[Module] Maogata

[darkedone02]

now we need unique buildings that does special things, and some conflicts with other civs.

 

[Sjru]

now we need unique buildings that does special things, and some conflicts with other civs.

The Big Sandbox:
Unique building for Maogata.
Replaces Herbalist.
+3 +1
Heals unit extra +15% each turn.
Can turn 1 citizen into healer.
+1 from Desert.

EDIT: Big Cat pole.

Unique bulding for Maogata.
Replaces Monument.
+3
+1 (from scratching, I suppose).
+1

EDIT: Mice Race convention.

Unique building for Maogata.
Replaces Theater.
+3 (Instead of +5)
+3 (Instead of +2)
+2 (Merchant; supposedly from mice selling).
+1 from Fur, Dye (No from consumption).
Can turn 2 citizen into Bard.

 

[shoggi]

yeah, yeah. and a monorail cat that can only move on railroad tracks. a flying ceiling-cat that can see the whole map and of course a new cheeseburger resource that is only revealed to them.

did i forget anything?

on a serious note, they will get some hate for most heavy magic civs. the amurite, sheaim and mekara mostly.
and i will add some conflicts with other civs in the flavor. probably rishakim, because he needs some interesting flavor.
at the moment they're too insular and don't interact with other civs at all.

 

[PPQ_Purple]

Hate with the Hamster civ...

 

[arcticnightwolf]

Hate with the Hamster civ...

although Hamstalfarl was quite cool

 

[Valkrionn]

Hamstalfar.

 

[PPQ_Purple]

Someone should totaly remake them for RIFE. But just remake them totaly diffrent. Like Kurites meats forest elves.

Also, don't make them hate my civ. We like cats, dislike goats and cows thou. (read the background)

 

[Torugu]

I have only just started my first Maogata game (not even at mysticism yet) but I think the arcane leader needs a buff. Rishakim it possibly one of the most powerful leaders in all of RifE (Aggressive + Charismatic makes for some extremely strong high level units) and you can't really evaluate emergent leaders until the new leader mechanic is in (+ you'd have to plat her (him?) how much of an advantage it is to adopt religions and use bronze weapons, but just Arcane is almost certainly underpowered. (He can't gain additional traits, can he?)

 

[Opera]

Well, they will have some interactions with the Ngomele, right?

 

[Jabie]

Here's a stab at filling a little more of the lore, based on the writings in this thread and the notes I found in the wiki...

Spoiler :

The Patrians called them the Tigran, their detractors mock them as Hamstalfar, and few, if any, could pronounce their name in their own tongue, but the sages and diplomats have always referred to the cat-people of the Western Jungles as the Maogata.

Born in the age of magic, the Maogata are a race of magically engineered anthropomorphic cats. Some Maogata claim that that Perpentach was involved in their creation, because “Cats are fun!” Others state that the first Maogata was created by Emperor Kylorin himself, as a gift for the Empress Epona but people will say anything, especially when they feeling boastful.

What is known is that they were bred to be strong and resilient. Those responsible took a variety of local and exotic wildcats that were known for their hunting and tracking skills, and in a series of cruel and often deadly experiments of high magic, gave them a form that almost could be called human. As a side effect of the arcane energies expended in their creation, Maogata are naturally resilient to all forms of magic.

Some Maogata were created as soldiers, some as guards and many were as mere expressions of luxury, extravagant pets for the wealtheir classes. The Patrians never regarded the Maogata as a sentient race and their allure soon faded. Most were kept in apalling conditions. Whether serving a guard "dog" or hunting "dog" or lap "dog", you wouldn't treat a dog the way the Patrians treated the Maogata.

But a cat is not a dog. Dogs are loyal. They act in packs, each dog knowing it's place in society. Not so cats. Their wilful curiosity bred a self-reliance that served them well. When the Patrian Civil War came the first few escaped when their masters were killed, sometimes freeing other Maogata and taking them with them into the wilderness. This was the time the first Maogata settlements were created, deep in forests or jungles, as far away from the rest of civilization as they could. The rise of Mulcarn and the following Age of Ice did the rest. Every other Maogata still in captivity either died or found their way to the settlements of their kinsmen and became part of their prides.

Since they were hardy by design and could survive under the harshest conditions, life for them was hard but bearable. It was in this time that the tradition of the Great Hunt began. Food was scarce and the only way for them to get more of it was hunting, since they never had time to learn the necessary skills for farming or herding animals. Naturally, skilled hunters became more popular and respected. In time, this evolved to a sort of contest between hunters, for who could bring more food home, or who could kill the more dangerous prey. It became so important for them that even the leaders of their settlements were chosen from the ranks of the most skilled hunters.

