Pretender Balance Mod

[Chris Byler]

Acashic Record, IMO, is only effective if you crank the site frequency way up (this both increases the success rate and number of sites found, and decreases the relative costs by giving everyone more gem income). 25 pearls to often find nothing? No thanks, I'll use the path-specific spells for a gem or two each, or send some mages to search the old fashioned way for no gems at all.

Granted, a lot of people *do* turn the site frequency way up, but I don't (at least in SP) - magic dominates the endgame enough already, increasing the site frequency only accelerates this.

You also neglect the awesome research power of rainbows. Titanoids can't match this, partly because of their new path cost and partly because of their chassis cost.

I think the introduction of the bless system did nerf the old "2 or 3 of everything" rainbow, for some nations. But others don't rely on their bless effect (base Ulm comes to mind - they could really use a strong researcher and good site searcher, too).

Also, you don't need the Elemental Staff/Ring of Sorcery/Ring of Wizardry for high-path-requiring rituals; for rituals you only need to boost one path at a time (or occasionally two for something like Astral Corruption, King of Banefires, Father Illearth etc.) Make some individual path boosting items (which are much cheaper) and swap them around. Humanoids have plenty of item slots to play with (except the archmage on horse or freak, who is handicapped by his inability to wear boots of earth, so don't take him if you want earth). ES/RoS/RoW give research bonuses to a rainbow, and make him stronger on the battlefield, but they aren't really needed for rituals.

Rainbows aren't the best for path 5+ spells like elemental courts, globals, etc - although they can cast them the usually require items to do so. They really excel at research, site searching and forging (few items and even fewer magic sites require more than 3 in a path).

And finally, only some nations/themes really require strong dominion (principally Ermor and extreme temperature lovers). Yes, I know it's the name of the game, but dominion isn't the only way to win or defeat enemies. SC pretenders want dominion over their battlefields, but conventional armies can live without it. Most nations can spread dominion by preaching or building temples even if their god's dominion strength is low. Later in the game, especially on large maps, the dominion strength at initial purchase is less important because of the temple boost, more preaching and overall more sources of dominion. Nations with strong and/or cheap priests, inquisitors, cheap temples, or blood sacrifice (although this costs more than other methods) are particularly good at getting along with lower dominion strengths. I don't think buying every pretender's dominion up to 6 is a fair comparison - not all nations need that high a dominion.