Ulm beefed up ...

[SurvivalistMerc]

I could find myself warming to two different master smiths...one with 2E1F and one with 2E1R (and maybe making it a random elemental path). Especially if the ones with random were capital-only.

It is encouraging to see folks try to beef up ulm a bit for multiplayer. I see many situations in which defense ends up being more important that sheer protection which is Ulm's forte.

The amount of forging that can be done without the independent magi is quite limited. And empowerment is extremely expensive. (It would be nice if you could empower for forging purposes (and site searching purposes) only for a lesser cost and not be able to use the path for ritual spells or in combat...this would be more thematic for ulm. Powerful forged items but weak battle magic and limited summons.)

I am still amazed that folks have suggested 3E2F1R. That would arguably make ulm the most powerful nation in the game.

Ulm would really benefit from a random elemental magic, especially air, for eyes of aiming on the smiths without having to put air magic on the pretender or get extremely lucky with magic sites.

Interesting discussion. I agree that ulm needs better capital-only troops...perhaps something nice with a strat move of 2 whether or not it is blessable.

[Huzurdaddi]

If you make the ulm master smiths stronger though you make Iron faith completely undesireable .

Fix Iron faith after you fix Ulm. Iron faith is pathetically weak anyway.

2E1F1R ( elemental ) seems to be a fine fix. However their cost should be bumped slighty.

[Boron]

SurvivalistMerc said:
The amount of forging that can be done without the independent magi is quite limited. And empowerment is extremely expensive. (It would be nice if you could empower for forging purposes (and site searching purposes) only for a lesser cost and not be able to use the path for ritual spells or in combat...this would be more thematic for ulm. Powerful forged items but weak battle magic and limited summons.)

The problem is that forging wise even with base ulm already a lot can be done , especially in lategame .

Ulm can sell dwarfen hammers for blood or hunt itself .
Then empower smiths in blood which is "quite" cheap .

Then you can forge bloodstones at greater discount than anyone and soul contracts and hellswords/blood thorns/armor of souls .

Other empowering is of course too expensive . But a random elemental leads to a big number of W smiths and smiths clamhoarding is athematic . Ulm would become probably the best clamhoarder then .

[PrinzMegaherz]

Another Idea that would make Ulm something special...
What about giving the smiths higher paths, but take their abilitiy to cast spells. They would be "Forge only" mages, unrivaled in producing things (with maybe 2 in each kind of magic), but useless on the battlefield.

[Boron]

PrinzMegaherz said:
Another Idea that would make Ulm something special...
What about giving the smiths higher paths, but take their abilitiy to cast spells. They would be "Forge only" mages, unrivaled in producing things (with maybe 2 in each kind of magic), but useless on the battlefield.

Would be a great idea for dom 3 .

In dom 2 it is not possible though afaik . Maybe it is implemented in a new patch though .



What about the following new mastersmiths ?

E2F1N1 . This way they can forge endless bags of vine .
And in combat they can cast eagle eye for higher precision magma eruption / blade wind .

I am still against giving them E3 or any random .
If they can get E3 their combat abilities would be really greatly enchanced :
With earthboots + summon ep they can cast weapons of sharpness + petrify without needing gems .
Forgingwise they can forge dwarfen hammers asap and need no earthboots .

So what would you think about earthsmiths with E2F1N1 for 150 gold ?

[Graeme Dice]

Boron said:
I am still against giving them E3 or any random .
If they can get E3 their combat abilities would be really greatly enchanced :

That's the point. It gives them petrify.

[alexti]

PrinzMegaherz said:
Another Idea that would make Ulm something special...
What about giving the smiths higher paths, but take their abilitiy to cast spells. They would be "Forge only" mages, unrivaled in producing things (with maybe 2 in each kind of magic), but useless on the battlefield.

Maybe leave master smiths as they are, but add a new capital only unit - Crippled Grand Master Smith - with strategic movement 0 and right kind of afflictions (chest would, probably blindness etc) and with 2E2F1R (or maybe with 3E1F1R). They will be good for forging and decent for research, but not for the battles.

[Zen]

Possibility could be to change Iron Will to a Nation Specific Spell for Ulm, Change the cost from 1E to 1H (or 2H) and then it would bridge the gap somewhat, however, the AoE on Iron Will is pretty unspectacular (and no way to mod it) however, this would make me sad since I wouldn't be able to use Earth to cover the MR gap for other nations.

To each their own.

I've gone both ways on my feelings of Ulm. I've played it to death and I really enjoy certain aspects, however, it's crippling aspects, requirement to cover your nation's weaknesses with pretender/non-national mages and the speed at which their units become less viable (Abysia/Jotun/Pangaea on the other hand have more long term viability of their troops, as well as blessables, which base Ulm lacks) makes me shie away from base Ulm in lieu of other similar nations (Vanheim for Earth love, Abysia for armored unit love).

[PvK]

Yes, I agree that it would be a good thematic tweak, SC.

(I'd only quibble that Ulm can do quite well against Ermor even with their current fatigue.)

PvK

[Arralen]

I have released version 1.01 of "Black Steel of Ulm".

Hopefully it will be available through Illwinters website soon.

Code:

---

README.TXT - Changes in v1.00:



All changes are given in []



--   All units get -1 encumbrance, e.g. Inf has (2) instead of (3)

--

--   All Standard Inf is STR 11 [+1] (fits it's HP 12)

--

--   All Black Plate Inf is gold 12 [+2], ATT/DEF 11 [+1], MOR 11 [+1]

--   Black Plate Pikeneer end up with MOR 12 [+1]

--

--   General MR is 11 [+2], which works out to 12.5

--     with the inevitable drain 3 ..

--   Knight Commanders are at 12.

--

--   The troops wear either "Full Chain of Ulm",

--   "Helmet" and have strat move 2[+1], or

--

--     "Full Plate of Ulm", "Black Steel Helmet"

--     and have strat move 1.

--

--     "Full Plate of Ulm": prot 17[-1], def -2[+3], enc 4[-1]

--

--     "Full Chain of Ulm": prot 14[+0], def -2[+1], enc 2[-1]

--                          vs. "standard full chain"

--

--   Crossbowmen prec 11 [+1]

--

--   Black Knight gcost 50 [-10] rcost 60 [-10]

--   Black Lord gcost 120 [-10] rcost 60 [-10]

--     Knights use swords for melee now.

--

--   Master Smith has Fire-1, Earth-2, Elemental-1 [+1] now

--     Base Encumbrance is 3 [-2], MR is 15 [+1]

--     HP 12 [+2], STR 13 [+2] ... they're SMITHES, after all ..

--     Cost 185 gold [+45]

--

--   Unit descriptions redone, to give some hints

--   about advantageous usage.

--

--

--   PD changed to build shielded inf and armored commander first,

--   priest and arbalests later.

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