[0.86] [Feedback] Back to the roots

Warlord :

Adds +1 member to units

Works for me.  Maybe costs 20 mana?

Summoner is already a very viable pick in both early and late game.  Needs no adjustment IMO.

How about the Sovereign starts with the Trainer I trait?  It's 10% for him and the whole army, ramps up to 30% as he levels it.

Uhh, NO!  A huge RESOUNDING NO!!!  We already make TONS O MONEY selling at a huge loss vs. the buy price.  Any more is not needed.  Besides, this is already a good trait, giving extremely needed early and mid game money, while saving you a bundle on late game army maintenance.  This trait is fine as is.

I could get on board for this.  Something unique without getting ridiculous.  plus lots of stuff is immune to poison as a balancer.

Right now diplomacy is not a very big deal in the game.  I am hoping it becomes more useful.

I'm on board for nerfing this one some.

Right now Hunter is pretty useless, broadening the targets could be one way to make it better.  Another one would be giving some bonus to movement, such as a pair of +1 move boots for the Sov.

My suggestion is +1 research per season per Sovereign level.

How about +1 STR/CON for all units?

+25% dmg vs beasts. No movement penalty moving though forests. Now that's an interesting trait

Agree, Evoker should also be nerfed to like 20% and give an extra spell at lv3 (summoner too).

Summoner is already fine, if anything shadow warg needs nerfed, You could change how monsters level though, so its not just a hp bonus.

Gonna have to say no here, poison would be a boring special ability for a champion to have. The problem for an assassin trait is that assassins as a path are very boring and underpowered.

Too complicated.

The sovereign starts with 2 bandits and the mercenary tech.

Too boring, all specializations should affect play style right off the start of the game. Just decreasing wages or increasing Exp long term is meh.

Reduces units in Sov army upkeep by 50% and starts with a unit of spearmen.

We can safely assume that the selling price of items will go down. But I agree that merchant is perfectly fine the way it is.

Warlord -> +50% exp for units in the Sovereign's Stack

Adventurer -> Sov does not count as a Champion for purposes of Exp. (Can have an extra Champion friend for free)

Assassin -> +10 to critical chance, +10 personal accuracy.  (however, if there is no assassin weapon/trait that makes criticals ignore armor, then instead of +10 personal accuracy, it should add +5 personal accuracy and have crits ignore armor)

Warlock is fine (I think)

General -> No maintenance for units in the General's stack. +3 accuracy and +1 initiative for units in the General's stack. -20% maintenance for all other units.

Merchant -> No building Maintenance for city the Sovereign is inside. -20% total city maintenance. +4 gildar per season.

Summoner is fine (I think) -> Perhaps should unlock more summon spells depending on what spheres you take?

Scholar is fine (I think)

Diplomat -> +30% perceived value AND ability to recruit opposite alignment champions.

Hunter -> +25% attack vs non-humans (all beast races) AND +3 gold per level of each beast killed. (30 gold for killing a lv 10 beast). more likely for beast drops to occur. New beast drops (Troll-skin Hides). Can make their own leathers from beast drops as well (and sell them).

ie Troll-skin leather, Spider-Carapace Plate. Ophidian Scale mail.

And (finally) Bandit Lord: Can speak to humanoid beasts to recruit them (Twisted Men, Bandits), can recruit Bandits and Mercenaries from quests ... starts with 2 parties of decently equipped bandits each with a slaver's ring (+2 gold per faction soldier killed).

Yeah, what is generally wrong with FE styled traits - unlike their counterparts in MoM, the further you are into the game, the less they matter .

Merchant in my games reduces Rush Buy costs. Warlord reduces upkeep by 30%. A Warlord plus Endless Legion is only 30% wages. You should test out some of these ideas and let us know how they work out.

Yes, at first I was thinking having Warlord reduce stack upkeep, while General reduces army-wide upkeep ... but really it makes no sense for both to have the same bonus.

Therefore I think (like in MoM) a Warlord should be more about Quality, while the General should be more about flexibility and Quality ... hence an empire wide bonus and + initiative/accuracy for his personal stack.

Perhaps give Generals a unique option to retreat? (although Assassin sovs should perhaps have this option as well ... hmm)

Warlord should entail many units. Warlord is a societal difference.

General should give some good bonuses to the army he is in. Maybe +3 Accuracy, +3 Attack. General is a skilled leader.

Having just a long term bonus will make for a boring start, all specializations should affect play style right off the start of the game. Just decreasing wages or increasing Exp long term is meh and will never be balanced with warlocks or summoners who get a fast start and a steady boost. Also there is no good reason for specializations to be limited to one bonus, they should all give multiple bonuses like summoner.

Warlord should start with a basic spearmen and reduced upkeep on his army.

I really don't want to see a starting specialization with more tiny stat boosts for units, you can unlock them as you level already. A General is an experienced tactician and logistic expert, not an expert trainer of troops or a magical troop empowerer, his abilities should reflect that (though i cant think of anything that would be balanced).

Fine. Then have general be the one with +50% experience from commanded units and have Warlord focus on a large Empire Wide army with lower maintenance costs ..

That way the General focuses on the Elites, while the Warlord focuses on the big picture and Quantity being a quality all its own

---> My original choice was based on the fact that I thought the General would want to look at the big picture, the book keeping and the logistics ... while the Warlord would just want to run in and stomp on them with his super units.

Perhaps General should also reduce the cost for logistic techs?

That would be sweet to see some balance/changes to professions in Beta 2-B. They're either bland or too powerful. Plus, other than the bonuses, they don't see to add much.

It would be interesting if the profession chosen would impact the starting equipment you have. A warlock would start with a staff and robes, a bandit lord would get leather armor, etc. It's rather silly that they don't have some very basic equipment at the start of the game.

I would like this

and perhaps Warlock and Summoner should be more likely to roll Spell Sphere traits on level up, as well as have cheaper spell techs.