I was using the gildish warhammer and they were using mace. I had leather and they had chain.

My next update will be some tech order optimization. That might seem like insignificant, but it will drastically improve the AI.

Also, I am going to change E=3.2 to E=3.0 I just took out two wildlands and didn't get past level 9.

Thanks. The major reason I do it is for practive and innovation. I learned alot about xml and the capabilities of the system by trying to balance the beta. I think the devs might be playing it sometimes too though, because about 70% of what I do seems to be added into the vanilla in some shape or form. Maybe we are just both using good logic and design though.

After reading the thread, I have remembered my plan for that. I intend to have Governors get a passive XP from buildings. Adventurers Guild does this, but I will add in some XP from other buildings. Now you have to think that my XP levels require massive amounts passed level 8. That means most governors will never reach beyond this point. So, in my path update, I will make sure each governor has some powerful choices that add production, growth, gildar, and research. I am wary of adding food, as it is too easily gamed.

The crazy thing is that I have been working on content mods as well. I just refuse to release those until the game goes gold. What I want to focus on now is learning the limitations and edges of the new mechanics as we go through each beta. Each cycles adds so many new possibilities I have had to put all my content mods on hold just so that they are not obsolete by the time the game actually comes out. I released my labyrinth mod to give people some idea of the quest capabilities, for instance. But I have over 300 quest stories that I am adding to the game. I have the Ivory Tower Mod, which seeks to combine quest based storytelling and the city level mechanic. I have the staff mod. I have the Path Mod. I have alot of other projects on hold. I think that currently the only useful mod is one that explores balance and core gameplay features. The more my ideas can help shape a solid core game, the more reason I have to do the other ones. I sincerely hope that the core game picks up on what I have been saying about city levels and defense. The vanilla sucks at it right now. Rather than just complaining once and then hoping by some leap into the absurd that the devs agree and decide to change the game, I would prefer to show them what the game can be with my idea. I am not saying they ever play the mod, but I am sure they have seen a few of my mod videos. It's all about marketing good game design I suppose.

In the end, I will at the least have a sweet balance mod ready if the devs don't deliver. I seriously doubt that will happen, except with archers. Few people know this, but Derek Paxton's entire clan was wiped out by a rival archer clan. He has sword never to use archery again and it shows in his balancing of archery in the game. Beyond that I am still hopeful we are going to see much better balance to weapons, levels, Hp, and cities. Too bad about archers though.

As to what I think of as the light users out there (read as incompetent). They would surely benefit from city defense as it makes the game much easier. As long as they play with sparse monsters and beginner difficulty, a strong city defense will allow them to casually stroll about the realm with little thought of their cities. They can go on quests, enjoy some stories, and generally suck at the game without ever knowing it. Light users are a necessary evil of selling a game. I think the devs will see that city defense under the right conditions is pure win for light users.

There is probably a delicate balance between people wanting me to make content and people wanting to explore good ideas. I assure you, the content will be there after release, as soon as I have had time to play the final release and can put in the appropriate numbers. The hope that we might get some editors to assist me in writing the quest xml is also a nice thought. Until then, balance will be my mistress.

     I still think attack values need to be upped across the board for balance.  Maybe not quite as lethal as what I put in another post (the numbers post) ,  but it must be upped.  I hope I can get you to agree.  I am hoping the latest update its addresed but if not, to please look at doing that. Even if Derek's clan was wiped out by archers, ranged weapons need a slight boost along with everything else.

    Also - throwing knives come way to late in the game.  Dirty rotten stinking bandits get them way to easy and early in comparison.

    Then there's the armor issues.  Extra damage vs the wrong types.   Chain should be less effective vs. cutting not double.  Same goes for plate and blunt weapons.  Using edged weapons on chain and blunt on plate is how you take out guys in those armor types.  I think a good implementation would be have the armor have the same base rating and just take 50% more damage if they're using weapon type its weak to. 

re: XP - I am glad you are looking into loosening what it takes to level.  I do think reducing the effect of champion so they aren't superman is a good idea.  I didn't like hitting level 9 and being stuck there either. 

Pls continue your work after Beta 5 and release too, cause the game is more fun for me with your mod. 

It's at E=3 right now. I will go lower though. I might even try E=2.7 if things are still too slow.

I will look at CoreAbilities when I do my monster balance again. Taking out some combat rating is a great idea.

Good and logical ideas in your modification. I hope that when developers add multiplayer, game will be a perfect and balanced. But be there. 

Version 1.952.023 is up!

Leveling will be a little easier, let me know how it goes. Lots of changes here, but most of them are AI changes. The biggest content is the new endgame spells. It might be impossible for the AI to cast them and many of them may not work as planned. They need testing, but should at the very least add some interest to the endgame. They are mostly geared towards desperate gambits when you are losing to a stronger foe. Once you understand how to avoid the harshest effects of the spell, you can really turn them to your advantage.

I will be working on staves next and then paths.

If it's an item, what about making it the final success in a long, multi-step quest, that gives you smaller rewards along the way, while holding out a ring, pair of sandals, or shaving cream of flight as an ultimate reward?  Just a thought.  It has to be made so the thing doesn't happen early on, or it could easily become a game-killer--as I need hardly tell you.

Might be neat to have a large boss in battle who could and did fly, however.  Would be able to move over your melee wall, and target your mages.  Heh.

I will have a new update soon that fixes XP. I finally have a good equation: E=2.7, M=3. It makes anything past level 10 start to take a long time, but you can level past that if you focus on one hero.

I am also still trying to get my high level spells to do what I had planned. Break Realm currently crashes the game, Omen and Descension of Astaroth don't cause fire damage, etc...

I am planning to boost the power of henchmen so that they are worth that extra cost. Remember, wanderlust makes all heroes free. So it got a big boost.

Trolls are extremely upgradable. Every 50 or so turns the troll lairs increase in strength. After you start seeing Troll Warriors, you have a good chance of getting the troll resource. But if you wipe them out early, no camp for you. Life Magic can create hordes of trolls. If the enemy does this and you are the empire, simply kill off all the trolls to get massive numbers of camps.

Nice to see someone is testing Resoln.  I will have to test things, but it seems like you are saying there needs to be a bigger difference for the Cyndrum Demon at Ancient strength? Or should the tier two be weaker?

Crow Demons are supposed to be casters. They use Titan's Breath to keep an entire army at bay. I don't see them as a frontline unit. I might give them Thunderstrike though. I will have to test it out.

The Assassin Demon is available for city defense. Cyndrums are supposed to be a demented version of them.

With the new mana amounts a player can get, I want Mantle of Oceans to be hard to achieve. You can always build an Abbey to save on mana for defensive purposes.

Marksman line still multiplies attack by three rather than adding it.

Ok more feedback on Resoln.

Right now i can wipe everything really soon, stack of cyndrum demons, young 9 units 40 hitpoints per unit 360 hp, and this is only for the young version at level one. Thats too much. Just corrupt every shard and take over the world, nothing can stop the cyndrum demons.Making the other ones almost irrelevant.

As for the crow demon as a caster i agree, but giving them +1 lightning damage per level combined with high initiative and movement would make them more attractive. I didn´t test the water and fire demons.

Too many hitpoints to the spiders, i think 1/2 cut would be enough.

The no armor weakness should only affect the armor you get from the warfare tree, so in the late game if you go for magic and have crystals maybe resoln can be competitive in the late game.

Right now it´s cyndrum demon spam, win fast.