Available Kingdoms

[HeadHoncho]

Here's a suggestion, 24 total Kingdoms, divided 8 per alignment (good, neutral, evil). Flexible on choices and starting locations for players, but there must be 4 Kingdoms of each alignment in each game.

Good Kingdoms
AN - Mostly as current
DW - Mostly as current
EL - Mostly as current
GI - Mostly as current
PA - Strong ideology makes their pop centers harder to move
RA - Mostly as current
SD - Silver Dragons, adding a good dragon Kingdom focusing even more on magic, combat and movement between BL and RD
WA - Mostly as current

Evil Kingdoms
BL - Mostly as current
DA - Mostly as current
DE - Mostly as current
GN - Mostly as current
IN - Inquisition, splinter sect from the Paladins, fewer in quantity but even better cavalry, and stronger dark magic
TR - Mostly as current, with higher upkeep costs
UR - Weaker than TR troops, but with truly cheap upkeep costs and better emissaries
WI - Mostly as current

Neutral Kingdoms
BA - Lots of troops, low-medium upkeep, can recruit Veterans instead of Recruits, bonuses against pop centers
HA - Can trade with computer at 2-1 or 3-2 rates (this would be a huge advantage in itself)
NO - Special cavalry orders
RD - Mostly as current
SO - Mostly as current
SW (possibly renamed to Lizard Kings) - Lots of troops, low-medium upkeep, can swampwalk (teleport to other swamp squares as a group's sole order)
UN - Mostly as current
WE - Emissary bonuses similar to DA/EL

You could also add certain bonuses for alignment (goods and evils fighting each other receive bonuses, goods have bonuses to 170 and evils have bonuses to 160 and 180, goods and evils cannot trade with each other, neutrals have political benefits, etc... maybe it could even be a limited menu of selections that each Kingdom of a particular alignment can choose at game start).

There would be a Standard Victory Condition (maybe control of three regions), a Secret Victory Condition (something less), and a Team Victory Condition (your alignment controls five regions).

Anyway, just a thought! I tried organizing things so each alignment would have a Dragon Kingdom, a cavalry Kingdom, a political Kingdom, a magic Kingdom, etc.

PS: Natural enemy pairings:

AN-DE
DW-GN
EL-DA
PA-IN
SD-BL
BA-UR
NO-TR
RD-GI
SO-WA
SW(LK)-WI
WE-RA
HA: None
UN: None

[Cargus10]

Regarding what you just posted, I had been thinking about the Nomads. I would think they would get a ton of light cavalry and horse archers (more even than they got in 1st cycle), have excellent mobility (only behind the dragons), and I'd give them a bonus when attacking or threatening a pop center. Also, being nomadic and all, give them a special order that allows them to relocate their capital for no gold cost (though it still uses up the turn for the king and anyone at the capital). Their spell lists should get the "Mask" spells a level quicker, maybe as well

Just a thought. I do like your ideas, but how hard will it be to create the new kingdoms? And I note the "goods" don't have a "horde" kingdom, while the "evils" have 2 (UR and TR) and the "neutrals" have 1 (BA). Not sure there's an easy way to change that, though. Also not sure natural enemies should even be in the game, as some would have an enemy playing and some wouldn't.

[HeadHoncho]

Regarding what you just posted, I had been thinking about the Nomads. I would think they would get a ton of light cavalry and horse archers (more even than they got in 1st cycle), have excellent mobility (only behind the dragons), and I'd give them a bonus when attacking or threatening a pop center.

I like all of that, although I'm not sure on the 150/180 issue, as that might be a bit too much power. Maybe have their pursue order do more damage, as well?

Also, being nomadic and all, give them a special order that allows them to relocate their capital for no gold cost (though it still uses up the turn for the king and anyone at the capital).

LOVE this, although maybe something like not penalizing them a point of influence if they lose their capital could work in a similar fashion. Or if we want to get really radical, we could say they have no capital at all (not sure how that would work, just brainstorming with you).

Their spell lists should get the "Mask" spells a level quicker, maybe as well

Yes, I think customizing spell lists in general would be another really great way to differentiate the various Kingdoms.

Just a thought. I do like your ideas, but how hard will it be to create the new kingdoms?

Not sure, but I'm hoping not too hard, since I'm modeling them off of existing Kingdoms and concepts.

And I note the "goods" don't have a "horde" kingdom, while the "evils" have 2 (UR and TR) and the "neutrals" have 1 (BA). Not sure there's an easy way to change that, though.

This was more of a thematic choice, as traditionally "good" alignments in fiction have slanted away from mass hordes, it's usually the goods who are opposing the mass hordes. Plus there tends to be more of a value placed on life, which would militate against the concept.

In terms of military might, the goods might have the general edge, anyway, although it will definitely be a quality vs. quantity point.

Also not sure natural enemies should even be in the game, as some would have an enemy playing and some wouldn't.

Fair point. Maybe shuffle them up so that three goods are randomized as natural enemies against three evils, with two neutrals having natural enemies (one on each side), and the last two having none (this would inherently be an advantage for the neutrals, so we may not need much more than that if there's a set of benefits for each alignment).

[Cargus10]

Ooh, yeah, I like the idea of a boost to "Pursue" orders. I'l likewise reduce or remove the morale penalty for "Intercept" orders.

The point behind the bonus to 150 was because cavalry kind of sucks at fighting cities, but they have a scary reputation for pillaging. Maybe only a 10% bonus to the 180 and nothing on the 150?