Cohen Mod 0.2

[Cohen]

I want to make this post because I don't want that someone later tells me that I stole ideas from someone else, since there's something equal to Zen Pretender mod.
I've already done some Unit modifies, and Spell modding, but I lacked the time to write down the modifies in the readme file (this is a copy/paste, so formattation here isn't as in the file).
Thanks for PvK and Tapani Antilla for graphic.
Any suggestion will be appreciated, I've tried to justify/explain most of my modifies. The Mod File will be attached as soon as the Readme and some Pretender description will be completed.
Even I'd appreciate a native English speaker that will be so patient to correct my gramms and syntax mistakes in the descriptions since I'm not an English native speaker. Some volounteer(s)?
I'm seeking too testers for my mod. Please PM me or email me at cohen[at]libero[dot]it.
__________________________________________________ _________
Greetings

This is the list of modifies that my MOD applies to default Dominions 2, and an explaination of why I did that.
Somewhere there're balance issues, in other places there're flavour modifies. Sorry for the grammar mistakes,
I'm not a native English speaker. There're written only the final result. All that is not written, is the same as
in Dominion 2 default game.

So on let's start:

---------------------------------------------SCALE MODDING: ----------------------------------------------------
Growth Scale: +/- 3% Gold.
+/- 0.4% Population.
Production Scale: +/- 20% Resources
+/- 4% Gold.
Fortune Scale: +10% Events.

Why I've done this?
Simply because many players exploited those scales to get "free" design points. And effectively they weren't
worthing to get taken. I hope now they're worthing, or if you want to take them in negative, you've to pay a price for
40 design points for a scale point.

---------------------------------------------ITEM MODDING: -----------------------------------------------------
S stands for Astral, A for Air, F for Fire, and so on.
A number before the letter is the level of the mage now required to forge that item. (ie, 2S means you need a
level 2 Astral Mage).
Multiply for 5 the number in front of the Magic Path to determine the new gem cost (ie an item 2S1F will require
10 Astral Pearls and 5 Fire Gems to get forged).
I add that many items were rarely used, if never. I tried to make them more viable lowering their price.

Wraith Sword: 3D1S. Construction Lvl 6.
Hell Sword: B3F1.
Blood Thorn: 3B*
WHY: Well those are the Drain Life weapons. They've an higher cost, and perhaps the HellSword will have another increase
of cost. They should be more rare, and if this is insufficient, better to raise again the cost. The Blood Thorn
hasn't suffered cost modifies because it's a Blood Path Booster, but the weapon itself has changed stats: now is
-6 Damage, -5 Attack and Defence, so it isn't so good to give it to an SC because it risk to get hit easily, and to
miss more, thus not replenishing his HP and Fatigue.

Clam of Pearls: 3W
Fever Fetish: 2N1F
WHY: Those items are damn strong in the long run. Blood Stones are needed as Earth Enhancer, and
usually blood has more uses of them, and more maluses to get than magic gems.

Wand of Wild Fire: 2F
WHY: Incinerate is better than Fireball, and the Rod of Phoenix is still 20 Fire Gems. Even,
if you've an F2 mage that could cast Fireball of it's own, to forge that Wand, probably you can forge
4 Sceptre that fires Fire Bolts ... a better use for 20 Fire Gems, and there're many others. So, 10 Fire Gems.

Crystal Shield: 2S2E
WHY: Given that it adds Encumberance to spellcasting, and his bonus in in battlefield only, a small
reduction should be fine. It's too not so used.

Lantern Shield: 1D1F
WHY: Due to Corpse Candle spell reduction of fatigue and removed the gem cost of 1, this shield has
been reduced in price.

The Aegis: 5E
WHY: It's damn good. Making it more difficult is correct, considering if you can afford an E5 item,
probably you've a Dwarven Hammer.

Staff of Storms: 4A, Construction 6.
WHY: This is an awesome item, better in Major Artifact. 4A because a Mage needs 4A to cast storm
in battle, so he needs to be 4A to fill the staff with the power of the Storms. (and 20 Gems were too
few for the gain you've from Storm, considering the Storm stays in the battle even if the bringer of the
staff retreats bringing the item into safety).

Wall Shaker: 2A.
WHY: Gate Cleaver is 3E. And gives the twice of Siege Bonus. I'm not so sure of this, since Earth should
be more powerful in sieging.

