Mod: Djinnibad - Nomads and Genies

[Aezeal]

btw endo:
I really liked the nomad warrior, keep up the good work if you figure out how to give them a scimitar (you could copy the one the jann has?) I'll add them to my mod file.

Think you can do the cavalry too?

What do you think about the discussion about stats?

What do you think about the roc?

PS I attached what I have in sprites and .dm file so far so those interested or working with me on this can check it out if they want.

[Endoperez]

I'm going to see Bandar Log and EA Kailasa for the curved swords, and perhaps C'tis as well. It's not the sword (when I can compare to Dominions sprites) but where the hands are located that's giving me trouble. I think I'll go watch some youtube videos about Kalaripayattu and see if I can find something interesting. I think I'll give the commanders slightly different poses and fancier attack.

[Wrana]

On stats: I wouldn't give them higher sterngth - after all, classic barbarian unit is straight from Conan the Barbarian, & in this mythos desert nomads are wiry & fast, not particularly strong. Better defense is fine & it's along these lines. AP 13 is probably okay, remembering "running back & forth" mentioned above (btw you were partly right, it's Mohammed who introduced phalanx-like formations here, though they probably seen something before serving as mercs during Persian-Byzantine wars). Higher MR can be explained by genie influence & the fact that genies were certainly not above mixing their blood with that of subject folk... BTW this could explaine higher stats of your "dervish" pretty well! Though gold cost is probably going to be 11? Rukh - I would think it summon, but understand your reasoning on summonable eagle (I tried it once & never used since! ) - for usefulness we can remember that Roc/Rukh was said to hunt elephantes & give it better attack against large creatures (not sure how it works, though) or something along these lines (& you surely can imagine what it would be to be near such birdie than it starts to beat wings, so trample isn't completely out of question... or swallow).
Also, on the desert garb - did you remember that 'furs' also give defense & encumbrance penalty which desert garb shouldn't do?
On .dm - probably genie nobility should get something richer than leather cuirass? Even "magical lightweight armor" possibly?
on MA - for now it looks about this:
units: Nomad infantry, Nomad cavalry - both armored,etc. as above, probably stealthy (in this case, got "raiders" in their name);
Deilemite (mountainmen) infantry - light armor (see which), large shield, javelin, probably their authentic jupine (2-end spear ) or axe/bardiche/halberd, better morale;
Corsairs - 2 scimitars, probably leather cuirass (these don't wear desert garb!), pillage bonus;
Faris (Arab noble cavalry) - standart noble stats boost, light lance, chain hauberk, probably thrown axe or javelin;
Ghulam cavalry - full scale, composite bow, scimitar or broadsword (they almost never used lances);
Nomad ahdas (militia) - purhased for 1 battle, so cheaper, stats are as normal;
Ghazi - sacred, probably both infantry & cavalry; probably Ghulam/Mamluk infantry;
slighly possible elephant or nafta throwers (both were used in the region, but relatively rare = if make, then capital only). Maybe add some more regular infantry such as citizen militia?
Commanders:
Nomad chieftain (stealthy, I think, but with Ld 40);
Corsair captain (?) - sailing, of course!;
Pekhlevan - noble with genie blood, so larger than human, much stronger, with some random(?) magic;
Imam (priest 2), Kadi (priest 2 with patrol bonus/decrease unrest), Hoji (priest 3, capital only?), possibly Khalif as a highest priest (4) with fighting ability & Ld 40; possibly capital-only Ismailite priest?
Amir or something as regular troops commander with Ld 80;
Star-gazer - Astral 2 mage, prevent bad events;
Elemental sorcerers of at least 2 kinds (normal and higher, need to think that up);
Thief of Baghdad/Xanadu - spy (unfortunately, engine doesn't allow him to be used to steal, e.g., opponent's gems );
Hashishiine - names says all.
Genies become summons in this era, except possibly some minor one...

[Aezeal]

#newmonster 2806
#spr1 "Nomads and genies/2806_Nomad_Wazir_1.tga"
#spr2 "Nomads and genies/2806_Nomad_Wazir_2.tga"
#name "Nomad Wazir"
#descr "The Wazir are the advisers and magicians of the nomad sheiks. They mostly divine their wise advices from the stars but also have knowledge in other paths which they learned from their genie overlords."
#hp 10
#size 2
#ressize 2
#prot 0
#mor 12
#mr 14
#enc 3
#str 10
#att 9
#def 9
#prec 10
#mapmove 2
#ap 10
#gcost 100
#rcost 1
#armor "Desert Garb"
#weapon 7 -- Quarterstaff
#poorleader
#nomagicleader
#noundeadleader
#itemslots 15494 -- two hands, one head, one body, one feet, two misc
#magicskill 4 2
#custommagic 9600 50
#fireres 20
#wastesurvival
#end
#end



#addreccom 2806


why does it show up as a trooper and not as commander?

