Mod: Nation : Machaka Spider Cult

[Twan]

This mod add Machaka Spider Cult as the nation 77 for Early Age.

The nation mostly use the sprites of MA Machaka (and the flag from the Streamers and Standard mod) but is in fact very different. Machaka Spider Cult has mage-priests instead of the 3 priestly orders and the sorcerers/black sorcerers, including a very powerful shapeshifting king and the anansais, priestresses able to take a spider form when wounded (who are also the best spies and mages of the nation -and the only good researchers-).

To resume...

Weaknesses :
- the only heavy infantries (hoplites) cost 33 res and are capitol only ; all other non sacred troops have no armor
- most mages have a research malus except the capitol only anansais (but witch doctors are cheap) ; the griots need sloth to become good researchers
- fewer good mages
- weaker nature magic
- heavy initial prices for useful units (as most are sacred)

Strengths :
- 4 sacred units, 3 of them non-capitol only (all spider riders are sacred, and a size 1 sacred little spider has been added -showing why I prefer to use existing sprites , I'll remake the sprites for the next version -)
- powerful and stealthy anansais
- an exceptionnal mage/priest, the king, and the nation starts with one (but he's more than bad in research and cost more than a little fort)
- more versatile magic (on anansais only)

v0.3 :
- research -5 for the king's spider form
- Fallen Anansai shapechanged back to Black Sorceress, fixed

v0.4 :
- made many changes after testing the nation in endgame (new anansai and king's picks, cost of the king changed, added a new mage the griot...)
- added pretenders (including Endo's Anansi, some Machaka ME gods and 2 new ones)
- tried to make the grey spider sprites nicer but it's not a real success

v1.1 (probably definitive except if there are bugs) :

Compatible patch 3.04.

Nation number changed (now 77), secondshapes fixed.

2 dm files are included :

"Machaka Spider Cult" (machakaspidercult.dm)
- many minor balance fixes (+/- to units costs or stats)
- the machaka scout is now a cheap but weak assassin
- added some heroes

"Machaka Spider Cult without King" (machakaspidercult_withoutking.dm)
- same changes except :
- the kingdom start with a normal commander instead of the King
- King's cost lowered

nation ID 77
unit ID used 2650-2683 + 2991-2992 (Anansi pretender)
armor ID 398
sites ID 800-801