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RedRover said:
Vicious Love:
Global Haze: Now I’m curious. What would you consider a fair bonus for the 50-point global? A +2 morale bonus? Something else? Enquiring minds want to know!
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Well, lessee. The so-called "secondary effect" has to be worthwhile in it's own right. The whole "dispels Second Sun" thing is irrelevant, as it's either the dispel, or the global, effectively two entirely different spells with the same research and path requirements. I mean, I suppose there is SOME weight to the fact that a fire nation would have to dispel this or replace it with one of their own globals in order to avoid wasting a casting of Second Sun, but methinks that's nowhere near just cause to cast a sub-par global spell.
The Eyes of God is one research level lower than this, and costs 50 gems. Despite the Achilles' Heel, methinks it's still far superior to +2 morale and a bit of reinvigoration. I mean, keep in mind this will only affect amphibious and aquatic troops.
There are some pretty awesome aquatic troops out there, but a water nation shouldn't need to resort to a global to dominate the oceans. As for amphibians, there're a bunch of assorted SCs* and ubermonsters(Doom horrors, vastnesses, and other not-all-that-marine beings which happen to be able to enter the water), and the water nations' national troops, which range from pretty hardcore, but not in a way that'd be enhanced by this spell(Illithids), to pitiful and unworthy of the expenditure of 50 gems(Everything else. Except meteorite guards and ubershamblers, I guess).
Also at research level 5, you've got Gift of Health, which only costs 40 gems, and is one of the most desirable globals in the game. Mind you, it is one of nature's chief selling points, and so should be more powerful than most spells of that cost and research level, but there's simply no comparing a measly morale boost to the HP-boosting, affliction-healing goodness that is GoH.
On top of that, you've got Dark Skies, which, much like this spell, is only useful in those stages in which armies are more important than mages and SCs. Has anyone ever actually cast this spell?
If I had to make this sort of spell competitive, I would either
A) Make it give all friendly aquatics unbreakable(But not mindless) morale. This wouldn't really affect SCs, and half of R'lyeh's troops are already mindless, but I suppose it would be a boon to Atlantis, if they actually have any use for those troops of theirs by the time you can cast this. Not that this is remotely thematic, but that's what happens when you try to justify a 50 gem price tag on making the world a slightly damper place.
B) Have all battles(Or perhaps all battles in friendly dominion, to keep this from totally crippling fire as a battlefield path for a mere 50 gems) be affected by rain, mist, or some combination thereof. Maybe give aquatics and amphibians a bit of fire resistance, to boot.
C) Throw in a bit of protection, magic resistance, and maybe a miniscule amount of affliction-preventing regeneration.
D) Some combination of the above.
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Astral vs. Water: I certainly agree with you on this. Astral thematically is the dominant path and that needs to be protected. But I would like to see a sea nation that can successfully stray from the Astral/Water combination.
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I don't think Oceania'll have astral.
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MP Question: Your thoughts mirror mine. I was hoping to get some concrete numbers to promote a rational discussion of the point. Exchanging opinions is interesting, but at some point data is needed to anchor things.
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Yea, verily.
I dig the various incarnations of Curse of Atlantis, by the way. Considering the disadvantages, 150 gems might be more than a bit overpriced. On most maps, it'll take more than one casting to actually reach a player's capitol, and it takes no more than a bit of luck and a few domes(At lower research levels than this monstrosity) to make an oceanic adversary waste two Water Queens' worth in gems.
* Methinks this spell should not affect undead and lifeless, by the way. Nor "poor amphibians", since they're usually swampdwellers or magical constructs, rather than marine beings.
Then again, most proper amphibians have next to nothing to do with the ocean, and really should not benefit from a glorified ocean breeze. Not sure whether horrors are amphibians, or poor amphibians, but I'm sure there are plenty of similar cases out there.