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Age of Wonders Enhanced

Author File Description
Thirsk Age of Wonders Enhanced



For all fellow loyalists who live and breathe the one true Age of Wonders, admirers of charming hand-drawn artwork, enthusiasts of grand-scale battles and lovers of classic soundtracks... This is a complete overhaul mod designed to improve upon almost every aspect of the game.

Here is a mod I developed privately over the last six years with an ambitious aim to enhance the balance and tactical gameplay in Age of Wonders to go beyond Warlock's Ruleset. Numerous changes include new units and heroes, new graphics, rebalanced unit stats, bonuses to unit veterancy, improved magic, additional concealment mechanics, and extra diversity between races.

This was not a mod I initially planned to release but as the years went by, I felt it would be a waste to not share it with the community, however small we've become. There truly is something mystical in this game that draws us back year after year. Whether it be from sheer love, childhood nostalgia or the fact that nothing, not new games nor sequels of AOW come close to the tactical beauty of this rare gem... I hope that this mod provides a fresh new experience whilst enriching the very essence of what makes Age of Wonders so much fun.



Requirements

Age of Wonders v1.36



Important Info

Updating from previous version - uninstall previous version using 'Uninstall.exe' in game folder, then install this.

Installing for the first time - this mod comes with an installer but is very basic and cannot reverse changes made to game files. I HIGHLY recommend backing up your game folder first.

Playing on Windows 10 – to avoid crashes, apply int19h/mad kitten's patch from https://steamcommunity.com/app/61500/discussions/0/215439774855125498/?ctp=3
Open the zip file, run the .exe and point it at ILPACK.DLL in your AOW installation folder. Direct link to patch: https://github.com/int19h/aow-patch/releases/tag/v1
A minor side effect is that you can no longer alt+tab out of the game.

Playing multiplayer on Windows 10 - make sure DirectPlay is enabled: Control Panel -> Programs and Features -> Turn Windows features on or off -> Enable Legacy Components.


Acknowledgements

Shortspud for being an awesome AOW friend and playtester :)

Warlock for his brilliant ruleset, forming the groundwork of this mod

Laurentius & Wraithchilde for the new unit animations

Wint3r, Duster, TheHiddenOne, Twanfr, DIX, sKout77, Queen Elquein & Dan Donnard for their outstanding multiplayer maps

Various Artists for all the amazing artwork in hero and unit portraits

& finally Triumph Studios for creating a masterpiece of a game!



LATEST UPDATE [JAN 2023]: Extinction Edition v2

Added battering rams to starting cities

Bug fixes
- Fixed alignment of Goblin Black Spider
- Fixed location of Dark Elf Guild on After the Fall
- Fixed incorrect Orc and Goblin cities on Oracle’s Eye


PREVIOUS UPDATE [DEC 2021]: Extinction Edition


For centuries, the good folk of the lands lived in bliss – ignorant to the warnings from clairvoyants, oblivious to the evil that threatened to return from the far ends of the earth.

First to fall were the Frostlings, then the Lizards, before finally the Elves.

In a panic, the Dwarves withdrew to the safety of their mountains, and henceforth were never to be seen again…

Now it appears that we are next.

Evil has reached our lands and I fear our days are truly numbered.

Here, in the chill winter at Castle Thulus, we stand ready at the walls, awaiting the coming darkness… and the very fate of us all.



Aesthetic changes:
Added 32 new interface images
Added 84 new hero portraits
Added 2 new tavern sprites

Map changes:
Added 84 new heroes
Added Workshops, Outposts and Ruins
All maps updated to AI+ standard
5 user-created maps removed due to incompatibility

Stat changes:
- All Tier 4 ground units gain Wall Crushing

Summoned creatures gain Wall Crush/Climb
- Giant Frog +Wall Climb
- Wild Boar +Wall Crush

Flamethrowers and Freezethrowers gain Wall Crush
- Flamethrower +Wall Crush -Marksmanship -2 Gold +Moved to Dwarves
- Freezethrower +Wall Crush -2 Gold

