Re: Nations that seem strong/weak
 

Other than the effect on old age afflictions, Dom3's death scale is identical to Dom2. A death 3 scale should be a no-brainer for Abysia, just like a heat 3 scale is, or a drain 3 scale is for Ulm. This is one of the nation's advantages to offset their use of the second weakest type of elemental magic and slightly overpriced troops.

Re: Nations that seem strong/weak
 

A 10 blood slave cost for every single mage you recruit is not trivial. It's a massive cost that will become 30 or 40 slaves per turn at a minimum.

Re: Nations that seem strong/weak
 

But that's a serious effect, don't take it too lightly.

But that's more of a thematic problem than a balance problem. I don't think death should be a no-brainer for Abysia, nor do I think Drain is currently a no-brainer for Ulm (if you don't plan on using your national mages for research [which makes sense, since they aren't very good at it] it can really hurt)

Re: Nations that seem strong/weak
 

If you aren't planning to use Master Smith's for research, then what _are_ you planning to research with? And how are you going to pay for the almost required productivity 3 scale without taking drain 3? Even worse, your troops will be slaughtered by MR negates effects without the drain scale helping to protect them.

Death should certainly be an automatic choice for Abysia, or else their death scale resistance provides them with no actual benefit. Instead, they suffer worse from it than most nations thanks to their universally old fire mages. Or would you argue that Caelum should sometimes not take cold 3? If playing nations thematically isn't a powerful way to play them, then something is probably wrong with how they are balanced.

Re: Nations that seem strong/weak
 

If in a future patch or mod the Blood spell Rejuvenate took away old age afflictions in addition to making them younger I'd consider the death scale a good choice. I also think, the way the death scale currently effects Abysia, that playing the death theme isn't a good idea. The effects of the death scale on Abysia specifically definately needs to be looked at and adjusted as I don't think the tradeoff is worth it.

Re: Nations that seem strong/weak
 

The Master Smith. Right until the point I find an independant mage http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

Re: Nations that seem strong/weak
 

If you are buying mages in that much bulk you can afford to lose a few. Think of it as the expense for balancing out the free design point from a death-3 scale.

Re: Nations that seem strong/weak
 

Why should there be any kind of balancing factor? Abysia was certainly not anywhere close to overpowered in Dom2, being a fire nation, so why was it necessary to nerf them, (And Marignon), so terribly in Dom3?

Re: Nations that seem strong/weak
 

It's also a blood nation though. Blood is Good. But I do think that old age hit abysia too hard.

Re: Nations that seem strong/weak
 

Early and middle age abysia can only build blood hunters in capitol, so it's a pretty crappy blood nation.

LA abysia however trades battlemages for blood hunters in it's non-capital castles, so they can at least get a good blood income.