Manual of Water Breathing: 2N1W
Barrel of Air: 3A
WHY: Making the Underwater less secure before, at least you can go in with troops a little more easily.

Champion Skull: 1D
WHY: 3 pts of Experience aren't so much, considering a human commander die too easily, and an SC can earn
them with ease.

Magic Lamp: 4A4F
WHY: More difficult to forge to obtain the awesome Djinn, but even more difficult to steal the Djinn, giving
more importance to that articaft often forgot due to that weakness.

Winged Shoes: 2A
WHY: Too easy to forge, giving a good advantage in strategic map move.

Stone Idol: 1E1S
Crystal Hearth: 1E1S
Elixir of Life: 1N1F
WHY: Not so used, those items. Stone Idol is often easily detected due to the drop of Dominion, and the
enemy start patrolling. Crystal Hearth and Elixir of Life weren't never used, yes they restore your life
but priving your guy of another item makes him more easy to kill.

Ice Pebble Staff: 2W
WHY: Not so used for a not so great spell.

Copper Plate: 2E1A
WHY: Too easy to get Lightning immunity for 1A. Earth component heavily added because copper is however
a mineral from earth, that should absorb the lightning, Air component kept to assume the mage should give
lightning resistance and shocking grasp in. This could be modified in 2A1E or 1A1E, I'm not sure about
this new price, but I'm sure 1A is too cheap compared to the 1A ring that protects only from lightnings.

--------------------------------------------PRETENDERS: --------------------------------------------------------
Note: I've liked many of Zen changes, but not all of them. Someone are there too, because I find them right,
and probably I've put myself in if he didn't released his mod before me.
WHY: In Default Dom2 many players take Ghost King, unless they can take a Vampire Queen with Caelum or Abysya,
thanks to the heat/cold points, or a nation specific Pretender, like Allfather and Carrion Dragon. My aim is to
bring more pretenders as a viable choice that could lead to victory.
Humans and some Immobiles are granted with more magic or other skills, to supply the fact they cannot take indy
in solo. Some other pretenders have more magic even if they're good ... don't forgot with the Scale change, it's
more "costy" to take negative scales.
There're too new pretenders, I invite you to try them directly. There's one for each of the following:
Abysya, Atlantis, Marignon, Ulm, Ermor and C'Tis.
There're too some new weapons, that however won't make the difference, like a Fiery Staff for Abysyan Great Warlock
(you'll dare to send him in hand to hand?) or Boulders that the Cyclop could throw at enemies (probably he'll cast
spells however).
Things listed here are changes or addenda.
NPC = New Path Cost