Tier 2 default units gain wall climb
- Lizard Giant Slug +Wall Climb +6 Gold
- Undead Wraith +Pass Wall +6 Gold
- Orc Stone Golem +Wall Crush

Tier 2 mercenary units gain wall climb
- Dark Elf Stalker +Wall Climb +6 Gold
- Orc Worm Rider +Wall Climb +6 Gold
- Undead Vampiress +Floating +6 Gold
- Halfling Spellthief +Wall Climb +6 Gold
- Highmen Spectre +Pass Wall +6 Gold
- Azrac Fire Toad +Wall Climb +6 Gold
- Frostling Ice Frog +Wall Climb +6 Gold
- Lizardman Giant Frog +Wall Climb +6 Gold

All Tier 3 heavy melee units without wall crush gain wall crush
- Dark Elf Executioner +Wall Crush
- Goblin Troll +Wall Crush
- Orc Warlord +Wall Crush
- Dwarf Mole +Wall Crush
- Dwarf Iron Golem +Wall Crush
- Elf Unicorn +Wall Crush
- Highman Titan +Wall Crush
- Human Cavalier +Wall Crush
- Azrac Noble +Wall Crush
- Azrac Sandworm +Wall Crush
- Lizard Giant Turtle +Wall Crush
- Lizard Champion +Wall Crush

Tier 3 Wall Climbers buffed
- Orc Assassin +1 HP +5 Gold
- Dark Elf Shadow +1 HP +5 Gold
- Halfling Rogue +1 HP +5 Gold

All catapult costs reduced, slight hp buff and moved to Taverns
- Catapult, Skull Thrower, Turtle Catapult, War Elephant, Bombardier +1 HP -Marksmanship -8 Gold +Moved to Tavern

All ballistas slight hp buff due to wall climbers/crushers and can Hurl Boulders
- Ballista +1 HP -Marksmanship +Hurl Boulder
- Shredder Bolt +1 HP +2 MP -Marksmanship +Hurl Boulder
- Fine Ballista -4 MP +1 HP -Marksmanship +Hurl Boulder
- Turtle Ballista +1 HP -Marksmanship +Hurl Boulder

Goblins gain wall climb but lose first strike
- Goblin Spearman, Darter, Bomber +Wall Climb
- Goblin Shaman -First strike +Wall Climb -2 Gold
- Goblin Satyr -First strike -3 Gold
- Goblin Lackey -Concealment -Underground Concealment at Silver +Wall Climb
- Goblin Nightcrawler -Concealment & Underground Concealment at Silver

Elves gain first strike
- Elf Swordman, Cleric +First Strike +4 Gold
- Elf Guardian +1 HP +3 Gold
- Elf Ranger +First Strike +Nature's Blessing

Other races with low damage slightly buffed
- Dark Elf Warden +1 Att +6 Gold
- Dark Elf Vanguard +1 Att -1 Def +1 HP +4 Gold
- Halflings Slinger, Militia, Cleric, Shieldbearer, Spellthief +Concealment

Azracs gain terrain concealment at Silver like Frostlings
- Azrac Archer, Warrior, Priest, Gladiator, Halberdier, Executioner -Desert Concealment at gold +Desert Concealment at silver

Other Stat Changes:
- Dwarf Skirmisher replaces Raging Boar at Tavern
- Elf Shadowdancer -1 Atk +1 HP +Moved to Tavern
- Elf Mystic Nymph +Moved to City
- Elf Fairy +Nature's Blessing +10 Gold
- Elf Unicorn +Nature's Blessing +10 Gold
- Goblin Nightcrawler -8 Gold +Moved to City
- Goblin Black Spider replaces Goblin Marauder at Tavern
- Drill -1 Def -1 Tier

Special Tier 1:
- Dwarf Berserker -1 Dmg +1 HP -2 Gold
- Frostling Dire Penguin +1 HP +2 Gold
- Goblin Gray Wolf -3 Gold
- Human Pikeman -1 Dmg +2 HP

