Features a compact set of 25 non-invasive improvements, designed for Medieval Siege play from beginners to experts.
Heavily focused on Dark to early Castle Age. This is NOT meant to balance civilizations NOR to reduce Hun War occurences, but to open any mirror matchup to more strategies, hence making AoC more fun.
Largely inspired by CarlosFerdinand/John_Mendi AoC Balance Patch with UP, pro players argumentation onto AoCZone, a pinch of inspiration from Cysion's AoF, and my personal experience watching expert streamed/recorded games.
I would love to know all your feelings about it so that a coherent patch can be made out of it soon, it is really easy to do.
Heavily focused on Dark to early Castle Age. This is NOT meant to balance civilizations NOR to reduce Hun War occurences, but to open any mirror matchup to more strategies, hence making AoC more fun.
Largely inspired by CarlosFerdinand/John_Mendi AoC Balance Patch with UP, pro players argumentation onto AoCZone, a pinch of inspiration from Cysion's AoF, and my personal experience watching expert streamed/recorded games.
I would love to know all your feelings about it so that a coherent patch can be made out of it soon, it is really easy to do.
I) Gameplay changes
1- Enemy units can't be seen under unbuilt foundations; while placing a building, it won't turn red under enemy units. Terrain texture no longer changes in fog of war under unscouted enemy buildings.
2- Boars +1/+2 attack against Scout Cavalry/Eagle Warriors.
II) Buildings
3 - House, Lumber Camp, Mill, Mining Camp, Blacksmith -25% HP.
4 - Barracks, Stables, Archery Ranges give +5 population room starting from Feudal Age; stay at 1500 HP after Feudal.
5 - Palissade Walls 2W => 3W; Stone Walls 5S => 6S, +1s building time per section. Stone Walls/Gates half HP before Castle Age.
Houses, Palissade Walls considered as Stone Defenses (see point 17 -)
6 - Outposts cost 25W 10S => 25W 5S. Guard Tower +1 arrow, +1 attack; Keep +3 arrows, +3 attack (compared to old Keep).
Castle building time returned to AoK values, 150s instead of 200s - Spanish Castle still built in 140s for balance purposes -.
III) Units rendered viable for more civs
7 - Standard infantry cost 60F 20G => 50F 20G after Feudal Age.
8 - Cavalry Archer-line cost 40W 70G => 40W 60G.
IV) Huge balance issues/bug corrections
9 - Aztec military bonus staggered: 5% Feudal, 10% Castle, 15% Imperial. Free Loom replaced by get 50G hitting Feudal Age.
10 - Goth infantry cost -25% (was -35%) starting from Feudal - but with cheaper standard infantry, they cost almost identical -.
+5 attack vs boar replaced (useless as boar lure wasn't known when this "eco bonus" was born) by hunted meat last 20% longer.
11 - Hun Cavalry Archers cost -10% Castle/-20% Imperial - but with cheaper CA, they cost almost identical -.
12 - Maya ressources last 15% longer instead of 20%, Archer discount -10% Feudal/-15% Castle/-20% Imperial.
13 - Spanish trade bonus 25% instead of 33% - means 40 Spanish trade carts is the equivalent of 50 -.
14 - Vikings warships discout staggered -10% Feudal/-15% Castle/-20% Imperial, infantry +20% HP starting from Feudal.
15 - Fervor is now working, TCs and Castles are affected by Chemistry, Elite Janissaries created as fast as normal ones.
V) Drush FC to Xbow/CA rebalanced
16 - Militia-line created in 25s in Dark Age - same than villies - 17s in Feudal Age and after, instead of 21s in all ages.
17 - All infantry except Spears/Eagles get 6 bonus against Stone Defenses (Houses, Palissade and Stone Walls, Towers, Castles) like Villagers.
18 - Archers and Xbows -2.5% speed (equal to Villagers with Wheelbarrow), Xbows created 5s faster than Archers instead of 8s.
19 - Crossbowman and Long Swordsman research cost swapped - Crossbowman cost 200F 65G; LS cost 125F 75G -
20 - Elite Skirmisher research cost -50W -60G (200W 100G). Castle Age Eagles created as fast as Knights, 30s instead of 35s.
VI) Balance wood & gold military (range units)/food & gold military (melee units) better.
21 - Hand Cart cost less 250F 175W (instead of 300F 200W).
22 - Tracking cost 50F, same research time as Horse Collar; Husbandry and Squires cost -50F;
Squires reduces by 20% training time for Infantry created in Castles as a secondary effect.