RED DRAGON: Prot 23, Prec 12, Def 14. More "weapons".
BLUE DRAGON: Prot 23, Prec 12, Def 14. More "weapons".
GREEN DRAGON: Prot 23, Prec 12, Def 14. More "weapons".
MANTICORE: Prot 15, Att 15, Def 15. More "weapons".
GHOST KING: NPC 40.
CYCLOP: Forge Bonus 25.
GOLDEN NAGA: Cost 80, Enc 3, Mounted, +body slot.
NAGA: Cost 80, Enc 3, Mounted, +body slot, Stealthy.
LORD of the GATES: Cost 65, Death 2.
MOLOCH: Cost 110, Fire 4, Hp 72, NPC 80, Imps Removed.
SCORPION KING: Mounted, +body slot.
SHEDU: Astral 2, Earth 2, Recuperation, Def 18, Enc 1. More "weapons".
GREAT BULLs: NPC 60, enc 1.
LORD OF FERTILITY: Nature 3.
ARCH-LICH: 2 D.Gem prod/turn, Disease Cloud.
DRACOLICH: Prot 12, Prec 13, Recuperation. More "weapons".
VOID LORD: StartDom 5.
SON of the SUN(F): +2 F.Gem prod/turn.
SON of the SUN(S): Cost 75, Astral 1.
ANCIENT KRAKEN: PoisonRes 100, ColdRes 100.
***** QUEEN: Stealth, HP 40, Prec 10.
MOTHER of LIONS: Nature 2, Fear 2, Def 16.
ASYNYA: Glamour, Recuperation, Stealth, NPC 40.
DAUGHTER of the LAND: Water 1, Recuperation, Cost 75.
DIVINE GLYPH: Cost 75, Immortal, Fire 2, Startdom 5.
MEDUSA: HP 30.
DIVINE SERPENT: NPC 30.
MASTER ALCHEMIST: Named "Arcane Blacksmith", Forge Bonus 40, Fire 2 Earth 2, HP 19, Enc 1, Prec 12, Cost 60.
FOUNTAIN of BLOOD: NPC 30, HP 30, Douse Bonus 12.
ORACLE: NPC 30, HP 30, 2 W.Gem & 2S.Pearls prod/turn.
TITAN-FEMALE: Nature 2.
WYRM: Cost 60.
GREAT MOTHER: Earth 2 Nature 2, Recuperation, Cost 80.
MONOLITH: 2 N.Gem prod/turn.
LORD of the WILD: Cost 125.
COLOSSAL HEAD: Nature 2, Blood 2.
PRINCE of DEATH: PoisonRes 100, ColdRes 100, NPC 80, Death 4.
TITAN-MALE: Att 14, Def 13, Prec 13, Cost 110.
LORD of the DESERT SUN: Def 15, Prec 14, StartDom 4, Machaka only.
FATHER of SERPENTS: Prec 14, Def 15.
PHOENIX: Cost 75, Air 2, Fire 2.
JADE EMPEROR: Stardom 4, Prec 13.
FREAK LORD: Nature 2, Astral 2, HP 21, Enc 2.
ARCH MAGE, land: Cost 25, HP 21, Enc 2, Startdom 2, added 2 Misc Slot.
CRONE: Named "Hag", Cost 25, Heal Troop, HP 12, Prec 13.
GREAT SAGE: ResearchBonus 16, HP 18, Enc 1, added 1 Misc Slot.
MASTER DRUID: Cost 50, Nature 3, Recuperation, Enc 1, StarDom 2, SwampSurv, HP 18.
GREAT ENCHANTRESS: Cost 50, HP 16, Enc 1, Ethereal, 2 S.Pearls prod/turn.
MOTHER of TUATHA: Enc 1, Recuperation.
ARCH MAGE, sea: Cost 25, Water 3, HP 21, Enc 2
SMOKING MIRROR: Nature 1, HP 19, Enc 1.
DIVINE EMPEROR: Air 1, Water 1, Enc 1, HP 18, StartDom 3.
ARCH DRUID: Nature 4, Swampsurv, Hp 21, Enc 2.
BAPHOMET: Startdom 5, Fireshield 10.
GREAT SEER of the DEEP: Cost 45, Water 2, Astral 2, HP 18, Enc 1, StarDom 2.
FORST FATHER: Named "Ancient Mariner", Astral 1, Death 1, Sailing, Cost 45, HP 18, Enc 1.
GREAT WARLOCK: Fire 2, Blood 2, StarDom 3, HP 24, Enc 1, Douse 4, changed weapon.
ARCH SERAPH: Cost 50, Air 3, HP 17, Enc 1, StarDom 3.
SERPENT KING: StartDom 4, Att 15, Def 17, HP 25, Enc 1, Stealthy.
VIRTUE: Cost 100, Air 1, Astral 1, Fire 1, Att 16, Def 17, HP 45, Str 16, FireRes 100.
SKRATTI: Named "Elder Skratti", Blood 3, HP 40, Enc 2.
LORD of the NIGHT: Cost 125.
NARID: Mounted.
DAGON: Def 12.

----------------------------------------------SPELLS: ----------------------------------------------------------
General Note and Explaination: Here many spells have been reduced in price of Gems. Perhaps some battlespells
were properly priced before as "spell itself". But if you assume the number of things that should happen before
you have the battle where you wanted to use that spell, AND that the Spellcasting AI make usually a stupid use of
your precious gems, here some battle spells reduced in gem cost. Some spells to supply the fact now the doesn't
cost gems anymore have been raised in path to mantain balance.
Some rituals were depriced too, because they weren't worthing all those gems. Especially the early summons
were usually avoided to keep gems for forging, summoning commanders and mages. An example ... who casted Pride of
Lion, or Spirits of the Wood, when those gems could be worthing a Lamia Queen for example
Then there was the reduction of gem cost of those battle spells that are powerful, but so rarely casted.
Most of the spells now cost around 2-3 gems unless the effect is very good (like Darkness).
Some spells have been raised, like Wrathful Skies, that has been brought to the level (now reduced) of Astral Tempest
and Fire Storm; and False Horror.
Many astral spells have a reduced price because Clam of Pearls now have incresead price.
To know how many gems are used, pick the hundreds number (ie a 200 fatigue spell, costs 2 Gems. A 1550
fatigue spell will cost 15 gems, for example).

