How well justified is India in N3O FP Beta 1.3?
Posted: Fri Jan 21, 2011 2:51 pm
I first want to go through India's problems, both OP and UP, and the solutions presented in N3O FP Beta 1.3.
India is slightly slow in the beginning of the game. Sepoy are strong early game, but lack lategame upgrades, which balances them. They could use, however, an early nerf and lategame boost. Howdahs need more damage multiplier against cavalry. In fact, even Gurkha and Rajputs are lacking in upgrades - India needs a nerfed Sepoy and an Infantry Combat Card. Mahouts need more damage against heavy infantry lategame and more area attack lategame. Rajputs need more HP, less damage, increased multiplier vs cav, and less food cost. They also need an armor and speed boost lategame. Sowars are a little weak overall, but are too strong against skirmisher units - this causes imbalance. Zamburacks need a little more HP and range early on so that they don't die to hand cavalry in Colonial. Flail Elephants are a joke in a battle, and they cannot run away from danger, and are too cheap to train. Their overall design of current is awful, not being able to reach the building or artillery piece they are meant to destroy. Also, having only two Sacred Fields does not suffice as a civ "bonus," especially as India has an 8% XP penalty. Livestock autogathering may also be OP though, and may need to be nerfed to 0.08 or 0.05 (instead of 0.10). Lategame Agra Forts are almost useless as wonders and nobody ever uses them, Charminar Gate does not give much of a bonus, and Mansabdars do not have enough HP to survive battles. The Mughal Architecture Card, however is completely OP. Indian mercenary units, such as Arsonists and Jat Lancers, do not have enough HP, and Arsonists costed a bit too much and did not have enough speed, range, or damage caption. Chakrams also did not have a good enough damage output against cavalry. The Indian '300' is a bit too strong, and Urumi are too good against the Aztec military.
Let us go through what has been done to India in N3O Beta Patch 1.3. There is a vote between a 1 through 5, 1 being not very good and 5 being excellent, of how well this balances India. Any constructive criticism would be helpful.
INDIA
o India recieves +1 coin crate upon hitting Colonial Age.
o Sowar hitpoints increased to 235, hand attack increased to 22, (trample 14). Multiplier against infantry to 1.25x, 0.8x against Heavy Infantry. Mansabdar reworked to new stats.
o Camel Damage Card: effect reduced to 20%.
o Desert Terror Card gives Sowars +0.25x bonus against infantry, and -0.13x multiplier against Heavy Infantry. This increased the 1.25x/0.8x to a 1.5x/0.67x.
o Sepoy ranged attack reduced to 23, hand attack to 14. Mansabder reworked to new stats. (In order to match with other musketeers).
o Rajput hitpoints increased to 170, cost reduced to 75 food, 35 wood, hand attack reduced to 16, cover hand attack to 8, bonus against cavalry increased to 3.5x, bonus against Light infantry increased to 2.8x, LOS increased to 14 (up from 12). Bounty decreased to 11. Mansabdar reworked to new stats.
o 7 Rajputs Card: effect increased to deliver 8 Rajputs.
o 11 Rajputs Card: effect increased to deliver 12 Rajputs.
o 13 Rajputs Card: effect increased to deliver 14 Rajputs.
o Honored Rajput Tech: now also gives Rajputs +50% Armor (from 0.20 to 0.30).
o Dravidian Martial Arts Card: now also gives Rajputs +10% Speed (from 5.0 to 5.50).
o Native Trade Tax +1 Villager Card: Content replaced by Indian Infantry Combat, which gives Indian Infantry (Sepoys, Gurkhas, Rajputs, and Urumi) +15% Hitpoints and Attack. This is available in Fortress Age for India.
o Howdah multiplier against cavalry increased to 3.0x, multiplier against light infantry increased to 2.4x. Mansabdar reworked to new stats.
o Flail Elephant hitpoints increased to 375, cost increased to 140 food, 140 coin hand attack increased to 11, speed increased to 4.8, and siege attack increased to 110, with 2.0 ROF. Bounty increased to 28. Mansabdar reworked to new stats.
o Mansabdars now have the equivalent of 3x HP of their unit, and have improved personal armor. Also, Elephant Mansabdars, the Sowar Mansabdar and the Urumi Mansabdar now take up the equivalent of 1.5x population count of their standard unit counterpart.
o Colonial Charminar Gate now delivers 2 Sowars and 1 Stable Wagon.
o Charminar Gate Wonder: now gives +10% Elephant base hitpoints and damage aura, in addition to what it already gives. (Needs testing).
o Fortress Agra hitpoints increased to 5000, damage to 40, caption to 80, and anti-ship attack to 150.
o Industrial Agra hitpoints increased to 7500, damage to 75, caption to 150, range increased to 26, LOS to 34, and anti-ship attack to 200.
