[Arralen]

Version 2.2 is available !

Most significant CHANGES in v2.02 vs. the base game :
Amount of changes is given in [ ]


- most units get -1 encumbrance, e.g. Inf has (2) instead of (3)


- All Black Plate Inf is gold 12 [+2], ATT/DEF 11 [+1], MOR 11 [+1]
Black Plate Pikeneer end up with MOR 12 [+1]


- General MR is 11 [+2], which works out to 12.5 with the inevitable drain 3 ..
Knight Commanders start at 12.


- Modded equipment:
"Full Plate of Ulm" *modded*: prot 21[+0], def -2[+3], enc 5[+0]

"Full Chain of Ulm" *new* : prot 17[+0], def -3[+0], enc 2[-1], ress cost 17 [+0]
vs. "full chain mail"

"Black Steel Pot" *new* : prot 18[+1], def 0[+0], enc 0[+0], ress cost 3 [+0]
vs. "half helmet"

"Sword of Sharpness" (1h, #74) : 0 => 10 ress


- The troops use either
"Full Chain of Ulm", "Black Steel Pot"
and have strat move 2[+1],
or
"Full Plate of Ulm", "Black Steel Helmet"
and have strat move 1.


- ulmish Crossbowmen prec 11 [+1]


- Black Dukes and Counts use "Sword of Sharpness" again,
Knights use "Broad Sword"s for melee now.
This is to reduce the inevitable MM .. all the thugs would have to get cheap swords or
Stingers early on otherwise for negigible cost.


- "The Forges of Ulm": reduced gem production (5->2) to pay for intrinsic Swords of Sharpness
and Black Steel Armors


- Master Smith
HP 12 [+2], STR 13 [+2], Enc 5 [+2]... they're SMITHES, after all: strong and heavily
build ..
+1 random F/A/E/S @ 20% instead of 10%
Cost 160 gold [+15]
Them being on the edge of high age is a design decision of the devs that I agree with for
thematic reasons: In general, the smithes are masters of their trade, but should not be
the 1st choice for battlefield spellcasters and thugs. With a starting age range from
42-48 and a threshold of 48, there should be enough individuals suitable for the task
after a while.
Random pathes boosted to have each one available (statistically) earlier.


- Monks instead of Priests now. Fits the spies better, and is needed to spread dominion.


- Unit descriptions redone, to give some hints about advantageous usage or special abilities.


- Heavy inf. with mauls removed, medium inf. turned into "Milita of Ulm", as mauls are only a
slightly inferior and cheaper version of battle axes. They still come with standard "Full
Chain Mail" (as before) but with reduced stats and cost (8 gold : upkeep 0.533g per
turn). They're not up for recruitment, but Captains and Dukes can "conscript" them
(summon ally).


- PD changed:
Basic PD now consists of "Milita of Ulm" and standard crossbowmen (might be mercs,
invalid veterans or even women, actually; not worth making a new unit though).
On higher levels, regular line inf with shields is added to the province defense.
Pikes are removed, because they had higher mor indeed, but were useless otherwise
(low dam, no shield)


MONSTER and EQUIPMENT NUMBERS USED

armor 200, 201
monster 2000, 2001,2002


QUESTIONS & ANSWERS

>>> Isn't the smith just too good for a magic-less nation? <<<

Actually, Ulm is not anti-magic or without any magic. Those are simply humans who have a deep
distrust against _spellcasters_. Humans get corrupted by direct contact with otherworldly
powers. They tend to use more and more power and fail to control it in the end. Items and
machines do not. If a whole nation daily trains in negating (not denying) any spell cast, that
should have some influence on the avarage magic resistance, btw. Furthermore, all the boosts
that I did for Dom2 got taken over by the devs for Dom3 ... I only upped the percentage for
the random path from 10% to 20% to make the pathes (statistically) available earlier in the
game ;-)


>>> Why does the chain mail get the same malus to def as the full plate ? <<<
>>> Imo you are more immobile , the stronger your armor is. So with a chain- <<<
>>> mail you should be more agile then with a full plate imo. <<<

A common misconception, maybe stemming from all those RPG rules which where authored by -to
put it midly- some folks which didn't have a clue about either A) statistics (roll your
dice...) and B) medieval/ancient combat. Hollywood filmmakers aren't that much better
_naturally_.

Actually, I tried to model the differences, while keeping it somewhat consistant with the rest
of DOM2, between two fundamentally different armor techniques.

First the heavy, ankle-long double-layered chain mail with underlying padding. In the real
word (TM) known in principle since roman times, it was the late 1000s when it became "fashion"
(don't quote me on the date, I'm notoriously bad with those. But I know where to look it up
Earlier, it was simply too expensive and/or the material too bad to actually manufacture mail
that long. This kind of armor was used 'til 1200, when first serious improvements where made:
full "pot" helments, later the first "platen", which developed into the breastplate (early
cuirass).

Second the full-body "gothic" armor, similar to those made by Lorenz Helmschmied, Augsburg
(not Ulm ), around 1480 for "Erzherzog Maximilian I." (later Emporer). Those armors are
sometimes depicted "gothic", while they where in fact pre-gothic I think. For a visual check
the mod icon! Those are definitly not much heavier than a full chain mail. But a chain mail
does not have "articulated joints", so movement is much more hindered in such an unshaped
armor. With "gothic" plate, you can you actually jump, sprint, and it's said someone from the
SCA tried cartwheels with it successfully.

While the chain mail is made to absorb a blow and keep the edge from cutting, the plate armor
is made to foremost _deflect_ a blow from a weapon - or a missile.


>>> It doesn't matter much though because defense is very low for ulm units anyways . <<<
>>> Their main protection is just protection. <<<

That is only partly true - even within the constraints of Dominions. If you check it out - the
Black Plate Inf with Tower Shield ends up with a Def of 11, which isn't that bad IMHO. And I'm
really thinking about upping the Def of the plate armor even more.

From my personal experience of being "on the receiving end" of such an armor, I can tell you
that it's amazingly difficult to get an _effective_ hit in, especially if your adversary
additionally carries a big shield.

Only -but big drawback- of the "hard case armor" is the prevention of air circulation. You
may do everything you want in it - but only for some hours at best. After that, you'll have to
get rid of some parts or you'll be boiled alive ... . Wearing a full armor on a long march is
next to impossible.

That's why I gave the mail armor troops strat move 2 and the plate armor troops strat move 1 -
they simply need more time to get battle ready and have more difficulties hauling their armor
in general.


>>> The auto-summoning of knights is overpowered. <<<
>>> <<<

No, it's not. And even only becuse if I can't go "lower" than
domsummon20 ;-)
Really, it's only 0,5 knights per turn in Dom10 - for each Duke, which are capitol-only, and those knights die easily to anything AP/AN.
"Summon a number of monsters each month spent inside friendly dominion.
The amount summoned is a dominionstrength sided open ended die roll.
domsummon20 - A twentieth as effective as #domsummon."