[Faction] The Væringjar - 1.0.0 zip available

[Cloud]

Proper base frames for the sprites is probably highest on the priority list, the work I've been doing so far is just Frankensteins from both Mainline and UMC, I'd rather have properly separate sprites if possible (or sprites that are markedly different from the base images they came from).

If you're up for that it's literally a case of picking a unit and depicting it as you see fit (so long as it has the correct weapons of course ). There should be a reasonable amount of information on the wiki page I created, but if you want more then don't hesitate to ask.

And don't feel you have to keep with the images I've already made, I was doing the best with my (bad) skills, and giving me something to look at whilst testing the faction out in game (I intend to release once I have at least one working image for each unit).

I'm open to suggestions too, should you have any .

Thanks very much for offering, and I'm really looking forward to seeing this faction grow.

[Girgistian]

Allright then, I'll pick one of them and start working Quite possibly the fyrd, since it's the first one on the wiki page.

Btw, since there's far very few ranged units so far (which I feel is a good thing for a faction like this), what would you think if the huscarl had a two-handed beard-axe and a bunch of throwing axes? The axe's blunt side could be used as a (notably weaker) impact attack, and the throwing axes as a minor ranged attack (5-2, 8-1, mayhaps?)
I'm all up for a unit with dual axes, but this would be closer to the real life huscarls, as far as I know.

Just throwing out ideas, I finished a 19-page essay on vikings a couple of weeks ago so I can't help it.

[Cloud]

Awesome .

Yeah, I think that's a nice idea (possibly extending the thrown axes to the Carl too to give a little more ranged into MP?), I also agree with the weak impact attack (again probably extended to the Carl). I'll look at making those changes.

Keep the ideas coming , it's always good to get more opinions, especially by those who know the subject well .

[Girgistian]

Fyrd's base sprite has been done and is open for comments and critique, I'll just create a topic to art workshop and post it there.

EDIT: Yeah, extending the impact attack to the carl as well might be a good idea (and I see you already made the changes too ). I recognize the huscarl's new description as well. Wikipedia, tsk tsk. Throwing axes weren't as "dishonourable" as bows, btw.
One thing I'm not sure about is the amount of cavalry they currently have... This is really just talk though, keep them if you wish, but I just wanted you to know that in actual viking culture cavalry was very rare, and most of the troops that rode to combat actually dismounted before the fight started. My opinion would be that these guys could probably stand with very little cavalry, but have a lot of somewhat mobile infantry instead - maybe they could even be able to move on water and snow tiles easier than other factions, and suffer less of a penalty when fighting on frozen tiles like ice or snow.

As of now they have also have just five L1 units, which doesn't give a lot of variety to choose from - what would you think if the horseman line dropped the current fimbuljór (the rökr and vårökr seem very much like him anyway, and there's the dís line too) and around 2-3 infantry units were added?

Again, I'm just throwing ideas, you're obviously the one with the authority. If you'd be willing to add the units, however, I could have a few in mind. A sort of a raider (plyndrer?) comes to mind immediately, with a sword and a torch, of course. The blade attack couldn't be too powerful, though. Reading the huscarl's description makes me think of using the frenzy ability that the ulfzerker has. Two ideas pop up:
1. The huscarl could have attacks of lower amount of damage, but with the frenzy ability. This could replace the original 11-4 attack, so that it wouldn't have too many different kinds of attacks, and so that it wouldn't be overpowered.
2. The Vaeringjar could have a shaman unit that provides the surrounding units with the frenzy ability (mushrooms, anyone?), but lowers their attack power to 50-70%.

Whaddaya think?

[Cloud]

Yeah, I went a bit mad on the Calvary line, I'll probably end up cutting a few units out here and there, perhaps even make the Fana Cultivate a L2 ground unit rather L3 mounted.

Plyndrer line... like the sound of that , though what would you feel to having a morning star/mace/ball on chain style of weapon and not a sword?

Yeah, wikipedia , I'm probably going to re-write it some more, without the site up beside it, to get it away from that feel. I'll clear some things out, iron wrinkles out, etc.

A shaman would be pretty awesome, stuffing everyone's mouth full of 'shrooms and filling their cups with mead

Just been called into work now, I'll finish up when I get back.

[Girgistian]

I thought about the advancing from cavalry to infantry as well, but forgot to mention it. This is starting to look real nice

Plyndrer line... like the sound of that , though what would you feel to having a morning star/mace/ball on chain style of weapon and not a sword?

Hell yeah, then they'd have a L1 impact unit as well. L2 = ildhammare? (fire/flamehammer) And maybe put the Åskarl for an optional L2 for this guy?

the shaman's name could have something to do with Eir, L2 something with Vör.

[Cloud]

Not sure about infantry advancing to cavalry, just doesn't seem 'right' to me.

I shall write up the Plyndrer line and start cutting shoots off the Jór line.

[Girgistian]

Not sure about infantry advancing to cavalry, just doesn't seem 'right' to me.

Hm? I said cavalry to infantry. But in case that's just a typo on your part, as you wish.

I see you added a nice bunch of flavor to them, looking good. Have you tested the balancing recently?

[Cloud]

Urgh, that's what you get from 6 hours of boring work, a brain that ceases to work properly -_-.

Calvary to infantry doesn't seem so bad, though the chances of getting a RIPWL situation is fairly high.

Playtested the old version a fair few times, it seemed quite balanced. With the new lines it might be somewhat overpowered. I'll see if I can get my local version up to date today and see how it plays out.

[Girgistian]

Alrighty. These guys could use the sound files of the dwarves and the orcs, btw. Just occurred to me during a multiplayer game.

[Cloud]

That's a pretty awesome idea actually, perhaps a mix of the two is in order?

[Girgistian]

Precis. These guys are tough enough not to sound like teenagers when they take hits

EDIT: The shamans could also have extra defence on mushroom terrain

[Cloud]

Indeed.

As for mushrooms, I was thinking all Væringjar are weaker in forests, they're too bulky to move. Snow and Ice are their favoured terrain due to the environment they live in So Mushrooms are around 30% defense, perhaps the shammans will get heal on them or something

[Girgistian]

Sounds good, though I'd suggest having at least 40% defence in forests due to the fact that most maps have very little to no frozen terrain at all.

[Girgistian]

Blam! What would you think if the Eir's melee attack was a drinking horn?