Ulm beefed up ...

[PvK]

Lowering base encumbrance by one sounds good.

However, I don't think that's really needed. Ulm fight just fine if they have enough critical mass in their infantry. In on of my current games, I've just fought off two massive attacks from Marignon using a moderately large block of Ulm infantry, one holy-3 caster for Surmon of Courage, and a flank of a few Ulm leaders with earth trinkets and 7 black knights. I've lost one infantry of Ulm in each battle, and killed about 80 enemies in each battle including several commanders. No Ulmites routed or collapsed from fatigue.

Morale and magic resistance are worse weaknesses for Ulm than fatigue. Fatigue is solved by bringing enough troops to battle.

PvK

[Saber Cherry]

Versus undead Ermor is where fatigue really comes into play. Actually, considering the MR-negates weapons of Soul Gate Ermor, that'd be pretty nasty against Ulm as well.

For me, reducing Ulm's encumbrance is more based on the description, which specifically states they are larger than normal humans and can take much more punishment before collapsing. And yet, they are no better at fighting in heavy armor than normal humans... which seems amiss. Yet indy Barbarians get an encumbrance of only 2, so there is precedent for nonmagical humans of extraordinary build having such endurance.

I'm not going to claim that changing encumbrance will make Ulm a top nation, or protect its Achilles heel - but giving a weaker nation a positive change that makes thematic sense can never hurt, IMO.

[PvK]

Yes, I agree that it would be a good thematic tweak, SC.

(I'd only quibble that Ulm can do quite well against Ermor even with their current fatigue.)

PvK

[Arralen]

I have released version 1.01 of "Black Steel of Ulm".

Hopefully it will be available through Illwinters website soon.

Code:

---

README.TXT - Changes in v1.00:



All changes are given in []



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

--

--   All Standard Inf is STR 11 [+1] (fits it's HP 12)

--

--   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 are at 12.

--

--   The troops wear either "Full Chain of Ulm",

--   "Helmet" and have strat move 2[+1], or

--

--     "Full Plate of Ulm", "Black Steel Helmet"

--     and have strat move 1.

--

--     "Full Plate of Ulm": prot 17[-1], def -2[+3], enc 4[-1]

--

--     "Full Chain of Ulm": prot 14[+0], def -2[+1], enc 2[-1]

--                          vs. "standard full chain"

--

--   Crossbowmen prec 11 [+1]

--

--   Black Knight gcost 50 [-10] rcost 60 [-10]

--   Black Lord gcost 120 [-10] rcost 60 [-10]

--     Knights use swords for melee now.

--

--   Master Smith has Fire-1, Earth-2, Elemental-1 [+1] now

--     Base Encumbrance is 3 [-2], MR is 15 [+1]

--     HP 12 [+2], STR 13 [+2] ... they're SMITHES, after all ..

--     Cost 185 gold [+45]

--

--   Unit descriptions redone, to give some hints

--   about advantageous usage.

--

--

--   PD changed to build shielded inf and armored commander first,

--   priest and arbalests later.

---

[PvK]

Nice. I like most of the changes, although:


-- Black Plate Pikeneer end up with MOR 12 [+1]

Does anyone know why Black Plate Pikeneers have +1 morale compared to other infantry of Ulm anyway???


-- "Full Plate of Ulm": prot 17[-1], def -2[+3], enc 4[-1]
-- "Full Chain of Ulm": prot 14[+0], def -2[+1], enc 2[-1]
-- vs. "standard full chain"

Improvements to armor seem unnecessary to me - Ulmish armor is already one of their best points. Improved chainmail is ok, but I don't understand why Ulmish plate is given the +3 defense. If it's based on the realism argument mentioned earlier, then I don't think it makes sense to apply it without applying it to all tailored plate armor of every nation.


-- Master Smith has Fire-1, Earth-2, Elemental-1 [+1] now

I'm not sure I like the added elemental magic. It'll certainly help Ulm a lot, though, since (as you know doubt appreciate) not only does it reduce the need to find indy mages, but it means they can use forge bonus on additional items without empowerment. I do like the other Smith changes.


Did you touch the themes, or just the default theme? I guess you couldn't really handle BF Ulm with your PD change since the PD will apply of BF Ulm as well. I'd like to see Ghoul Guardians improved (higher MR to avoid banishment, reduced cost, mb Ulmish armor), and the Holy Knights get a commander version (too bad that would require a duplicate graphic though).


PvK

[Endoperez]

I have already made a similar mod, found earlier in this thread, in which I replaced Black Acolyte with Black Paladin, gave Ghoul Guardians better mr and Ulmish armor and gave the base theme few special commanders, foot commander with fighting stats and berserk +1, cowardly arbalestman with high precision, and weak (old) general with ldr 75, standard, move 1/5 or so and low stats.

I also gave Lord Guardian map move of 2 and supply bonus 5 or so.

The idea was to give Ulm better possibilites to use magic items and its national armies.

[Saber Cherry]

Arralen, you ought to sneak Endoperez's shields into the mod as well. Those look pretty sweet, and in war, looking good is half the battle

[Saber Cherry]

PvK said:
-- Black Plate Pikeneer end up with MOR 12 [+1]

Does anyone know why Black Plate Pikeneers have +1 morale compared to other infantry of Ulm anyway???

That's to make up for pikes lacking armor piercing, like in Master of Magic

-- Master Smith has Fire-1, Earth-2, Elemental-1 [+1] now

I'm not sure I like the added elemental magic.

Really? I think it's pretty cool. It's a bit... um, "bad" to have a forging nation incapable of forging... really, anything interesting. Replacing the fire with elemental (EE #) seems fair too, though.

[Endoperez]

But Iron Faith has mages with E and Full random, and I think EE# and E? are too close to each other. It is hard to balance might>magic nation when might<magic after the more powerful spells come in.

[Arralen]

Saber Cherry said:
Arralen, you ought to sneak Endoperez's shields into the mod as well. Those look pretty sweet, and in war, looking good is half the battle

They're in ...