Note: I should have just replied to everything in order -- it would make it easier to ensure that I haven't skipped something I wanted to reply to. 
If I moved them to the land, they'd have to go for conquest far more than I originally planned.
The one major problem with having sea cities is that they would have zero competition for settleable land. That's one one the main reason I think they should be coast-based.
But how do they keep their armed slaves from rebelling? Slaves + weapons == a huge risk.
Well, the Overlords seem to be quite a bit about control (e.g. the Tower of Complacency), so maybe they put something in the slaves' water, or somesuch. Or perhaps, the slave class of this race originated in the depths of their origin -- the slave class are the unmutated members of the race.
Or perhaps, the drugging makes them think this, easing new slaves into their place.
Could also make them want to prevent Armageddon.
Do you mean sorta like the Mazatl and Elohim, as opposed to indifference/lack of knowledge like (I would assume) most civilizations? Or, were you thinking of them being similar to the Infernals and Sheaim, originally?
Cottages I am not interested in, as I personally don't use them, ever. I could block them completely or just leave them alone. I'll probably give them a health penalty in hell oceans. Makes them want to keep hell at bay.
Well, I'm under the impression that they're a staple function for civilizations, so I figure that civs should either have them, have an alternate to them, or have a reason why they wouldn't need them.
As far as Hell terrain goes, I figured that it would reduce the food value and health of water tiles, making them much less useful to the civ, much like all other terrain.
Maybe there ought to be a few specific sea-based (maybe even lake-based, if its possible) that only this civ can access, to further promote coastal, watery areas, similar to the Lanun and pearls.
wtf your naga have legs? naga don't have legs!
Elves can be miniature sprites, and Orcs can be pig-men, so I don't think re-inventing a mythical race is that much of a sin against them.
WarCraft makes me think of Naga as hulking brutes seeking to enslave annihilate the land-walkers, though, so that name is sorta fitting, even if it's their race, not the Civilization's name.
Because of this, I guess I picture the Vodyanoi more like
WarCraft's Murlocs, albeit less comical (or perhaps cute) looking.
Your slave pens seem simpler to implement than my suggestion but the end result is the same. I'll give them an increase in maintenance (gotta keep an eye them slaves) and a small penalty to city defence. Though I'd push the limit higher, if I limited it in the first place. Infinite food cries imba though. I could make them eat more food. 3 per pop? Typically large predators have lower populations than their prey. In this case you have to kill an average of 12 units or spend 90 gold to get one extra specialist. Too low? Maybe give them a penalty to farms? Could cripple them early though. Animal husbandry indeed. Another important tech is way of the wicked of course.
If they are coast-based like the Lanun, maintinance would be killer, as they could easily control many, spread out islands. City states would be good for them, because they would have very little cultural competition on their lonely islands. Alternately, if their cities are simply in the Deep (the ocean or whatnot) that could interesting. The penalties -- maintenance and defense -- are interesting, as well!
3 food per pop, if its even doable without civics, would be more fitting for a civ on the scale of the Jotnar, rather than (what I would assume) are more Human in proportions.
I've never manually controlled my cities' specialists and plot selection, so I really don't know much about specialists or how to use them well.
A penalty to farms would be prudent though, as the most important part of the Civ would not be eating what a farm can produce. Perhaps land terrain in general should have less
, and the ocean should be the primary source of growth-giving
, with land used primarily for
.
Perhaps water-based tiles (lake, ocean, coast, river-bordered) could give high
but low
, and land tiles could give slightly below average
and low
. This would result in high populations that would have a large amount of citizen specialists, representing the slaves. Sorta similar to normal civilizations, but more extreme. I'm not really sure on what the yields ought to be, or if this would be at all feasible or balanced, though.
Although, I just realized that any civic that allows for unlimited specialists would completely annihilate how this is intended to be done...
And yes, I agree, Animal Husbandry and Way of the Wicked should be important techs for them.
I can do harbor and lighthouse ub's to enhance coastal cities. And nothing stops me from adding new buildings to the game. They absolutely have to start with the ability to work water tiles.
Just keep in mind, there's no need to go overboard on UUs or NBs (new buildings)!
I agree, though, they should start with, what, Seafaring or whatever. That's a starting tech, isn't it?
Perhaps I should increase trade yields in coastal cities, sort of to simulate they trade not only on surface but with their underwater empire (invisible, unreachable, not even on the map) as well.
That's a really neat, clever idea! Maybe that could be a theme with them -- friends in the Deep? Perhaps there could be a building autobuilt on their cities that are directly connected to the ocean (coastal or sea-based) that represents this somehow.
Don't worry. You could not possibly be as bad as me.
You're too kind!
building of some sort, or have one buildable. Maybe both. This would be to promote coastal cities, as...[/SIZE]
For the traits, clearly Aggressive/Raider.[/SIZE]
Maybe an ocean fort for terraforming? Would need Orbis style forts like in FFPlus.
