FfH2 0.32 Balance Feedback

[uberfish]

I agree with Ecofarm that I'd rather have my real units get XP than the illusions which are going to disappear anyway. However I also think it was pretty overpowered that the previous version of Alakzan could send a high powered illusion to kill 3 units per turn in deep exposed enemy territory with no risk.

 

[hbar]

I would rather prefer to summon a baby spider that start weak, but can grow stronger if it wins combats.
... or summon a wolf with Nature affinity
... or allow the summoned animal spell to grow/change with the priest and his level (which would also help for the Great Menagery, especially with desert lands)

Could you tie it to alignment (since FOL is the only religion to allow all three...) so that:
good -> tiger
neutral -> wolf pack
evil -> baby/giant spider
doviello -> polar bear
I don't remember the s off the top of my head, but I think they're comparable.

 

[MrPopov]

Dance of Blades (level 1 chaos spell, +1 first strike, 100% chance wears off at end of turn) seems completely worthless to me. Compare it to Enchant Blade (+20% str for melee units permanent) plus Enchantment mana gives you +1 happiness per. Maybe we can buff this spell a bit? Make it a 25% chance to wear off or something.

 

[Zechnophobe]

Chaos sphere in general seems a bit weak. Mutation isn't a reliable enough spell by any stretch of the imagination, and neither is dance of blades. Pit Beast is an okay summon I guess but...

I'd absolutely love if we could switch around the spell order here. Make mutation a level 1 spell, and give them some kind of summon at 2 (I don't remember the name of the old summon that was there, chaos marauder or something) and then something different at level 3.

This'd make the tree in general a bit more desireable, and more specifically would give Keelyn a starting sphere summon she could use.

 

[MrPopov]

Cultist's Tsunami spell seems way overpowered. Combined with the fact they have water walking makes them able to decimate coastal cities with the spell, then following it up with an attack with very little danger of taking any losses. I would keep the range, but probably reduce the damage threshold from 75% to less than 50%, say 35-40. That way you don't just build a stack of cultists and take every coastal city with ease (and easily getting some highly promoted Speakers).

 

[MagisterCultuum]

Well, Tsunami does only work near coasts at least. I don't think it should ebb nerfed that much, but a little weaker would be good. I'd probably say you should decrease the average damage instead of the damage limit. Or, you could make it a Speaker spell and give cultists something else.


I personally think that Priest spells should all require not unit the unit religion but also state religion. It seems like an exploit that you can keep converting to get all the priests and keep using their spells. I'd also rather the unit not require state religion, but only have the Cure disease and Heal spells without their state religion. (It might be appropriate for priests to have alignment requirements/restrictions too.)

If you could build prists without their state religion though, it might be best to go back to having water walking be a spell instead of a free promotion for cultists. I'm thinking that in my modmod I'll make the spell grant a temporary version of water walking, and not effect only the caster. It would probably be limited to living unitcombat_melee/disciple units (maybe archer and adept too, but definitely not mounted, beat, or animal). However, I'm waiting until someone (xienwolf) adds the ability to make promotions deny access to certain terrains (ocean) and allow it again after certain techs (probably Malevolent Designs).

 

[MrPopov]

reducing the average damage will only require you to bring along 2 or 3 more cultists. The issue the way I see it is the damage limit.

EDIT: Maybe there can be a mechanic that increases the damage the more water mana you have.

 

[loocas]

Resist Lightning: I wish it were useful. Am I right that Lightning Elementals are the only units, spells, or equipment that deal this sort of damage? I think it's thematically relevant, so what I'm asking is that lightning damage be further implemented.

I'm guessing it's hard to make resistance promotions protect against affinities, yeah?

This is far-fetched and wouldn't be frequent enough to be worth adding, but lightning damage should damage an entire stack of Drowns.

 

[MagisterCultuum]

Affinities provide strength of different types (defined in the bonus's xml). Air Affinity gives Lightning Damage. Resistances do protect against strength from affinity.

 

[loocas]

Oh, I thought affinities just added to the strength and weren't protected from, because the unit's window in the lower left just shows one maximum value. That's without research though, so, I feel better now.

 

[Ringtailed]

I think the spell Maelstrom deals lightning damage too, so Resist Lightning should lower average damage from that spell. Don't quote me on that though.

I think it would be great if magic resistances not only lowered the average damage from spells, but the maximum damage too. Like, a unit with 75% lightning resistance would have a damage cap of 10% from maelstrom (one quarter of the normal 40% damage cap). That would provide a counter to the stack destroying spells that yet persist beyond the merge. Potentially some of the old spells could be brought back, too...

 

[loocas]

I think the spell Maelstrom deals lightning damage too, so Resist Lightning should lower average damage from that spell. Don't quote me on that though.

So quoted. It's true that it does. I stand corrected all over.

 

[wuntoothrie]

Dance of Blades (level 1 chaos spell, +1 first strike, 100% chance wears off at end of turn) seems completely worthless to me. Compare it to Enchant Blade (+20% str for melee units permanent) plus Enchantment mana gives you +1 happiness per. Maybe we can buff this spell a bit? Make it a 25% chance to wear off or something.

I agree completely ... maybe dance of blades could give the recipient an extra attack that turn ... ???

 

[loocas]

I agree completely ... maybe dance of blades could give the recipient an extra attack that turn ... ???

Would withdrawal chance fit?

 

[wuntoothrie]

would it fit the bill?

yeah ... I'm imagining the spell turning the recipient into a master of his weapon ... extra attack, small chance of withdrawal, maybe make it a level 2 and add the +1 strike too ...

would it fit the code? ... I have no idea ...

 

[blacknight]

Not really a balance issue as a request. Can we please have an anti recon unit promotion to go along with shock, formation, cover, etc?

The AI regularly attacks me with stacks of Hunters or later Rangers which I can't help but think shouldn't be nearly as effective en mass as they are. It is frustrating when he is only using one unit type and the counter promotion is missing. Thanks.

 

[MagisterCultuum]

Kael has consistently resisted this when it has been suggested in the past. I used to really think there should be one, but I don't really care anymore. The Empyrean mounted UUs, Rathas, have an inherent +40% vs. Recon.

 

[Farmer Bobathan]

I'm pretty sure that that kael said the no promotions against the recon line is a purposeful bonus to that line.

 

[uberfish]

The recon line gets a city attack penalty and can't use metal weapons, that's why it doesn't need a specific counter-promotion

 

[Zechnophobe]

Agree with Uberfish, it makes complete sense.