The Battle for Meridia: Startng balancing: alpha 0.1.7

[thespaceinvader]

0.1.6: Alpha release is out
* Changes:
* Fix harpooner's attack anim
* Bugfix for Feral line levelling.
* Fix skinner name
* Fixed bug causing certain unit descriptions not to display.
* Fixed typo in Water Serpent file name
* Fix feral/savage stat issues - their stats were transposed. Also nerf them a little, along with the abomination, and fix attack names. Add slow special to Savage and Abomination.
* Dronecaller attacks ranged: 3-6 > 6-3, melee: impact > blade.
* Lower Brute cost to 14 and MP to 5
* Raise Incendius price to 22, lower ranged attack damage to 18.
* Scout price > 17
* Dronecaller ability CURES > EXTRA_HEAL
* Apothecary ability CURES > UNPOISON

I've fixed a number of bugs/mistakes, changed some abilities and specials to more fluff-accurate ones, and made a start into what i think are the most glaring balance issues that have come up from playing and observing games and replays, but I think that a lot of it will be heavily impacted by new abilities, and the addition of the Khalifate.

[Velensk]

On the topic of the entrench ability, is there any reason they cannot simply have steadfast and a different ability that gives +10% resistances. I cannot seem to find a good way to get both effects under one name.

[Exasperation]

You can just include all the description stuff in one ability, and make the other ability have no description. Abilities with no description still have an effect, they just don't show up in the unit's abilities display (for an example, take a look at the level 2-3 leadership abilities; they're written as a separate ability for each level of unit they're applied to, but they only show up as one ability in the display).

[thespaceinvader]

Velensk: no reason at all. If that works, that's fine. As exasperation says, descriptions can be separate.

[Velensk]

Thanks for the help, Esperon. I have finished the two easy abilities (also made some tweaks to the war chariot so that it had 8 move rather than 5, it's own movetype, and throws javalins better than the level 1 chariot). I'll send in updates for the other abilities as I make them. Btw, would you like me to add appropriate sound effects for the tamers attacks?

A note about the entrench ability: As it currently works it gives +10% resistances if your current moves equals max moves which means that attacking will compromise your cover (however your resistances will last until after the attack. I am not sure if this is exactly what you want but it was fairly simple to do. If it is not what you want I may be able to do whatever that is however I'm not sure.

I was thinking of an ability for the miner, I might be able to give him a modified teleport which lets him teleport between unoccupied hills/mountains that are within x-distance of each other. I do not know for sure that I can do this but I seem to recall someone talking about improvements to teleport which would allow for things like this. If this is so, it could make the miner incredibly mobile even at 4 mp however that would be incredibly map dependent. I want your thoughts on this before I even attempt to work on this ability.

[nindjo]

hey im back again checkt out the new version al the points i had seem to be solved but i fear that the feral line is stil bugged they seem to be unable to level to 4 when one levels they turn into a level 2 again i looked at the unit files but coulden't find anything wrong with them realy luckly that seems to be the only real bug left in it and other then that i don't realy have anything to complain about this i realy like the new factions and the way you made them different form the main groups but i do find it kinda anyoning that the aracaya have such a small unit tree but your the one who made them so you can choose how many units they have anyway i hope you find that bug soon and that this project wil be finisht fast and i can't wait to try out the khalifate

[PeterPorty]

I think, and just think, that the Meridian Leage is a bit underpowered. I think slightly reducing the experience need for the level 0s in the faction would help balancing. just saying...

[thespaceinvader]

Nindjo: Yeah, I picked that up as soon as I played a game after releasing - it's due to my game-copy having leftover cfgs, which will be removed in the next release.

PeteP: yeah, duly noted. I think you're right, but correspondingly i think that particularly the Cadet needs to be less powerful - he's not got awful attacks for a level 1 unit right now, and they're better than his price deserves.

Velensk: Entrench sounds fine, though i wouldn't mind it lasting through a ranged attack by the unit (if not a melee), if that's too awkward to do, I understand - currently you'd onyl get the benefit of it if the unit doesn't attack at all, which seems to slightly defeat the point, perhaps. It's probably a little overpowered as it is, however, so making it better might be excessive.

Miner tunnel: I wonder whether something based on skirmisher might work, simulating them tunneling under their opponents, but keepiing their move as it is. Maybe adding a ranged stub.

Is the version you supplied based on the latest release? If it is I'll just download it and replace my working copy, if not I might be a bit more selective.

EDIT: I worked it out. Thanks. I'll put an update up tomorrow. And yeah, appropriate SFX would be cool for a number of the attacks I've changed - the Tamer, but also the Savage and Abomination, among others I probably don't recall right now - but that's something I'm happy to figure out myself as things go if necessary. If I'm going to take up your valuable time, I'd prefer to do so on stuff I'm not able to easily do =)

[Unnheulu]

As well as the Meridian League being underpowered, I feel the Untamed are slightly over-, as I felt I had an advantage over PetePorty even during the day. I'm afraid I have no real suggestions, and I may have to play the faction again a few times to be sure.

[thespaceinvader]

Mm, I think you're probably right. Balance needs some solid thought, but more importantly, needs to take into account the fourth faction, when that is possible - it could be that, including the Khalifate, they're all horribly under- ore over-powered, and will need major changes. So apart from glaring problems (and the shaman/spirit problem is one such, should be fixed next update by giving the Tracker marksman, and taking away magical from the Shaman i think, along with nerfing the spirit a bit) i don't intend to do fine balancing until then.

EDIT: 0.1.7: Alpha released.
* Changes:
* Replace Savage with Feral in Untamed recruit list, and remove old savage/feral CFGs, finally fixing this persistent bug.
* Added Ability: entrench to Soldier line.
* Renamed Plague ability to Summon Spirit for Shaman line. Novice and Shaman summon Spirits, Elders summon Ancestors.
* Some balancing fixes and movetype fixes for War Chariot.
* Removed Magical from Shaman line, gave Marksman to Tracker line, in an effort to balance the spirit spam that the Aracaya tend to wind up with.

Fixed some bugs, including that annoying Feral/Savage one, added first custom abilities (thanks Velensk =D) and made an attempt at balancing the aracaya, by limiting, hopefully, the spirit spam, and making the tracker a little tougher, so it is a better hard-terrain clearer.

[Velensk]

The tracker seems incredibly strong now. Hit harder than an elvish archer has more hitpoints and marksman and costs 4 less. I would think that if you want to stop the spirit spam the best way to do this would be to make the shamans more expensive (not that losing magic seems like a bad change but more expensive would reduce the number of spirit callers and thus spirits. Even if you leave the shaman as is, I would suggest doing something to the tracker.

Assuming I do not run into any technical problems I should have a couple more abilities done in a couple hours and if I have some spare time I'll also do the SFX.

[thespaceinvader]

Cool cool. Yeah, you're probably right with that one - I think maybe I might revert this and just make the Novice Shaman more expensive as you suggest. More abilities sounds cool =D. However, for a while I won't be doing any updating, since when I went to my parents to help cut the hedges, I left my laptop cable at home, and now it's run out of power. HOpefully I should get it back tomorrow.

[Aura]

Lv 1 Chariot (and Lv 2) should maybe get a horn melee (blade/pierce ?) without charge in addition to the javelin and wheel blade.

[thespaceinvader]

I actually prefer them without (they'd be very good scouts if they got a melee) - if it seems necessary I'll add one, but for, I've handwaved why they don't in the decriptions.

[Aura]

They seem a little fragile in combat though. Not even like a 6-1 or a 7-1 or something ? You could put up the cost by 1 or 2.