Misc changes:
Fixed Turtle Catapult having Archery
Fixed Highmen heroes having True Seeing
Fixed incorrect death sprite for Orc Warlock
Fixed incorrect portrait for Lizard Hero Rivatha
Fixed incorrect hero ability point allocation on Lelani and Rivatha
Fixed incorrect tavern appearance on surface Steppe and Wasteland
Fixed incorrect tavern for Azracs on After the Fall
Fixed missing starting units for Orcs on Rise of the South
Reduced ability cost of True Seeing from 10 to 6
Re-enabled Cold, Death, Fire, Holy, Magic, Poison Strike, Life Stealing, Extra Strike, First Strike in Hero customisation and upgrades
Updated Halfling Satyr portrait art
Changed Black Spider alignment from evil to none
Removed physical protection from unit descriptions
Renamed Elf Wind Archer as Elf Wind Rider
Updated builder guild descriptions


PREVIOUS UPDATE [FEB 2019]: Decennium Edition


A milestone update that introduces an exciting, new challenge: AI+ maps.
In AI+ maps, new units are no longer exclusively trained from builder guilds but are now spread across ‘Taverns’.
Taverns are located in existing mines or farms on the map. Unlike builder guilds however, no installation is required, which means units can be trained immediately.
Besides the effect of a somewhat more intense early-game, this change also enables the use of all of the new units by the AI – something that was sorely missing in the last update.

But no longer.

The AI now fully utilises all of the 59 new units in its cold and vengeful path to the complete and utter annihilation of your morale, dignity, self-respect, and of course… kingdom.



Aesthetic changes:
Added 3 new interface images
Updated Victory background image
Darkened Castle Ruins image

Map changes:
Added 5 new AI+ maps:
- After the Fall
- Oracle’s Eye
- Reign of Chaos
- Rise of the South
- River of Life
In AI+ maps:
- AI can now train new units
- New units are trained from Taverns that appear at some mines and farms

After the Fall map tweaks:
- Reduced congestion and cleaned up areas near Elf Southmeadow, Orc Blackwell, Dwarf Battlements, Lizard Hunting Grounds
- Readjusted position of independent guards near Thulus to reduce early aggression on Dark Elf cities
- Added a second Spring of Life for Elves
- Removed all Reflecting Pools in AI+ version

Stat changes:
- Azrac Elephant & War Elephant -1 HP
- Azrac Halberdier -1 ATK +1 HP
- Elf Phalanx, Guardian, Scout -2 Gold
- Dwarf Wild Boar & Raging Boar +Mountaineering
- Goblin Lackey -2 ATK +1 HP +4 MP +Concealment
- Highmen Spirit Puppet +Fearless
- Highmen Templar -1 Dmg -1 HP
- Orc Worm Rider -6 Gold
- Gray Wolf +1 HP
- Mermaids +1 HP +Transport (1 unit)

Miscellaneous changes:
Corrected some more spelling and grammar in new unit descriptions
Updated Goblin Lackey description
Fixed incorrect race and alignment for Musketeer and Sandworm
Fixed missing units in underground builder guilds
Fixed missing Azrac units in Broken Bow map
Reorganised hero portraits



PREVIOUS UPDATE [JUNE 2018]: Enhanced Edition


Our castle walls have fallen. The front lines of defence are all but destroyed. With our supply routes cut off, the armies of darkness march on towards our citadel... our last sanctuary of freedom... where we make our final stand...



