Since EitB XXI just ended, I just thought I'd post a few thoughts on balance issues based on how things played out. Apologies if these are things that have already been brought up/addressed. Note also that the game was played with v8 of the mod.
Some things which I'm guessing are bugs:
a) Phalanxes and champions get bonus strength from nightmares. Also, centaurs getting bonus strength from nightmares doesn't make a lot of sense.
b) Druids promoted from priests of Order don't get pillar of fire.
Some things that this game made me think were overpowered:
1) Apprenticeship+conquest both at education, enabling units to start with two promotions. (Already changed in the new version.)
2) Human Basium + doubling up on the Tower of Divination. I think this should be a "once per team" national wonder.
3) Paladins/eidolons at fanaticism. Too strong, I think. Needing iron for them is supposed to make this less of an issue, but you can summon the Mercurians at fanaticism too. In total this unlocks the possibility of getting access to sixteen national units, for the cost of a tech that isn't even top-tier.
4) Malevolent designs not having fanaticism as a prereq. Makes the beeline to infernal pact/grimoire too strong, IMO (it shouldn't be so easy to get access to Beasts of Agares).
Some things that this game made me think were underpowered:
i) Righteousness. It's at the end of the tech tree, but only unlocks a single unit (and a wonder that no one is very likely to build). And if you're Empyrean, that unit is a nerfed version of the old Chalid.
Proposed fix: give Chalid pillar of fire back, move paladins to righteousness, move eidolons back to malevolent designs, and give both techs fanaticism as a prereq.
ii) Theology is too weak in comparison with Commune with Nature. Druids get all the spells that high priests get (except pillar of fire), plus movement over impassible terrain and entangle. They don't need to be promoted from experienced units and don't abandon you if you switch religions.
Proposed fix: restore the old prereqs for Commune with Nature. Make druids
abandon you if you lose neutral alignment, and lower the experience requirement for upgrading high priests. On a similar note, make paladins/eidolons abandon you if you swap alignments as well, and BoAs if you swap away from AV.
Some things which I'm guessing are bugs:
a) Phalanxes and champions get bonus strength from nightmares. Also, centaurs getting bonus strength from nightmares doesn't make a lot of sense.
b) Druids promoted from priests of Order don't get pillar of fire.
Some things that this game made me think were overpowered:
1) Apprenticeship+conquest both at education, enabling units to start with two promotions. (Already changed in the new version.)
2) Human Basium + doubling up on the Tower of Divination. I think this should be a "once per team" national wonder.
3) Paladins/eidolons at fanaticism. Too strong, I think. Needing iron for them is supposed to make this less of an issue, but you can summon the Mercurians at fanaticism too. In total this unlocks the possibility of getting access to sixteen national units, for the cost of a tech that isn't even top-tier.
4) Malevolent designs not having fanaticism as a prereq. Makes the beeline to infernal pact/grimoire too strong, IMO (it shouldn't be so easy to get access to Beasts of Agares).
Some things that this game made me think were underpowered:
i) Righteousness. It's at the end of the tech tree, but only unlocks a single unit (and a wonder that no one is very likely to build). And if you're Empyrean, that unit is a nerfed version of the old Chalid.
Proposed fix: give Chalid pillar of fire back, move paladins to righteousness, move eidolons back to malevolent designs, and give both techs fanaticism as a prereq.
ii) Theology is too weak in comparison with Commune with Nature. Druids get all the spells that high priests get (except pillar of fire), plus movement over impassible terrain and entangle. They don't need to be promoted from experienced units and don't abandon you if you switch religions.
Proposed fix: restore the old prereqs for Commune with Nature. Make druids
abandon you if you lose neutral alignment, and lower the experience requirement for upgrading high priests. On a similar note, make paladins/eidolons abandon you if you swap alignments as well, and BoAs if you swap away from AV.
