Svartalfar Mod

First two posts are edited with some frequency.
Fall from Heaven 2 0.23c Fire Phase Modmod:
Surefire Modmod 0.23c1 (most recent version for 0.23c Fire phase; contains Svartalfar as a playable civilization with unique graphics for their units)


Fall from Heaven 2 0.16J Light Phase:

Sureshot Complete ModMod 1.46J (just unzip this file into the FFH mod folder, for best results use with patch J)
Translation for French versions (thanks to Keldan!)
Fixed for Spanish/German/Italian (not translated, but proper english names for units)

This mod includes the following main features:
Svartalfar Unit set 1.1J (click for Dark Elf Only Mod 1.1J without any of the other parts for those who only want the new dark elf units, made for patch J)
Calabim Recon Unit set
Terraforming/Terrain set
General & Balance set
Tech Tree Reworking set 1.1J (click for the tech tree only set)
If you want a set by itself let me know and I'll try to accomodate.


Svartalfar Unit Set

Unique Units for (visual and stats):
Warrior, Axeman, Maceman, Immortal, Berserker
Scout, Hunter, Ranger, Beastmaster, Assassin, Shadow
Horse Archer, Knight
Adept, Mage, Archmage, Conjurer, Summoner, Lich
Settler, Worker
Prophet
Extra Hero at Fanaticism

Hunters moved to Tracking, generally units have -25% city defense over normal, -50% city strength for recon units, units have +1 first strike and elf promotion. Workers are like Ljosalfar workers but called Elven Slaves and can be upgraded to Elven Horsemen (and SNAITM). Prophet UU are invisible.

Palace Change
Mana's switched to Death, Fire, Nature

Faeryl's traits changed to Arcane/Raiders since Hidden does nothing currently.


Calabim Recon Unit set

Unique Units for (visual and stats):
Scout, Hunter, Ranger, Beastmaster, Assassin, Shadow

From Hunter onward the Calabim units have Vampirism, but require Governors Manors to be built (so Code of Laws tech as well), and hunters are moved back to Tracking. Assassins upped to 5 strength. Names gotten from this Vampire Types webpage.

Palace Change
Earth Mana switched to Death


Terraforming/Terrain set

Unique Units added (can be completely automated to terraform land):
Springer (requires mage guild, water mana, and Knowledge of Ether tech)
-can build Spring improvement, which turns deserts into plains (including on oasis and floodplains)
Scorcher (requires mage guild, fire mana, and Knowledge of Ether tech)
-can build Scorch improvement, which turns tundra into plains and ice into desert
Vitalizer (requires grove, nature mana, and Commune with Nature tech)
-can build Vitalize improvement, which turns plains into grassland forests

Spell Changes
Bloom
-Can be used on top of improvements, destroys improvements
Tsunami
-lowers terrain in stages: Peaks to Hills Tundra, Hills to Flatlands, Flatlands to Water; doesn't work on cities until city is destroyed, reduces city population by 2 until city is destroyed
Raise Earth (new Earth 3 sorcery spell)
-same as Tsunami but reverse: Ocean to Flatlands Desert, Flatlands to Hills, Hills to Peaks; reduces city population by 1 until city is destroyed
Freeze spell (Water 2 spell)
-Turns deserts/plains into snow/tundra (respectively)
Mineralize spell (Earth 2 spell)
-Turns grasslands into plains

Terrain Changes
Oasis gets +10% defense modifier, can be built on
Floodplains get -20% def, costs 2 movement
Tundra gets +10% defense modifier, costs 2 movement
Ice gets +25% defense modifer, costs 3 movement


General & Balance set

Improvements

Fort changes
Fort improves Sentry towers for +1 happiness and some yields
+100% defense and can be built on forests.