o Imperial Agra hitpoints increased to 8500, damage to 125, caption to 250, range to 28, LOS to 36, and anti-ship attack to 300.
o Delhi Gate upgrade: now also gives Agra Forts +2.0 Range and LOS, but now costs 200 wood, 200 coin (up from 150 wood, 150 coin). The Fortress Agra and the Imperial Agra recieve just +25% damage (instead of +50%), plus the Colonial Agra recieves +20% HP (to makes it 5000), and the Fortress Agra recieves +30% HP (to make it 6500).
o Red Fort upgrade: now also gives Agra Forts +2.0 Range and LOS, but now costs 300 wood, 300 coin (up from 200 wood, 200 coin). All Agra Forts now receive +50% damage as well (instead of only Colonial Agra), but the Fortress Agra recieves +62.5% damage (to make it 75 damage) and the Colonial Agra recieves +62.5% HP (to make it 7500 Total HP).
o Industrial Agra delivers 7 Gurkha and upgrades Delhi Gate upgrade free.
o Imperial Agra delivers 14 Gurkha, and upgrades Delhi Gate upgrade free.
o Gurkha Aid Card now gives Gurkha +0.5x bonus against Light Cavalry to match with Counter Infantry Rifling. Gurkha Aid also upgrades Counter Infantry Rifling Tech.
o Zamburack HP increased to 125, range increased to 11, and LOS to 14. Mansabdar Zamburack also affected.
o Disciplined Zamburack Tech: now gives Zamburacks just +1.0 Range and LOS (Down from +2.0 Range and LOS).
o Mahout cost reduced to 385 food, 235 wood, caption increased to 63 (up from 56), trample caption reduced to at 105 (down from 112). Bounty reduced to 62. Mansabdar reworked to new stats.
o Honored Mahout Tech gives Mahouts +0.15x bonus to Heavy Infantry. Mansabdar also affected.
o Monastary Crushing Force Tech (Stomp Upgrade): now also gives Mahouts +1.0 Area Attack.
o Siege Elephant cost reduced to 275 wood, 375 coin. Bounty reduced to 65. Mansabder reworked to new stats.
o Sepoy Rebellion Card: now costs 2200 wood (up from 2000 wood).
o Sacred Fields: build limit set to 1 in Discovery Age, with 10 sacred cow build limit; 2 in Colonial Age, with 20 sacred cow build limit; and 3 in Fortress Age, with 30 sacred cow build limit.
o Ritual Bovines Tech effect increased to +35% Sacred Field gathering (up from +25%).
o Honored Urumi Tech (Verumkai Urumi): now also gives Urumi a 0.75x multiplier against Arrow Knights.
Extra:
o Chakrams and Homecity Chakram armor increased to 0.60, hand attack increased to 11, penalty against cavalry reduced to 0.6x (up from 0.5x), and siege attack increased to 26 (up from 18).
o Jat Lancer hitpoints increased to 650. Repentant Jat Lancers are also affected (Jats were a bit fragile).
o Arsonist hitpoints increased to 320, speed increased to 4.50, caption increased from 48 to 63 (caption 2.25x original damage, which is standard for grenadiers), cost reduced to 285, hand attack increased to 17, Volley range increased to 14, LOS to 16. Repentant Arsonists are also affected.
o Hire Indian Arsonits Card: effect increased to deliver 7 Arsonists.
Aztec Change:
o Champion Arrow Knight Tech: now also gives Arrow Knights +1.75x bonus against Urumi Swordsman. This was done to give the Aztecs a reasonable lategame counter to Urumi.
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Herdable auto-XP rate has not yet been touched, which it seems it needs to be nerfed slightly. So far I have playtested and balanced quite a bit, but I want India to be beatable and not crazily OP. I am thinking of making the Ritual Bovines upgrade only give +30% Sacred Field XP gathering or just leave it unchanged at +25% Sacred Field XP gathering. Mughal Architecture is slightly nerfed, taking some of the spike out of India's boom and India's wall and castle spamming. India's '300' is nerfed indirectly by Sepoy nerf (needs an extra card to get former stats), slight Howdah boost, etc. Indian Infantry are balanced, as Gurkhas will also no longer be dominated in Skrim battles, Howdahs and Zamburacks are justified, Mahouts and Sowars are more all-rounded, and Flails and Siege Elephants can do their jobs. Siege Elephants are actually a bit in question right now; I may have to make it a bit less of a cost reduction, say 285 wood and 385 coin, with 67 XP bounty, or 285 wood and 400 coin, with 69 XP bounty, or just let them remain at their high cost. Any other thoughts? Maybe Portuguese Consulate changed to -10% ship and non-building coin costs (instead of -15% non-building coin costs)? Other than this, India is looking quite fine. But I give you the vote. I ask for you to give an evaluation of how you think it is.