Wrathful Skies: Evocation-7, A5, 300 Fatigue
Fire Storm: 300 Fatigue
Astral Tempest: 300 Fatigue
Solar Brilliance: 300 Fatigue
False Horror: A2, 20 Fatigue
Summon Lesser X Elem: 80 Fatigue
Will o' the Wisp: F2, 80 Fatigue
Corpse Candle: D2F1, 80 Fatigue
Summon X Elem: 100 Fatigue
Howl: 100 Fatigue
Summon Sprites: 50 Fatigue
Living X: X5, 100 Fatigue
Soul Vortex: 80 Fatigue
Quickening: W4, 80 Fatigue
Polymorph: N4, 80 Fatigue
Will of the Fates: S5, 200 Fatigue
Army of Gold/Lead: 200 Fatigue
Arcane Domination: 200 Fatigue
Flare: 40 Fatigue
Acid Storm: 300 Fatigue
Heat from Hell: F5, 90 Fatigue
Grip of Winter: W5, 90 Fatigue
Life after Death: 200 Fatigue
Unraveling: 200 Fatigue
Soul Drain: 300 Fatigue
Master Enslave: 400 Fatigue
Undead Mastery: 400 Fatigue
Sabbath Master/Slave: 10 Fatigue
Hell Power: 100 Fatigue
Holy Pyre: 2F2H
Hellfire: 40 Fatigue
Bloodletting: 200 Fatigue
Blood Vengeance: 20 Fatigue
Harm: 20 Fatigue
Leech: B5, 20 Fatigue
Hellbind Heart: B4, 20 Fatigue

Summon Fire Drake: 5 Gems
Ghost Riders: 8 Gems
Bind Scorpion Beast: 4 Gems
Summon Wyvern: 4 Gems
Summon Ice Drake: 5 Gems
Summon Sea Serpent: 5 Gems
Summon Cave Drake: 5 Gems
Summon Animals: 5 Gems
Summon Horned Serp: 7 Gems
Revive Wight: 4 Gems
Revive Bane: 6 Gems
Pride of Lions: 10 Gems
Summon Summer Lions: 20 Gems
Spirits of the Wood: 6 Gems
Summon Fall Bears: 20 Gems
Acashic Record 20 Pearls
Summon Fire Snakes: 4 Gems
Contact Draconians: 20 Gems
Sea King's Court: 30 Gems
Troll King's Court: 30 Gems
Contact Herbinger: 20 Pearls
Ether Gate: 40 Pearls
Locust Swarms: 4 Gems
Angelic Host: 35 Pearls
Earth Attack: 4 Gems
Baleful Star: 3 Pearls
Wish: 150 Pearls
Volcanic Eruption: 8 Gems
Watcher: 3 Gems
Enliven Gargoyle: 4 Gems
Enliven Statues: 10 Gems
Melancholia: 4 Gems
Telestic Animation: 3 Pearls
Astral Travel: 15 Pearls
Bowl of Blood: 1 Slave (there're so few blood magic sites)
Bind Succubus: 33 Slaves
Reascendance: 55 Slaves
Bind Ice Devil: 77 Slaves
Blood Rite: 20 Slaves (now Vampire Lords haven't Summon Allies).
Three Red Seconds: 100 Slaves
Crusher Construction: 5 Gems
Clockwork Horrors: 10 Gems
Wooden Construction: 3 Gems
Mechanical Men: 10 Gems


----------------------------------------------TROOPS CHANGES: -------------------------------------------------
This section is widely incomplete. Many National Heroes belonging to the fighter class have been improved in
skill (att & def).
Even I want to improve more some elites that aren't so used due to the high res cost. This will raise the value
of taking Production scale instead of Sloth. Attack, Defence and any other value are pre-equipment. Armor/Weapons
can change them.