Plantation (buildable on grasslands)
+2 commerce
chance to find bananas, dye, sugar
Orc plantations can be built on jungles, as can Orc mines

Quarries (buildable on hills and deserts)
+1 production
+1 commerce
-1 food
chance to find marble and stone

Orc/Doviello cottages buildable on jungles/tundra (respectively)
stage 1 gives:
+1 food
stage 2 gives:
+1 food, +1 production
stage 3 gives:
+1 food, +2 production, +1 commerce
stage 4 gives:
+2 food, +2 production, +1 commerce

Lanun Coastal Cottages
gains and growth are same as normal cottages, but these are made by workboats (which are consumed in the process)

Fishing boats can be built on any coastal squares for +1 commerce and chance to find sea resourcees

Pastures can be built on any grassland/plains with 1 production and 1 food (i.e. plains flatlands and grassland hills)
+1 food, -1 production, chance to find animals

Camps can be built on tundra flatlands for +1 commerce, chance to find deer and furs

Barrows & Ruins give some gold when destroyed. City Ruins turn into Barrows if worked.

Promotions

Orc promotion gives double movement and +10% def/att in jungles
Dwarf promotion gives double movement and +15% def on hills

Snowman 1 (available with Crafting)
+50/30% def on tundra/snow, double movement on tundra
Snowman 2 (available with Iron Working)
+50/70% def on tundra/snow, double movement on snow
Sandman 1 (available with Horseback Riding)
+40/50/50% def/att on desert/floodplains/oasis, double movement on floodplains/oasis
Sandman 2 (available with Domesticate Camels)
+60/50/50% def/att on desert/floodplains/oasis, double movement on desert

random chance of religious promotions to units built in a city with said religions
religious promos acting like loyalty and disloyalty based on state religion, and allowing conversion to those more faithful
Runes promo gives +15% hills defense
Leaves promo gives +10% att/def in forests/ancient forests
Order promo gives +15% vs demons
Ashen promo gives +15% city attack
Octo promo gives +10% att/def in jungles

Arcane units can get Empower promotions instead of Combat promotions, which are the same except in that empower only grants +10% strength per promotion and no healing benefits.

Barbarians

Lich King - 6 strength, summoner with death sphere 2 barbarian hero, released with the Liches Tomb wonder.

Raider King - 4 strength, fast movement barbarian horseman hero (hidden nationality with 100% conversion if beaten), released with the Great Zoo wonder.

Typhoid Mary - 6 strength barbarian unit with summon Plague Skelette ability, released with the Twisted Laboratory wonder.

Shadowwolf - 21 strength animal classed barbarian hero with the Shadow Jump ability, which it uses to teleport out of cultural borders if its ever trapped in such (when killed it gives its killer a Shadow pelt which grants that unit +1 strength and the Shadow Jump ability), released via a project called The Great Hunt.

All werewolves (including the Baron) are hidden nationality, giving ravenous werewolves 10% conversion rate (to make it more likely to spread across civs and barbs)

Buildings

Liches Tomb wonder (available with Necromancy)
provides 2 death mana, +1 Prophet point

Twisted Laboratory wonder (available with Alchemy)
+25% science rate, +1 unheathiness, +2 great Sage point, Gunpowder

Great Zoo wonder (available with Horseback riding)
provides Horse, Deer, and Ivory, +1 great merchant point

The Great Hunt project (available with Stirrups)
releases the Shadowwolf

Units

Rith - shapeshifting hero, can initially shapeshift into a wolf, as he gains Combat promotions he can shift into better animals.

Mercurian (Unique Unit for Mercurians that replaces Warrior)
2 strength, 1 move, free promotion Demon Slaying, can upgrade to order disciples

Avenger (Unique Unit for Mercurians that replaces Axeman)
4 strength, 1 move, free promotion Demon Slaying, can upgrade to crusaders

Basium gained Demon Slaying 1 & 2

Hippus and Svartalfar Horse Archers can demount to Longbowmen and vice versa. Switching must take place in a city that has the ability to create the unit the unit is switching to.

Hippus Warriors can upgrade to Raiders, Hippus Archers can upgrade to Brigands.

Bard (requires Drama)
3 National Units
3 strength, 2 moves
Channeling (disciple unit, so gains xp slowly)
Spirit I

Civilizations

Svartalfar, Mercurians, Infernal and Illians are all made playable by humans.

