[FfH II Art Team Blog]

[MagisterCultuum]

Wonderful!
But 21 mana types?

In 2.2x we had 15. In .32 plus sun and shadow, metamagic instead of dimension; we now have 17.

Ice is still missing. But what else? Do you know something?

the 21 spheres are:

1. Air
2. Body
3. Chaos
4. Creation - Not yet implemented. Kael really has no idea for what spells this sphere should have, and doesn't really plan to add it. (I'm not really sure what to do about it in my modmod either, but I'll try to come up with something before I release my modmod, just to have all 21 spheres covered.) (Thematically Creation is Fertility and Creativity, the creation of something new. It is similar but not the same as Nature, which is is about the gradual change and maturation of things that already exist.)
5. Death
6. Dimensional - This used to be in, with only 1 spell, but was removed. Kael said that he'd like to re-/fully implement it, but hasn't come up with good/balanced enough spells for it. (This will be fully implemented in my modmod. Its spells are nice, but more importantly each promotion boosts the unit's summons' duration. I'm also thinking I'll make most of the summons be cross-sphere spells with dimensional 1 needed too.)
7. Earth
8. Enchantment
9. Entropy
10. Fire
11. Force - Not yet implemented, not sure it ever will be. Kael did say though that he's thinking the old Air II spell (whirlwind) will be added back as Force II. (I've come up with some nice spells for my modmod, but haven't gotten the level 3 spell to work like I wanted it to.) (The theme of Force is really more about Balance.)
12. Ice - Not yet implemented, probably will be in Ice. (I've implemented it myself in my modmod, and it is one of my favorites.)
13. Law
14. Life
15. Metamagic-added recently.
16. Mind
17. Nature
18. Shadow
19. Spirit
20. Sun
21. Water

One reason I want Kael to go ahead and add them is because I have no graphics for the resources/improvements/promotions. I don't really care if he goes ahead and adds the spells, and in fact suspect that I'd probably just replace them with my versions anyway.

 

[Gabriel21]

the 21 spheres are:

Thank you a lot, very nice and friendly.

But then the possibility to get them for our mages should be increased. I mean it makes no sense having to wait for 35 XP or more to get one single spell of the I- or II-level. Maybe two or three spells for one promotion at let's say a level of <XP 101. Or one spell family per promotion.

So many partially wonderful spells and only max. six (3 archmages and 3 liches) to use them to a full extent.

 

[Gabriel21]

the 21 spheres are:

Have you considered that then the Tower of Might will become more or less unyieldable?

In several games I have found very few mana nodes. If there are almost none in the early surrounding, it's a hard way to develop if prefering a magical approach. It's really a severe drawback. And the Rites of Oghma comes very late and creates not too many nodes, just 10 on a huge map. And several are more or less useless when arising too far away etc.

One solution: As option: many/normal/few mana nodes.
Their number does have a significant influence on strategy.

Second solution: More nodes from Oghma and only on the land of the implementor.

 

[MagisterCultuum]

Actually, you can have 4 Archmages and 4 Liches now (4 of all national units actually). That was changed when sorcery and summoning were merged, at Nikis-Knight's request, since Summoners (and one or two other national units) were removed at the time.


Not quite sure what you mean by "But then the possibility to get them for our mages should be increased." Are you worried that having more mana types will mean that you won't be able to get multiple manas of as many spheres? I don't really see the problem here. You'll just have to specialize a little more, and maybe invest in a Metamagic II mage.



I am actually planning to add several Cross-Sphere Spells in my modmod, but will make no attempt to give every spell sphere promotion multiple spells.

In general, my modmod will actually make it harder to get as many sphere promotions. I made all levels of the spell spheres require the mana of that type (no more using 1 Metamagic II mage to keep changing a single mana source to let all your arcane units have access to every sphere) and removed the free promotion when upgrading arcane units (this was necessary to avoid a major exploit added by my And Now For Something Completely Different Spell, which lets Grigori heroes revert back to adventurers and upgrade to a different type of unit). On the other hand, my Metamagic promotions boost xp gain, and the maximum free xp, vs. barb xp, and vs. animal xp have been raised from 100 to 500. I also have more Unique features grant mana, and am thinking I might made the shrines all provide 2 (maybe even 3?) mana instead of 1.

Also, in my version the Tower of Mastery deserves to be harder to get. It is available even when the victory condition is off, and it gives units in its city the Channeling III promotion. This essentially removes the national limit on Archmages, since mages with channeling3 are just as good. Adepts get channeling 3 too, but since they wont have any level 2 promotions it won't give them any more spells, just increase the rate at which they get xp.

Oh yeah, Rites of Oghma is a repeatable ritual in my version.






None of this is really pertinent to the game's art though, so it doesn't really belong in this thread.

 

[JDexter]

I said row. Being not a native English speaker, I meant column. As in German we do not have this difference, I was not aware of it.

Of course we do.

Row = Zeile
Column = Spalte (oder auch Säule)

 

[Ekolite]

(this was necessary to avoid a major exploit added by my And Now For Something Completely Different Spell, which lets Grigori heroes revert back to adventurers and upgrade to a different type of unit)

Magister is it really necessary for you to mention that stupid spell in every single post? It really is getting on my nerves now. Maybe when you actually release your modmod people will care, untill then do us all a favour and save your breath.

