A bit off topic but remember to add your mods to Paradox Plaza please!

I will not install mods yet but I do have a concern regarding the unit variety. The way the game is balanced is that tomes fill out many of the gaps in unit rosters but this one seems to have everything except skirmishers but plenty of unit variety. I fear that it could cause tome units to become redundant, especially ones that thematically fit such as Tome of the Glades.

I suggest giving some units to tomes or at a later date make a separate version of the mod that places some units into tomes.

Originally posted by That Human:

I will not install mods yet but I do have a concern regarding the unit variety. The way the game is balanced is that tomes fill out many of the gaps in unit rosters but this one seems to have everything except skirmishers but plenty of unit variety. I fear that it could cause tome units to become redundant, especially ones that thematically fit such as Tome of the Glades.

I suggest giving some units to tomes or at a later date make a separate version of the mod that places some units into tomes.

This mod is meant to follow in ECU as such it has more than normal, what will happen is that some units are likely going to change their types around to be more thematic and to reduce the redudancies. They're not supposed to take the place of Tomes, tomes are still stronger than much of what you find here.

Tome Units will also get an overhaul in a separate mod so it follows nicely with CBT, that way you can get thematic tome units, but this is not going to happen until I've had the chance to churn out some proper meshes for armor and weapons.

I see, my problem with that mod is that it removes a lot of the distinct personalities of each culture, such as giving Mystic archers which goes against their core design philosophy.

Originally posted by That Human:

I see, my problem with that mod is that it removes a lot of the distinct personalities of each culture, such as giving Mystic archers which goes against their core design philosophy.

There are pros and cons to both. The current roster is far too restrictive of each culture.
While I get that Cultures should specialize that, if you ask me, should mean that other aspects of the culture should be worse.

Hench why melee units receive a hefty nerf in this mod, to emphasize the range play. So, if you pick tomes with say Shield or Pikeman units those units are going to completely outdo what you have access to yourself.

Changes that is to come to the roster:
- Glade Guard --> Skirmisher
- Wildwood Rangers --> Fighters and changed to Wardancers
- Eternal Guard --> Proper Shield unit with a spear, first strike and giant slayer.
- Tree Kin --> Moved to their own Tome.

That means that you have:
- Tier 1 x3 Base Units + Scout
- Tier 2 x4 Base Units
- Tier 3 x3 Base Units

Note that many of their units are simply upgrades to previous tiers, not a "new" unit in and off itself which is also why the roster feels.. Full. They have 3 Ranged Units. As such you are supposed to "upgrade" them down the line ;). I could, of course employ the evolve mechanic.. Thinking of which.. That's honestly not a bad idea.

For the moment they cover: Shock, Shield, Ranged, Support, Battle Mage, Pikeman

Just finished a quick 50+ turn test run and here are my impressions.

Issues:
- Unless picking a culture trait or a tome that gives you extra starting units or quick access to additional units, starts can be really rough on higher difficulties as the culture itself lacks proper melee units.
- All three Eternal Guard and Mystic Guard units have too high upkeep, especially early on, and animals from Wildlife Sanctuary and Garden of Life are much better melee options.
- Garden of Life does not provide any bonuses, aside from the ability to recruit animals. Having to rush it in order to be able to get your proper melee units leaves the player starved for resources, in addition to slowing them down for a couple of turns. (THIS IS THE BIGGEST ISSUE)
- Dryads are useless. They can dish out okish damage early on but if they get targeted they are almost certainly dead, making recruiting them as melee early on just a waste of resources. They should also be able to build camps.
- Healing and regeneration are most underwhelming combat mechanics in the game.
- Awakening of the Woods is comepletely useless. When it would be able to dish out okish damage, you have no melee units to use it on. By the time you get proper melee units, it's damage becomes abysmal.
- Lack of high tier battle mage units.
- T4 building gives nothing.

Suggestions (mechanics/balance):
- Make Dryads into a proper melee fighter or ranged units with an upkeep that's paid in gold and make Eternal Guard a trashy, cheap alternative.
- Add proper Scout units. Either humanoids that can build caps, or animals that have increased movement speed. Or add tier 2 scout units that are mounted humanoids and have both increased speed and can build camps. (Crow, eagle, or eagle mounted scouts would be cool.)
- Garden of Life and/or Wildlife Sanctuary should both give food, draft and production for each adjecent forest or swamp. In additoin, they should both be counted as either forests or pastures, not as forester. To balance it out, a penalty for each forester or quarry should be given (foresters cut the woods, they don't preserve them.)
- Making the culture Nature + Materium based would both make more sense aesthetically and mechanically. Nature being life and Materium being earth goes well together and would make picking higher tier materium tomes like Terramancy come more naturally (pun intended), without having to pick materium tomes or traits we don't need.
- Buff healing and regenerative abilities on support units and spells.
- Awakening of the Woods needs a complete rework. Either make it a proper damaging spell, or even better, make it a combat summon spell to add up for the missing early melee units.

Suggestions (aesthetic):
- Everyone needs less clothes. They should look more like members of barbarian society and less like mixture of feutal and high society.
- Crystal Forest or Tree of Life ancient wonder models could be good place holders for city models until you are done with unique city models. Maybe they could even eliminate the need for them.
- Spellsingers look weird as hell on lizards.
- Some people like evil druids and plague druids. Wildlife Sanctuary and Garden of Life could use more neutral names so they don't contradict with evil playthroughs. They should also look more like forests and less like farms.
- There is a skirt model in game that is made out of leaves and goes well with both male and female models. You should use it.
- Primal would be a good and fitting culture name. Signifying the meaning of primal forces of life/spirit and earth/matter. Forestdwelling, Wooddwelling or Naturedwelling arre also cool.