[Aezeal]

#newmonster 2806
#spr1 "Nomads and genies/2806_Nomad_Wazir_1.tga"
#spr2 "Nomads and genies/2806_Nomad_Wazir_2.tga"
#name "Nomad Wazir"
#descr "The Wazir are the advisers and magicians of the nomad sheiks. They mostly divine their wise advices from the stars but also have knowledge in other paths which they learned from their genie overlords."
#hp 10
#size 2
#ressize 2
#prot 0
#mor 12
#mr 14
#enc 3
#str 10
#att 9
#def 9
#prec 10
#mapmove 2
#ap 10
#gcost 100
#rcost 1
#armor "Desert Garb"
#weapon 7 -- Quarterstaff
#poorleader
#nomagicleader
#noundeadleader
#itemslots 15494 -- two hands, one head, one body, one feet, two misc
#magicskill 4 2
#custommagic 9600 50
#fireres 20
#wastesurvival
#end
#end



#addreccom 2806


why does it show up as a trooper and not as commander?

[Aezeal]

The Dervish are a tribe of nomads that live deep in the desert, they are raiders and thus have only live to fight and do not "waste" time herding animals or learning crafts. Every male dervish wields two scimitars and is highly skilled in the two-handed fighting techniques. Dervish are proud and brave, they have learned they are the greatest fighters and that their swordsmanship can overcome everything and thus are not likely to rout in battle."

my dervish description so far

Maybe the hashashins should be decendants from this tribe (I know they really wheren't but now they are) I sort of had that fremen tribe from the dune series in mind which turns up in one of the later books.

[Aezeal]

#newmonster 2809
#spr1 "Nomads and genies/2809_dervish_1.tga"
#spr2 "Nomads and genies/2809_dervish_2.tga"
#name "Whirling Dervish"
#descr "The Dervish are a tribe of nomads that live deep in the desert, they are raiders and thus have only live to fight and do not 'waste' time herding animals or learning crafts. Every male dervish wields two scimitars and is highly skilled in the two-handed fighting techniques. Dervish are proud and brave, they have learned they are the greatest fighters and that their swordsmanship can overcome everything and thus are not likely to rout in battle."
#hp 13
#size 2
#ressize 2
#prot 0
#mor 15
#mr 12
#enc 2
#str 12
#att 14
#def 14
#prec 12
#mapmove 2
#ap 15
#gcost 13
#rcost 0
#armor "Dervish Turban"
#armor "Dervish Desert Garb"
#weapon 800 -- Scimitar
#weapon 800 -- Scimitar
#wastesurvival
#pillagebonus 1
#ambidextrous 4
#stealthy 0
#end


#newmonster 2810
#spr1 "Nomads and genies/2809_dervish_1.tga"
#spr2 "Nomads and genies/2809_dervish_2.tga"
#name "Whirling Dervish"
#descr "The Dervish are a tribe of nomads that live deep in the desert, they are raiders and thus have only live to fight and do not 'waste' time herding animals or learning crafts. Every male dervish wields two scimitars and is highly skilled in the two-handed fighting techniques. Dervish are proud and brave, they have learned they are the greatest fighters and that their swordsmanship can overcome everything and thus are not likely to rout in battle. The dervish raiders are usually led by their own sheiks who are always the most proficient warriors fo the tribe."
#hp 18
#size 2
#ressize 2
#prot 0
#mor 20
#mr 12
#enc 2
#str 13
#att 16
#def 16
#prec 13
#mapmove 2
#ap 15
#gcost 50
#rcost 0
#armor "Dervish Turban"
#armor "Dervish Desert Garb"
#weapon 800 -- Scimitar
#weapon 800 -- Scimitar
#wastesurvival
#pillagebonus 5
#ambidextrous 8
#stealthy 5
#okleader
#poormagicleader
#noundeadleader
#end

The stats for dervish and dervish sheik
(so far using the same pic for both)

[Wrana]

I would make your Dervish a mixed blood offspring from genies and humans - this would explain their superhuman abilities..
As for Arakis Freemen they were much more than pure raiders... Actually they were very technologically advanced - something like modern Iran, probably, which even has a special holyday devoted to nuclear science and technology...
To Endoperez:
Thanks, I appreciate your workings. It's just that this one position looks wrong to me. I'll probably try to make alternative one based on this if I'll have time tomorrow. It'll probably look bad but could give you an idea...

[Aezeal]

no I meant the fremen who lived deep in the desert and where muádib hid during the reign of his sister.. of course also technologically advanced but the story was something of being outcast for some reason or anothers

[Endoperez]

Personally, I don't think the Whirling Dervish descriptions are as well written as your posts on this forum. They're too formulaic or complex or something; IMO they could be a bit more compact:

"Dervish are proud and brave, they have learned they are the greatest fighters and that their swordsmanship can overcome everything and thus are not likely to rout in battle. The dervish raiders are usually led by their own sheiks who are always the most proficient warriors fo the tribe."

"Dervish are proud and brave, and their faith in their great swordmanship makes them less likely to rout in battle. The dervish raiders are usually led by their own sheiks, chosen from the ranks of their most proficient warriors."

Like Wrana, I'd also like to have a bit more mystical background to them, since their stats are so clearly superhuman. Mixing the dervish background with genie worship would be good, IMO. Something like strongest children of the nomad tribes being sent to the desert where the Dervish life, where they fight against illusions and monsters summoned by genies. Also, why do dervish have LOWER encumberance than common nomads? If anything, they should fatigue more quickly, especially because all nomads seem to run everywhere all the time (base ap 15)!

To Wrana:
I'd like to see the pose you meant, thanks for the effort.