Python fixes

Fixes for immortal multiples, extra axes, and werewolf non-spawning


Tech Tree Reworking set (with the help of Chandrasekhar)

All techs from Stirrups onward having tech cost changed, but each requiring another tech (though making armoured cavalry require metal casting instead of mithril).
All hunters requiring Tracking, all recon having -50% city strength.
General tech tree reworking to make it neater and tighter and sectioned.
Best to just check it out, it explains itself better than I can.


Button art was grabbed and formatted mostly from Deviant Art and various game wallpaper sources.
Base models are from seZereth's and AlazkanAssassin's female models.

Image of most of the units:


Things I've got ready for next version (...):

...

Things I'm still working on (...):

...

Things I'm Considering Adding:

Spells

spell extensions working on terraforming spells
River and Floodplain spells
OO priest spell Mutation-like turning forests into jungles
Adding several spells around so that each level of each sphere potentially adds multiple new spells
Adding level 1 divine spells

Promotions

Flatland Offense (mounted only)
+40% att on flatlands

Barbarians

Roaming Kraken - several barbarian kraken being added around the world when the OO holy city wonder is created

Planar weakening - several barbarian demons being added around the world when the Ashen Veil holy city wonder is created

Units

A national warrior hero that anyone can get if they win a risky battle, but once 1 at a time.

A building thats created in a city if a barb hero is in it, or a Bard unit, which adds +4 culture and +3 Great Bard points.

More units with the (de)mount ability
Making a new Horseman type available with stirrups for the svartalfar who can mount(on horse resources or cities with stables)/demount, changing back and forth from pikeman to horseman
2 or 3 sets of national units that way as well.

New female combat type, first one available with Drama
main features are that they gain xp like arcane units, but can't learn new spells
Minstrel (requires Monarchy?)
3 National units
5 strength
Channeling
Spirit I (or whatever lets one cast courage)
not sure what else

Skald (requires Arcane Lore?)
3 National Units
9 Strength
Channeling
Spirit I (or whatever lets one cast courage)
not sure what other spells yet


If anyone has any ideas of things to add to this let me know.

cool i'll add it to the mini-mod page

I'm excited to try this, thanks for sharing your work.

Sureshot said:

Scorcher (requires mage guild, fire mana, and Knowledge of Ether tech)
-can build Scorch improvement, which turns tundra into plains and ice into desert

Click to expand...

Ice => Desert directly ? Or is there a mistake ?

The terraformation spells and the new improvements smell good. I try this.

ya, ice directly to desert.. i had 4 reasons for that, 1) there are such thing as cold deserts, and i take ice to be like such, though i could be way off, 2) i wanted to avoid a ice/tundra terrain mix from turning completely into all plains from just scorchers, 3) i didnt want ice to just be two scorchs away from plains, instead its a scorch and a spring, and 4) ive made ice 2 movement cost, so deserts fit well instead of plains, since deserts are also 2 movement cost.

Ummm... Death? Consider the negative diplomacy modifier there? (I'm pretty sure this is why none of the civs currently start with it).
Some other comments would be as to why the hell are you changing aspects which have no relation with the Svatalfar (I am all for those changes really, but not everyone is).

Seeing as this is her mod...Can't change anything she wants? Its a good chance to play around with something different also.

Entropy give a negative modifier to diplomacy too, but there is just Infernal Palace which give this resource.
And I think, but I'm not sure, Chaos Mana give a malus too, with some civilizations, and a lot of palace give it.


The point 3 for explanations about scorch effect seems the best one

But there's something about the OO priest spell : it's really cool to transform forest to jungle, but how create jungle, to do something like the FoL priest and create jungle empire ? (execpt by leaving forest or jungle grows)

And I have a question about the Lanun coastal cottage : it said to be build on "coastal squares", but is it a land tile near coast tile, or a coast tile ? If it is the second case, how to build it ? With workboat ?

all those havent been implemented, just things im thinking about, but:

Lanun coastals, i got the idea from playing around with cottages, if you place one with the worldbuilder on a coastal tile (water tile next to land) it places little cottages on the land part beside the water, quite cute looking

creating jungles would be nice, but maybe just a mundane (non magic) goblin worker ability could create them, and the spell could change forests to jungles.


