Updated Distinct Factions
A mod from the Elemental modding community
https://www.wincustomize.com/explore/elemental_war_of_magic/40/
Beta 0,212 released 5/21/2011
The idea behind this mod is to make each core faction in the game distinct from each other. Not only in looks, but also in how they actually play. This is an ambitious project which modifies almost everything in the game. Because of this, other mods may not work well, and will probably break certain things. However, we're willing to work with other modders to "adapt" their mod to fit in the UDF world. See below for descriptions of the factions.
All factions have their own armor sets, and a weapon or two that is unique to them. All core sovereigns also have their own unique armor/weapon set to distinguish the leaders of the factions.
If you want to see the armor sets, check out this thread.
HP has been increased across the board (except for the NPCs, but once they join a faction, their HP will be boosted). All monsters attack and defense has been raised as well.
Also, to spice things up some more, the grouping sizes have been changed. The individual soldier is still individual (can't mod this right now), however, the goes to 6 troops, then 12, then 20.
Most damage spells have been rewritten to not only do more damage, but to scale with INT and shards.
Core city hubs will now regenerate more HP per turn.
All factions will receive the infirmary tech which will unlock the Infirmary improvement.
This improvement not only increases the health regen in the city it's in, but also produces medical supplies.
Added apply medical pack ability to medical pack (so it can be used in tactical combat to heal). This ability requires the medical supplies resource generated from infirmaries.
Kingdom Of Altar
"Altar is the melting pot of the kingdoms of the West. Welcoming all races and creeds, Altar values accomplishment rather than pedigree. Its people are fiercely independent and have little tolerance to being told what to do."
Units
Race: Men
Sovereign: Lord Relias (equipped with a short sword, a shield, shoulder guards and leather vambraces)
All trained units receive the Dungeon Master trait, which gives increased damage against creatures.
Improvements
Given Altar's predilection to adventure, diplomacy, and affinity for earth and air magic, these improvements are cheaper to build:
Town Hall, Pub, Theatre, Embassy, Air Shrine, Earth Shrine
Altar isn't as interested in money as other factions are, so all of their monetary bonus improvements have a higher cost to build. Also, it's more expensive for them to build the construction yard, and labor guild.
Altar also cannot build the Mint Of Ruvenna, or Hosten's Library.
Altar's unique improvements are :
Earth Temple - Level 5 improvement which is essentially a "buildable" shard which doesnt generate mana (but will help to increase spell power), and also grants a 15% boost to defense for troops stationed in it's city.
Grand Adventurer's Hall - This level 4 building increases prestige in the city, and also provides a discount for recruiting new champions.
Equipment
Altar is adept with most swords, and dual wielding weapons, so they can build them cheaper (for troop production). However, they are not as adept with heavier weapons, so it costs more to build them. Being more diplomatic, they also receive a slight reduction in all weapons, and heavy armor.
Due to their affinity to earth magic, they can also produce the Earth staff. This staff acts as a ranged weapon (the icon will show a bow and arrow in tactical combat) that casts the Hurl Boulder spell on it's target. This spell also scales with the amount of shards you have. Tactical range of 5. Unlocked by the Earth spellbook tech.
Altar cannot produce the oak spear, Mace, War Staff, or Lord Hammer.
Unique to Altar:
Dagger/Shortsword dual wield combination.
Wakizashi
Dual Longswords
Magic
As Altar has an affinity for air and earth magic, the spells in those spellbooks cost less mana to cast than from other spellbooks. However, because of the focus on those two elemental spellbooks, spells from the fire and water spellbook cost more mana to cast.
Altar doesn't have the Fire Storm, Fire Ball, Blizzard, or Greater Grip of Winter spells.
Spells unique to Altar:
Rain Of Stone (Single unit damage spell)
Fist Of Earth (AOE dmg)
Winds Of Displacement (AOE slight dmg, scatter troops randomly)
Techs
Because Altar can't produce the Lord Hammer, the tech which unlocked it has been removed from their tech tree.
Unlikely Friends has been moved up, and requires no prereq.
AI priorities adjusted for most adventure, diplomacy, and warfare techs to have the AI put more focus where it should for Altar.
Kingdom Of Capitar
"Capitar is the most prosperous of the kingdoms of the West; its wealth derives from the vast riches controlled by the legendary traders of Serrane. It was one of those great traders, Duke Walderon I, and then his son, Walderon II, who helped to maintain law and order in the years after the Cataclysm."
Units
Race: Mancers
Sovereign: General Carrodus (with complete unique armor set, and broadsword)
All trained units receive a 10% bonus to defense, and also +1 to strategic movement
Improvements
Obviously, Capitar is all about the gildar, and any mean to increase it's production of it. Because of this, the market, Bazaar, Mint Of Ruvenna, Guild Tribunal, and Embassy are cheaper for them to build.
Profit is better made from allies than enemies, so Capitar's military improvements like the barracks, Command Post, War College, and Archery Range are more expensive to build.
Capitar cannot build the Temple Of Essence, Labor Guild, or Monastery improvements.
Capitar's unique improvements are:
Caravan House - 5% gildar bonus. City level 2, 1 per city.
Grand Assembly - Level 5, 1 per faction. 100% diplomatic capital
Equipment
Capitar's weapon focus is with spears and staffs. They aren't particularly good with blunt weapons (resulting in a slight decrease in their stats, and higher cost to produce). They also cannot produce the war staff (it's replaced by something else), Claymore, or Longsword.
Being more defensive minded (to protect their wealth), the first two tiers of armor are cheaper for them to produce. They can also produce the staff, and oak spear for less.
Unique to Capitar:
War Spear (replaces war staff)
Pike
Capitarian Polearm
Magic
Capitar has almost no interest in magic, resulting in not having any affinity to any certain elemental spells. This makes it harder for them to boost their spellpower, but certainly not impossible. However, most spells above level 2 have a higher mana cost.
The only spells which are cheaper to cast mana wise is Alchemy and Greater Alchemy.
Capitar does not get the Volcano spell.
Techs
Added a tech for capitar to unlock pikes, and also a tech to unlock their polearm. AI priority adjusted in the Civics, Diplomacy, and Warfare categories to better focus the AI for Capitar.
Kingdom of Pariden
...more to come soon...
Kingdom Of Gilden
...more to come soon...
Kingdom Of Tarth
...more to come soon...
Empire Of Umber
...more to come soon...
Empire Of Resoln
...more to come soon...
Empire Of Yithril
...more to come soon...
Empire Of Kraxis
...more to come soon...
Empire Of Magnar
...more to come soon...
New Effects
Winds Of Displacement (Altar only, Air Spellbook)
Rain Of Stone (Altar only, Earth Spellbook)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gw02h8hIz-k (Forum wont allow two different imbedded videos)
The UDF Team (in no particular order):
Kenata - Co-lead Updated Weapons Mod
DsRaider Tactical Rebalance Mod
AILanMandragoran
Magog_Aow
BlackRainZ
Murteas Murteas' Grimoire Mod
crystalshake
ImpInc - Co-lead Adventure Content Pack Mod
We're looking for more team members. We need someone to work on the magic system, and a person or two to create tiles. If anyone else is good with the partical cauldron, we could use the help there too. Magog is awesome at it, but ultimately, I want a lot of new particle effects, so he shouldn't have to do all of them (unless he wants to of course 
). If you're interested, please send me a PM.
