Kolum Mod Project

Added to the Mod Projects Link in order to give better advertising. You might want to ask for specific jobs or things done or what you are looking for Miguel in order to have a better response.

[JaydedOne]

Thanks Zen!

As a sidenote, the description on the mod link should likely be altered as I'm converting a D&D campaign world to a set of mods and that world is only influenced by, not actually a direct translation of, the Martin and Cook books.

As for what I need in terms of help, nothing immediately. I'll likely post a sample .dm file for the first army in the near future and see if people have any comments on the play balance issues. Those sorts of suggestions would be the most help -- otherwise, it's largely a solo project unless someone just has a burning desire to take my designs and write up initial .dm files or (better) draw up some .tgas for the units (as that's likely to be the most time-consuming part)

[JaydedOne]

Here's a question that's arisen as I'm developing my Kolum mod. I've decided that in creating the nation belonging to my Matriarch, I'd like to work off the C'tis Desert Tombs theme as it's very much in keeping with what I want. I wonder, however, whether developing such a mod will work.

Question 1: I'm looking at simply rewriting all units pertinent to C'tis Desert Tombs, so the theme in theory would work just fine. It's important to me to give the nation its theme-specific summons which I'm revamping considerably. I'm just wondering if there are any difficulties (aside from having to tell players through the design notes/nation descrips that they HAVE to choose the Desert Tombs theme in order for the army to be properly balanced) that come with developing a nation mod with the use of a specific theme in mind, particularly since I plan on using it for my Ermor (Ashen Empire) and Pangaea (Carrion Woods) themes as well.

(And yes, a game involving those three armies in my world WOULD lead to a great deal of bLasted territory. That's sort of part of its theme.)

Question 2: Let's say I include the Empoisoner's Guild as a starting site but rename the Empoisoner something like "The Matriarch's Hand" and restat it accordingly. Will including the site (assuming I mod the correct unit, as opposed to creating a new one) have any problems calling up my new Hand? I'd imagine not. Further, would it change the text on the site to read "Can recruit The Matriarch's Hand" or is that a defined bit of text as opposed to a "Can recruit X" variable?

[JaydedOne]

I've designed much of the barebones of the first army which belongs to Jareleth Razael, the Matriarch of Kolum who comes out of hiding to reclaim her throne from her squabbling generals. The army is a replacement for C'tis, with the design of the army dependent on Users choosing the Desert Tombs theme (as there are three nation-specific summons which involve calling forth Razael's undead secret police.) I'm keeping the basic units with a few modifications (they'll likely get a slightly stronger cavalry unit to replace the runner, but that's offset somewhat by the drop in power of their priests from a 4 to a 3) and substantially reworking the command units, although they'll still get unholy priests as that's a key element of the army's concept. Magic will likely shift to Death 3, Earth 1, Astral 1, Random (non-sorcery) 2. Units theme are conscripted elves and hoburgs as slave races, humans serving a consortium of houses much like the Landsraat in Dune, a strong Thieves Guild, and corrupted dragon hatchlings (in place of the Serpents and Tomb Wyrms).

I'm working on a Pretender for Razael which will be close to the Saurolich in build (given that, in my campaign, she's a half-dragon lich coincidentally). The national heroes I think will be very much appreciated by players including a Master Assassin (Dom Vithral, the Matriarch's Hand) hero that should prove pretty tasty.

I'll try and get stats out here later this week, but I'm curious about opinions on balance -- does the magic combination seem to weaken C'tis -Desert Tombs overmuch? Does lowering Priests from 4 to 3 make up for a slightly better cavalry and PD? (I'm moving it from the largely useless militia to light infantry)

Thoughts?

[PDF]

Miguel,
As for your questions :
1/ There's no issue that I know of if you're "just" modifying units, but as theme modding isn't really possible you'll have to test it !
2/ Changing the name (and everything else) of the site-specific unit works (I've done it), what's hardcoded is the link between site and unit #id

Now for balance I'm not at all a C'tis specialist, but I'd be interested in having a look at the mod

[Ragnarok-X]

i could help balancing as well, just give me a shout per mail, icq or PN.

[JaydedOne]

Thanks Ragnarok and PDF for the offers. I'm a little swamped with studying for finals right now, but will see if I can't get new material out to you in the next two weeks. It may be as little as a Pretender or perhaps more. Don't expect any graphics yet, however. They're lowest on my priority list.