cavalry given a hoof attack, heavy
cavalry hoof attack slightly upgraded to warhorse hoof. The barding cost for heavy cavalry
- extra resource cost not based on any equipment that actually helps the unit in game - was
also drastically reduced.

One of the most noticeable changes is to independent leaders and scouts. They were
significantly increased in gold cost in order to encourage buying the national versions
instead. In the base game, national scouts and troop leaders are generally best ignored given
that they waste a fort slot that could be spent on a more valuable commander like a mage.

In general the mod tries to avoid making many changes to mages, they are at the core of the
way a nation players and changing them can be very disruptive. Of the changes that were made
most were to the purpose of toning down reanimation on recruitable commanders. Not only did
it tend to make the nations that could create limitless undead in addition to all their normal
options extremely powerful, but it seemed decidedly unthematic that they could outstrip LE
Ermor's undead production. The other mage changes included a boost to ME Ulm smiths and ME
T'ien Ch'i ceremonial masters.


Highlighted Changes:


*Many Jomon units reduced to resource cost to provide an alternative to the samurai archers.

*Raven guard captain added to give LE Caelum a leader for their stealth troops.

*EA Arcoscephale Wind Lord given priestly magic in order lead blessed wind rider squads.

*Many tribal archers given crude shortbow with reduced damage and precision (in order to
adjust for their advantage over other archers of 2 map move and survival skills)

*Mackaka's spider warriors and bane spiders cheaper and less resource cost.

*Removed reanimation on demonbred to avoid unthematic human longdead hordes.



--Spells--



Spells is probably the area with the most varied changes, but the most common change is
reducing the gem cost for under used spells and summons. Many (almost most) globals fall
into this category, things like wrath of the sea, riches from beneath or looming hell can't
really be boosted with modding any other way. It's also the most straight forward way to
help the many summons that are behind the curve like summon animals or wights. A slight
variation on this is increasing the number of effects of some summons that were still
weak even with very low cost, like sea dogs.

A number of the most overlooked battle spells were also boosted in various ways, mostly
greater area of effect or number of effects. This included most 'hold' spells like false
fetters, bonds of fire or slime which tend to correctly get bypassed in favor of direct
damage options.

One of the most significant changes was not exactly a nerf or a boost, giving falling
frost and falling fires back their Dominions 2 range in exchange for more research and
fatigue cost. While the spells are extremely powerful, the range nerf was not working
out well because it caused them to even more cut into the niche of cloud spells.


Highlighted Changes:


*Earth grip, frighten and spirit curse all made level 0 research.

*Almost all early summons cheaper.

*Imprint souls and arouse hunger reduced in cost to account for the much harder PD
in Dominions 3.

*Very high research population killing spells cheaper (for killing population bane
venom charms are almost always a better deal).

*Dragon master much less research and gem cost.

*Many blood battlefield spells boosted.

*Forge of the Ancients research level 9 (close behind arcane nexus as the most valuable
global in the game, having it so early in research seems simply wildly out of place)

*Tartarian gate costs more gems (even with other investments often needed for a
tartarian factory, having the best summon be also cheaper than a banelord is just
unnecessary)

*Calling/sending horrors easier.

*Rejuvenate easier and cheaper to cast.

*Ghouls and soulless slightly improved, longdead slightly nerfed (to even out reanimation
 a bit, since longdead take no corpses or population they are far and away the best
choice in most situations)

*Black servant changed life drain for steal strength.

*Treelords got more magic.



--Items--



Items is unfortunately the area that is forced to leave the most imbalances. There simply aren't
that many mod commands to work with for items, and many items are already as cheap and low in
research as they can get. Because of the limited options in working with magic items, most
changes are just to lower the research level of underused items. In particular almost all ranged
weapons were boosted, given the very high difficulty of using them effectively compared to spell
with a similar niche like soul slay.

The only very noticeable nerf is to the dwarven hammer, costing 10 gems more and needing an
additional level of earth magic. While the change can be frustrating to some nations, the dwarven
hammer as it was paid itself off at a blinding rate. Even at its Dominions 2 cost of 20 gems it
was a must-have item, at 15 it is one of the most undervalued uses for gems in the game.


Highlighted Changes:


*Serpent kryss much improved and more cost and research (to give it a new niche from the other
nature weapons)

*Research items improved (the change to magic scale somewhat devalued them).

*Bell of cleansing cheaper and no longer an artifact (still very difficult to use effectively).

*Hammer of the mountains now an artifact with 100 damage (hammer was redundant with halberd of
might were it was).

*Chi shoes grant +4 defense.

*Wave breaker and gloves of the gladiator have better stats and more attacks.

*Cat charm cheaper but higher research (10 gems for +4 defense was just too much).



--Mod slots used--



Monsters:


2878 - Solder of the West
2879 - Soldier of the West
2880 - Soldier of the East
2881 - Soldier of the East
2890 - National scout
2892 - National Avati chieftain
2851 - National mounted commander
2888 - National chief
2891 - Natonial shambler chief
2877 - Raven guard captain


Weapons:


768 - Crude shortbow
744 - Bow of agonizing death
659 - Fever Curse
754 - Divine lightning
751 - Divine Flail
752 - Divine Flail
753 - Divine Flail
710 - Warhorse hoof
754 - Hell hooves
709 - Rusted broad sword
708 - Rusted short sword
769 - Druid blessed axe


Armor:


252 - Rotted shield
253 - Rotted buckler
256 - Rotted tower shield
258 - Rusted kite shield
254 - Rusted Iron cap
255 - Rusted legionairy helmet
257 - Rusted full helmet
264 - Heavy ashigaru armor
259 - Rusted Scale Mail Hauberk
260 - Rusted Plate Hauberk
261 - Rusted Chain Mail Hauberk
262 - Rusted Ring Mail Hauberk
263 - Rusted Scale Cuirass
264 - Gold Plate