ABYSYA:
Slightly Improved Abysyan Infantry (not humanbred).
Slightly Improved Abysyan Sacreds (both)
Price Changes:
Warlock Apprentice: 140 Gold
Anthemath Salamander: 170 Gold
Anthemath Dragon: +1? Magic
Substituted: Salamder with Abysyan Heavy Cavalry (elite units, costing however 90 Gold and 90 Res)

ULM:
Slightly Improved Ulm Infantry, for 12 gold now.
Improved Black Plate Infantry, for 13 gold now.
Improved Guardians, and Black Knights/Templars.
BF Zwaihanders, gone Elite, for 12 gold now.
Improved all fighting commanders.

MARIGNON:
Slightly Improved Royal Guard and Man-at-Arms (for 15 gold now).
Improved Knight of the Chalice and Paladin.
Grand Master: 250 Gold
CotS:
Royal Navigator, 290 gold, +2 Water.
Chartmaker, 150 gold, +1 Water.
Captain, +1 Water.
Admiral, 110 gold, +2 Water.

TIEN CHI:
Slightly Improved Imperial XXXX troops.
Improved Imperial, Red Guard and Prince General.
Supply bonus to Eunuch.
Celestial Master now: 2A, 1E, 1F, 1W, 1S, 1?, 290 gold.
M. of 5 Elements now: 1A, 1E, 1F, 1W, 1N, 2? (elemental), 250 gold.
National spells reduced in cost. (10 Divine Soldier, 2 Divine Servant, 2 Fire Demon, 3 River Demon).
Tien Chi needed some battle mages, AND mages that were able to cast National Spell like Divine Soldiers
without wasting turns of the Prophet.

PYTHIUM:
Theurg: 180 Gold

CAELUM:
Seraph: 130 Gold
Arch Seraph: 250 Gold

C'TIS:
Lizard King: 180 Gold

ERMOR:
Thaumathurg: now 2 Death magic. Sacred.
Gran Thaumathurg: now 4 Death magic. Sacred.

INDEP/MAGIC SITE REC.
Militia: Mountain and Forest Survival (they could be enlisted sheepherd and woodsmen).
Grey Knight/Lord: Improved Stats. Grey Lord now has 2 Astral Magic.
Fire Lord: Improved Stats.

Blood Slave: Fire Resistance 100%

SUMMONS:
Fallen Angel, Angel of the Host, Harbinger, Arch Angel:
Stat Improvement.
Vampire Lord:
Summon Allies removed.
Ice/Arch Devils:
Someone of them now has a new default weapon. It was pretty strange that many of them come out with
a quarterstaff that does the same amount of damage than a quarterstaff wielded by an human sized creature (I
suppose a Demon brandish a sort of Demonic weapon of his size). My will is to change to almost all of them the
default weapon except someone.

Plan for next releases:
Balance a little the Elemental Lords (Air Queens seems to be stronger than some others).
National troops and mages balance. (something is still missing for sure!!!)
Apply good suggestions and improve the balance of the mod.

0.2 Changes:
Moloch: back to every nation before could get it. Lost Fire Shield, and Ambidex, Cost to 110.
G.Warlock: lost Fireshield.

Tien Chi and Mary CotS: Modified Mages.
Abysya: Raised slightly the cost from 0.1 of the Warlock App and Ant Salam. Dragon back to 360 but added 1 random.
Ulm: BF Zweihanders now improved in stats.
Many Nations Heroes improved.

More cost to Wraithsword and Hellsword.
Copper Plate and Ice Pebble Staff modified.

Tien Chi National Spells lowered in cost.
__________________________________________________ ________

[archaeolept]

is there some reason you couldn't post this in your already existing "yay I have a mod too" thread?

and i believe it was already pretty clear that you stole the basis for your pretender mods from zen's mod, just as you took other peoples' graphics w/out first asking for permission or giving attribution until you were called on it.

I want to make this post because I don't want that someone later tells me that I stole ideas from someone else, since there's something equal to Zen Pretender mod.

[Esben Mose Hansen]

archaeolept said:is there some reason you couldn't post [...] until you were called on it.

<Rant on>
If that's all you have got to say, why say it at all? Please keep your Posts constructive.
Sorry this hit you, but I am sick and tired of this attitude on these forums. If Cohen wants to make a mod, and even to incorporate other peoples contributions, let him! It isn't costing you anything, after all.
</Rant off>

[Soapyfrog]

I agree...!