23 - Forging, Iron Castling, Blast Furnace same research time as Fletching-line.
VII) Water play
24 - Fire Ship moves as fast as Fast Fire Ship - means slightly faster than War Galleys -
Demolition Ship-line attack redesigned to exactly one-shot equivalent Fire Ships, recieve +1 ship armor.
VIII) Team games & trading
25- Cartography free to research (still takes 65s to research); Coinage and Banking cost +50F +50G;
Trade Cogs generate 30% gold.
1- Enemy units can't be seen under unbuilt foundations; while placing a building, it won't turn red under enemy units. Terrain texture no longer changes in fog of war under unscouted enemy buildings.
2- Boars +1/+2 attack against Scout Cavalry/Eagle Warriors.
II) Buildings
3 - House, Lumber Camp, Mill, Mining Camp, Blacksmith -25% HP.
4 - Barracks, Stables, Archery Ranges give +5 population room starting from Feudal Age; stay at 1500 HP after Feudal.
5 - Palissade Walls 2W => 3W; Stone Walls 5S => 6S, +1s building time per section. Stone Walls/Gates half HP before Castle Age.
Houses, Palissade Walls considered as Stone Defenses (see point 17 -)
6 - Outposts cost 25W 10S => 25W 5S. Guard Tower +1 arrow, +1 attack; Keep +3 arrows, +3 attack (compared to old Keep).
Castle building time returned to AoK values, 150s instead of 200s - Spanish Castle still built in 140s for balance purposes -.
III) Units rendered viable for more civs
7 - Standard infantry cost 60F 20G => 50F 20G after Feudal Age.
8 - Cavalry Archer-line cost 40W 70G => 40W 60G.
IV) Huge balance issues/bug corrections
9 - Aztec military bonus staggered: 5% Feudal, 10% Castle, 15% Imperial. Free Loom replaced by get 50G hitting Feudal Age.
10 - Goth infantry cost -25% (was -35%) starting from Feudal - but with cheaper standard infantry, they cost almost identical -.
+5 attack vs boar replaced (useless as boar lure wasn't known when this "eco bonus" was born) by hunted meat last 20% longer.
11 - Hun Cavalry Archers cost -10% Castle/-20% Imperial - but with cheaper CA, they cost almost identical -.
12 - Maya ressources last 15% longer instead of 20%, Archer discount -10% Feudal/-15% Castle/-20% Imperial.
13 - Spanish trade bonus 25% instead of 33% - means 40 Spanish trade carts is the equivalent of 50 -.
14 - Vikings warships discout staggered -10% Feudal/-15% Castle/-20% Imperial, infantry +20% HP starting from Feudal.
15 - Fervor is now working, TCs and Castles are affected by Chemistry, Elite Janissaries created as fast as normal ones.
V) Drush FC to Xbow/CA rebalanced
16 - Militia-line created in 25s in Dark Age - same than villies - 17s in Feudal Age and after, instead of 21s in all ages.
17 - All infantry except Spears/Eagles get 6 bonus against Stone Defenses (Houses, Palissade and Stone Walls, Towers, Castles) like Villagers.
18 - Archers and Xbows -2.5% speed (equal to Villagers with Wheelbarrow), Xbows created 5s faster than Archers instead of 8s.
19 - Crossbowman and Long Swordsman research cost swapped - Crossbowman cost 200F 65G; LS cost 125F 75G -
20 - Elite Skirmisher research cost -50W -60G (200W 100G). Castle Age Eagles created as fast as Knights, 30s instead of 35s.
VI) Balance wood & gold military (range units)/food & gold military (melee units) better.
21 - Hand Cart cost less 250F 175W (instead of 300F 200W).
22 - Tracking cost 50F, same research time as Horse Collar; Husbandry and Squires cost -50F;
Squires reduces by 20% training time for Infantry created in Castles as a secondary effect.
23 - Forging, Iron Castling, Blast Furnace same research time as Fletching-line.
VII) Water play
24 - Fire Ship moves as fast as Fast Fire Ship - means slightly faster than War Galleys -
Demolition Ship-line attack redesigned to exactly one-shot equivalent Fire Ships, recieve +1 ship armor.
VIII) Team games & trading
25- Cartography free to research (still takes 65s to research); Coinage and Banking cost +50F +50G;
Trade Cogs generate 30% gold.
I'm open for any questions, I will limit myself to two posts per page max. to avoid any "Philippe le Napoleon" effect which is one of my biggest defaults, I will reply nicely even if you insult me except if you touch my family. :evil: