OEM - Oceania Enchanment mod v0.8!

[Burnsaber]

Let's admit it. Vanilla Oceania is pretty boring nation to play. Both thematically and gameplay wise. Hence this mod.

It's now in early gametest phase, and I'm mostly looking to balance the costs of various new summons and recruitables. I'd also like to hear how people like the new themes. Do they make the nation more intresting? Or am I going too far from the vanilla themes?

The goal of this mod is to make Oceania desirable and balanced nation to play in both SP & MP.



List of gameplay changes:
-- Land recruitables changed to new units.
-- Knights of the Deep got reduced stats and are now capitol only.
-- Triton Kings got H1
-- A2W1 Summoning spell for Selkie (mage A3W2N1 seducer on land, A1W2N3 animal spawning seal on water) and the Cursed Queen summon spell W5H1 (size 5, 100hp, W2N2 with 210% S/D and 100 W/N/E picks)
-- 1W1N & 2W2N land summons for ichtysatyrs and ichtycentaurs respectively.
-- The Flood national spells. A2W1 spell that gives mist & rain, W5A2 coming of the flood (very strong battlefield spell) and W4H1 "Will of the Kings" that sends Tidal Wave event.
-- 5 new heroes

New Themes
-- Triton Kings and their quest to flood the world and regain old glory
-- The tragedy of the Triton Queens
-- Meddlings of the Selkies in the affairs of Oceania
-- Mermen and their position in Oceanian Triton noble society
-- Mermen and their lives in their coastal villages

The current mod only changes EA Oceania. I'll make one for MA Oceania, but I'd first like to hear what people think about this one. Especially about thematic changes, since the MA version will likely be just stuff moved from this mod with thematic description changes.

[chrispedersen]

Was the selkie in water a w2n3 to avoid clam spamming, or was there alternate reasons?

[Burnsaber]

Originally Posted by chrispedersen

Was the selkie in water a w2n3 to avoid clam spamming, or was there alternate reasons?

Not really. Oceanian nationals are so good at clamming that you don't have any reason to use a summon for it, besides, their seal forms lack hands for hammers. The change is mostly for thematic reasons, since the selkies cannot use their mist powers in water. Natural N3 is something that Oceania doesn't have access to, so that gives them a niche use underwater (But imho, they'll propably be above waves 95% of the time for that sweet air access).

[chrispedersen]

At first look Burn, great job!

How about this edit for the triton queen:
"The Triton Queens once were the most beautiful of all sea-dwelling creatures, gifted with healing and future-seeing. Vain, and capricious they grew ever more licentious and ever more desirous of adulation and worship. When the known world groaned under the weight of their monstrous progeny, the Pantokrator decreed that evermore their outside appearance would mark their inner beauty. Horribly disfigured, the Triton Queens fled to the dark deeps, where they could not see their own disgusting forms. With malicious aeons spent in the deeps, they have taken up sorcery in their vain quest for redemption and revenge - to no avail. For even amputation fails; the curse persists until once more the queen reflects her heart. This Triton Queen has decided to serve the awakening god, hoping that he could lift the curse when he rises to the Throne of the World."

also, there is a persistent mispelling: ambiphibian should be amphibian

[Burnsaber]

Missed your edit.

The new description is pretty good, I'll bonder on it. I really didn't want to make the Queens bad guys, but I have a plot hole with the Pantakrator cursing the queens althought they weren't directly involved in the flooding plan.

I was aiming for Oceanian royals being extremely "noble", completely confident that they are destined rule all of ocean by some divine mandate and always acting the part. When they got hit by the nerf-stick by pantakrator, their pride took a very heavy blow. The event also kind made them lose the divine mandate to rule. That's why they're so hell-bent now to re-enact the flooding, defying the one who weakened them, to prove themselves to themselves and their subjects. I don't want to make Triton Kings totally evil with this flooding plan, they're more like.. misguided and think of all above water life as no more than some exotic animals. That's why the Queens left, their pride just couldn't stand them being watched with pity by their husbands and subjects.

And thanks for reporting the typo, will be fixed for the next version (which will be made after I hear about the costings of the summons).

[chrispedersen]

See, I don't view the triton kings as evil at all - heroic and all that - fighting for the oceans that are theirs.

But the tragedy of the queensmakes sense why the tritons should turn to the selkies. And the circle turns full turn for now the triton kings are doing what the queens originally did mating with one outside their kind.

Plus my version of the curse doesn't make *all* the triton queens evil - if they change their hearts there is still room for the curse to be lifted - which sort of fits my vision of the pantokrator - ie., NGoodish.. getting rid of all the big evil nasties anyway.

[chrispedersen]

Ok.. after playing with the mod here are my comments.

The selkies are cool, of course. However, there is very little reason to cast Trade for Iron, or contact kindred - yes, they have a slightly higher magic resistance - but its not worth a mage action.

Yes, you could use it while sieged - but still a very minimal use.

For it to be worthwhile, it has to add a capability that is really different than what oceania already has. So for example a halt sacred against bless, or a unit with very high magic resistance (maybe), or glamoured units.

