Game mechanics

[tehemperorer]

If I started the game with the maximum number of books, and found a book of the same kind in a lair, I get use from that book, right?

[Seravy]

Yes, it provides additional MP cost reduction and research bonus and generates power in your fortress.

[tehemperorer]

Yes, it provides additional MP cost reduction and research bonus and generates power in your fortress.

Awesome thanks! 

[ChiefBigFeather]

Hi,
this seems to be the right place to ask questions about the game (on second thought, should I have gone to the caster of magic for windows subforum?)
So I am going up against some storm giants with my hero band, clearing out a sorcery node. Those giants are really nasty, focusing down my caster heroes. So I thought I'd make an artifact to protect them: Elemental Armor seemed like the way to go. But it does not seem to affect the storm giant's attack, and I can't figure out why. Is it because of the armor piercing property of the giants?
Thanks in advance for help on that matter!

[Seravy]

Yes, exactly.

Armor Piercing halves your armor so the +12 from Elemental Armor is only worth +6 against them.

[ChiefBigFeather]

Thanks!
Now I feel bad that I didn't pick invisibility

[ChiefBigFeather]

Sorry, I have more:
What does the 11th (and 12th) book do, if you happen to find one?
If you pick just one book, you can trade for any spell of that color right?
If I trade for a rare spell that was not on my research list, will it displace another rare spell I could have researched? Or are all traded (and found) spells counted in addition to what is in your spellbook from the start?

Thanks again!

[Seravy]

The 11th and 12th book give you the last few spells in the realm. The windows version has 12 rares and very rares instead of 10.
All books after the 10th also add the usual casting and research discounts.
You need 2 books to trade for uncommon, 3 for rare and 4 for very rare.
Traded spells are additional and don't replace anything.

[ChiefBigFeather]

The 11th and 12th book give you the last few spells in the realm. The windows version has 12 rares and very rares instead of 10.
All books after the 10th also add the usual casting and research discounts.
You need 2 books to trade for uncommon, 3 for rare and 4 for very rare.
Traded spells are additional and don't replace anything.

Thanks a lot!
What are the usual casting and research discounts? The manual suggests casting and research discounts only for book 9 and 10.

Sorry, I got even more: Do cities work tiles with lairs on them (i.e. will "freeing" up that tile improve the city?)? I am assuming special resources need to be in the 25 city squares right (or can they also be 2 squares diagonally?)? Can two cities profit from the same resource or do they have to share getting only half?

Also: I just experimented with just splashing a single book for a cheap shot at some good early spells. My spellbook does not show any life spells for research, although it already presents uncommon spells. Can arcane spells replace those?

[Seravy]

Yes, cities can use tiles that have lairs.
Cities share tiles.
The diagonal corners are not used.

If you pick 8+ books in one realm to guarantee an early uncommon research, those appear before commons. That's the only explanation I can think of.