Conceptual Balance Mod 5.4

[Edi]

It's supposed to be air 2, 10 gems. The problem with the mod is that it says #mainpath 2 when it should say #mainpath 1 (the numbering beginning at 0 for fire, 1 for air and so on). Incompetent of me to have missed that when I did the readme...

Edi

[Morkilus]

So I changed "#mainpath 2" to "#mainlevel 2". Should this make it do what was intended? I figure the path should be default. This is my first (mod)ification, so sorry if I sound n00bish.

[Morkilus]

Uh, I understand why the Wraith sword has no strength added (since it's ethereal and everything), but doesn't 1 attack power make it completely nerfed? I guess if lifedraining was completely bah-roken in the game, it makes sense to obliterate it, if that was the intention. I'd hate to make one without knowing it was completely useless.

[Turin]

attack power is just the added attack skill, which can be further boosted with burning pearl etc. .The damage is still 9, but it´s armornegating now, so you are guaranted to do 9 lifedraining damage with each attack if you hit. Makes the wraith sword a nice situational weapon in my opinion.

Your fix for the winged boots should be correct.

[Chazar]

What precautions must be taken for ongoing MP games? Is it just enough to fix the .dm file on the server?

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About Balance: My perception is Magic Difficulty and Independent Strength shift the Balance between Nations like Ulm and Caelum, say. Difficult Research and High Independent Strength helps Magic-Weak nations, so a nerfed Caelum might be at too much of a disadvantge.

[quantum_mechani]

Chazar said:
What precautions must be taken for ongoing MP games? Is it just enough to fix the .dm file on the server?

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About Balance: My perception is Magic Difficulty and Independent Strength shift the Balance between Nations like Ulm and Caelum, say. Difficult Research and High Independent Strength helps Magic-Weak nations, so a nerfed Caelum might be at too much of a disadvantge.

I think everyone would need the fixed mod. I would have released the tiny fix myself but I was waiting to see if more issues would crop up.

I'm not sure high independents really helps magic weak nations, or even difficult research in many cases. In any case, I would not worry about even the nerfed Caelum being weaker than Ulm no matter what settings you choose.

[GriffinOfBuerrig]

Thats very very cool, now the dokumentation i really like the mods - before it was a kind of "mass randomasation" to me!

I really like it!

[PDF]

Re Flying boots up to A2 : this is IMHO a very bad decision : to me it's not a balance issue if everyone and his mother gets cheap Flying Boots, it will become one with a mod that restrict them this way..
As a result, only the already-powerful Air nations will have easy access to Flying Boots, letting the other ones on the ground, whereas they're already lacking from less mobility !!!

I'm sad to say that, but it looks like this mod is going overboard : Magic items mod makes useful stuff get nerfed whatever the balance effect is, and practically nothing gets any better.
Yet real balance issues are either not really addressed (ID/AD and Bane Lords still dominate mid-late game, still noone never summons crap-drakes), or even worsened (ah the Vine Ogres are *better* now !! Get the factory rollling !!)..

[quantum_mechani]

PDF said:
Re Flying boots up to A2 : this is IMHO a very bad decision : to me it's not a balance issue if everyone and his mother gets cheap Flying Boots, it will become one with a mod that restrict them this way..
As a result, only the already-powerful Air nations will have easy access to Flying Boots, letting the other ones on the ground, whereas they're already lacking from less mobility !!!

I'm sad to say that, but it looks like this mod is going overboard : Magic items mod makes useful stuff get nerfed whatever the balance effect is, and practically nothing gets any better.
Yet real balance issues are either not really addressed (ID/AD and Bane Lords still dominate mid-late game, still noone never summons crap-drakes), or even worsened (ah the Vine Ogres are *better* now !! Get the factory rollling !!)..

Just so we're clear, look at the readme, how many things got improved vs. how many things got nerfed?

Indeed SCs are still powerful in the mid and late game, I don't see any around that and still have a use for 90% of items. With drakes, I actually see them used quite a bit now, not in the the mid and late much, but that is not what they were intended to be. Vine ogres are not, in my opinion, better or worse. They make better shields than ever, but now have another weakness. Additionally, a lot of other nature summons were improved, making ogres not so much of a no-brainer.

With flying boots, I think putting them at a2 has a number of positive points. A bit harder to do SCs, and less in my opinion unthematic, with as you say everyone and their mother using them. I don't believe it is enough to really tip the balance in favor of air nations, particularly compared to the base game where they have easy wrathing, false horrors and a cheaper staff of storms.

[Turin]

I think that the problem with the vine ogre isn´t the vine ogre himself, but rather the ivy kings. I doubt anyone complains about precious n3 mages forging an ivy crown and then using their time getting 2 ogres per turn. Especially when you compare them to lamias.

The ivy king on the other hand doubles that efficiency and is already a bargain summon. A very high hp, no encumbrance n3 mage for only 20 gems is really sweet.

Regarding the drakes, I find all of them to costly with the exception of the cave drake, which makes an excellent tank. The others should drop to 6 gems in price.

As for Scs/thugs, the nerf to lifedrain weapons makes them a bit less dominant, Ice and arch devils are fine now imho, but banelords are still to cheap. I would raise the price to 20 gems.