Couple questions

[RSylvester]

Hi. I've played around with FFH a few times before. In fact it's the only way I've played Civ4 in any amount. I recently bought BtS however and upgraded to the latest version. I really miss the wiki as a reference source, and hope there is some project underway to replace it.

Now I've found the "shadow" version quite a new challenge to play with compared to the previous versions. In my first game, the Lanun civilisation perished under a hail of Doveillo spears. Well I wasn't wiped out completely, but I was driven onto the islands where I had no production capabilities to speak of.

Anyway the most recent two games I was playing the Khazad, my favorite race in any world. I had a few questions about them and, well, about the game in general.

First of all, the Khazad seemed to have taken a nerf hit. The Dwarven soldiers and hammerfists are gone, and their mines now appear to be pillageable. I guess this was intended?

Second, in me next-to-last game, I was on a crusade of sorts, I had taken a sizeable army, led by Maros and Arthendain, into the barbarian-held wolderness to cleans it of the hellfire that was pouring hordes of sects onto my borders every turn. Suddenly, in one turn, both Maros and Arthendain defected to the barbarians.

!

?

Finally, in my current game I led a force to take the dragon's horde. Once again led by Maros, this time with Bambur in tow. However every single unit in the stack, including the heroes, are too afraid to attack. (Interestingly, there is a much larger Amurite army on the tile next to mine, also apprently too afraid to attack.) Now I know Bambur has killed Acheron before. The only difference is that as far as I can recall, it hasn't been with Khazad before, and I usually had mages along. I thought Acheron was magic-immune, he certainly seems fire-immune, so I don't know exactly what effect the mages had on him. Is there some other new mechanic that I'm unaware of?

One more question. With the wiki gone, is there some place one can read up on FFH lore? I'm not remembering much of the lore about the Khazad.

 

[xienwolf]

Yes, dwarven mines are now pillageable and it is intended, though I don't know the precise reasons behind the change

Lots of Lore is being collected now in the lore subforum, but mostly we are down to just the pedia for lore information.

Welcome to Armaggedon Your lovely hero units revolted on you because the AC counter got high enough to trigger an event which led to the conversion of the world to the barbarian forces. Fortunately that was toned down a bit lately and now there is a better chance of saving some of your units from enraging and turning on you.

Fear is what kept you from attacking. It is supposed to only affect living units, and also supposed to be based on your strength compared to the unit causing you to be afraid. Right now that second part isn't working so hot, and I think the first part is or was recently a bit broken. But the key will be the spell "Courage" cast on your living units. Then they should be able to attack.

I've quite a few resources in my sig, so feel free to poke around and familiarize yourself with the many changes to FfH

 

[Sarisin]

Welcome to Armaggedon Your lovely hero units revolted on you because the AC counter got high enough to trigger an event which led to the conversion of the world to the barbarian forces. Fortunately that was toned down a bit lately and now there is a better chance of saving some of your units from enraging and turning on you.

You've provided a lot of good information, xienwolf, but I'm wondering about the above.

First, in my only game with patch 'j' when the Avatar of Wrath came (AC 90) no units got the Enraged promotion - so no units turned barbarian. I haven't read that anyone else had this though.

Second, in all my games going back, I have never seen a hero unit, like Maros and Arthendain, get affected by the Enraged promotion. The heroes throughout FFH2 have been 'immune' to the AC 90 event. However, they can disappear when Armageddon hits.

These have been my experiences anyway.

 

[MagisterCultuum]

I'm pretty sure it was changed a while back so that Heroes are not supposed to switch sides like that; I think that the Avatar of Wrath still captures them if he defeats them though.


Personally I hated dwarven mines, since I tend to leave a worker or two automated if I get distracted by something, and they would build these over reosurces, making them unusable. Earth mana (which the both dwarven civs' palaces provides) make discovering resources with them more likely. Most UUs for most have been removed, since the biggest difference was graphics and those can be handled without UUs. Having UUs that could build mines was nice though. The Khazad have however gotten a huge boost from changes in their Dwarven vaults. The higher levels boost production, happiness, and GPP.