[archaeolept]

sorry esben, but insofar as cohen has the right to spam stuff about his mod all over IRC and the forum, I surely have an equal right to put forth (once) my opinion on it.

I might just point out that your post does nothing other than what you accuse mine of doing. Now, frankly, i'm cool w/ that - its easy to understand why you posted what you did. However, I don't feel I should need to keep my opinion hidden just to satisfy the opinions of others. I stayed out of cohen's mod thread. So, please explain to me why we need another one? especially for what is essentially a vanity project on his part.

Edi: funnily enough, my Mictlan Moloch just whomped cohen's almost ermorian scales Abysia in the Thrones game; which might go some way to explain why he wants to make the moloch Abysia only

while the moloch's imps can be a real pain, i'm not sure that he is a bad buy anyways at the moment. cohen's changes are just sick - the free 18 AP fireshield is even better than one would have w/ F9 and the spell.

[Cohen]

I've put all in the same Mod because an Item change could effect other change (the most clear is if Clam cost is raised, some Astral based spells will become harder to cast unless their price is lowered).

Modules could be good, but a global overview is needed IMO.

I really disbelief that Abysya will become stronger, however as the mod itself says, it's 0.1. So it's far from his completeness, and I asked too to test his own balance.
Please proof your words so on testing itself.

About Moloch ... sadly there's a bugged command (#restrictedgod, that limits its use to 1 nation only and is not cumulative as explained in Modding help, but has been already reported). It should be Abysya, Mictlan and Marignon only (and I'm thinking to swith it to Marignon, since Abysya has a new brand Pretender Moloch-like). I'd like more to be able to assign Pretenders to certain Themes only, instead of to an entire Nation.

I've personally tested Human Pretenders, both in base and Zen mod. They'ren't worthing to get taken in both of them.

[Edi]

Cohen said:
Modules could be good, but a global overview is needed IMO.

Why? If you balance certain subsets that are available to everyone equally within themselves (e.g. pretenders, or items), you don't need to tinker with everything and you can keep the consequences of modification on the game balance more controlled.

Cohen said:
I really disbelief that Abysya will become stronger, however as the mod itself says, it's 0.1. So it's far from his completeness, and I asked too to test his own balance.
Please proof your words so on testing itself.

Yes, far from complete. Try to put some thought into it, is what I ask. You can scream about Abysia not becoming overpowered with these changes, but the only one who will believe it is you.

I don't even need to run the mod, the numbers on the Moloch and the Great Warlock say it all for me. I've designed enough pretenders to be able to roughly calculate what I can get from those base stats and how to use them, and they are utterly insane.

Just provide the mod for easy download (attachment or whatever) and I'll take a look, but I'm so far not impressed at all. If I see any potential in it, I can even help you with the documentation (not a native speaker, but my English skills are as good as a native's). For me to bother with that, though, there needs to be significant improvement. As things stand now, I've promised to helping Zen out with docs, and his work has priority on both merits and prior commitment.

Cohen said:
About Moloch ... sadly there's a bugged command (#restrictedgod, that limits its use to 1 nation only and is not cumulative as explained in Modding help, but has been already reported). It should be Abysya, Mictlan and Marignon only (and I'm thinking to swith it to Marignon, since Abysya has a new brand Pretender Moloch-like). I'd like more to be able to assign Pretenders to certain Themes only, instead of to an entire Nation.

It's a shame the command is bugged, it would come in handy. The theme specific pretender thing is as I understand it, impossible. It would work if you first picked nation, then theme and only then selected pretender (would make more sense that way), but that would require (I think) a major change in the game mechanics, or at least in the mechanics of pretender generation.

Cohen said:
I've personally tested Human Pretenders, both in base and Zen mod. They'ren't worthing to get taken in both of them.

So have I, and I have not had any trouble with them. Haven't used them in multislayer games, as I've only taken part in two so far, but that does not preclude their use altogether. They require different strategies than an SC, and perhaps you are not good with those strategies. I know I'm not good at all with some strats that some people use to great effect, while I'm pretty comfortable with others. It all depends on what style of play suits you best, and from the looks of the modded Great Warlock, it seems like you would like a rainbow SC. The end result is that with the modded GW, the best options from both worlds are available without any of the weaknesses, and that just kills it, it's nothing but a humongous spoiler.

