Pazyryk
Deity
- Joined
- Jun 13, 2008
- Messages
- 3,584
These guys are next on the agenda (after more bug and balance fixing of course). If you happen to have tried the first prototype build in phase I, they were there. But they've been hidden away in the code (disabled) ever since due to lack of units. Thanks to Nomad or What and several other unit artists, that is no longer the case!
From the manual:
Heldeofol is a composite of races—orcs, goblins, hill giants, ogres, trolls and the like—that differ in many ways but are generally violent, misshapen and short-lived. Though they are as likely to fight each other as Man, they sometimes band together into cities and nations that can be called civilization (generously speaking). Heldeofol start with Mining and Deep Mining. They are fecund and have accelerated city growth and settler production. However, their cities are severely limited, producing only buildings that support expansion and conquest. Heldeofol units that achieve victory in battle confer culture at the unit's city of origin, and can sometimes convert barbarian units of their own kind. Heldeofol civilizations generally produce Warriors as great people, though Engineers sometimes arise from the orc forges. Fallen Thaumaturges from other civilizations sometimes (for reasons known only to them) join and lead Heldeofol civilizations. Other Great People are very rarely seen.
I'll list out various mechanics in bullet point format. Some are well-thought out. Others maybe not so much.
This section in the manual is also relevant for capturing cities of other races (or other races capturing Heldeofol cities):
Civilization race and city race
These two are not necessarily the same. Civilization race is chosen at game start and is permanent. City race is determined at city founding and is permanent for the city regardless of conquest. In general, a city trains units of its own race, so a Heldeofol city will produce Orc Infantry, Goblin Archers, and so on, even if the owning civilization is of a different race. In contrast, building construction is restricted by both civilization and city race. For example, Heldeofol have a race restriction against building libraries. This means that a Heldeofol civilization can’t build libraries in any city it owns (regardless of city race), and civilizations of any other races can’t build a library in a city they have conquered of race Heldeofol. Furthermore, all race-prohibited buildings taken by conquest will be pillaged for gold over a number of turns. A civilization can build settlers only in cities that share the civilization's race, so unconquered cities are always of the founding civilization’s own race.
Well, I think that's all. I'll update if I remember something I forgot.
From the manual:
Heldeofol is a composite of races—orcs, goblins, hill giants, ogres, trolls and the like—that differ in many ways but are generally violent, misshapen and short-lived. Though they are as likely to fight each other as Man, they sometimes band together into cities and nations that can be called civilization (generously speaking). Heldeofol start with Mining and Deep Mining. They are fecund and have accelerated city growth and settler production. However, their cities are severely limited, producing only buildings that support expansion and conquest. Heldeofol units that achieve victory in battle confer culture at the unit's city of origin, and can sometimes convert barbarian units of their own kind. Heldeofol civilizations generally produce Warriors as great people, though Engineers sometimes arise from the orc forges. Fallen Thaumaturges from other civilizations sometimes (for reasons known only to them) join and lead Heldeofol civilizations. Other Great People are very rarely seen.
I'll list out various mechanics in bullet point format. Some are well-thought out. Others maybe not so much.
- Faster natural growth. Cities have 70% food after growth (Man has 50% and Sidhe 30%). Faster settler building too.
- Can build the no-prereq Warrens building giving (tentatively) +3f. This should push them a little in the ICS direction but not too much (that will take some work to balance).
- Shorter lifespans. Nominal lifespan for Orcs and Goblins is 50 and 60 yrs, compared to 80 for Man. (Good reason to use Lead Charge!)
- Can't build the majority of buildings in mod, but only a small subset related to expansion and conquest (and a couple other special cases). This will prevent them from ever excelling in culture or technology compared to other races. It is also the main reason why they will never generate a Merchant, Sage or Artist from GP points. (They can still get one from 2nd policy in Tradition or Commerce, but that's a big commitment.)
- Fallen Thaumaturges that flee other civs (because they have been destroyed or renounced Maleficium) will often join a Heldeofol civ. A player can make this much more likely by arranging to be fallen themselves and generating Thaumaturge GP points (which you can do by learning Maleficium and building Pharmakeia). These casters come with their own spells, so can be powerful even if the Heldeofol civ isn't advanced in arcane techs.
- There will be a Pantheistic playstyle, though it will be rare for AI players. Shaman will replace Druid.
- Orc Infantry line (which includes Warriors, L, M, H Inf, and Immortals) are all +1 strength compared to equivalent units of other races. Only Orc and Goblin units can be trained in cities (but see capture below).
- Heldeofol armies can capture units of their "own kind" from other civs and from barbs. Own kind would include Orcs, Goblins, Hobgoblins, Ogres, Nagas and other similar humanoid races when added, but not barbs of the race of Man (Wildmen, Horse Tribes, Elephant Tribes and Pirates).
- Heldeofol armies won't destroy barb encampments of their own kind. When they move onto these encampments, they will get the gold bonus (once only) but the encampment will remain. Note that only Orc & Goblin units are buildable in cities, so this is the way they get units of "other Heldefol races."
- They have far fewer Civ Naming events from techs and policies than the other two races. There will be maybe a dozen or so linked to more militaristic techs and the Militarism policy branch (and maybe a couple others like Maleficium).
- They will have one special naming mechanic, however. When they kill their first non-animal unit, a Warrior GP will spawn (as leader if they don't have one already). If the civ is not already named from above, then it will take a name like "Clan of Yrd" named after the GP that spawns.
- Just like Sidhe, they are locked out of Divine Liturgy tech and Theism policy branch (although if Fallen they can open Anti-Theism).
- Heldeofol don't use Horses (except to eat). They can build pasture but won't be able to trade or use the strategic resource. The entire top row tech branch (Horseback Riding -> -> War Horses) won't be visible for Heldeofol players. It will be replaced by Wolf Riding -> -> War Wargs.
- The bottom tech branch (Deep Mining -> Deep Farms -> ->) is open to all Heldeofol civs. This will open up Mountains for development. For a start, Deep Mines and Deep Farms will be built similar to the way camps and fishing/whaling boats work now. That is, the plot is claimed and the improvement occurs as a result of a city build. [Note: once we develop this branch I'll add the Úr civ, which are Man or Sidhe first to research Deep Mining and the only non-H civ that can go further in this branch.]
- Oh... almost forgot. Goblin recon units become Wolf Rider or Warg Rider if they defeat a wolf or warg. Of course.
This section in the manual is also relevant for capturing cities of other races (or other races capturing Heldeofol cities):
Civilization race and city race
These two are not necessarily the same. Civilization race is chosen at game start and is permanent. City race is determined at city founding and is permanent for the city regardless of conquest. In general, a city trains units of its own race, so a Heldeofol city will produce Orc Infantry, Goblin Archers, and so on, even if the owning civilization is of a different race. In contrast, building construction is restricted by both civilization and city race. For example, Heldeofol have a race restriction against building libraries. This means that a Heldeofol civilization can’t build libraries in any city it owns (regardless of city race), and civilizations of any other races can’t build a library in a city they have conquered of race Heldeofol. Furthermore, all race-prohibited buildings taken by conquest will be pillaged for gold over a number of turns. A civilization can build settlers only in cities that share the civilization's race, so unconquered cities are always of the founding civilization’s own race.
Well, I think that's all. I'll update if I remember something I forgot.