Since d.o.s are stealthy you may wish to think of adding stealth.

I think giving the Daughters of selkie a seduction like a Siren
would make her awesome.

PD still uses turtle chiefs on land.

Overall, I find oceania so easy to expand and win with SP that its boring... but I don't think thats your mods fault.

Finally, the big evocation spell - is over the top strong. Liked the song of longing however.

[Zeldor]

Burnsaber:

I hope you are planning some Atlantis mod too, as using only Oceania one would be unbalanced. I just noticed that all Atlantis gets in land forts is Coral Priest [yeah, just H1 guy] and Reef Dweller. I assume that in non-coastal provs you get totally nothing.

[vfb]

Well, those lucky, lucky bastards. Proper little pretenders pets, those Atlantians. What EA R'lyeh wouldn't give to be able to recruit a Coral Priest or a Reef Dweller in a coastal fort!

[Burnsaber]

Originally Posted by chrispedersen

But the tragedy of the queensmakes sense why the tritons should turn to the selkies. And the circle turns full turn for now the triton kings are doing what the queens originally did mating with one outside their kind

Well, when I made the Selkies meddle with the Triton Kings,I was mostly thinking of this. The Selkies are lonely and going extinct. The Triton Kings are lonely and the have their royal blood going extinct. They have all the reasons to seek out each other. But alas, they have nothing in common besides that, hence it's not working out that well. Both parties didn't get what they wanted. Selkies love their daughters, but they're much more restrained than their mothers (and they're not actually Selkies, so the Selkie race is still going to die out). The Sons are fine warriors, but have their mothers free spirit, and do not make for fine lords and nobles. It's a kind of farce really. Ugh, I have all these ideas I want to convey through the description texts, but I'm constantly running out of description space.

But I like your idea about pride being the undoing of the Queens. I'll likely inculde your description with slight alterations. It also explains why the Queen hero isn't affected. He's a compassionate soul, not placing himself above other creation.

Originally Posted by chrispedersen

Ok.. after playing with the mod here are my comments.

The selkies are cool, of course. However, there is very little reason to cast Trade for Iron, or contact kindred - yes, they have a slightly higher magic resistance - but its not worth a mage action.

Yes, you could use it while sieged - but still a very minimal use.

For it to be worthwhile, it has to add a capability that is really different than what oceania already has. So for example a halt sacred against bless, or a unit with very high magic resistance (maybe), or glamoured units.

Since d.o.s are stealthy you may wish to think of adding stealth.

I think giving the Daughters of selkie a seduction like a Siren
would make her awesome.

PD still uses turtle chiefs on land.

Overall, I find oceania so easy to expand and win with SP that its boring... but I don't think thats your mods fault.

Finally, the big evocation spell - is over the top strong. Liked the song of longing however.

Well, trade for Iron was meant to give you access to heavy frontline troops that will not perish to simple archers like turtel warriors and wave lords. Giving them as a summon is a bit random, but since I can't mod recruitment lists *shrug*. I was thinking about making the Wave Knights be the land recruitable and make the sons summons. Might make more sense, "Call to Arms", so to speak. Hmm. Actually, I'm liking this better, there probably isn't so many Sons to begin with to justify them as recruitable troops any way. The Call Kindred are mostly there for thematic reasons, since I really hate way how EA Oceania suddenly tronsforms from the triton rule to capricorn rule. Where were those ichtysatyr hordes anyway? Hiding behind some kelp bush? The ichtycentaur spell might be useful for some fast flankers.

Stealth. Hmm. The regular mermen could be stealthy (to give them a niche), since they have experience about hiding from humans.

About daughters? You probably mean their underwater forms? Hmm. Don't know. Can't really see the need. They're just there to give you access to reasonable land mages, that is enough of a purpose for me. Your underwater raiding access is pretty good already.

the PD turtle chief? I see no problem in that. Giving them a daughter of selkie at 1PD is pretty unreasonable, very few nations get a mage even at 20.

About the Coming of the Flood. I'll probably have to reduce the number elementals by a notch (50%?)

About Song of Longing. What can I say? I'm just a hopeless romantic.

Originally Posted by Zeldor

Burnsaber:

I hope you are planning some Atlantis mod too, as using only Oceania one would be unbalanced. I just noticed that all Atlantis gets in land forts is Coral Priest [yeah, just H1 guy] and Reef Dweller. I assume that in non-coastal provs you get totally nothing.

?

Really? I thought the sucky land recruits was an oceanian thing. I'll probably have to expand this a bit then. The Underwater Gameplay Enchanment Mod, which is something like this mod, but for all underwater nations + UW combat spells + some other changes (the Kelp Castle site has to go, for example. I've never seen one site warp the game so much). But I'll make a own thread for it, once I've collected my thoughts about this.

Originally Posted by vfb

Well, those lucky, lucky bastards. Proper little pretenders pets, those Atlantians. What EA R'lyeh wouldn't give to be able to recruit a Coral Priest or a Reef Dweller in a coastal fort!

What does EA R'lyeh get? I know the MA R'lyeh gets some sucky hybrid troops but at least they're workable.