So what's the deal with HP in this mod? It really seems to random. Dragons have less HP than some weeny human units! Darklings have like 9hp, a bear has hundreds upon hundreds--often more than most dragons and high level monsties as well. I really don't understand the thought process behind it.
Movement points have the same really strange variability. A bear has 9 moves... a horseman has four. I really just don't get it. I want to like this mod because I like the proposed goals of ramping up the game world's difficulty but so many stat values have these gigantic differences.
Few other notes--the XP generation on the Governor path doesn't seem to be firing. I've had one governor stationed in my capital since the beginning of my game, and he still has 10/39xp to level three a hundred turns later.
A lot of tooltips seem broken or incomplete as well. If you want a list I can probably generate one without too much trouble.
I have not updated the Mod Explanations with this, but the mod works on some more complicated concepts than the vanilla. You see, there are 4 types of defense: Armor, Hitpoints, Resistance, Dodge. Any unit will have some combination of these to represent their ability to stay alive in battle. Each one requires a specific tactic to counter it. Armor and Hitpoints are the most common, the mundane defenses. Armor reflects a unit's ability to not be damaged by an incoming blow. Mechanically, it reduces the maximum attack of the oncoming blow. Hitpoints reflect a unit's ability to take a blow and continue fighting. Each unit has a level of damage it can take before falling in battle. Mechanically, more Hitpoints are given to extremely tough units.
As you point out, bears have a very high toughness, but bear little armor, if you'll excuse the pun. The effect is a unit that takes alot of damage before succumbing to its wounds. The best weapons to use against will be a fast weapon with high damage. High numbers are the main advantage to try against a bear. I don't know how many bear attacks you have seen, but they go into a frenzy, becoming belligerent killing machines. To this end, they have high Hitpoints and Maul. They also have high Initiative and Movement, lending to a fast and frenzied attack that can only be stopped by total destruction of the beast. As to horses vs. bears, horses are better at movement over long distances. Bears can move extremely fast in tactical battles, but are less mobile over long periods of time, fitting into the idea of a frenzy of power.
On the other side of this is the Dragon. These units have high armor, but less Hitpoints than something like a bear. They have less Initiative but many moves. This reflects their incredibly thick scales and ability to fly. We don't actually have a flying mechanic in battle, but you might expect to see a mock teleport to represent this later on. A Dragon is an ancient and intelligent beast. Extremely long lives make such a unit deadly, but perhaps also thoughtful in battle. So they should have less of a frenzied mentality and more of an overpowering combination of abilities and armor. The counter is armor piercing weapons and building up enough armor to survive the devastating attacks. The unit also has immunity to elemental damage and a high resistance to magic, making your choice of tactics more narrow. A strong high level hero or party of heroes can slice and dice a Dragon much better than hordes of infantry.
This general idea has been installed in each monster and unit, including unit design. As time passes, you will begin to get a feel for the personality of each monster. We will also be adding unique features to better represent their attributes. Certainly this is all necessary to keep from each fight against every monster feel exactly the same. Each case of a stat has been reviewed and balanced to give more depth to the tactical and strategic sides of the game. It is something we are always working on. Please bring up any instances you feel could be improved.
Governor's Path is not currently finished. I am still working on getting XP to generate and trying to set up a series of balanced paths for it. It will be much more like a superior version of the governors in Endless Space when I am through.
I would appreciate a list of any incorrect tooltips. The explanation and cosmetic aspects of the mod are the biggest flaws. User feedback can shore this up.
