[PvK]

1) What mages are too expensive for their power?

Compared to ordinary troops, once much research is done, none of them.


2) What mages are too cheap for their power?

All of 'em. Maybe particularly some of Pythium's and Caelum's, for what they can do in the unmodded game.


3) Are there any mages you ALWAYS or NEVER build when you have the capability?

Strictly speaking, no. However, I am frequently particularly tempted by the price of:

Sages (for research)
Communicants (for communion)
Caeleans (for flying air-spell casters)
Mictlan Priests (for blood hunting)

I often wince and decide to hire someone else when considering the price of: Alchemists (of course a fettish hoarder will be happy to hire them).


4) Do any nations strongly need a type of mage, a certain path, or a certain level in a path? For example, base Vanheim has no real blood hunting ability, and base TC or BF Ulm cannot use their national spells.

I kind of like the need to do something besides just hire someone to get an ability. I think it's neat that there are methods that require tricks, investment, and/or luck to develop some special abilities. Also, since there are ways to get bonuses to make these things possible, making them automatically hirable instead of one short means they can actually be expected to go one level further than that, which can have other implications. However:

* Base TC relies on randoms to get their national spells (but they have those randoms - they just need to be lucky and/or patient etc).

* BF Ulm needs to empower in blood or have a matching pretender to do sanguine heritage.

* Broken Empire Ermor can do a lot with a Grand Thaumaturg prophet - more automatic unholy access would of course be useful.

* Ulm could use an E3 mage (though they _will_ make boots).


5) Any other suggest changes to the games mages?

* IF Ulm holy-2 priest could be somehow unique.
* Base TC's NON-mage eunichs and priests are the TC units I really don't see any reason at all to summon, unless maybe I were desperatey fighting undead or demon hordes.



I think TheSelfishGene's comment is right on target:

"... as far as cost and everything, mages are fine. What is not fine are the summons and spells some of them can cast."

I'd tweak the "best" spells rather than tweak the mages, mainly, I'd:

* Make life drain weapons cost at least 40 death gems or 80 blood slaves.
* Increase cost of gem-generating hoard items (clam etc.).
* Increase cost of Wrathful Skies.
* Increase cost of Bane Lords.
* Increase difficulty to cast and reduce strength/attack/defense of False Horrors.
* Increase cost of Ghost Riders.
* Increase cost of other powerful yet low-path and cheap spells.
* Increase path requirements of all troop-massacreing spells so it requires a powerful mage thanks to being a pretender or empowerment and items, rather than just research and a gem or two, to be the bane of mortal warriors (this is one of the main elements of the mod I've been working on, but not having time to finish).


PvK