Aesthetic changes:
Added 100 new interface images
Added 26 new hero portraits
Added 5 new background images
Added a proper Azrac Halberdier death sprite
Updated constructor, drill & sea serpent image

Increased difficulty of creating super heroes:
- Warlock's hero stat limits
- Reworked spell costs, upkeep and hero upgrades
- Adjusted hero library to updated ability and stat system
- On leaders off, all starting heroes begin with 1 defence

Various stat changes:
Halfling infantry gain defence but lose attack to enhance racial diversity
- Halfling Militia -1 ATK +1 DEF
- Halfling Shieldbearer -1 ATK +1 DEF

Special tier 2 units no longer have float/pass/climb wall ability as they disrupted the early game
Although Goblin Nightcrawlers (special tier 1) can still climb walls
- Halfling Spellthief -1 ATK +1 RES -Wall Climbing +Dispel Magic -2 MP -10 Gold
- Highmen Spectre -Pass Wall +1 RES +Fearless -12 Gold
- Undead Vampiress -Floating -1 DEF -Charm +Seduce +Bard's Skills -12 Gold

Certain infantry and inanimate units should be fearless or become fearless on gold veterancy
Certain grotesque/large creatures now cause fear instead of becoming fearless
- Azrac Halberdier +Fearless on Gold
- Dwarf Iron Golem +Fearless +Cause Fear on Gold
- Goblin Werewolf -Fearless on Gold +Cause Fear on Gold
- Highmen Crusader +Fearless
- Human Pikeman +Fearless on Gold
- Human Guardsman +Fearless on Gold
- Orc Stone Golem +Fearless +Cause Fear on Gold

All special tier 3 units from builder guilds should have bonuses on gold veterancy to balance their long production time
- Elf Druid +Holy Champion on Gold
- Halfling Priestess +Holy Champion on Gold
- Human Sharpshooter +Concealment on Gold +Grass Concealment on Gold
- Frostling Enchantress +Charm on Silver
- Orc Warlock +Unholy Champion on Gold
- Undead Necromancer +Unholy Champion on Gold

Seduce is stronger, so units with seduce now have 1 less defence
- Dark Elf Temptress -1 ATK -1 DEF -Charm -Cause Fear +Seduce +Bard's Skills +Cause Fear on Gold -6 Gold
- Dark Elf Lady of Pain -1 DEF
- Elf Nymph -1 ATK -1 DEF +1 HP
- Elf Mystic Nymph -2 ATK -1 DEF -Charm +Seduce +Bard's Skills +Magic Bolts

Changed unit alignment to none, allowing use by other races without morale penalties
- Lizard Turtle Ram
- Lizard Catapult
- Lizard Ballista
- Orc Stone Golem
- Undead Skull Thrower
- Undead Battering Ram

Increased siege weapon accuracy but lowered hitpoints to balance long production times
Catapults are slightly sturdier than Ballista's
- Flamethrower +1 Marksmanship
- Drill +2 DEF +2 HP +1 Tier
- Catapult -1 HP +Marksmanship
- War Elephant -1 HP +Marksmanship
- Turtle Catapult -1 HP +Marksmanship
- Undead Skull Thrower -1 HP
- Ballista -2 HP +Marksmanship
- Fine Ballista -1 HP +Marksmanship
- Turtle Ballista -2 HP +Marksmanship
- Shredder Bolt -2 HP +Marksmanship

Re-adjusted costs of siege weapons due to recent buffs
- Dwarf Steel Ram +2 Gold
- Lizard Turtle Ram +6 Gold
- Lizard Turtle Catapult +6 Gold
- Azrac War Elephant +10 Gold
- Ballista +10 Gold
- Shredder Bolt +10 Gold
- Human Fine Ballista +16 Gold
- Lizard Turtle Ballista +18 Gold

Lowered defence but increased hitpoints for certain tier 3/4 units
Reducing the game's bias towards high defence units
Restored 1 resistance (still 1 resistance nerf) due to lower defence and improved abilities eg. seduce
- Lizard Champion -1 DEF +2 HP +1 RES
- Lizard Salamander +1 RES
- Highmen Titan -1 DEF +3 HP +1 RES
- Highmen Warlord -2 DEF +6 HP +1 RES
- Frostling Yeti -1 DMG +2 HP +1 RES
- Dwarf Giant -1 DMG +2 HP +1 RES
- Goblin Troll -1 DMG +2 HP +1 RES +Concealment +10 Gold
- Human Cavalier +1 RES
- Azrac Noble +1 RES
- Elf Unicorn +1 RES
- Halfling Centaur +1 RES
- Dwarf Mole +1 RES
- Dark Elf Executioner +1 RES
- Lizard Basilisk -1 DEF +4 HP
- Elf Nature Elemental -2 DEF +8 HP

