New Traits Suggestions?

Even better:

Unit:  Charge (extra damage inflicted if attacking on the move)

Unit:  Momentum (ability to push the target unit back a square)

If you're proposing to build traits assignable to specific Paths, then the Path of the Governor really could use some fleshing out.  Consider a series of Efficiency traits that improve the yield of resource squares around a specific city where the champion is located.  Perhaps a Recruiting trait that turns out city-built units slightly faster.

I've been thinking that the game would benefit in more variety of units by creating specific traits, like the slave or jug trait.

The idea is that each of the traits suggested gets unlocked with a tech, so as the game advances, new traits are available. Also, they can be attached to certain buildings (wich is almost the same, just have to build after the research, to gain access). Or even to a certain level of city (that would give a good excuse to upgrade to different kind of cities than now (strike garrison, +10%HP, and 20%-50% research are the typical now, no good excuse to change).

Let's go then:

- Magician trait. To create really magic units (the magic staff is just a special ranged weapon). Adding new traits for spells, we can get specific magicians, like monks (heal etc), summoners, druids (entangle, daze, web...), warlocks (flame dart, fireball, curse, etc). These units will give variety to the tactical combat. I know that is taking part of the role of the heroes, but this way we might access to magic schools that the heroes do not know. And magic is now reserved to heroes. Why?

- Administrators/governors. Yeah, why waste a hero on that path? Heroes should be in the battlefield, not taking dust in a room. Just allow us to create governant units with traits that increase gildar, production, research or growth, or to decrease unrest (a trait for each). And one of the most desired: a road builder unit!!! Now, all units are combat-oriented, so creating these units will give impulse to the develop of the empire, and not only killing. But with some decent gear, they will help in defending the cities too

- Master trainer. To create a unit specialized in improving the training of troops: less prduction (less time), less resources, more accuracy, more dodge,...a trait for each? They might require influence.

- Specific faction traits. Traits taken from the lore and the Paths, could be given to units, so they get more variety and uses. I can think in double strike, stun, or any other. List is long here. The best would be attaching them to a specific faction (or two). This way, we will get more difference playing each faction.

- Beast unit. Some factions could develop a unit with traits from beasts (web, poison, daze, bite, ...) without being mages. The wages would be half, and they could have negative traits too to give balance...

- Spies/scouts. I've seen the spy unit in a mod's post. Haven't tried, but I think in something more simple: The spy trait should have +1 light of sight and +1 movement. Should be invisible to the enemies too (stealth trait?). And should have the trait "not attacked by monsters" (optional but recomended). Other traits could be: counter-spy (show invisible units), stealer (robbing part of the resources of the nearest city), saboteur (decreases production, research and growth -by poisoning-). I think that destroying city buildings is not good idea (hard to implement? random building? Nah, better not, but the way is open).

So basically, what I'm proposing is to share the traits from heroes (and monsters) to the designing of units. Many of the traits are already created, the rest is just adapt from the spells.

Faction: Horselords (revised)

-> +0.5 horses per turn as a base, +50% horse production, +1 initiative/+1 dodge all mounts.

I have a mod that adds faction traits and features a Horselords trait.

DsRaider, yeah, I think I saw that shortly after I posted this.

That's the first thing on my mind -- yanking out some of those hero traits to be able to tack onto units.

The revision on horselords is a good idea.  As for the unit training mentioned by SOLOSOL, don't the current unrest modifiers that admins give help that out already?  I haven't played with it enough to be sure.

They only help if you've actually got unrest in your cities, which you generally shouldn't if you've been constructing the right buildings/etc and your city is in a developed state.

So, it should be easy enough to use the building's "unit training discount" and apply it to a trait... I'll play with it and see if I can get it to work.

The Path of the Governor is sadly just counterintuitive. You only get the benefit when you station the hero into a city, but he won't get XP (except maybe with an Adventurer guild) if he is located in said city.

I think that goes back to the "choices we make" thing.  It is counterintuitive, but I'm still deciding whether or not I like it.  Right now, I'm leaning toward like it -- I kind of dig not having everyone be a super-god at their jobs.

Yeah, it can totally be done -- I added it quickly as a defensive trait and assigned it to a combat unit, just to see if it would work.  It does -- when the unit was posted in the city, training times went down by 10%.

I could add levels of it to the governor path, or create a "Path of the drill sergeant" ( joking ) or something.  Ideas?

Path of the Governor should also gain an equivalent to the Adventurer Guild's improvement; getting XP from being stationned in a city.

And yes, "Drill Sergeant" would be a cool supplement to the Path of the Governor.

I got the magician trait going half-way the other day, trying to create a group of battlefield priests, but set it aside for other things.  I'll keep working on it.

As for the administrators, that's an interesting idea, but what's a fair trade-off then, massive reduction in strength to keep you from building ironclad bureaucrats, or just up the cost of such traits to make them too expensive to give across the board, or both?  And how would the AI use them (would the AI use them, or just waste time and money on them)?  It's worth a shot though, I'll see what I can come up with.

You are totally right. One of the main problems of them is how could be done to the AI to use them. I'm afraid, the only one who could give modders some light into this is Frogboy.

This one came to my mind when I hired a low level hero just to steal her spirit (and avoid AI to hire too). But something went wrong, the spell killed her but did not give me any trait. So I reloaded (yes, I found it justified :)) and trained her to get the POTG, to give growth and less unrest in my new cities. For one side, it has sense, for another, it is sad to have a champ from city to city, gaining no XP. The idea of having units for this, instead of heroes, came quick. It is like the building road trait...can it be serious to have a hero building roads?

I've recently found that building consulates in outposts increases growth in cities. But they take long to build.  But can be stacked, for what I read in a Tuidjy's Post. A unit specialized in governing tasks would be appreciated for those cities that are built in poor tiles, just to avoid AI expansion.

To nerf these units, I suggest (note that any numbers are totally arbitrary):

- Governor trait. -5% unrest, +1 growth, -25 weight capacity. This way, they will not carry too much armor/weapons.

Other way to avoid them OP is make the trait like jugernauts: only shields. Or like resoln: only leather. So they will only specialize in governing. They should be allowed to get a pack of only 3, not more (useless? burocratic payment? xD). Why give them a boreal sword? the function of these units is to stay in a city, far from the battle and the XP, so why would anyone build expensive war machines? Anyway, maybe it is possible to avoid them get high level equipment.

The 2 traits left, should be used for Researcher (+1 research) and Merchant (+1 gildar). It would be interesting to create a "Manufacturer" trait, that increases production (+1 material? +4 to production/essence like the obsession spell? ).Maybe they should be stackable, to create pure researchers, merchants or producers.

If you finally find a way to get them go, I'd love to see it

Judging by what I've done so far, I think all of this can be done fairly easily.

As for the AI... there is an "AI Priority" that can be set, though I haven't done much with it.  I'll play with it after I get the meat set up on these.