impressions of Pirates and Nomad mod?

[Merry Jolkar]

I am seriously considering hosting my next game using the Pirates and Nomads mod. Before we begin the game, I would very much appreciate it if people would share their impressions of the mod. Is it well balanced? I would especially welcome comments from anyone who has gone up against Nomad or Pirate players!

The infiltration capacity of the pirates and the fighter ability of the nomads seem like they would be significant advantages over the standard player. Is there an offsetting disadvantage?

Also, one problem we have wrestled with in our present game is the power of the Talisman. Does the solution in P&N (three levels of talisman with low levels heavy) balance the value of the talisman effectively?

Thank you,
Merry

[Captain Kwok]

I haven't played P&N often, but it seems like a fun mod if you subtract the population modifiers that can really drag on construction for some basic facilities - even with large populations!

[Ed Kolis]

Pirates and nomads have a BIG disadvantage... they can't colonize planets! This makes them MUCH harder to play than normal races (btw, remember to setup your empire file with "normal" if you don't pick "pirate" or "nomad" otherwise you're REALLY screwed! )

I'm not so sure about the Talisman; on the one hand, the lower level ones are bigger, but on the other hand, they are available at level 2 of religious technology! Talk about a talisman rush! (I guess though that since they crowd out weapons on smaller ships, that makes them impractical until you've researched some fairly large hulls anyway, but I still don't think it's quite enough to balance it out...)

[Fyron]

Originally posted by Captain Kwok:
I haven't played P&N often, but it seems like a fun mod if you subtract the population modifiers that can really drag on construction for some basic facilities - even with large populations!

That is only in the PBW Version. The non-PBW Version does not have that.

[Suicide Junkie]

Fyron:
Since he mentioned the three-talisman thing, he must be talking about the latest Humans-only PBW Version.

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The low level talisman is quite impractical. Especially considering the QNP system, which forces you to spend more space on engines at the expense of weapons.

I would say offhand, that the first talisman is only worth it on Bases or Baseships.
The top level talisman is only worthwhile on the bigger ships, say Battleship or higher.

For the smaller ships, use the Talisman mount. You sacrifice the extra damage of a large mount, but don't have to include a talisman component.
A nice tradeoff IMO.

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As for the Pirate/Nomad advantage; Unless its a roleplaying game, a Pirate or Nomad dosen't stand a chance. The regulars will eventually be able to clear the storms and overwhelm with sheer numbers.

Choosing more than one trait from the Pirate/Nomad/Normal trio is considered blatant Cheating, unless the game is specifically set up to allow it in big, bold lettering

For a multiplayer match, you may consider letting players choose either Normal or Pirate+Nomad.

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Idea:
How about a game of Normal-race Newbies vs Pirate Veterans, which would be both a challenge for the vets, and a survivable learning experience for the new players!

[PvK]

That's a neat idea, SJ.

Another idea is that a pirate or nomad might team up with a normal empire, to make the best of both advantages as a team. It would also allow the pirate to strike at nominal allies of the normal empire.

Also, pirates and nomads could use diplomacy to offer their unique services to multiple Normal empires, in exchange for resources, bases, planets, trade, etc.

PvK