Highmen are no longer immune to ambush and concealment tactics
- Highmen Swordman -True Seeing
- Highmen Archer -True Seeing
- Highmen Knight -True Seeing
- Highmen Templar -True Seeing
- Highmen Crusader -True Seeing
- Highmen Avenger -True Seeing

Rebalance changes
- Azrac Elephant +1 HP
- Azrac War Elephant +1 HP
- Dwarf Mole -Wall Crushing +Parry
- Dwarf Berserker & Bladesinger +2 MP
- Elf Fairy +1 Vision
- Frostling Freezer -1 HP
- Goblin Nightcrawler +Ignition on Silver
- Halfling Leprechaun -2 ATK -1 DEF -1 DMG +Parry +Magic Bolts +Marksmanship +Bard's Skills
- Halfling Battlemage +Healing on Gold
- Halfling Eagle Rider +1 HP +True Seeing on Silver
- Human Sharpshooter +1 Vision
- Lizard Giant Slug -1 ATK +1 DEF +6 MP
- Orc Worm Rider +True Seeing +1 Vision on Silver
- Undead Doom Priest -Lightning Strike -Lightning Immunity +Death Strike +Lightning Pro
- Undead Zombie -Lightning Strike +Poison Strike
- Turtle Ballista moved to Hunting Grounds, Giant Slug moved to Lizard City

Map changes:
Fixed missing hp in enhanced map starting units
Added all default maps to enhanced maps folder
Added new map Green Valley by sKout77
Added new map Broken Bow v2 by Wint3r
Added new map Lowlands by Duster
After the Fall balance tweaks:
- Added an extra mine for Highmen
- Increased defenders of Highmen city Eforn from weak to average
- Randomised race of Highmen city Eforn
- Increased tier of Highmen city Slochtum from 2 to 3
- Randomised race of Highmen city Slochtum
- Added an extra mine for Lizards
- Increased tier of Elf city Elysia from 2 to 3
- Restored some roaming independents near Thulus
- Added tier 1 city for Azracs
- Removed 2 tier 2 Goblin cities
- Removed tier 2 Human cities
- Removed tier 2 Dwarf city
- Decreased tier of Halfling city Berstar from 2 to 1

Miscellaneous changes:
Corrected spelling and grammar in new unit descriptions
Fixed AI not recognising Dwarf Steel Ram as a battering ram
Added fire sound effect to attacks by
- Dwarf Skirmisher
- Highmen Crusader
Added lightning sound effect to attacks by
- Dwarf Iron Golem
- Dark Elf Temptress
- Human Charlatan
- Undead Necromancer
Fixed incorrect race and alignment for Sharpshooter & Enchantress


PREVIOUS UPDATE [DEC 2017]: Mythical Edition


War is upon us yet again. The enemy we once thought to have defeated has amassed an army large enough to threaten our very existence. Our allies have long fled to the safety of their lands. And though we have stood against such numbers in the past, I fear this may be the end… unless we seek help from the strange ones.

These are no ordinary times, for word has spread that strange warriors and mythical creatures have appeared throughout the lands - mercenaries, mages, beasts and monsters of all kinds of races, offering their services for a fee. No one knows where they have come from or why they are here, but with their help… we may survive this yet…

Only one thing is for certain though - we no longer live in the Age of Wonders, but the Age of Myth.



