Mod Balance Guide, Magic Paths

[DrPraetorious]

This guide is intended to allow you to build a nation which is balanced, at least as far as the magic goes, against the "strong" existing nations in each era. Feedback is much appreciated I'm sure I've left something out, especially in the path specifics below.

First off, the significant issues:
* Highest path levels available and number of paths. Obviously, more is always better, but there are many break points, and they are different for the two "types" of mages (see below.)
* Combo-paths available. Certain combinations - earth+astral, for example - are uncommon, and have some exceptionally useful double-path spells.
* Massable vs. Capital Only mages. Mages come in two flavors, the theurg-flavor and the arch-theurg flavor.
- Theurg-flavor can often be recruited everywhere and have relatively low path ratings. They become substantially better if they have a high gold:RP ratio, and if they can cast the same useful spell again and again. Oddly enough, massable mages generally care less about rare randoms - unless those rare randoms actually raise the maximum paths for the nation - because your interested in having them all cast the same few spells a whole lot.
- Archtheurg flavor are often restricted to your capital and have relatively high path ratings and probably randoms. They become substantially better the bigger they are; since they come out of your capital (or are in any case used in small numbers), it makes a lot less of a difference how much they cost.

The base value for the magic strength of a nation is:
the sum of maximum rating in each path obtainable more than 10% of the time on any unit * 4. For path that can go higher but rarely, add a point.

So, for example, Niefelheim:
Can get 1S or 2N (>10% of the time) off of a Gygja.
Can get 4W, 3D or 1A (>10% of the time) off of a Nifel Jarl.
Can get 3B (>10% of the time) off of a Skratti.
They can rarely get higher scores in all those paths.
That's a base of 68 points.

Now we're going to modify that by the research efficiency on the most efficient non-capital-only unit.
The research efficiency (RE) of a unit is:
RE = research * 100 / cost (x1.75 if Sacred) (x0.9 if Old)

The skratti makes 7 RP for 250 gold, and is neither Old nor Sacred. His RE is 2.8.
The theurg makes 6 RP for 150 gold, and is both Old and Sacred. His RE is 6.3.

Anyway, add RE * 3 (rounded down) to your point total. Keep in mind that unless you've got a niefelheim-like-military, a RE less than 4 can be pretty crippling. A RE greater than 7 is going to be pretty insane.

So, some example base totals from the EA:
Ermor: 3F1A1W1E2S3D1N, sometimes for FASD, RE 5.83. 77.5 points.
Sauromatia: 1W2S4D2N2B, sometimes more for WDNB, RE 5. 63 points.
Niefelheim: 1A4W1S3D2N3B, sometimes more on all 6, RE 2.8. 76.4 points.
Pangaea: 2E4N2B, sometimes more for all 3, RE 4.77. 49.3 points.
Atlantis: 2F3W4E1S, sometimes more for all 4, RE 2.8. 52.4 points.

If you want, you can stop reading here, use this as a rough guideline, and do playtesting. However, the following path-specific sections may prove helpful.

Point totals after adding in the stuff below will always be higher.

-- PATH SPECIFICS --
-- FIRE --
Yes, beavis, fire is cool.
Every point of fire, past 1, on a non-capital only mage, is worth 300 / gold cost of the mage, in points. If it's not guaranteed, scale by the chance to get it. So, the EA Anathemant Dragon is worth 600/230 ~= 3 points. The Augur Elder always gets F2, which is worth 300/250, and he has a 25% shot at F3, which is worth another quarter point if you're being anal.

-- AIR --
Air is uniformly good, and you don't need a lot of guys who have it. Generally, while thunderstrike and/or lightning spam can be worthwhile, they don't stand out enough to get extra points. One air is pretty much only good for finding sites.
That said, the battlefield enchantments for air are simply superior, and (except for Wind Guide) they mostly take 3A to cast. You don't need many people to cast them, so 3A is worth 4 more points, 4A is worth 6 more points (not cumulative), as long as you get them at least 5% of the time on anybody.

-- WATER --
Water 1 is a big deal. Add 2 points if you have water.
For theurg-flavoring, Water-3 is a big deal. You get Falling Frost and Trolls. If you have a guaranteed water-3 on a non-capital-only mage, add 500 / gold cost of the mage points. If it's not guaranteed, scale the point value by the chance you get it (so a Mage of the Deep has a roughly 50% chance to get water-3, and costs 250 gold, so this is worth an extra point.)
Finally, water is good for thugs. If you have a giant slavering monster (e.g. Niefel Jarl, Basalt King) with access to water magic, give yourself 2 points.