Edi

[Esben Mose Hansen]

archaeolept said:
sorry esben, but insofar as cohen has the right to spam stuff about his mod all over IRC and the forum, I surely have an equal right to put forth (once) my opinion on it.

Suit yourself. Bye.

[Edi]

Not to put too fine a point on it, your pretender modding is just Zen's CB mod with some of the units modified. The Rainbow mages are seriously boosted up and I can see actual SC potential in some of them (e.g. Great Warlock). Compared to the Giant-class pretenders, some of them are utterly insane, they have better magic (hence become viable for bless strategies), low pathcost, some have boosted startdominion, many have additional misc slots.

Never mind the Moloch, which is just completely insane. Let's see, for +25 cost, you get:

• additional magic (serious repercussions for taking a powerful bless effect)
• almost 50% increase in HP
• massive ambidex bonus so you can use practically any two weapons in combo without any penalty
• removal of the only thing (imps) that already keeps it from being a singular SC killing machine
• a ridiculously powerful native defense that will kill almost any and all indie units except Garnet Amazons that so much as go near it. This is especialy egregious because with F9 the Moloch can get that same Fire Shield with a measly lv 1 Enchantment spell.
• only available for a nation that already has a good selection of pretenders and is one of the more powerful both physically and magically (esp. summons department) and which gets a massive bonus from scales (heat), so it becomes even more powerful

In short, the pretender modding just by itself throws all pretense of balance right out the window and made most of the monster and giant type pretenders completely useless, and you have just seriously boosted an already powerful nation into a Category all its own with an SC that will eat almost anything for lunch to begin with, not to mention when it's fully kitted out. I've almost no MP experience and arguably less experience with Dom2 in general than many of the posters here, but even to me this is obvious.

Your known preference for playing Abysia only compounds the perception that this mod is mainly intended to be Abysia fanwhoring with some scraps and bones thrown out for other nations to to have some (false) semblance of "balance" (i.e. the mod is all balanced out if nobody plays Abysia).

Thanks, but I think I'd much rather wait for the rest of the volumes for Zen's CB series which also has the benefit of modularity so you can pick and choose what parts to use (pretenders in one mod, items in another, spells presumably in a third, summoned units in another and national troops in yetr another).

Maybe I'm being harsh, but in my not so very humble opinion, not undeservedly. I liked Zen's mod, but this one... Well, let's just say that I wouldn't touch it with a ten-foot pole, and if the changes that were talked about in the other thread were implemented (especially for Abysia), this thing is so lopsided it's ludicrous.

If you really want to make a mod that addresses issues of balance, the way to go about it is NOT massively boosting one nation and giving the others some bones.

Edi

[Tuidjy]

archaeolept said:is there some reason you couldn't post this in your already existing "yay I have a mod too" thread?

Yup, there is a reason. The Last post there, by my girlfriend, did a good job
at explaining why what he was doing was an exercise in futility. It would have
been strange to follow that well-thought out post with the stinking bull****
in this topic's original post.

Lets take even a superficial look at some of his changes...

1. Moloch. Holy [censored]! Abysia only holy [censored] on a stick!
2. Great (no kidding) Warlock. Let me see. Higher fire, blood, blood hunt
bonus, titan level domain, giant level hps, human path cost... ah, forget it,
maybe the Moloch actually is not the only sane choice for Abysya after all.
3. [Golden] Naga - the new, improved rainbow SC, but cheaper, with tons of Hps,
and mounted. I miss the Ghost King less, all of a sudden.
4. Virtue - Wow! Starting Astral. Much better fighter. Stick some water and
earth on her, and you got an SC better than anything seen outside of Cohen's
mods. And in case, you, like some people with names starting with 'Cohe' like
to use her with Abysia, she comes with built in fire and fire resistance.
5. Fire wand. Can't have fire nations' troop leaders just standing around.
6. Blood thorn. Hey, blood nations need their blood boosters.

What is the common theme? Fire and blood.
What is the common theme of these? Abysia.
What is Cohen favorite nation which, according to him and no one else, is
woofully unperpowered? Abysia.
Who would even play with this mod? Cohen and other people with an IQ below
room temperature. In Centigrade.