 

[RSylvester]

So were archers of leaves removed too?

Regarding the dragon, is that something new? because as I mentiooed, Bambur has killed him before, in fact, in one of my recent games, I killed him with a champion, after Bambur had knocked him down a little.

yes, I'm a Kilmorphile, so sue me.

 

[Nikis-Knight]

Archers of Leaves were replaced with the more interesting fauns and satyrs.
If you reduce the dragons' str, using non-living units, fear should be less effective. Also, there should be a chance for your units to attack if they are strong enough, but I'm not sure if it uses modified or unmodified str for the check.

 

[Calbrenar]

Archers of Leaves were replaced with the more interesting fauns and satyrs.
If you reduce the dragons' str, using non-living units, fear should be less effective. Also, there should be a chance for your units to attack if they are strong enough, but I'm not sure if it uses modified or unmodified str for the check.

How come this works on the dragon but not on Hyporborm? I've gotten him down to like .4 and been unable to attack him with things that were 7/5 and higher.

 

[RSylvester]

Archers of Leaves were replaced with the more interesting fauns and satyrs.

Meh, I liked the archers better, but anyway, the fauns are spelled "fawn". This bothers me. Should it?

If you reduce the dragons' str, using non-living units, fear should be less effective. Also, there should be a chance for your units to attack if they are strong enough, but I'm not sure if it uses modified or unmodified str for the check.

Come to think of it, my trebuchets were also too afraid, I guess they are non-living. Is this working as designed?

 

[xienwolf]

Because Acheron likes to exploit small holes in the programming just to piss people off. We all know he is actually sentient.

 

[SwordofStriker]

I often envision Acheron sneaking up behind Kael as he is programming, peering over his shoulder trying to figure out new ways to make his life harder, and snickering as he slips away with his new devious plan in mind and ready for the next patch.

 

[Nikis-Knight]

Meh, I liked the archers better, but anyway, the fauns are spelled "fawn". This bothers me. Should it?

Yes. If you still have your recipt, you should demand a refund.

 

[Sarisin]

Yes. If you still have your recipt, you should demand a refund.

Uh, you mean recEipt, don't you?

OK, let's recap here:

ROK: Soldier of Kilmorph

FOL: Fawn/Faun

OO: Drown

Order: Crusader

Empyrean: Radiant Guard

Council of Esus: Nightwatch???

I'm wondering about heroes for the different religions. The first four all have 2 heroes, but I think there is only one for the Empyrean (although he is a strong one) and I cannot think of a hero unit for the Council of Esus.

Are these balance issues?

 

[xienwolf]

They are balancing factors. Esus & Empyrean have the councils to balance out the other Hero slot. I cannot recall precisely who the Esus hero is at the moment, but I am reasonably certain there is one (Was it Gibbon? Or is he a national hero?)

 

[Nikis-Knight]

The summoner formerly known as Kael is the Esus hero, and quite powerful (though you have to go far down two different tech lines to get him.)
Also, OO have stygian guards. Esus have two more units than the nightwatch, a mounted one and the shadows. (but no priests)
RoK also have paramanders.
And the veil have diseased corpses.

 

[Elm]

Also, to build shadows, you only need to have Esus in a city. You don't have to be following Esus. So, really, there aren't too many reasons to follow Esus (except to spread the religion, or use its Summoning hero).

 

[xienwolf]

You can get SHADOWS without following Esus, but you can only BUILD nightwatch while you are following Esus (can still get them through the Undercouncil if you don't), and you can only HAVE Shadowriders while you are following Esus (they abandon any civ that does not).

 

[Sarisin]

You can get SHADOWS without following Esus, but you can only BUILD nightwatch while you are following Esus (can still get them through the Undercouncil if you don't), and you can only HAVE Shadowriders while you are following Esus (they abandon any civ that does not).

I kinda like getting that Nightwatch when I research Deception.

However, I have only been able to get one Nightwatch through that Undercouncil resolution. Has anyone been able to get more than one?

And, I really think the Empyrean should have a second hero...maybe the Council of Esus needs an earlier hero too, or I would agree this would be the least desirable religion to go for.