Mod Project, request from resume of ideas.

[Zen]

It's like watching Peter really lay into a punching bag that just sways back and forth until frustration or exhaustion take it's toll. Perhaps he will start using headbutts for emphasis.

[Cohen]

I don't believe my MOD is for long term games only but even for every game lenght.
Warlocks (both type) are rarely used in battle since they S1 or S1 first need a path booster if you want a good 100% precision (you've only paralize, useful only against big guys, and you should shoot at, if they're in mid of troops ... you'll hit the nearest), and for S1 ... well ... not so many choices. I know there's communion and power of the sphere, but Abysya isn't go good at this, even because don't forget Warlocks are your blood hunter and researchers ... do you really think you can afford that many of them outside their main role?

Priests: if I've to revert to my dominion a province, I prefer to use indep mages. For 200 gold cost for a salamander I've better use along any army. However who can really afford a salamander or dragon in first turns except the very first turn? (because you start with 400). If you want a salamander you've to alchemize gems first, and probably to not buy any infantry that turn (I talk the firsts 4-5 turns ... because you need too to speed up your research to unleash your pretender) ...

[Peter Ebbesen]

Cohen said:
I don't believe my MOD is for long term games only but even for every game lenght.
Warlocks (both type) are rarely used in battle since they S1 or S1 first need a path booster if you want a good 100% precision (you've only paralize, useful only against big guys, and you should shoot at, if they're in mid of troops ... you'll hit the nearest), and for S1 ... well ... not so many choices. I know there's communion and power of the sphere, but Abysya isn't go good at this, even because don't forget Warlocks are your blood hunter and researchers ... do you really think you can afford that many of them outside their main role?

I guess I could point out that you have forgotten the stats of Warlocks (BBBSS+random) and your comments regarding their use on battlefields thus partially invalidated. As such, I can well believe that you do not regularly use them in battles. Warlocks are S2, not S1, which allows for mind burn, paralyze, solar rays, and with just a single +1 astral item (or power of the spheres or communion), soul slay, control, battle fortune, antimagic, opposition.

...Some of these are selectively useful, some are very useful for destroying enemies, some are good for troop support. The Warlock is certainly not the best battlefield mage, but useless on the field he is not.

From my point of view, Warlock Apprentices have two important roles to fill. Bloodhunting first and foremost, and being communion slaves in a pinch (I much prefer independent lizard shamans for that role if available, of course). Warlocks are researchers first and battlefield mages second, only used in numbers when Abysia is treatened.

Priests: if I've to revert to my dominion a province, I prefer to use indep mages. For 200 gold cost for a salamander I've better use along any army. However who can really afford a salamander or dragon in first turns except the very first turn? (because you start with 400). If you want a salamander you've to alchemize gems first, and probably to not buy any infantry that turn (I talk the firsts 4-5 turns ... because you need too to speed up your research to unleash your pretender) ...

One Dragon in the early game is enough, though it much depends on your strategy whether it is worthwhile buying him. If your strategy is built around a good bless effect and Lava Warriors, a Demonbred will do fine, since highly blessed Lava Warriors chew up independents like mad. However, since you talk about unleashing your pretender as a matter of cause, it would seem a fair guess that you belong solidly in the SC pretender school, in which case your priority would be cheap mages to jumpstart research rather than good scales, mages, priests, or troops.

[Peter Ebbesen]

Zen said:
It's like watching Peter really lay into a punching bag that just sways back and forth until frustration or exhaustion take it's toll. Perhaps he will start using headbutts for emphasis.

No, so long as I remain open to the idea that I might be wrong and that those I debate with have at least a rudimentary ability to use reasoned arguments to support their cause, and hence that I may learn something from those I debate with, I tend to keep on going and going until my batteries run flat... Or until it is time to eat

[Cohen]

Well, I've miswriten about Warlock, in fact I said in parentesys paralize, mind burn and such.
True Abysya uses Warlocks only when menaced, but it's pretty rare to see them in battle. You need them for blood hunt and research.

