Ulm beefed up ...

[Endoperez]

PvK said:
My thoughts:

* I don't think Ulm needs even better armor
* I don't think standard Ulm needs a random pick. It changes Ulm's flavor and removes the strongest advantage of IF Ulm over standard Ulm.

I am on the same boat with you. Ulm's armors are already one of the best, but don't seem to help much. I don't see water and/or air fitting with Ulm, much less any sorceries. And third pick of water would make them quite different, also... Maybe E2D2 for the Smiths? Also, what do you think about IF's Black Priests, should they get another (non-random) pick?

* I don't think strat-move-2 heavy infantry for Ulm makes sense, unless maybe you add a lighter infantry type, or give it only to the chainmail/shieldless types.

I could see it with their crossbowmen as well. Faster (map-move wise) units would help Ulm much.
That idea about only shieldless units getting the move bonus is interesting. Did you read Arralen's post about differences of Chain and Plate armors? That explains quite nicely why he did most of the changed he did.

* I don't think arbalests should be changed to firing every 2 turns. They are good enough as is, and I don't agree a stronger person can reload an arbalest faster - generally the heaviest crossbows required a device which removed the role of strength.

I don't have idea about arbalets' power, because I play only SP and in there I prefer Sappers for their map move of 2, but I don't see stronger person reloading them more quickly either. Maybe their precision should be increased, I believe crowssbowmen would aim better than most other archers...

* I would like to know what regular heavy infantry someone considers superior to Ulm's, taking into account gold cost.

I am not sure about the cost, but Caelum's Temple Guards were quite awesome in Dominions:PPP when they weren't limited to citadel... They have protection of 24 in Cold 3, low encumberance and good skills, and are sacred to boot! Back then blessing was just straight Str/Att/Mrl bonus, undepended on pretender. I still have to try out high Water/med Earth blessing with Caelum, but it could work...

I think part of the problem is, however, that Heavy Infatry is thought to be quite useless.

* +1 strength seems thematic with Ulmites' large size and use of heavy equipment.
* I do like the idea of adding MR to Ulm.
* I would like to see Drain scale add +1 MR per level, and maybe +1 morale/level to Ulm. Can't mod those, though.

I agree to almost everything here, except the morale bonus for drain. Maybe +1 bonus at Drain-2, but not per scale. That would give all Ulmish units +4 to morale in friendly dominion!

I would like to see Ghoul Guardians improved by adding Full Plate of Ulm (and resource cost to match), and perhaps increasing MR and dropping gold cost and/or making the sacred.

One improvement ordered!
Code:

---

#modname "Improved Ghoul Guardian"

By Endoperez

#description "Simple enough to save into any .dm file and enable."

-- Ghoul Guardian is given the armor of Guardian he was and cost changed: 20->17 gp, 31 -> 35 res.

-- Magic resistance changed to 11, to protect them from banishment. 



#selectmonster 1020

#gcost 17

#rcost 35

#mr 11

#armor "Full Plate of Ulm"

#armor "Full Helmet"

#end

---

I added that to my Ulm Upgrade, also.

Iron Faith I would like to have a Black Templar Commander unit.

Already done. Check my Version of the Ulm Upgrade mod. I added the new mod with Ghoul Guardian improvements to this post. EDIT: it had a bug. Fixed.