(to be continued...)

[DrPraetorious]

--ASTRAL--
Astral is obviously a big deal.
Acess to astral 1 is worth an extra 4 points.
Non-capital only astral mages may be good as communion slaves. Give yourself 500/cost for your cheapest non-capital-only mage who us guaranteed an astral. If they're not guaranteed astral, scale to the chance.
If you get astral-3 with better than 10% frequency, even in your capital, your nation has access to the higher level astral boosts, and is a potential mindhunter. This is worth 2 points.
Finally, astral is great for thugs. If you have a giant slavering monster with access to astral magic, give yourself 2 points.

--DEATH--
Death 1 is a significant breakpoint and worth 2 extra points.
Death 2 is also worth 2 extra points.
Death 3 is a significant breakpoint for thugs. If you have a giant slavering monster with death 3, give yourself 2 points.

--EARTH--
Earth 2 is a *huge* breakpoint, worth 6 extra points.

--BLOOD--
Blood 1 is a significant breakpoint, worth 2 extra points. It's generally assumed that you could boost/empower from there if needed.

--COMBINATIONS--
Each of the following combinations, if they appear together with >10% frequency on any unit, are worth an extra point (they're listed in reverse path precedence):
blood + fire, water, air, nature
nature + water, UNLESS you have nature 3 anyway
death + astral
astral + earth (worth 2 points)
water (1+) + fire (3+) (worth 2 points)
air (3+) + earth (2+)

Each of the following combinations, if they appear together on a non-capital only unit, is worth the listed number of points divided by the cost of the unit. The noticably-effective spam spell is listed in parens.
death + astral (nether darts), 500
earth (2+) + fire (magma eruption), 250

I'll flesh this list out later.

Tomorrow I'll post some sample path selections and see if people think they really are balanced.

[llamabeast]

Okay, I wonder what you think of my Tomb Kings paths.

Recruitable-anywhere sorceror:
F2A1D1, 220 gold (deliberately expensive)

Recruitable-anywhere high priests:
D2H3, 260 gold

Capital-only Tomb King:
F2D3H3 + 100% (DS) + 100% (FEA) + 50% (FEADS) (450 gold)

This gives 1 in 30 E2/A2 and 1 in 20 S2. But as a nation they are mean death and fire mages.

[DrPraetorious]

What era is this supposed to be in? I'm gonna assume mid.

Max paths are: F3D4S1E1A1, occasionally more.

Compare to MA Marignon: F3S3A1E1, rarely more.

So you've 2 path points on Marignon, more if you're lucky. Call that 10 points for you.
Marignon's F2 anywhere-guy is only 150 gold instead of 220 gold. He's also a passable communion slave. I'd say that's a point for Marignon.
Marignon can mindhunt. With a 1/40 S4 they can build RoS and then RoW - you need a 1/30 E2 *and* a 1/20 S2 to even equal his astral 3. That's 2 points for Marignon.
OTOH, the extra path you've given yourself is death. Not only can every tom, dick and harry talk to the dead, you can also make skull mentors and death boost items. Gotta be worth 4 points.
You've got the highly useful SD combo. Not on your spammables, but still. That's worth a point for you.

The Witch Hunter has a RE of 500 * 1.75 / 150 = 5.83.
Your Sorcerer has a RE of 600 / 220 = 2.73.
That's 9 points for Marignon.

So 10 - 1 - 3 + 4 - 9 = +2. I'd say your nation has very slightly better magic than MA Marignon, overall. Which is about the same thing I would've said without all that math that cancels out .

[llamabeast]

Great, thanks Dr P! Nice analysis. And sounds like they are probably okay to me, since I think they should be magically strong. I think they will be MA, since I've got the backstory dependent on Ermor's fall.

[Amhazair]

On the other hand your research is utterly apalling. Off the top of my head I can't think of a MA nation with a worse research efficiency. Maybe Vanheim? I felt pritty limited research-wise while playing Abyssia, whose Anathemants have a roughly equal gold/research ratio as your sorcerers, but at least the Anathemants are sacred. Of course you have access to all three research boosting items, but even so...