Re: Kaleva, Songs of Sorcery - 0.87 released
 

Endo: The upkeep is a real drag, in the sense that I don't feel like playing with them after the first year or so because the upkeep is so large. I would guess that this is due to the lack of sacred researchers. There's the Shaman, I guess, but he seems... quite lacking compared to the other mages. He also has a research penalty.

Also, the national troops really are subpar. This is below Bogarus-infantry subpar, for me.

I'm trying to figure out a good strategy besides 'spam bears', but so far, I'm not finding it. (It is a very good strategy, though, until the bears are nerfed.)

Re: Kaleva, Songs of Sorcery - 0.87 released
 

Thanks a lot, this really helps me.
I'll try and see how I can improve the infantry, and I'll improve the Shamans as well. I gave him research penalty so that they wouldn't be too good researchers, but I only compared them to other mages this mod adds.
Shamans with Earth also let you summon Gnomes (E2N2 glamour), which gets you Earth Boots and Dwarven Hammers. I don't think they are upkeep-free, though.

Re: Kaleva, Songs of Sorcery - 0.87 released
 

Yes, I know about the Gnomes, and I guess they're okay, except you have to get 16 Earth gems somehow to get the first one. ;)

The Crossbowman is about the only decent unit they have, IMO.

Re: Kaleva, Songs of Sorcery - 0.87 released
 

My current list of Things To Do:

Give them a second, more armored version of the Axeman, similar to Vanheim's hirdman. Hopefully that will give them some staying power in the battlefield, outside of bears.

I've considered whether or not the human cavalry deserves a magical attack for a long time. I think I'll add it (few points of fire damage from the horses' hooves) again.

I'll drop the bears' protection and remove the (1 point) research penalty from Bear Shamans. I might also change leadership values slightly, so that Bear Shamans get ldr 40 and Hiisi Sorcerer's ldr goes from 40 to 10.

I'll try comparing them to CB spells instead of vanilla spells. Perhaps that will be more useful.

I'll drop away at least one of the Bear Tribe warriors, since they're just there to make the unit roster look bigger than it really is.

I'll add castles and PD.

There are also several sites I should add to the Magic Site Mod.

Re: Kaleva, Songs of Sorcery - 0.87 released
 

Looking forward to seeing the new version, Endo. :)

Re: Kaleva, Songs of Sorcery - 0.87 released
 

Thanks for the great feedback Bear, and thanks for working on it again Endo. I look forward to playing it again.

Re: Kaleva, Songs of Sorcery - 0.87 released
 

Ling: Not sure I agree with 'great' there. Besides, I only give feedback when it is specifically requested. I've seen some not very congenial discussions here when that rule isn't followed.

Re: Kaleva, Songs of Sorcery - 0.87 released
 

Initial reaction to my suggestion that I get extra grades for finishing this mod was positive. I still have other schoolwork to do first, but perhaps in a month or so... Sorry for taking so long in getting back to this.

Re: Kaleva, Songs of Sorcery - 0.87 released
 

I'm working on this again. During this week and the following two, I have five days of school, total. I'm writing up some documents, and I'll have to take screenshots from the game and that kind of boring stuff, but pretty soon I'll get to making new sprites and other interesting stuff. I also went to see a Kalevala-themed exhibition in Helsinki (to get some inspiration), and have been reading about early Finnish shamanism again.

I read about a really interesting Scandinavian shamanistic tradition that was also found in Finland: rage-trance. A shaman has a strong "luonto" or "haltija". When you say that something is "in his nature", well, that's the nature where it's in. These shamans rise their spirits high ('olla haltijoissaan', 'nostaa luontoaan'), and then shout and spit and rage and hit things, and may do traditional trance-trickery such as walking through fire, and the book I've been reading compares it to berserkers. Must've been a sight, a wizard running after spirits with an axe in hand, pausing to stomp the ground when his other hand starts shaking on its own! :D

For some reason, reading the book also reminded me of a talk I had with my father when I was younger. I wondered what I could've been if I didn't live in modern times, what with my poor eyesight and introverted nature and poor physique. Matter-of-factly, he told me that I would have been a shaman. :cool:

Re: Kaleva, Songs of Sorcery - 0.87 released
 

Indeed, I think you would have been a Shaman, Endo.

Good luck with finishing the mod.