Artifacts faction

[mystic x the unknown]

There has been at least one attempt to create an artifact faction before, but nothing came of it.

3 to 4 months ago I was making my own attempt, but a number of events made me lose lot of my interest in Wesnoth and hence the drive to keep working on the faction. I'm posting it here as someone might want to take it up or at least make use of the sprites. (should be a moderately experienced player)

There's a heap of missing code and it's incomplete. The faction has been developed alongside Default (to be included in Grafted Era), but it isn't balanced against anything. It's most likely not set in the Wesnoth universe. The faction name is currently 'Artifacts'.. I hoped to get it some neat-sounding Latin or pseudo-Latin name.

Background:

This somewhat less prominent dwarven culture has been constructing magic-powered machinery and has also found a way to cheaply produce great amounts of metal alloy, or metal-like substance. It's unclear which they have learned first, but it's clear they decided to put both to good use in building an army of near-indestructible and self-operated war machines. This advance has propelled them into a position of major power in the world.

The machines are autonomous and can operate without supervision. Still, they don't seem to appear intelligent or alive, much like the undead. This reminiscence could reflect their shared core working principle, as it is said that the dwarves use trapped souls to steer these machines, becoming a sort of necromancy-practicing group. (Cuyo Quiz came up with this, but I'm sure the idea occured to someone earlier still)

suggestions and ideas are in italics

Artifacts' shared attributes:
- don't gain experience or level-up
- don't have health restored by healers (and maybe not by villages either?)
- not living (no poison, no plague)
- weak to arcane

most have good resistances, poor defense and high movement costs on non-flats

Recruits:

Furnace

L1
This massive machine is in fact a mobile incineration chamber. It scoops up any helpless units and burns them down for raw materials and energy. In game mechanics, it gives the controller gold everytime a unit is killed by its melee attack. (doesn't work on ghosts etc.)
22 gold
Specials: Feed the furnace

Journeyman Machinist

L1
The dwarves dedicated large portions of their populace to the construction, operation and maintenance of their machines. The machinists are those who tend to combat artifacts in the field, repairing them and directing their operation.
16 gold
Specials: Meld +4, Conduct ..the Artificer branch gains Overload

Juggernaut

L2
An unstoppable metal abomination on wheels. Don't try to hide from it.
12-2 impact
24 gold
Specials: Rupture, Overrun

Shredder

L2
Self-propelled and heavily armored artillery delivering a barrage capable of penetrating the sturdiest defenses.
20-1 impact
22 gold
Specials: Rupture

Plosculet

Fragile flying automaton lacking any armor. Used for reconnaissance and some very limited ranged support.
12 gold
8 moves

Quitoxule
This one doesn't quite fit.. it would be presented basically as a group of animated barrels.(but then it could be just another machine) There would be 2 units, one of which would contain explosive that would automatically deal damage to the attacker when hit (and lose say 40% health), the other would not, but they would be indistinguishable to the opposing side. (could be called Quitoxule & Charged Quitoxule, Quitoxule & Lesser Quitoxule..) It could also attack - it would deal the same damage & lose as much hp as when defending and have 2 strikes, but if it landed the first it couldn't strike again, the defender would get to act out any retaliatory strikes with impunity.

unnamed water-based unit
I thought the above-mentioned animated barrels could fill this role, but that might be too silly.

Abilities
Conduct
Makes the Rupture weapon special work.
Overload n
Like leadership. Works only on artifacts and has no dependance on unit levels. Adds n% to damage.
Meld
Like healing. Works only on artifacts.
Weapon Specials
Rupture
When used offensively, gives the unit 60% chance to hit when next to a unit with the Conduct ability.
Overrun
When a unit is killed by this attack, the unit moves on the killed unit's hex. (taken from Velensk's era)
Feed the furnace
When a unit is killed by this attack, a fixed amount of gold is given to the controller. This is currently 6.


Movetypes

note: defense=70 means the unit has 30 % chance to dodge

arti_wheel_heavy

shallow_water=4
# can't move on reef
# can't move on swamp
flat=1
sand=2
forest=3
hills=3
village=1
castle=1
cave=2
frozen=3
fungus=2

defense

shallow_water=90
reef=80
swamp_water=90
flat=70
sand=80
forest=70
hills=60
village=60
castle=60
cave=60
frozen=80
fungus=70

resistances

blade 50 %
pierce 50 %
impact 20 %
fire 0 %
cold 20 %
arcane -50 %

arti_wheel_furnace
less resilient and can't move to water/swamp

# can't move on shallow water (doesn't include river ford)
# can't move on reef
# can't move on swamp
flat=1
sand=2
forest=3
hills=3
village=1
castle=1
cave=2
frozen=3
fungus=2

defense

shallow_water=90
reef=80
swamp_water=90
flat=70
sand=80
forest=70
hills=60
village=60
castle=60
cave=60
frozen=80
fungus=70

resistances

blade 30 %
pierce 30 %
impact 10 %
fire 40 %
cold 20 %
arcane -50 %

arti_fly

1 movement point everywhere except for 2 mp on fungus

50 % defense everywhere

resistance

blade 0 %
pierce 0 %
impact -20 %
fire 0 %
cold 20 %
arcane -50 %

arti_dwarvishfoot

currently just a mirror of mainline dwarf movetype

Stats

Juggernaut
level 2
HP: 40
melee: 12-2 impact, Rupture, Overrun (Ram)
cost: 24
6 moves, arti_wheel_heavy

Shredder
level 2
HP: 32
melee:8-1 impact (Ram)
ranged:20-1 impact, Rupture (Cannon)
cost: 22
6 moves, arti_wheel_heavy

Furnace
level 1
HP: 32
melee:5-3 blade, Feed the furnace, Overrun (Jaws)
ranged:6-2 fire (Exhalation)
cost: 22
6 moves, arti_wheel_furnace

Plosculet
level 1
HP: 20
melee:4-1 impact (Ram)
ranged:6-1 impact (Pellet)
cost: 12
8 moves, arti_fly

Journeyman Machinist
level 1
HP: 32
melee:4-2 impact (Bar)
4 moves, arti_dwarvishfoot
meld +4,conduct
XP: 48

Machinist
level 2
HP:52
melee:6-3 impact (Bar)
4 moves, arti_dwarvishfoot
meld +10,conduct
XP: 60

Master Machinist
level 3
HP:60
melee:7-3 impact (Bar)
4 moves, arti_dwarvishfoot
meld +14,conduct

Artificer
level 2
HP:43
melee:6-2 impact (Bar)
4 moves, arti_dwarvishfoot
meld +6, conduct, overload 10
XP: 60

Master Artificer
level 3
HP:50
melee:7-2 impact (Bar)
4 moves, arti_dwarvishfoot
meld +8, conduct, overload 20

things not implemented:
Anything non-standard except for Overrun, Meld and Feed the furnace.
Lacks sounds, descriptions and attack icons.

[Blarumyrran]

Awesome.

[Rozard]

Furnace looks scary...
Are you planning to put this in to some era?

[mystic x the unknown]

Are you planning to put this in to some era?

No. I hoped to put it into Grafted Era once more developed, but I don't have much motivation to work on either. It's free for taking and abusing.

[cookie]

Haha, congrats mystic, you finally did something with this fraction after so long.
Nice work (y)