Nowadays, the food aspect of the hunt has become unimportant as they are no longer solely reliant on hunting. The rest of the Great Hunt, however, became more and more ritualized to the point where it has nearly become a religion. Every Maogata of age has to partake in at least one Great Hunt per year. This means they have to choose their prey, search for it, hunt it down and slay it with their bare (if clawed) hands. This all happens under the watchful, hidden eyes of elder hunters, to ensure that the hunter, known as a Cajar, didn't cheat or try to claim somebody else's prey. This doesn't happen often, but when it does, it is reason enough for the Cajar to be exiled and become an Outcast, the highest punishment in Maogata society.

If they bring back their prey, the elder hunters evaluate the achievements of the Cajar. There is a whole caste-like social rank system based around these achievements. It is difficult for outsiders to understand since it is rarely spoken of, even among the Maogata themselves. Every Maogata seems to have an instinctive understanding of what social rank others belong to, even if they barely know them, or if they belong to another pride. Nearly every leader of a pride is the best hunter of his time. Some can keep that position for years, some lose and gain it again in the span of a few months. Sometimes a deep rivalry between two hunters can develop, that makes them partake in more Great Hunts than necessary, just to prove their superior skills to the other. This is more common between young Moagata, but also happens now and then to older hunters, for example when an important position inside the pride is at stake.

Recently, a few Maogata have begun to hear strange whispers or voices, which come from the mana crystals themselves. Resistant to and sceptical of magic, the Maogata tribe is both fascinated and fearful of these outcasts. Many Maogata still remember the tales of their mistreatment at the hands of the Patrians. In a society full of independents, these chosen few are the closest thing they have to mages.

The references to the Tigrans (who were a race of cat-people in the first, pre-BtS Fall From Heaven) and the Hamstalfar were just too good an opportunity to miss.

The Maogata ought to be highly distrustful of magical races. They also ought to get a malus towards the Scions of Patria (You treated our ancestors poorly) and possibly Perpentach, who himself could get a bonus. (Here Kitty, Kitty) Given their independent nature, I'd expect to see them as fairly natural backstabbers who will happily DoW on a friend.

In LENA, Opera was working a Gnollish tribe of dog-people called the N'gomele who used bone warriors and cannibalised their dead for food. I have no idea whether this race is one of the new Civs to be released in a later version of RifE, but here is the lore to the best of my knowledge:

Spoiler :

The Ngomele are gnolls, hyena-like humanoids. Prior to the Age of Ice, they were scattered in Erebus. They were small aggressive tribes, attacking and pillaging everything, including the other gnoll tribes. With the fall of the winter, only the people of the Lemlwa Isthmus survived. The other tribes were wiped out by the cold, starvations and war against themselves for something to eat. The eight tribes of Lemlwa never became friends but they did act together in order to survive: they begin to allow themselves to eat their own kind. With the everlasting territory wars, the death rate, though not surpassing the natality rate, was really high; instead of burning their dead (or the ennemy's) as they did before, they eated them. They also developped a strong bond with their environment; some of them were capable of bending the trees and the grass to their will. The winter finally over, their ancient instincts reappeared. However, from five tribes came five ones, known as the Councillors, who federed their five tribes in one unity.

Aside from the obvious source of conflict (Cats vs Dogs), there is room for another layer of conflict, if you add extra back-story to state that the N'gomele stayed loyal to the Patrians (either as slaves or as allies) there's an interesting narrative line to be drawn on the conflict between of independence (a feline attribute) versus loyalty (a canine attribute).

 

[Valkrionn]

Gnolls are Hyenas. Hyenas are Felines.

Also, I believe Opera has stated (though maybe only on #erebus?) that they developed independently of mages... Though I'm not sure how.

In any case, the two may or may not be friendly. Depends on something else.

 

[Opera]

The Ngomele race is named "Vahua", not gnoll. TBH it is to avoid stereotypical things, like "gnolls are savages", etc. They are indeed feline not canine.

All that has been stated before (ie in LENA) for the Ngomele is to be forgotten as the lore will change a bit.

And the Ngomele had no relation with Patria, they developped independently of humanity, and as such don't have access to regular magic.

But they do shelter the Exiles outcasts of the Maogata. So I'm not sure how that would affect their relations.

 

[jacktannery]

Your module is having some unintentional sides effects. I posted this on the bug thread, putting it here awell:

Scions questions:

Playing Scions - I have not played these in a LONG time so perhaps all these things are intentional:

-awakened which spawn cannot be added to cities, but can create new cities.
-Fully matured (rooted?) creepers cannot make haunted lands
-Korinna the black cannot hide
-captured animals cannot cast 'cage' to return to the scion capital.

