Suggestions to redesign and balance (improve) the very very weak Scions
- My english was bad and is still mediocre. But I wish my style is clear.
- The Scions are the weakest civilisation by far in Master of Mana Extended. It's fundamentally because they are an old creation, exogene of the creation and design of Master of Mana, but integrated a long time ago.
- The Scions are very weak mainly due to a very slow growth: the awaken mechanism is very slow and obscur. Without that, they could be have a normal developpemenp in science and join the global level of the MoM Civs, in solo and, more important, in multiplayer. Why more important ? Because I don't think the Scions A.I will really have a good A.I (it never had) one day. So it's only good to have functionnal Scions in solo vs A.Is, or in multiplayer, but not as an A.I player.
- Scions should be radically improved in their growth, but in a different mechanism, not just an early rebirth production access (because it is boring to just build your population, and not creative).
- Moreover, I don't think that givint to Scions a stronger faculty of converting units would be a good idea. Why? Because it does not feat with their roleplay concept: Scions are trying to ressurecting they own ancients populations who is sleeping in ruins all around Erebus. They should not rely heavily into rebirth strategy. Moreoever, killing units including barb to have new population, is really more adapted to evil Civ, the aristarkh. We should not have the same kind of mechanism.
- About the growth of Scions, I want to say that I don't like at all the Cathedral of Rebirth building because I find it complicated and uncreative to have (you need 6 cities + 6 Scion special theatres). I think the Cathedral should still exist, but without any need of theaters, just buildable in one city. But lets go: Here is ideas to try saving the Scions ! :
- Let's refocus the Scions civ on a new refocus gameplay civ, but with very few change to their buildings, feature or units :
Scions cities and Scions Crypts: limiting the number of true cities for the Scions
- The Scions have the same concept as Kuriotates: they have cities and they have settlements, named «Crypt». Cities are like any FFH2 cities, but Crypt can only have one population, zero trade, but +1 culture. Each conquered city by the Scions become a crypt, except any capital who can become Scions cities. But in any conquered city, population is wiped out, because Scions are Scions and undeads, it is absurd to have converted lived pop to them.
Scions Crypts can only build defence or strategic buildings (walls, or obsidian gate, for example).
- Scions city can only be build on very distant point from each one : 10 squares minimum !
Introducing an idea of a new growth mechanism of Scions : The number of trade road
- But the Scions have now a new strength:: each trade road give to a city a probability of 5 % to spam a rebirth unit each turn. 4 trade roads (mid-late game) would give 20 % each turn per each city.
- Off course, Scions would profit from peace and from their own building specialised in trade benefice. They would have huge growth interest to aim for commerce tech, regims and guilds, and building roads to their neighbour civs ! Not like the Aristarkh, who have a totally different roleplay, so must have a totally different gameplay focus.
Why this idea of trade roads ?
- In roleplay terms : Because the Scions are finding the remnants, tombs and ancients body of theirs ancestors, in the far settlements they build (the newest cities). But, mummies and tombs need to be bringed to the capital to be reanimated (a road to the capital). And why a trade road with a friend different civilisation could give Rebirth too ? Because these foreigners would exchange to the Scions the body, strange excavations what they find in they own soil (which have no value for them).
- In gameplay terms : roads, very distant city = difficulty to secure them vs barbarian or civs, which is interesting, exciting, and avoid any Infinite city spawn strategy. A new kinds of fast roads could be added to the Scions, to help them. Moreover, as scions have a natural to trade roads (some buildings, and now more features), others players, AI players or humans, would have land to put their cities between the distant Scions Roads. It is much different than the others civs.
Another idea to boost the Scions : better conversion into rebirth
- Second idea, more simple but less fantasy and interesting : each killed barb or enemy unit in scions territory give 25 % chance to create a Rebirth. And this probability inherent to their special priest units would be added. I don't really like this idea, because I anticipate abuses : the player could decide to never killed barbarian lair, taunt them, just to harvest regular body. It's not interesting, repetitive, and not feat with their background. So, I just propose that idea to have your opinion about it, But I don't support it, I prefer the first solution (trade road growth mechanism).
- Another possibility (no abuse possible, and more adapted to their culture) : for Scions, each barbarian lair destroyed would give them 3 rebirth to the unit who cleaned the lair.
Conclusion about these suggestions
- If you like these ideas, especially Evasth and his team, I would like to know it. But if you are not interested to work on these subjects, I can underestand and I will stop to propose more suggestions like this.
