Suggestion for a new nation

Zurai · #1 March 21st, 2004, 09:20 AM

You can replace nations but currently you cannot add to them. I don't know if that will ever be possible since it would require UI work and the devs have said they're not too fond of UI work.

tinkthank · #2 March 21st, 2004, 10:14 AM

OK thanks.

Um... so what do you think of the theme?

Wauthan · #3 March 21st, 2004, 01:05 PM

It would be a good variation for Machaka methinks. Raise the heatscale to +2, since this reflects the desert heat.

I'm not sure the whirling dervish is a good choice for sacred unit. Wrong culture perhaps? But then again I know so very little about arabian myths and legends.

Same thing with Viziers. Weren't they part of the caliphate administration? Perhaps just a name change is all that is needed?

I don't think a Reader of the Sands ability would be possible in Dominions 2. But as a plain cheap assassin in would be great.

Courtesan sounds a bit... Errh... Hard on the suspension of disbelief? Surely it takes more than a pretty face to turn highranking commanders against their former allies? Then again it might be my annoyance for the "seduce" ability talking. I liked it even less in Age of Wonders. Perhaps give this unit both spying and assassination abilities instead?

Just one summoned unit?

There a tons of cool mythical creatures to be found in this setting.

The nation seems to be a cross between Pangea and Machaka. It should work very well, since the concept is well balanced. A suprising lack of archers though.

Sandman · #4 March 21st, 2004, 03:15 PM

A Middle Eastern style nation would be good. However, I'd shy away from using real-world terms like 'Arabian cavalry' or 'Bedouin Warriors'. It'd be like Man having Welsh longbowmen, or Marginon having a Spanish inquisition.

I'm not sure stealthyness is such a good idea from a thematic POV. The other stealthy nations have magical help, how are a bunch of ordinary humans able to be stealthy? I suppose the stealth is there to represent the impressive mobility of medieval Arabic armies, although I'd represent that by making them a cavalry heavy nation, with diverse all-cav armies a decent possibility. And I'd give their mages a built-in flying carpet for even greater mobility.

Really good assassins are a must for this nation as well, although I don't really see courtesans as thematic, not to mention the silliness of her seducing minotaurs, C'tissians, Abysians, amazons and eunuchs.

Heat +1 seems fine to me. IMO, Machaka should have heat +1 as well, just because there is such a difference between living in a hot land, and living in a volcano.

I'd go for fire and air as their national magics. It's not 'taken' and it fits the nation quite nicely. And you've got efreet (fire) and djinn (air) in the mythology already.

Endoperez · #5 March 21st, 2004, 04:30 PM

Magic carpets are wonderful flavour. As is Djinn. Unfortunately, there already is a Djinn in the game: check the Lamp. Of course, the Lamp is Unique. IIRC right the Djinn has power in Air, Fire and Astral. You could always mod him too to rename him as as something else...

I think some kind of mystical seducer could be a heroine for this nation. If you want to give her some special ability, Flying and Awe seem thematic.
BTW, she wouldn't be able to seduce C'tissians, amazons or eunuchs, because Succubus can't either. I'm not sure about minotaurs or abysians, though...

fahdiz · #6 March 21st, 2004, 05:02 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Wauthan:
I'm not sure the whirling dervish is a good choice for sacred unit. Wrong culture perhaps? But then again I know so very little about arabian myths and legends.

Dervishes would be sacred, as they were mystical Sufi dancers. It was considered the pinnacle of holiness at the time, if I recall correctly, to be a great Sufi dancer.

Djinni and Ifreeti would also be sacred in such a culture, by the way. They made sacrifices to the Djinni/Ifreeti similarly to the way the Japanese sacrificed to local spirits for safe travel, good weather, etc.

Quote:

Just one summoned unit? There a tons of cool mythical creatures to be found in this setting.

I agree. If anything, this should be a rather summon-heavy theme in my opinion, with summons backing up the disproportionately large amount of cavalry.

I also agree with Sandman's suggestion about Fire and Air being the main magic paths for such a nation.

Graeme Dice · #7 March 21st, 2004, 07:12 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Sandman:
Really good assassins are a must for this nation as well, although I don't really see courtesans as thematic, not to mention the silliness of her seducing minotaurs, C'tissians, Abysians, amazons and eunuchs.

She'd have trouble seducing minotaurs, since they are size 3, and Eunuchs can never be seduced.