Any ideas? Playing with some minor mods (shiny mana, build xp) but nothing which changes the scions.

EDIT

-and Scion great commanders can't command units
-Alcion (sp?) cannot create the thaumaturge's keep.

Ok I know there is a problem here - playing other civs does not give these problems, it's only the Scions.

I discovered what did this - and no it wasn't the Amurite world spell. Bizzarely, it was the module 'Maogata'. With module loaded, even without any Moagata Civ in the game, Scions cannot do any of the above. I would have thought it was the same for all civs, but haven't tried them. With Maogata module unloaded, everything works fine.

 

[Sjru]

For the art, it is possible from extract it from another games? Warcraft III seems a good start, and oblivion IV elder scrolls have a Race that fit Maogata style.

 

[Valkrionn]

The Ngomele race is named "Vahua", not gnoll.

But they do shelter the Exiles outcasts of the Maogata. So I'm not sure how that would affect their relations.

I know, just used Gnoll because it is familiar.

And the Exiles are what I was referring to when I said "Depends on something else".

For the art, it is possible from extract it from another games? Warcraft III seems a good start, and oblivion IV elder scrolls have a Race that fit Maogata style.

Possible.... For those who know what the hell they're doing.

 

[Torugu]

Your module is having some unintentional sides effects. I posted this on the bug thread, putting it here awell:



I discovered what did this - and no it wasn't the Amurite world spell. Bizzarely, it was the module 'Maogata'. With module loaded, even without any Moagata Civ in the game, Scions cannot do any of the above. I would have thought it was the same for all civs, but haven't tried them. With Maogata module unloaded, everything works fine.

This might be caused by the same bug which is preventing my Maogata from casting any spells other than The Great Hunt and [Animal] Blood...
Spells blocked include Find Prey (unless there is a tech requirement), Hunter's Prize, Dimensional I on GP and Free Mana (again, unless there is a tech requirement).

 

[Sjru]

Oh yeah, I just started a D-tesh game and soon realised that no unit could cast spell. I entered WB, saved as a scenario file, quit, disabled Maogata, and I loaded the game again from the scenario (it doesn't break saves that way).
It sad to say, but your mod is messing something up, (but since they've got not art...)...

 

[shoggi]

This might be caused by the same bug which is preventing my Maogata from casting any spells other than The Great Hunt and [Animal] Blood...
Spells blocked include Find Prey (unless there is a tech requirement), Hunter's Prize, Dimensional I on GP and Free Mana (again, unless there is a tech requirement).

Find Prey needs you to have casted the worldspell. nothing else.
Rest don't have any requirements i think, but i have found the problem.

I was about to say that I have no clue why the Maogata wuld break the Scions, since they have absolutely nothing to do with them and don't change anything existing. They just add stuff .
But after some checking, I have a clue.

I guess you don't have python exceptions on. If you had, you would have gotten one, regarding a spell for the Maogata. I guess the scions weren't the only ones that were affected by it, but they were the easiest to notice.

It was a missing paranthesis -_-

Anyway, another quickfix (and a slight change in the version numbering, because anw's launcher doesn't like it if i use more than one period in the version number)

Added new version to first post.

Version 0.32
* Fixed python exception regarding spellChannelVoices. This should fix the problem with Scions being not able to add Awakened to the City.
* Added Jabies origin story variant, with one small change, since he used the term outcast for the mages and I want to avoid confusion. Outcasts are a completely different thing for the Maogata.
* Changed Kirbasfen to emergent for the time being. He can now get one additional trait during the game. He will change to minor once RifE includes a certain change.

Hope this didn't break anything else.

About the Tigran: I knew that there was a civ that was supposed to be catpeople in FFH1, played that once to have a look how far FFH2 has gotten. But i couldn't be bothered to look up what they were called. Anyway, there is no connection, beside the reference you made in Jabies flavor text., which i like.

The Gnoll/Maogata dynamic was already discussed on the chat somewhat. They will have (once included) diplomacy modifiers depending on some things.

Art from different games: maybe. i have no idea. like i said i don't know anything about 3d art.

 

[Torugu]

I guess you don't have python exceptions on. If you had, you would have gotten one, regarding a spell for the Maogata. I guess the scions weren't the only ones that were affected by it, but they were the easiest to notice.

Actually I have, I just stopped paying attention to them since I'm getting so many of them and I was fairly sure that all of them were known by now.
It didn't come to mind that some of the modules could add more. ^^'

BTW, does the new version break savegames?

 

[shoggi]

Don't think it breaks savegames, but i'm not 100% sure.

Also you really shouldn't ignore python exceptions, especially if the file something is wrong with is called "spellMaogata.py"
that may be the cause of spells not working