- My english was bad and is still mediocre. But I wish my style is clear.
- The Scions are the weakest civilisation by far in Master of Mana Extended. It's fundamentally because they are an old creation, exogene of the creation and design of Master of Mana, but integrated a long time ago.
- The Scions are very weak mainly due to a very slow growth: the awaken mechanism is very slow and obscur. Without that, they could be have a normal developpemenp in science and join the global level of the MoM Civs, in solo and, more important, in multiplayer. Why more important ? Because I don't think the Scions A.I will really have a good A.I (it never had) one day. So it's only good to have functionnal Scions in solo vs A.Is, or in multiplayer, but not as an A.I player.
- Scions should be radically improved in their growth, but in a different mechanism, not just an early rebirth production access (because it is boring to just build your population, and not creative).
- Moreover, I don't think that givint to Scions a stronger faculty of converting units would be a good idea. Why? Because it does not feat with their roleplay concept: Scions are trying to ressurecting they own ancients populations who is sleeping in ruins all around Erebus. They should not rely heavily into rebirth strategy. Moreoever, killing units including barb to have new population, is really more adapted to evil Civ, the aristarkh. We should not have the same kind of mechanism.
- About the growth of Scions, I want to say that I don't like at all the Cathedral of Rebirth building because I find it complicated and uncreative to have (you need 6 cities + 6 Scion special theatres). I think the Cathedral should still exist, but without any need of theaters, just buildable in one city. But lets go: Here is ideas to try saving the Scions ! :
- Let's refocus the Scions civ on a new refocus gameplay civ, but with very few change to their buildings, feature or units :
Scions cities and Scions Crypts: limiting the number of true cities for the Scions
- The Scions have the same concept as Kuriotates: they have cities and they have settlements, named «Crypt». Cities are like any FFH2 cities, but Crypt can only have one population, zero trade, but +1 culture. Each conquered city by the Scions become a crypt, except any capital who can become Scions cities. But in any conquered city, population is wiped out, because Scions are Scions and undeads, it is absurd to have converted lived pop to them.
Scions Crypts can only build defence or strategic buildings (walls, or obsidian gate, for example).
- Scions city can only be build on very distant point from each one : 10 squares minimum !
Introducing an idea of a new growth mechanism of Scions : The number of trade road
- But the Scions have now a new strength:: each trade road give to a city a probability of 5 % to spam a rebirth unit each turn. 4 trade roads (mid-late game) would give 20 % each turn per each city.
- Off course, Scions would profit from peace and from their own building specialised in trade benefice. They would have huge growth interest to aim for commerce tech, regims and guilds, and building roads to their neighbour civs ! Not like the Aristarkh, who have a totally different roleplay, so must have a totally different gameplay focus.
Why this idea of trade roads ?
- In roleplay terms : Because the Scions are finding the remnants, tombs and ancients body of theirs ancestors, in the far settlements they build (the newest cities). But, mummies and tombs need to be bringed to the capital to be reanimated (a road to the capital). And why a trade road with a friend different civilisation could give Rebirth too ? Because these foreigners would exchange to the Scions the body, strange excavations what they find in they own soil (which have no value for them).
- In gameplay terms : roads, very distant city = difficulty to secure them vs barbarian or civs, which is interesting, exciting, and avoid any Infinite city spawn strategy. A new kinds of fast roads could be added to the Scions, to help them. Moreover, as scions have a natural to trade roads (some buildings, and now more features), others players, AI players or humans, would have land to put their cities between the distant Scions Roads. It is much different than the others civs.
Another idea to boost the Scions : better conversion into rebirth
- Second idea, more simple but less fantasy and interesting : each killed barb or enemy unit in scions territory give 25 % chance to create a Rebirth. And this probability inherent to their special priest units would be added. I don't really like this idea, because I anticipate abuses : the player could decide to never killed barbarian lair, taunt them, just to harvest regular body. It's not interesting, repetitive, and not feat with their background. So, I just propose that idea to have your opinion about it, But I don't support it, I prefer the first solution (trade road growth mechanism).
- Another possibility (no abuse possible, and more adapted to their culture) : for Scions, each barbarian lair destroyed would give them 3 rebirth to the unit who cleaned the lair.
Conclusion about these suggestions
- If you like these ideas, especially Evasth and his team, I would like to know it. But if you are not interested to work on these subjects, I can underestand and I will stop to propose more suggestions like this.