In order of issues:
1. Start is as any other culture, you get 2 units if you start on brutal. I've played on brutal and have had no issues so far without extra units.
2. There's only two Eternal Guards and no Mystic units unless we're talking about the Tree Kin.
- None of them are supposed to be good at damage, it's the entire premise of the Culture. They excel in Range and somewhat in magic, but their melee units do subpar damage in return. They cost the same as all other units from all other races.
3. Garden of Life provides 10 Food and access to animal. That's more than what Demon Gate lets you have.
4. Dryads is a scout unit and can be used as a cheap early game melee unit. Like other scouts they are not good.
5. Okay, but this is a life faction. They focus on buffs and healing, not pew pew spells and their Support units and spells reflect this.
6. I know Awakening is a little bit on the weak side compared to other factions starting spell. I am working on improving the damage of it. It was never supposed to be a strong spell, but it is supposed to be a cheap spell and currently it costs a wee tad too much and does too little damage.
7. This is not Mystic faction, you get a strong ranged archer and a support unit at Tier 4.
8. T3 gives you Nature Sanctuary, T4s do not have to give you anything. In fact Barbarians do not get anything from T4, like Life and Dark they get it at T3.

In order of suggestions.
1. That's a hard pass. It's not a melee unit you should bring into battle. It's a scout unit that you can use early on.
2. No scouts that can build camps, this is not a barbarian culture. If they get anything it's an outpost sort of thing that may give them some temporary stuff, but nothing that can be made into a city.
3. Garden of Life is model on Demon Gate and should not be giving extra things, it's enough that you get to recruit animals that can evovle into stronger units and adds a +10 food.
4. That's a hard pass. This is not a materium culture and was never intended as such. It is modeled on a faction from GW.
5. I will look into buffing the support abilities and awakening.

Aesthetics:
1. Actually everyone needs more clothes. Again, this is not a barbarian culture, it's based om Wood Elves and they are surprising more dressed than you'd think.
2. That's sadly not possible as the models are far too big making walls and city districts clip the models. The game needs city districts or it throws a fit. I tried.
3. Yeah, nothing I can do about Lizard.. They are bugged as is.
4. This is based on Wood Elves. Currently their description is a placeholder, but the intention is to have The Wild Hunt, Isolationist and Prosperous.
- The Wild Hunt alignment agenda takes effect giving you +Draft and +Happiness per Happiness when evil. Cost reduction per alignment level below evil.
- Isolationist gives +5/10/20 food/mana/knowledge per level above neutral happiness when you are neutral.
- Prosperous gives +5/10/20 Gold/Production and 1/2/5 imperium per happiness level when good.
5. Evil in Wood Elves doesn't mean they are any less lovey-dovey with Nature. It just means they will murder everyone else that gets in their way - see Wild Hunt.
- They're not going to be using that skirt, see 1.
- They should be called Wood Elves, but there's more than just Elves in this game so, no. I am looking into another name as Life is just a placeholder.

Originally posted by That Human:

I see, my problem with that mod is that it removes a lot of the distinct personalities of each culture, such as giving Mystic archers which goes against their core design philosophy.

The game is extremely easy and the culture lack of specific unit types is addressed in less than 10 turns, maybe 15 with the tomes. Your complain is about lore rather than gameplay, and this mod would pertain to gameplay and flavor rather than lore and balance, doesn't it? I use expanded culture units which fills the gaps for the rest of the cultures (somewhat) and more than giving me access to units I wouldn't get, it just gives me the option to go for one aesthetic. Also, around the time it takes you to get new units from tomes you would have made 1-3 tier 1 units with the draft speed available early on so your initial stack which is the most useful barely changes by adding mods... And you should be going scouts early on IMO.

Originally posted by Raizan:

A bit off topic but remember to add your mods to Paradox Plaza please!

Bumping this, haven't been able to try this mod yet.

Mmm, I am rolling out some balance stuff today and then we'll see how the race performs.
Amongst others:
- Glade Guards gets Quick Stab and Slippery - defense and resistances bumped to 1/1
- Deepwood Scouts gains Slippery - defense and resistances bumped to 2/2.
- Waywatchers gain Slippery and Free Marked ability - defense and resistances bumped to 3/3.
- Eternal Guard gets Nature's Guard - a frontal AoE taunt that grants them 2 defense and 1 resistance.
- Eternal Guard (Shield) also gets Nature's Guard on top of a passive Shield Wall which gives 1 defense and resistance to itself and everyone around it if next to one other unit.
- Wildwood Rangers have have been bumped to 16 damage charge and gain a free ability once per battle to dump 1 defense and 1 resistance, but in turn gains Spirit Frenzy giving strengthened on attack for 3 turns.
- Unsure what to do with Wild Riders for now and Tree Kin will get a balance pass once they get moved to their appropriate Tome.

- Mystifying Miasma has gotten a 6 Damage DoT component for 3 turns - still a 2 turn cd .
- Enfeebling Foe is a leave 1 action point cast (ranged reduced to 4), that should improve action economy a fair bit and make it a valuable - still on a 2 turn cd.
- Awakening of the Woods have been buffed to 15 damage and had cost slashed by half it also applies Slowed as it should always have done.
- Nature's Grace gives +10 Temp HP on Cast and Dispels negative effects in a 2 radius area around supports.

Eternal guard wit shield tend to lock combat in eternal loop