Proposed Modding Cost Guidelines

[Arryn]

Originally posted by Peter Ebbesen:
Any equipment that you would normally have to forge to equip a leader with, but which comes as part and parcel with a unit, should hike up the gold cost, and the higher magic level needed and the higher construction level, the higher the cost.

IMO, both the gold and the resource cost should be increased, not just gold.

[Graeme Dice]

Originally posted by Uh-Nu-Buh:
Fear Costs
1-4 2gold/pnt
5-9 3gold/pnt
10-14 4gold/pnt
15-19 5gold/pnt
E.g. If we give Conan above a Fear aura of 15, we would add 4X2+4X3+4X4+1X5=41gold

This is very cheap for the fear effect, considering that the only purchasable units with it are death mages, and they don't get fear +0 until they are around death 5. Fear 15 is Prince of Death level fear, with an area of effect of 15, and an added difficulty of three to the morale check. That kind of ability is worth a huge amount of gold, since every single unit with fear will cause those morale checks.

[Bossemanden]

On the fear effect:
I feel that the fear effect should cost somewhere between 2x-4x the amount stated by Uh-Nu-Buh. That is:
1-4 4-8 gold/pnt
5-9 6-12 gold/pnt
10-14 8-16 gold/pnt
15-19 10-20 gold/pnt

So in this example a unit with fear 15 (fear (+10)) should cost from 150 to 300 gold extra.

These kind of units are almost gamebreakers if in large numbers. The pricing should reflect that.

Edit: The reason I´m using a range and not a fixed figure is that mods should be open to general balancing and also I´m not sure exactly how much the "correct" amount would be.

[ February 28, 2004, 23:33: Message edited by: Bossemanden ]

[Uh-Nu-Buh]

Good points everybody. I'll revise the tables to reflect this, plus add some new guidelines on magic items, etc. I think I might have to make this into "The Unofficial Unit Mod Guide".

What does everyone think of the "official" rule on holy units? That it raises their unit cost by 50%? I think that is a bit high, myself.

Sacred gives +50% cost in Gold. It's a good rule, unless there is a good reason for it to be broken (aka, thematic or balance reason).

[Uh-Nu-Buh]

Reworked Tables, plus some additions for your perusal and comments. One of the things I vacillate on is a fixed fee or a rate. E.g. Amphibian--should it cost 5gp, or should it cost 10% of the unit's base cost? The ability is important, and the more powerful the unit, the more important being an amphibian is.... Which is better for game balance?

Gold based on Skills (hp, st, etc.)
==================================
7-9 pnts skill = 0.5X cost (weak human)
10-12 pnts skill = 1X cost (avge human, weak monster)
13-15 pnts skill = 1.5X cost (elite human, average monster)
16-19 pnts skill = 2X cost (super elite human, above average monster)
20-29 pnts skill = 4X cost (super man, elite monster)
30-40 pnts skill = 6X cost (elite monster nobility)
41+ = 8X cost (elite monster royalty)
==================================


Resources (based on normal equipment)
======================
0-8 light X0.75
9-11 average X1.00
12-20 heavy X1.50
21-29 super X2.00
30-40 amazing X3.00
41+ insane X5.00
======================


Fear Costs
======================
1-4 6gold/pnt (undead lord, minor demon, necromancer)
5-9 9gold/pnt (undead king, med demon, high level necromancer)
10-14 12gold/pnt (major demon, psionic thing from beyond)
15-19 15gold/pnt (demon nobility, major gibbering horror from beyond)
20+ 20gold/pnt (world-destroying menace all pretenders should band up against)
======================


Ethereal
======================
10% more gold
======================


Regeneration
======================
X% X% more gold (werewolf has regen 10%, Tarasque has 60%)
======================


Resistance (fire, cold, poison, shock)
======================
1-25 flat 3 gold per resistance
26-50 flat 6 gold
51-75 flat 9 gold
76-100 flat 12 gold

e.g. unit with fire/cold res of 25%/25%, costs +6 more than its base.

Mounted
======================
2 gold
======================


Animal
======================
0
======================


Amphibian
======================
20% more gold
======================


Aquatic
======================
0
======================


Pooramphibian
======================
10% more gold
======================


Flying
======================
5 gold
======================


neednoteat
======================
5 gold
======================


heal
======================
I am not sure what this does. Heal unit only, or heal all units in stack?
======================


Heat
======================
5 gold
======================


Cold
======================
5 gold
======================


Trample
======================
5 gold
======================


Immobile
======================
-5 gold
======================


Immortal
======================
+50%
======================


Iceprot
======================
======================


Poisonarmor
======================
======================


Holy
======================
+33% (official word is +50%, but I think that is too much)
======================


Berserk
======================
1g/pnt (max berserk value should be def value, imho)
======================


Illusion
======================
======================


Stealthy
======================

======================


Spy
======================
======================


Assassin
======================
5gp
======================


Noitem
======================
-5gold
======================


Coldblood
======================
-5gp
======================


Inanimate
======================
5gp
======================


Magicbeing
======================
5gp
======================


Undead
======================
0gp
======================


Blind
======================
5gp
======================


Eyes
======================
1 -5gp
2 0gp
3-4 3gp
5+ 10gp
======================


Eyeloss
======================
5gp
======================


Horrormark
======================
5gp
======================


Entangle
======================
5gp
======================


Fireshield
======================
5gp+1/dge pnt
======================


Poisoncloud
======================

======================

Diseasecloud
======================

======================


Awe
======================
not sure how this is different from fear?
======================

[Wauthan]

Hmmm... good thinking. I've deviced my own little system but it would be interesting if we could get a concensus to make modding easier.

Awe could be compared to a "personal forcefield". It doesn't protect the unit against spells or missiles but lets it own melee if it is high enough. This should cost less than fear initially but the increase should be steeper. Awe 20 would make the unit unbeatable in melee.
Cost should be multiplied if the unit also has a passive damage aura.
Eg: Had a GoR hydra with awe +6. This thing could wipe out armies all on its own because of the toxic fumes surrounding it.

Mounted should cost 15 gold and add 10 to action points.