 

[Gabriel21]

Not quite sure what you mean by "But then the possibility to get them for our mages should be increased." Are you worried that having more mana types will mean that you won't be able to get multiple manas of as many spheres? I don't really see the problem here. You'll just have to specialize a little more, and maybe invest in a Metamagic II mage.

I meant first, I prefer mages with a broader repertoir of spells, they are of great use. Because the effort resp. time to get a promotion (on a higher level i.e. XP from 10 to 17, later from 82 to 101, later even much higher and very costly for a non-fighting unit) for a single spell is not easy to obtain for developing a mage with an interesting spell portfolio.
Example: Archmage with more than 3 Level-III-Spells, one of it is maybe Death III to let him become a Lich - and then useless.

If having a lot of nodes of the same kind it would be easier to get spell families without promotion costs. But where are the nodes to do this ...

I was not aware of the possibilites of Metamagic. I'll check it.

You are right, it really is not art. Maybe the art of magic.

 

[Gabriel21]

Oh yeah, Rites of Oghma is a repeatable ritual in my version.

Please tell me how this is done - it would solve all problems.

 

[Gabriel21]

Row = Zeile
Column = Spalte (oder auch Säule)

Excuse me, but row heißt auf deutsch Reihe.
Zeile = line

 

[seZereth]

Excuse me, but row heißt auf deutsch Reihe.
Zeile = line

wie auch immer jungs...
lasst ma gut sein. mann kanns unterscheiden

and at Kol.7, please, save your breath and don´t accuse Magister. It does not really lead to anything... i mean, there is no point in it, just over read it

So, to distract from all this:

what is your next art request, everyone (no guarantee ) ???

 

[thomas.berubeg]

Are you done with the horsemen?

actually... a better basium?

 

[Chuggi]

Some Fury Road units would be cool. (Even if it's in the wrong thread )

 

[Ekolite]

Dwarf mage and archmage for the Luchuip would be nice.

and at Kol.7, please, save your breath and don´t accuse Magister. It does not really lead to anything... i mean, there is no point in it, just over read it

Well I'm sorry but TBH I'm bored of hearing about it in just about every thread I read.

 

[Kael]

what is your next art request, everyone (no guarantee ) ???

Hmm... Khazad/Luchuirp Settler, Svartalfar Settler, Svartalfar Worker, Mud Golem, Stephanos, Arthendain, Orcish Slave.

Of those Stephanos is really good to round out the horsemen. But the Khazad/Luchuirp Settler is nice because its such an important unit and it will spruce up 2 civs (nevermind the fact that I stole your last Khazad settler male model for the Khazad Druid because it was so awesome!).

 

[Fenboy]

Hmm... Khazad/Luchuirp Settler, Svartalfar Settler, Svartalfar Worker, Mud Golem, Stephanos, Arthendain, Orcish Slave.

Of those Stephanos is really good to round out the horsemen. But the Khazad/Luchuirp Settler is nice because its such an important unit and it will spruce up 2 civs (nevermind the fact that I stole your last Khazad settler male model for the Khazad Druid because it was so awesome!).

I'd say those guys plus Svartalfar Assassin, on account of its such a thematic unit for the Svartalfar.

I really like the custom settlers and workers. It gives a civ great deal of depth to see what the everyday people look like.

 

[GePap]

I think the Golems could use a change - The arm movements when they are fighting look strange to me, and they also appear to have a tail of sorts from the side.

The Iron golem could be made to look like a walking suit of armor, without the guy inside. The wood golem could perhaps look like an artists wooden model. The nulstone and flesh golems would be more difficult to reconceptualize, but the job done on the clockwork golem was fantastic.

 

[Pyr0mancer]

Not just Svartalfar assassin, but assassins in general. The whole "chick in leather catsuit with sword" look is just ridiculous for the setting. Even the Great Spy/Reveler model would look better, IMHO. Ships could use some animations, as well as perhaps changing around some of the models. For those of us who've played SMP!, seeing a fleet of Men of War triggers more of a "sweet, it's the Spanish treasure fleet!" response than the more appropriate "oh crap, no way I can stop that from landing".

Also, Arquebus. Low priority since it's endgame unit, but still, it doesn't fit.

Oh and finally, is the Ljos Knight still the big-helmet guy on an unarmored horse? I saw the High Elven Knight (or equivalent, I forget what it was called) you made for the WH mod; any chance we could use that instead?

edit: Also, is it just me or does the Clockwork Golem look a lot like a Dreadnought from WH40k?

 

[jimi12]

i say dwarven settlers, then golems. They just kinda look like blobs right now. Seeing how amazing the clockwork golem turned out, im sure the new golems would be great.

 

[Ahwaric]

Elohim devout perhaps? Or anything elohim for that matter...
I am using danrell's byzantine set for now, but I suppose you would find something more creative for them (not that I do not like danrell's work)

Dwarven settlers are a fine idea, but it is possible to make quite good looking (?) dwarf settler from existing units (see screenshot)

And while I am here, congratulations on Ars! I love this model, one of the best I have seen in years

 

[cyther]

Yes ars is very good.