about the negative diplomacy modifier, i haven't found it too big a deal so far, and ive played quite a few games.

about the extra things some might not want, all of this was just for playing with a friend of mine and i decided to post it all since its fairly solid right now, but generally i tried to put all the changes i made at the front and modulized of the XML files, both for easy transfer across new patches and so people could grab parts of my mod they wanted with more ease. also, most of what ive done is additions or atleast addition in functionality (bloom now has added functionality) and left other civs the way they are (for instance, only calabim and svartalfar have their hunters moved to tracking, all others are still in hunting).

I'm very much so in favor of the improvement changes you're considering, most of those are things I thought of doing myself if I knew how/had the patience.
They might be a bit unbalanced though, but that's perfectly fine for an add-on mod. A lack of balance can add alot of fun sometimes.

ya, thats why i moved hunters back to tracking only for the civs i or my friend were playing, to make for more challenge (no more instant hunter rush for early game dominance).

the only thing there im not sure i can do easily are the promotion things, because ive never touched the promotion files. but the improvements should be quite simple (most annoying part would be making a doviello worker and doing all its formations).

Awesome stuff, I added a link to this thread in the main FfH2 thread. Thanks for doing this Sureshot!

Glad to do it

Can you post pics of the new unit art?

first image, ill try to do better heh

Just a detail :
Svartalfar units have +1 first strike chance. But you changed Faeryl Viconia traits "hidden" by "raider", and raider give "commando" promotion, then give +1 first strike chance. So in fact units haven't 0-1 first strike but 1-2 first strike.

Point 2 : Svartalfar workers are called "elven slave". It's a bad idea, because the "elven slave" unit already exists, and this is not the same one.

And there are a lot of problems with adepts : I can't build the Catacomb Libralus wonder, I can't build adept, and scorchers can't scorch plains. Or maybe I misunderstood something...
I will check some details to check these problems.

EDIT : Ok, I think I was tired yesterday... I didn't see the svartalfar adept, and didn't see that Catacomb was already built... sorry But my scorcher really do nothing...

Your scorcher isn't suppossed to be able to change a plains. The only things that a scorcher can work is ice and tundra. These units aren't meant to be offensive, just to improve land, with the final step being a grass/land forest from a vitalizer. Thus, what more could a scorcher do to improve a grassland?

I thought they can transform grasslands to plains, I misunderstood what I read Anyway, they do well their job with snow and tundra.
But the springer is useless if the spell "spring" is still avaible, because the spell is faster and don't destroy improvement. Maybe you should change this spell to a "freeze" spell, something changing plains to tundra, or tundra to snow (some reverse effect of the "scortch" spell).

And Svartalfars learn me one thing : now I understand what is the advantage to have 1-2 first strikes Their hero are cool, powerful and varied, a nice pawn between Rosier and Mardero.

I don't know if this coming from FfH or your mod (or maybe Civ) but they is some problems in civilopedia : sometimes units or heroes pages are empty, there is just the name and the icon.

EDIT : I played with v1.0. I download v1.1 and will see if civopedia problems still here.

ya, scorchers, springers, and vitalizers can only do beneficial things, and the reason springers are better than the spell is 1 reason alone: they can be automated.

when you only have a few deserts in your city yields, they're not too useful, but when theres a lot of deserts around it can become very tedious to use the spring spell on them all, thats when i tend to build springers, because then i just click "Automate" and then don't have to worry about it.

another thing about those terraformers, i made it so using these three would turn any type of land progressively towards grassland forests, i didnt want to make any of them work backwards in that scheme, or else they might get stuck in loops where one turns A into B, and another one turns B into A. im thinking i'll use spells for degrading land (hopefully larger area spell effects as well, currently its usually not worth using scorch or the fallout spell because of the tedium of doing so many tiles).

changing the spell could work, though id rather just add functionality to the spell, or make new spells.

as of yet i haven't done the scorch spell affecting grasslands or tundra/ice.