regards,
murdilator
India is slightly slow in the beginning of the game. Sepoy are strong early game, but lack lategame upgrades, which balances them. They could use, however, an early nerf and lategame boost. Howdahs need more damage multiplier against cavalry. In fact, even Gurkha and Rajputs are lacking in upgrades - India needs a nerfed Sepoy and an Infantry Combat Card. Mahouts need more damage against heavy infantry lategame and more area attack lategame. Rajputs need more HP, less damage, increased multiplier vs cav, and less food cost. They also need an armor and speed boost lategame. Sowars are a little weak overall, but are too strong against skirmisher units - this causes imbalance. Zamburacks need a little more HP and range early on so that they don't die to hand cavalry in Colonial. Flail Elephants are a joke in a battle, and they cannot run away from danger, and are too cheap to train. Their overall design of current is awful, not being able to reach the building or artillery piece they are meant to destroy. Also, having only two Sacred Fields does not suffice as a civ "bonus," especially as India has an 8% XP penalty. Livestock autogathering may also be OP though, and may need to be nerfed to 0.08 or 0.05 (instead of 0.10). Lategame Agra Forts are almost useless as wonders and nobody ever uses them, Charminar Gate does not give much of a bonus, and Mansabdars do not have enough HP to survive battles. The Mughal Architecture Card, however is completely OP. Indian mercenary units, such as Arsonists and Jat Lancers, do not have enough HP, and Arsonists costed a bit too much and did not have enough speed, range, or damage caption. Chakrams also did not have a good enough damage output against cavalry. The Indian '300' is a bit too strong, and Urumi are too good against the Aztec military.
Let us go through what has been done to India in N3O Beta Patch 1.3. There is a vote between a 1 through 5, 1 being not very good and 5 being excellent, of how well this balances India. Any constructive criticism would be helpful.
INDIA
o India recieves +1 coin crate upon hitting Colonial Age.
o Sowar hitpoints increased to 235, hand attack increased to 22, (trample 14). Multiplier against infantry to 1.25x, 0.8x against Heavy Infantry. Mansabdar reworked to new stats.
o Camel Damage Card: effect reduced to 20%.
o Desert Terror Card gives Sowars +0.25x bonus against infantry, and -0.13x multiplier against Heavy Infantry. This increased the 1.25x/0.8x to a 1.5x/0.67x.
o Sepoy ranged attack reduced to 23, hand attack to 14. Mansabder reworked to new stats. (In order to match with other musketeers).
o Rajput hitpoints increased to 170, cost reduced to 75 food, 35 wood, hand attack reduced to 16, cover hand attack to 8, bonus against cavalry increased to 3.5x, bonus against Light infantry increased to 2.8x, LOS increased to 14 (up from 12). Bounty decreased to 11. Mansabdar reworked to new stats.
o 7 Rajputs Card: effect increased to deliver 8 Rajputs.
o 11 Rajputs Card: effect increased to deliver 12 Rajputs.
o 13 Rajputs Card: effect increased to deliver 14 Rajputs.
o Honored Rajput Tech: now also gives Rajputs +50% Armor (from 0.20 to 0.30).
o Dravidian Martial Arts Card: now also gives Rajputs +10% Speed (from 5.0 to 5.50).
o Native Trade Tax +1 Villager Card: Content replaced by Indian Infantry Combat, which gives Indian Infantry (Sepoys, Gurkhas, Rajputs, and Urumi) +15% Hitpoints and Attack. This is available in Fortress Age for India.
o Howdah multiplier against cavalry increased to 3.0x, multiplier against light infantry increased to 2.4x. Mansabdar reworked to new stats.
o Flail Elephant hitpoints increased to 375, cost increased to 140 food, 140 coin hand attack increased to 11, speed increased to 4.8, and siege attack increased to 110, with 2.0 ROF. Bounty increased to 28. Mansabdar reworked to new stats.
o Mansabdars now have the equivalent of 3x HP of their unit, and have improved personal armor. Also, Elephant Mansabdars, the Sowar Mansabdar and the Urumi Mansabdar now take up the equivalent of 1.5x population count of their standard unit counterpart.
o Colonial Charminar Gate now delivers 2 Sowars and 1 Stable Wagon.
o Charminar Gate Wonder: now gives +10% Elephant base hitpoints and damage aura, in addition to what it already gives. (Needs testing).
o Fortress Agra hitpoints increased to 5000, damage to 40, caption to 80, and anti-ship attack to 150.
o Industrial Agra hitpoints increased to 7500, damage to 75, caption to 150, range increased to 26, LOS to 34, and anti-ship attack to 200.