Added 60 new unit artwork
Updated some older uninspiring artwork
Removed identical portrait artwork
Updated builder guild descriptions

Added 34 new units with accompanying descriptions
- Human Guardsman
- Human Fine Ballista
- Human Sharpshooter
- Azrac Executioner
- Azrac Fire Toad
- Frostling Arctic Wolf
- Frostling Ice Frog
- Frostling Enchantress
- Lizardman Turtle Ram
- Lizardman Giant Frog
- Lizardman Giant Turtle
- Elf Wind Archer
- Elf Mystic Nymph
- Elf Great Druid
- Halfling Spellthief
- Halfling Priestess
- Halfling Phoenix
- Dwarf Raging Boar
- Dwarf Bladesinger
- Dwarf Iron Golem
- Highman Crusader
- Highman Spectre
- Highman Ethereal
- Dark Elf Dire Wolf
- Dark Elf Stalker
- Dark Elf Temptress
- Orc Worm Rider
- Orc Warlock
- Goblin Lackey
- Goblin Nightcrawler
- Goblin Satyr
- Undead Zombie
- Undead Vampiress
- Undead Necromancer

- Various stat fixes:
- Snow Queen +1 Mark +6 Cost
- Halfling Satyr -1 RES +Parry +Phys Pro on Gold Vet +3 Cost
- Goblin Werewolf + Fearless on Gold Vet
- Azrac Sandworm + 4 HP - 2 DMG
- Undead Lich - 2 RES + Unholy Champion
- Dwarf First Born + Ignition
- Lizard Turtle Catapult +Strike -Strike on Gold Vet
- Lizard Turtle Ballista +Strike -Strike on Gold Vet
- Human Musketeer +Strike -Strike on Gold Vet
- Azrac War Elephant +Strike -Strike on Gold Vet

Miscellaneous changes:
- Replaced Halfling Leprechaun with Phoenix
- Moved Leprechaun to Halfling Thieves Guild
- Added blue glow to Valkyrie sword
- Added red glow to Goblin Bomber
- Renamed Undead Zombie as Undead Phantom
- Renamed Azrac Mercenary as Azrac Gladiator
- Renamed Human Heavy Infantry as Human Mercenary
- Renamed Halfling Defender as Halfling Shieldbearer
- Renamed Wolf as Gray Wolf
- Renamed Goblin Raider as Goblin Marauder
- Renamed Elf Duelist as Elf Shadowdancer
- Altered Elf Cleric to female gender

After the Fall balance tweaks:
- Fixed missing starting hp for Frog Rider, Penguin
- Replaced Lizardman starting Giant Slug with Turtle Ram
- Added 1 tier 1 + 1 tier 3 city for Orc/potential Azrac
- Added 1 tier 1 + 1 tier 2 city for Elf
- Added 1 tier 1 + 1 tier 2 city for Halfling, Increased tier of Helurad (Halfling/potential Undead) city to tier 3
- Added 1 tier 2 city for Goblin
- Added 1 tier 1 city for Dark Elf/Elf
- Added 1 tier 2 city for Humans
- Increased tier of Keanor Lizard city to tier 2


PREVIOUS UPDATE [MAR 2016]: Escalation Edition v2

Bug fixes
- Fixed Builder Guild defenders
- Removes Magic Pro from Frostlings


PREVIOUS UPDATE [FEB 2016]: Escalation Edition

A minor update to the mod, which besides the usual stat tweaks, adds in some much-needed Builder Guild graphics for the enhanced maps, racial and terrain-based unit concealment to allow ambush tactics, extra vision on light cavalry and flying for improved scouting and spotting concealed units, and unique elemental resistance per race to enable more counter-based gameplay.

