Caster of Magic II Brainstorming Megathread

[Suppanut]

I want to suggest some new generic range units for civilized races in CoM II.

Crossbowmen. It should be pikeman equivalent for mid-to-high tier ranged units for mechanical-minded race like highmen, orc, klockon, and dwarves. they should coming with strong armored priecing arrow attack and large shield (pavise) but cost them movement point and could not perform moving fire.

[Suppanut]

I think way to make nature direct attack spell to be different from chaos equivalent so that it would not result in spell redundency when play multiple realm pair with chaos is to add secondary effect to spell like how similar spell in sorcery has secondary effect (aether spark also damage magic ammo, etc).

Icebolt should have effect of halve or -1 movement point next attack turn (if movement point become 0, skip that turn completely) attach to its damage.

Blizzard should have effect of rander target tile impassible (outside unit could not move in, unit that occupied the tile could not move out) until next turn as secondary to overland attack damage due to month-long blizzard.

[Seravy]

Blizzard is already different enough from Fire Storm - one deals armor piercing damage, the other deals all-figure hitting damage.
Ice Bolt reducing enemy movement or making the enemy skip a turn would be a good addition - Web already does that effect for Nature anyway.
However the damage needs to be slightly lower in that case I think, or the casting cost higher.

[Suppanut]

I have noticed that classic evil overlord/ great darklord trope/race-retort not working well in CoM at all. Melkor and Sauron would be bad player in CoM.

- Warlord retort works poorly with death realm, Dragon Quest-ish Demon King try to conquer the world would do poorly with classic death realm spell. Although it still could perform at acceptable level with chaos realm, it more along like of kill-all/burn-all/loot-all conqueror rather that evil dark lord.
- Orcs is poorly benefit from death realm. As the race that so specialized in being buffed, death has no unit enchantment that could give any great buff to it. While it still great to be aggressive war monger by chaos buff, it get paid a lot by for being pious orcs serve life wizard.

I found that in many cases, CoM more efficient when play against the trope or type-casting established by previous author of the genre.

Is this intentional?

[Suppanut]

I want to suggest some unique units for klocklon, Flying Swarm. 9 figure flyer with weak defend and low hit point but have missile immunity, weapon immunity, poison attack, armour priecing, first strike, and nagate first strike as unique multi-figure unit which klocklon lack. I imagine this as half-locust half bee/wasp.

I want to suggest that combat enchantment like warp reality should have additional effect in disable all invisbility too so chaos should have some tool against something it could not counter. And maybe another gazer like gorgon and chaos spawn should have illusion immunity too. I think illusion units like phantom warrior and phantom beast should also have illusion immunity too to help spot invisible unit

[Anskiy]

The weak defense seems a little questionable to me, they would be quite vulnerable to magicians if they came out of a Fantastic Stable. Do like the combination of armor piercing and poison, though having that damage come from nine figures seems rather scary. Part of the problem is that Klackons are intended to have a mediocre military to counter their amazing economy, giving them a good military unit could make them a bit too strong.

[Suppanut]

Swarm of little insect should weak against breath and magic in general like how in real life we use flame thrower against bee hive or hornet nest. It suppose to be dangerous unit (especially when buffed) with generic counter after all. Perhaps it should coming out of forester guild or animist guild instead.

[JustOneMoreTurn]

- Orcs is poorly benefit from death realm.

The problem with using the name "orcs" in a game is that people expect them to be Tolkien's (or maybe Warhammer's) orcs, and some people probably expect them to be the movie's orcs.  MOM/COM isn't trying to accurately replicate Tolkien's orcs or halflings, elves, dwarves and trolls.  Accuracy has been traded for better gameplay.  Orcs were chosen as the generic Arcanus race, from which other races have +/- from.  If you really insist on role-playing Tolkien's world, you'll have to mod the game.

As for death realm, orcs are a good choice, since they have a good, fast-growing economy to support summoned units and their combat support and global curses, and work well with Cult Following/Dark Rituals.  It's just not Tolkienesque that these 'orcs' are sitting in office buildings, wearing suits and ties, and working on spreadsheets.  Tolkien's halflings weren't known for research labs either, but that works as a good bonus for the COM race.

[Suppanut]

I seem to forget that orcs so good as economic functionary and could be great in buffed by any economic enchantment. Yes, it is good conclusion that CoM orcs seem to be more like pigs in novel "Animal Farm" than anything else. But this still get to my old conclusion that life orcs better than death orcs in almost all aspect (and I think orcs would agree).

[Suppanut]

I found it weird, why no chaos magic which could give fire immunity? at least immolation should make unit immune to fire (fire already engulf them all the time already).