New Nation: The Monestary of the Way

[Amonchakad]

Interesting work, just a small pointer: the correct spelling is "Monastery"

About the spell effects, I found somewhere on the forum a spreadsheet that lists all that you need...but I can no longer find the thread, so I'm attaching the file here, and if someone knows who did it, give him the proper credit In the files(there's both the Excel and Openoffice version) you'll find all the spells of the game with their effect and damage.

[Amorphous]

My first impression is that the nation needs a power-up.

The capital gem income is a little on the light side, even if you place the nation in the late era and the Wu Jen being tied to a capital site means that your only mage with paths in non-holy magic is capital only.

The first thing you should do is probably make the Wu Jen recruitable everywhere and up the capital gem income to adequate levels (standard is 6 EA, 5 MA and 4 LA).

Furthermore as the only mage, the Wu Jen is not good enough. You have no access to astral, nature or death (or blood for that matter), which limits the nation severely, but it could probably be handled if the presence in the elements were stronger. Instead you have no fire access and the chances for a powerful caster in the three paths you do have are too small.

Adding a little astral or nature magic would go a long way, but if you insist on keeping the access to air, water and earth, you should probably make the paths less random.


When it comes troops, you seem to lack anything usable against ranged attackers. Considering this, the spell making attacks armour piercing should probably have a greater area. As is, your troops will mostly have trouble going through armoured foes. With multiple attacks they will not have much trouble hitting, but with 10 strength, fists and kicks will not do enough damage. The katana-wielding monks have better damage but not multiple attacks, so a lot of their hits will be shield hits. Taking down medium to heavy infantry will take quite some time and since all you have is lightly armoured troops without shields, this is time you do not have as bows will make very short work of you.

Have you considered this? I find it very much harder to evaluate troops than it is magic, so I may very well just have missed something blindingly obvious.

However that may be, you nation seems rather interesting.

[InfStorm]

Gem income:
I didn't want to favor any of the three elements I chose for the nation, and I initially thought 2A2W2E was high. If placed in early era, this is doable, all 1's would be Late era.

Wu Jen:
- I admin this is where I was doing the most pondering. The nation is holy magic heavy, and intended to be so.
- My original desire was for 2(AWE) and then .5/.25 (AWE), but you can't give 2 levels at one with #custommagic and #magicboost doesn't do exactly what I want.
- My other options are:
- - A. starting w/ 1A1W1E and then #custom magic AWE 100/.5/.25 This would guarantee 2 in one, and a chance for 3 and a rare 4
- - B. Having a #magicboost 1 is all three areas and then having AWE of 100/.5 This would guarantee 2 is one area, and possible 2 in other area or 3 in one area.
- Recruitable everywhere.... Maybe I'll make an Apprentice who's AWE 100/50 and not proficient in Holy magic.


Troops:
I actually designed the nation to have a temporary weekness to missile attacks. There are already existing spells that can be researched that can help defend from ranged attachs as well as a possible bless for the sacred troops.
The national summons were specifically designed to fill out the ranged attacks role with increasing levels of strength. (Bolders, Armor piercing, armor negating)

Their robes give minimal protection, but increased defense, giving them better chances at avoiding attacks, and almost no encumbrance. The quarterstaffs will boost those troops defense even higher. Again, blesses for the sacred troops can boost these areas as well.

As for offensive power, the nation is designed for large numbers of multiple attack troops. With the open ended 6, the multiple attacks, while having trouble w/ armor will eventually break through, with their high morale, Def, and MR able keep them on the field. Also, if the player is willing to go for a strong bless outside the nation's magic focus, the sacred troops have 3 other optional areas to boost damage output (fire/death/blood).

I left fire & death outside of the nation's magic specifically to force the player to have to choose between choosing a pretender of the nation's magic area or for going outside the nations focus for the bless.

Generic change:
As all commanders are sacred, perhaps I should make discounted temples, but I don't remember if this is possible.