Random questions

[MrBiscuits]

Awesome mod. The only problem is I'm not very good at it, I can't even beat it on normal.

Anyway I have a couple of questions:

Is it a good idea to pack as many cities in as you can on a landmass or have fewer cities with a higher maximum population? Is having overlapping tiles worked a good idea?

I don't quite understand the Astrologer 50% overland spell bonus. Which spells count as overland? Is it a discount to the cost?

[Seravy]

It's usually a good idea to have as many cities as you can - or more like, as many as you can defend.
Overlapping tiles mean the resource is shared evenly between the two cities, so nothing is lost.

Astrologer increases you casting skill by 50% on the overland map, but not during combat. Also, this extra 50% comes in the same form as skill granted by heroes in your capital - you can only use it to progress your spell between turns, not instantly.

[MrBiscuits]

It's usually a good idea to have as many cities as you can - or more like, as many as you can defend.

Ah ok, so I guess two max size 15 cities are better than one size 25 city on a small landmass.

Overlapping tiles mean the resource is shared evenly between the two cities, so nothing is lost.

Really? In the map screen you have a 1/2 icon over shared tiles. I assumed this meant you only get half the benefit.

Astrologer sounds amazing with the node mastery bonus as well.

I have some more questions:

What does nightshade do exactly? Does the cathedral bonus happen for each nightshade in your entire empire or just if it is local to that city?

Do you still get access to resources if you build a city on top of them?

[Seravy]

Really? In the map screen you have a 1/2 icon over shared tiles. I assumed this meant you only get half the benefit.

You get 1/2 in both cities so the total amount is the same.

What does nightshade do exactly? Does the cathedral bonus happen for each nightshade in your entire empire or just if it is local to that city?

It counters and dispels enemy spells that target your city.
The cathedral produces an additional 3 power for each Nightshade around that city.
Both effects require an alchemist's guild to work.

Do you still get access to resources if you build a city on top of them?

Yes.

[MrBiscuits]

You get 1/2 in both cities so the total amount is the same.

Does that mean there is less food/growth for each city as they share food resources?

I just build an Armourers Guild for high men and it doesn't seem to have allowed me to build anything new. Still just have pikemen as the best unit.

[Nelphine]

Need both the armorer's guild and a cathedral as well, which will allow paladins.

[MrBiscuits]

Need both the armorer's guild and a cathedral as well, which will allow paladins.

Ah thanks for that.

So how to defend against storm giants ranged attack? Is it a magical attack, I could research elemental armour and use that and resist elements on my units. Does higher defence help?

Also does resistance (crosses) help against that sort of attack?

[Nelphine]

A magical attack is anything that has the magical icons for the attack. The storm giant ranged attack is a magic attack. It is an attack though, so resistance does nothing. It is also a lightning attack - if you check, it has armor piercing, so it halves any defense against it.

Mostly? Just get bigger badder things and kill it. Storm giants hurt.

[MrBiscuits]

A magical attack is anything that has the magical icons for the attack.  The storm giant ranged attack is a magic attack.   It is an attack though, so resistance does nothing.  It is also a lightning attack - if you check, it has armor piercing, so it halves any defense against it.

Mostly? Just get bigger badder things and kill it.   Storm giants hurt.

Ah I thought that resistance defends against magic attacks. What does it do exactly? So I guess that defence is used against magic attacks instead?

Do volcanoes destroy map bonuses? Someone created one on my nightshade and when I got rid of it the nightshade had gone.

Apologies for the dumb questions.

[Seravy]

Yes Volcanoes destroy ores or other terrain specials.
Resistance literally does nothing on its own, but many special abilities or spells use it.
If anything says "resist at -X" or "save at -X" it means to roll a D10, and if the result is lower than the resistance of the target-X, nothing happens. Poison, Death Gaze, Stoning Gaze are examples of abilities that work like this.