Mod: Ogre Kingdoms - MA Warhammer Nation - 0.9 minor update

[Sombre]

Slave giants are even more stupid and basic than normal giants, due to repeated clubbing to the head and general mistreatment. We're talking an intelligence level somewhere between an orc and a troll here. I'm also not sure that the Sky Giants would have had any inherent magic either. They were definitely more intelligent and they might have had mages, since they had some sort of civilisation, but I'm guessing the mages would have had to study and train like most. Slave Giants obviously have zero opportunity to study or train at anything other than A) being chained to the floor and B) Smashing things on the rare occasion they are let loose.

Besides which who would build a 400 gold unit for 1 point of air magic? The only thing he could use it for is the lowest level self buffs.

[HoneyBadger]

Well, they already have poor research, which I think reflects the generally low IQ and poor test results of the Ogre Kingdom as a whole The air magic would reflect an inherant affinity, rather than skill or training. They'd just be predisposed towards air, occasionally, like Trolls are to earth.

And you'd still be paying 400 gold for the Slave Giant, it just would maybe make you stop and think a little bit more about them, if you got the occasional one with air magic.

I'd definitely give the Slave Giants a great big negative research bonus (who's going to use them for researching, anyway?), but it's an opportunity for the nation to have a different outlet for whatever the Ogres *do* research, so while it might not directly influence their researching a whole lot, it might give them more reason to bother.

[Sombre]

I have some plans to update Ogre Kingdoms, whose great weakness from lack of research and spellcasting still needs more counterbalancing.

I don't want to make them super powerful early game, awful late game because that isn't going to be any fun to play with or against. They will retain their early game bias of course, but I want to allow them a late game strat by granting them two new things.

Firstly I'm going to give them mawpit summons which will cause domspread. This will allow them to try and win via dompush, representing the power of the maw becoming so great that it consumes a whole region.

Secondly I'm going to give them some expensive but devastating maw demon summons, which will allow them to complete wreck enemy territory, give them an anti magic tool (high res and resistances) and highlight the fact that Ogres are essentially agents of an apocalyptic devouring force. These 'Mawbominations' are just wrecking balls, not thugs. They'll have no leadership, magic or slots and they'll auto berserk in combat. If I can I also want to make them crazy like tartarianss.

[llamabeast]

That all sounds excellent Sombre.

[rdonj]

The ogres do definitely need something to help them last longer, their lack of magic is a huge handicap if your opponent has decent battle magic. Winning by dompush seems pretty viable at least on smallish maps such as, say, ossya. With a good early game you would have plenty of land to build temples and sacrifice in and combining a summon to help that sounds pretty nasty. The 'Mawbominations' could be useful, but they have to be able to hit pesky high defense things. I suppose if they auto-berserk they probably will be able to. But I think the ogres almost have too low of attack skill in general. I know they're not really supposed to be above average in skill, but they're almost below average due to the size disadvantage. A few of them have multiple attacks which does help, but I'm not sure it helps quite enough.

Is Rhinox cavalry still in the works?

[Sombre]

I think you're just judging Ogre fighting skill from that one encounter with your sacreds in warhammerama - when I saw the bless on your guys I wasn't surprised at all you won that battle. But those were a handful of regular bulls and Ogres have plenty of ways to hit high defence units, believe me. Their own sacreds, maneaters, gnoblar swarms, gorgers (due to berserk and multiple attacks) and of course Slave Giants with their aoe attacks.

Rhinox Cavalry are still in the works, but when I tried to do the graphic it kept coming out goofy, so I'm not in a hurry to do them.

'Mawbominations' will almost certainly have trample or aoe attacks.

[Sombre]

And yes, Ogres are supposed to have below average skill. In warhammer they have the same weapon skill as a human and lower initiative, so they're less skilled.

[rdonj]

That one encounter is part of where it's coming from, yes. But high defense units do seem to be hard on the ogres. Once you get thugs going I suspect that won't really be the case anymore though. You're right though, my thinking on this is probably slightly skewed since I've only actually fought ogres with high defense sacreds.

I wasn't thinking about the lower initiative, I guess that makes sense.

[HoneyBadger]

For some reason your graphic preview has disappeared, Sombre.

[Sombre]

Free image hosting has a time limit I suppose.

It would be nice if shrapnel just gave us sensible png allowances, but I'm not holding my breath.