- Added new Builder Guild graphics
- Minor Adjustments to After the Fall map
- Lowered new Tier 3 Dwarf City Destonia to Tier 2
- Replaced Lizardmen's starting Battering Ram with Slug
- Removed map editor password
- Added Builder Guild defenders to most enhanced Maps

- Added compatibility with more maps:
- Eversong Woods
- Land of Merhal v1.2
- The War God

- Various stat fixes:
- Undead Bone Ram +3 HP
- Elf Nymph -1 HP +Nature's Blessing +6 GOLD
- Human Heavy Inf -1 HP -1 GOLD
- Azrac Mercenary -2 GOLD
- Frostling Protector -1 HP -3 GOLD
- Lizardman Bodyguard -1 HP -3 GOLD
- Elf Guardian -1 HP -4 GOLD
- Halfling Defender -1 HP -1 GOLD
- Dwarf Elite -1 HP -6 GOLD
- Highman Knight -1 HP -6 GOLD
- Dark Elf Vanguard -1 HP -1 GOLD
- Orc Savage -1 HP -6 GOLD
- Goblin Raider -1 ATT -1 GOLD
- Undead Zombie -1 HP -6 GOLD

- Enhanced Concealment on Veterancy:

Tier 1 & 2 Dwarves, Halflings, Goblins & Frostlings non-large/cavalry units gain concealment and terrain concealment at Silver. Remainder of races gain concealment at Gold (exception of wolf riders, wolves, penguins, frost queen, scorpions, lurkers, kobolds, spirit puppets & charlatan)
- Halfling Rogue + Grass Concealment on Silver
- Elf Ranger + Grass Concealment on Silver
- Dark Elf Shadow + Underground Concealment on Silver
- Orc Assassin + Steppe Concealment on Silver
- Goblin Werewolf + Underground Concealment on Silver

Concealment: All races
Desert Con: Azrac
Grass Con: Human, Halfling, Elf, Highmen
Steppe Con: Orc
Underground Con: Goblin, Dwarf, Dark Elf
Wasteland Con: Undead
Water Con: Lizardmen
Snow Con: Frostlings

Enhanced Cavalry & Flying True Seeing:
- All Cavalry have True Seeing
- All Tier 3 Flying and Floating (plus Great Eagle) gain True Seeing on Silver (except Beholder)
- All Tier 4 Flying and Floating (except Air Elementals) gain True Seeing
- All boats except Transport ships have True Seeing


Enhanced Cavalry & Flying Vision:
- Tier 1 & 2 Cavalry gain +1 Vision on Silver
- Includes Halfling Pony Rider
- Elf Scout starts off at +2
- All Wolves gain +1 Vision on Silver
- Certain Flying units start at +2 Vision & gain +1 on Silver
- Halfling Eagle Rider (default)
- Goblin Wyvern Rider
- Orc Doombat
- Great Eagle -1 Vision +1 Vision on Silver


Added Tier 1 & 2 unit Innate & Veterancy Resistances:
- Humans (Lightning Pro) + Holy Pro on Silver
- Azracs (Fire Pro) + Lightning Pro on Silver
- Frostlings (All Elements)
- Lizards (Poison Pro) + Cold Pro on Silver
- Halflings (Magic Pro) + Cold Pro on Silver
- Elves (Holy Pro) + Magic Pro on Silver
- Dwarves (Poison Pro) + Fire Pro on Silver
- Goblins (Poison Pro) + Death Pro on Silver
- Dark Elves (Lightning Pro) + Magic Pro on Silver
- Orcs (Fire Pro) + Death Pro on Silver
- Highmen (Holy Pro) + Death Pro on Silver
- Undead (Death Immune) + Holy Pro on Silver

Fire Pro: Azracs, Dwarves, Orcs
Cold Pro: Frostlings, Lizards, Halflings
Magic Pro: Halflings, Elves, Dark Elves
Poison Pro: Dwarves, Goblins, Lizards
Lightning Pro: Dark Elves, Azracs, Humans
Death Pro: Undead, Goblins, Orcs, Highmen
Holy Pro: Highmen, Elves, Humans, Undead




The Main Changes (after Warlock's Ruleset)