About a bless strategy, I've tried it once, and I will never try it again with Abysya.
Blessed troops are capitol only, cost a lot of resources and are far inferior to most other blessed troops. They can get easily arrowed (no shield, unless you go BoH ... but really there you lack in magic), and a plague or anything else in your capitol will cripple your holy troops production forever.
Sometimes I tried an AX bless to air shield Anthemaths, but nothing for troops.

Ant.Dragon is useful earlygame for keeping your morale high. But Aby troops really needs more than 1 priest behind them to keep them in line, their low number makes them easy to rout even from LI armed with javelins, or arrow fire.

Scales in the mod have been modified too to make them a good choice too (production, growth and fortune), or to make them less exploitable to earn points.

Yes I belong to the SC Pretender School. I tried other strategies (Great Warlock with air to Aim and good Fire to exploit flare at low fatigue, + water to quickness - Moloch as F9 blessing and massive fire battery - FoB to start early blood hunt and swith to devil earlier). Definitely it's the best way to lose, as the game it is. Any pretender, at least with Abysya, unable to take province by solo will make you dead. Any enemy can take 1 province with army, and 1 with pretender (til they get a 2nd army). Considering if your army is routed you're going to lose all your HI, and that you'll put 4 turn to set up a +/- 16 HI army this will totally halt your expansion.

To keep the pace you need so 1 army and 1 pretender to take possibly 2 provinces at turn, earn more money, and thus save Fire Gems ... because isn't an option to alchemize, it's a must for Abysya if you want to stay competitive, meanwhile other nations can recruit normally, and save their gems for later.

[Nagot Gick Fel]

Cohen said:a plague or anything else in your capitol will cripple your holy troops production forever.

No it won't. Resources are not affected by loss of population, as long as you have at least 1K.

Yes I belong to the SC Pretender School.

Then you're a masochist. "Cohen, [...], The Enemy of the SC and all the overpowered and unbalanced things".

[Huzurdaddi]

This is strange I can't follow it.

Cohen plays Abysia most of the time in MP and strangely he wants to improve their power dramatically.

Cohen plays with a Virtue most of the time and he strangely wants to improve the power of the Virtue.

I think I'm detecting a trend. I don't know.

Abysia is an excellent nation right now. Blood is simply awesome. Let me repeat: awesome. The only other real blood nation in the world Mictlain pays dearly for the ability to blood hunt. Abysia does not. They have a decent military and can blood hunt. No wonder many consider them in the top 5 nations.

Yes this is the nation that needs vastly lower costs to "compete."

I'll wait for Zen's mod, thanks.

[Cohen]

My signature is pretty old.
Sadly I've to adapt myself on the gaming trend and rules. Without SC and Overpowered stuff you can't win.

Lately I'm playing too Arcoshepale, Pythium, Man, Caelum, Vanheim and Marignon, you're not such informed Huzurdaddy.
In fact to balance more a nation it's better if I know it.
I'd add the modify to Growth scale penalize Abysya on the other side, because it was usual for Aby playing with death-3 since Aby doesn't suffer from gold penalty ... but now there's bigger pop death (or growth in case of growth).
With the modify to drain life weapon Abysya will have more difficulties too to keep up all Demons Online with usual SC equip.

[PDF]

Hi again,
I repeat that I don't see any issue with either DB or Warlocks : those guys are tough, and their use is forging, rituals and army support (more for DB than W). They are capitol only, and expensive, fine. Using them for research or hunting is a waste...
The only problem I see with Aby is that the Warlock *Apprentice* are capitol only, and as they are needed for research and hunt Aby usually must sacrifice one for the other to a point I don't think is balanced - usually Aby *has* to find a Library to keep its research on a correct level. I remind a game I've won with Aby but my research was abysmal just because I did'nt manage to have a single Library on my continent !
Apart from that Aby don't need any boost IMHO ... Ppl should rather turn their attention to those poor TC and Ulm (standard theme) !