Tien Chi

[Endoperez]

In Dom1, air was the most powerful battle magic because ALL lightning damage, which means all air spells, negated all armor. And as air elementals were/are ehtereal, flying, trampling AND have an armor-negating attack, they were/are the most powerful of all the elementals. Weapons of sharpness might let your troops hit the air elementals, but earth magic and the protection it gave did not help against lightning. Water magic was the weakest elemental path, and although it had some nice spells it couldn't challenge others. Fire was very good in battle, but air was very good in battle, outside of battle and while making items.
Fire can deal more damage, that's true, but:
a) it had a ward versus it that didn't need fire magic, air magic was the only way to fight air magic
b) Storm. Fire magic takes more fatique, archers cannot shoot, air magic/elemental/summons gets more powerful
c) Call of the Wind produced cheap patrollers, and few of them doubled the income of given province. And you could use them to get rid of enemy mages' gems. Atleast this is not so potent spell anymore.
d) Staff of Storms, Storm bows(armor negating, str = damage), lightning whips(armor neg. dmg=10), pocket ship, flying ship, air barrel, spirit helmet(1 free lighning bolt/turn)...

Have these changed? And how the other paths have become more powerful? And which paths you need to protect your armies from give element? I already now that wards only affect aobut 25 guys. Is there any spell that gives little protection versus all the elements? Repels elementals? Disables flying? Negates etherealness?

Maybe if the elemental paths could counter each other. Earth versus air, Air versus earth. At the moment, Air DOES negate the protection earth gives, so does earth have any spesific spell to hamper air magic? What about Fire/Water?

[johan osterman]

Originally posted by Endoperez:
In Dom1, air was the most powerful battle magic because ALL lightning damage, which means all air spells, negated all armor. And as air elementals were/are ehtereal, flying, trampling AND have an armor-negating attack, they were/are the most powerful of all the elementals. Weapons of sharpness might let your troops hit the air elementals, but earth magic and the protection it gave did not help against lightning. Water magic was the weakest elemental path, and although it had some nice spells it couldn't challenge others. Fire was very good in battle, but air was very good in battle, outside of battle and while making items.
Fire can deal more damage, that's true, but:
a) it had a ward versus it that didn't need fire magic, air magic was the only way to fight air magic
b) Storm. Fire magic takes more fatique, archers cannot shoot, air magic/elemental/summons gets more powerful
c) Call of the Wind produced cheap patrollers, and few of them doubled the income of given province. And you could use them to get rid of enemy mages' gems. Atleast this is not so potent spell anymore.
d) Staff of Storms, Storm bows(armor negating, str = damage), lightning whips(armor neg. dmg=10), pocket ship, flying ship, air barrel, spirit helmet(1 free lighning bolt/turn)...

Have these changed? And how the other paths have become more powerful? And which paths you need to protect your armies from give element? I already now that wards only affect aobut 25 guys. Is there any spell that gives little protection versus all the elements? Repels elementals? Disables flying? Negates etherealness?

Maybe if the elemental paths could counter each other. Earth versus air, Air versus earth. At the moment, Air DOES negate the protection earth gives, so does earth have any spesific spell to hamper air magic? What about Fire/Water?

I do not recall all changes but the changes listed below should answer some of your concerns. All wards that affect other units then the caster now only bestow 50% damage reduction or less, this is stackable with items and natural partial resistances though. Storm penalises missile fire but do not stop it alltogether. Patrolling to increase taxes is no longer a viable long term strategy since increased taxes kills off population. Since there is no more target enemy magic Users fliers have a somewhat reduced efficiency. A new nature and earth spell Gaias blessing bestows partial resistance to all elements and posion on the entire battlefield. All elementals, even lesser cost magic gems. Air elementals have reduced hitpoints.

[Endoperez]

In fact, I knew most of that... I just posted in here so that those who have not played DOM1 know what it was before... I should have said that though, and this might not even be needed. But, I had/have nothing to do...

There was some interesting information nonetheless. I didn't know about Gaea's blessing or partial resistances. Do all lesser elementals require the same amount of gems? And how many is that? And how many gems bigger ones need?

[johan osterman]

Originally posted by Endoperez:
In fact, I knew most of that... I just posted in here so that those who have not played DOM1 know what it was before... I should have said that though, and this might not even be needed. But, I had/have nothing to do...

There was some interesting information nonetheless. I didn't know about Gaea's blessing or partial resistances. Do all lesser elementals require the same amount of gems? And how many is that? And how many gems bigger ones need?

Lesser 1 greater 2, there is also a set of new spells that summons several size 4 elementals at a higher research level.

[Endoperez]

Several medium elementals? WOW! That is something!
How much magic skill fo you need for it? And gems?

I'm going to love DOM II...