o Imperial Agra hitpoints increased to 8500, damage to 125, caption to 250, range to 28, LOS to 36, and anti-ship attack to 300.
o Delhi Gate upgrade: now also gives Agra Forts +2.0 Range and LOS, but now costs 200 wood, 200 coin (up from 150 wood, 150 coin). The Fortress Agra and the Imperial Agra recieve just +25% damage (instead of +50%), plus the Colonial Agra recieves +20% HP (to makes it 5000), and the Fortress Agra recieves +30% HP (to make it 6500).
o Red Fort upgrade: now also gives Agra Forts +2.0 Range and LOS, but now costs 300 wood, 300 coin (up from 200 wood, 200 coin). All Agra Forts now receive +50% damage as well (instead of only Colonial Agra), but the Fortress Agra recieves +62.5% damage (to make it 75 damage) and the Colonial Agra recieves +62.5% HP (to make it 7500 Total HP).
o Industrial Agra delivers 7 Gurkha and upgrades Delhi Gate upgrade free.
o Imperial Agra delivers 14 Gurkha, and upgrades Delhi Gate upgrade free.
o Gurkha Aid Card now gives Gurkha +0.5x bonus against Light Cavalry to match with Counter Infantry Rifling. Gurkha Aid also upgrades Counter Infantry Rifling Tech.
o Zamburack HP increased to 125, range increased to 11, and LOS to 14. Mansabdar Zamburack also affected.
o Disciplined Zamburack Tech: now gives Zamburacks just +1.0 Range and LOS (Down from +2.0 Range and LOS).
o Mahout cost reduced to 385 food, 235 wood, caption increased to 63 (up from 56), trample caption reduced to at 105 (down from 112). Bounty reduced to 62. Mansabdar reworked to new stats.
o Honored Mahout Tech gives Mahouts +0.15x bonus to Heavy Infantry. Mansabdar also affected.
o Monastary Crushing Force Tech (Stomp Upgrade): now also gives Mahouts +1.0 Area Attack.
o Siege Elephant cost reduced to 275 wood, 375 coin. Bounty reduced to 65. Mansabder reworked to new stats.
o Sepoy Rebellion Card: now costs 2200 wood (up from 2000 wood).
o Sacred Fields: build limit set to 1 in Discovery Age, with 10 sacred cow build limit; 2 in Colonial Age, with 20 sacred cow build limit; and 3 in Fortress Age, with 30 sacred cow build limit.
o Ritual Bovines Tech effect increased to +35% Sacred Field gathering (up from +25%).
o Honored Urumi Tech (Verumkai Urumi): now also gives Urumi a 0.75x multiplier against Arrow Knights.
Extra:
o Chakrams and Homecity Chakram armor increased to 0.60, hand attack increased to 11, penalty against cavalry reduced to 0.6x (up from 0.5x), and siege attack increased to 26 (up from 18).
o Jat Lancer hitpoints increased to 650. Repentant Jat Lancers are also affected (Jats were a bit fragile).
o Arsonist hitpoints increased to 320, speed increased to 4.50, caption increased from 48 to 63 (caption 2.25x original damage, which is standard for grenadiers), cost reduced to 285, hand attack increased to 17, Volley range increased to 14, LOS to 16. Repentant Arsonists are also affected.
o Hire Indian Arsonits Card: effect increased to deliver 7 Arsonists.
Aztec Change:
o Champion Arrow Knight Tech: now also gives Arrow Knights +1.75x bonus against Urumi Swordsman. This was done to give the Aztecs a reasonable lategame counter to Urumi.
----------
Herdable auto-XP rate has not yet been touched, which it seems it needs to be nerfed slightly. So far I have playtested and balanced quite a bit, but I want India to be beatable and not crazily OP. I am thinking of making the Ritual Bovines upgrade only give +30% Sacred Field XP gathering or just leave it unchanged at +25% Sacred Field XP gathering. Mughal Architecture is slightly nerfed, taking some of the spike out of India's boom and India's wall and castle spamming. India's '300' is nerfed indirectly by Sepoy nerf (needs an extra card to get former stats), slight Howdah boost, etc. Indian Infantry are balanced, as Gurkhas will also no longer be dominated in Skrim battles, Howdahs and Zamburacks are justified, Mahouts and Sowars are more all-rounded, and Flails and Siege Elephants can do their jobs. Siege Elephants are actually a bit in question right now; I may have to make it a bit less of a cost reduction, say 285 wood and 385 coin, with 67 XP bounty, or 285 wood and 400 coin, with 69 XP bounty, or just let them remain at their high cost. Any other thoughts? Maybe Portuguese Consulate changed to -10% ship and non-building coin costs (instead of -15% non-building coin costs)? Other than this, India is looking quite fine. But I give you the vote. I ask for you to give an evaluation of how you think it is.
regards,
murdilator