Mod: MA al-Nadim - The thousand and one nights 1.01)

[Burnsaber]

Originally Posted by elmokki

The camel sprite is wasteland survival icon resized too 200% and smoothened out to not look so pixelated.

Man. That's freaking clever. Never even gave a single thought for this.

Don't know if it means anything, but you got my respect. Those sprites look good, too.

[elmokki]

I'm glad you like the camel, I'm personally surprised how good it became. I didn't expect much.

Anyway, first post is updated with new image and mod with Camel Cavalry, Camel Archer and Camel in a few minutes. I don't know if I should make the camel fight by itself if the rider dies, I don't think they're that aggressive animals. I made the camel a seperate unit for a low level N-summon al-Nadim can summon with indies or pretender


EDIT: How can you add line breaks to #summary, or will I have to find out the exact amount of times I'll have to press space bar?

The lancer (somewhat more armored cavalry with light lance) feels pretty useless unit now. Light lance isn't too awesome and the only advantanges it has compared to camel cavalry is really the first strike bonus, combat speed and price, while it completely loses on long term damage, strategic movement and survivability.

Also, I need to make a camel riding commander. A camel riding supreme vizier rainbow pretender sounds cool too, but there's really not much need for that

Man. That's freaking clever. Never even gave a single thought for this.

Next up: Hippo riding EA Machaka unit

[elmokki]

I hope you won't mind, Burnsaber, that I used a sprite from Holy War with so little modification for ifrit. The sprite just was really good for this

Anyway, here's an ifrit and a marid. Both are very lowly members of their species' and there'll sure be stronger (and larger) djinnis.

They'll probably have 75% resistance to their own elements, possibly some fire resistance on marid (all djinni are supposed to be beings of smokeless fire afaik) and a weak fire shield on ifrit. I don't know about awe, but it's possibly. They'll both be flying of course.

Naturally, if or once there's more work on an EA arabic nation, those sprites will get priority.

[llamabeast]

Serpent dancers are terrible though. You shouldn't feel obliged to balance against them.

[Nasser]

This is looking pretty cool, can't wait to hear your ideas re: more powerful dijinn.

[the Vanishag]

Originally Posted by Nasser

This is looking pretty cool

Totally.

If you decide to do multiple eras for this nation, a "Caliphate" version could have Mamluk heavy infantry and lancers (high morale, chain or scale armor and half-helms). Here's an example.

[elmokki]

Originally Posted by the Vanishag

Totally.

If you decide to do multiple eras for this nation, a "Caliphate" version could have Mamluk heavy infantry and lancers (high morale, chain or scale armor and half-helms). Here's an example.

That'd be LA. But yeah, should suit LA much better to have that kind of helmets. It's just that I don't have much clue about LA theme more than heavily armored troops with some Mamluk/Ottoman theme. I personally don't care much about exact historicality, it's not like Dominions 3 is a historical game. Besides, the original human nations are based on relatively many nations when they're based on real life nations at all

Regarding djinn in general, I would like to copy summons from an EA mod commanders. But if there won't be one without me, it'll probably be mostly with marids and ifrit, three tiers, lowest being soldiers, middle being weak mages and the highest being very powerful mages.

Both trees would be more or less thuggable, the most powerful djinn might even have SC capability. Ifrit have fire shield and marids have glamour. I think awe doesn't suit out well enough to be in. Awe + glamour would easily make overpowered units anyway. Ifrit are described as strong and cunning while marids are (magically) the most powerful djinn. That'd make ifrits more combat orientated while having marids as more powerful mages.

Then there would be ghul, possibly with some more distinctive name. It's a death summon that can transform to a beautiful seducing lady or some animal form I can't remember, like one of the lanka units. I think the ghul is supposed to have hooves in every form, but that'll just be cool.

I'm also tempted to make a rhino summon, because there if I remember right are some (persian, but whatever) tales about rhinos described as mythical beings. That is if I can be arsed to make a decent rhino sprite or die trying.

Rhino and ghul would proably be summons al-Nadim won't have a good access to though.

I got to look around more about djinns once I get home - too much of a pain with gprs. Currently I don't really see much warranting the air magic in fire/air/astral of viziers. Should be fire/water/astral more likely.

[Lurker_at_Threshold]

For your upper level Jinn tiers it could be something like this.

The second tier could be Ifrit and Marid Beys. The Ifrit Bey's would be thugable, with a powerful fire shield and full fire resistance. Its choice in magic could be 2F with 110% for FSD. The Marid Bey would have full ice resistance and weaker stats, but would have much more powerful magic, something like 2W 1S 200% WSA

The third tier could be the Jinn Sultans. The Sultans would be a larger version of their respective Beys. Magic wise an Ifrit Sultan would have 3F 2E 2S 110% FSD. Whereas the Marid Sultan would have something like 3W 3S 2A with 210% WSA.

If you want to take out Air you could probably replace the Air magic with nature.

[elmokki]

First of all is a recolor for marid. Is it better? Personally I prefer the light blue over the far too dark blue. Ifrit's shade of red isn't that bad.

Secondly I tried out what ifrit and marid could look like without the fire/water on feet. Is it good? Should I draw the normal sprites too? I personally am a bit in between. I reckon the new look might be good especially if I add some light clothing (a vest that won't cover whole upper torso and possibly a turban) and possibly make the "feet" go directly downwards instead of that curve.

And then lastly there's my slightly liberal take on ghul. Ghul are said to be able to take form of a hyena and human and to lure travellers from their way.

A specific hyena form felt pretty useless and what's better for luring travellers from their way than a girl? (she's even chaste, she has that cloth part on her mouth!). Well, yeah, partially I made the were-hyena form just since I couldn't make up a decent look for a non were-hyena ghul, but were-hyena will probably be weak enough to not make it too über with the death/fire the ghul has.

Oh yeah, and ghul definately isn't anything like the ghoul in dominions.

[BandarLover]

Looking good Elmokki. I think these are a smidge better than your original pics, meaning I liked both of your renders so far, these a little bit more so.

Love the Were-hyena! Good idea to go with a Were-form instead of a reg hyena look. Me likey.