- 59 new units
- 168 new heroes
- Over 570 new hero portraits
- Over 230 new unit portraits
- 135 new interface images
- A customised edition of the map, After The Fall
- 27 maps enhanced for the best experience
- AI employs a greater variety of units and siege weapons
- More diversity between races (See below)
- New skills given to tier 1 & 2 units upon reaching Gold Veterancy
- Combat spell mana requirements lowered
- Combat spells are stronger, especially against tier 1 & 2 non-magical units + tier 3 heavy melee units
- Enchantment spell mana requirements and upkeep lowered
- Summoned creatures mana upkeep lowered
- Special tier 1 units have higher hitpoints
- Tier 1 archers have lower hitpoints
- Tier 2 mages have higher defence
- Tier 3 archers/mages have higher hitpoints
- Wall climbing/pass wall units have higher hitpoints
- Siege weapons have lower hitpoints and higher marksmanship
- Tier 1 & 2 small infantry gain concealment on veterancy
- Light cavalry and certain flying units and ships have improved vision to spot concealed units
- Tier 1 & 2 units have innate resistance to a single element and gain another on veterancy



Enhanced Racial Diversity

- Humans have most balanced stats
- Lizards have naturally higher hitpoints
- Frostlings have resistance to elemental damage
- Azracs have higher damage and faster movement
- Dwarves have higher attack and better siege weapons
- Halflings have better evasion and defence
- Elves have nature's blessing and first strike
- Highmen have higher hitpoints and healing
- Dark Elves have extra strike and lightning bolts
- Goblins have more poisons and wall climb
- Orcs have higher damage and higher hitpoints
- Undead have higher hitpoints and death strike


Reasons for above changes

- Enhancing racial diversity promotes greater replayability and encourages different play styles. It was fairly boring to see every early and mid-game play relatively the same across races.

- Bonuses are given to your experienced tier 1 and 2 units upon reaching gold veterancy. There is now something special in keeping that one warrior who miraculously survives every battle. This allows for better emotional connection with your army eg. pride or devastating loss, as well as enabling tier 1 and 2 units to stay viable in the late game.

- It was far too easy to make a super combatant hero than a spellcasting hero. Like in Warlock’s Ruleset, heroes now have a stat cap (max att 6, def 5, dmg 7, res 7) and def costs more (8 points). However, unlike Warlock’s ruleset, magic is now cheaper, stronger and more effective, especially against non-magical units. Finally, buffs to most units means that heroes will have to be more cautious in melee. Lower mana requirements for enchantments and summoning add more variety in gameplay.

- Amassing cheap and affordable archers was an overpowered strategy against AI. Although costs were raised in Warlock's Ruleset, archers now suffer from 1 less hitpoint, ensuring that in most 1v1 duels between swordsmen and archers, the swordsman triumphs, and not often the other way around.

- Tier 2 mages are important healers and can throw magic bolts. The added survivability (+1 def) is to lower the likelihood of them being mercilessly slain by the now stronger tier 1 units.

- Tier 3 range units are far weaker compared to a tier 3 heavy melee unit and have been given a slight buff (+1 hp).

- The game is heavily biased towards high defence units. Certain Tier 3/4 melee units have too much defence and can dodge just about everything. Their defence is lowered but hp increased.

- The AI is a very poor judge when deciding how many battering rams and siege weapons to bring. A small buff to battering rams and certain siege weapons mean better sieges and less likelihood of failed sieges (and a long wait for AI to retreat).

- The introduction of Racial-based concealment, eg. Veteran Frostlings concealed in snow, allows greater ambush tactics, making guerrilla warfare much more dangerous. Concealment is a skill only learnt by small infantry but is learnt faster by races of short stature eg. Halflings, Goblins, Frostlings and Dwarves. Light cavalry, flying scouts and attack ships have more tactical value now as they can spot concealed units.

- The addition of elemental resistances to each race is due to more magically imbued units in the game. This also promotes more counter game-play, such as how one would require researching non-fire spells to cast on fire-protected Azracs, or attack using holy-protected Elven mercenaries against Highmen.



Complete Changelog (Not including recent updates)

HEROES

168 new heroes spread evenly across 12 races (unlike Vanilla)
Equal chance of recruiting a melee, ranged, or spellcasting hero (unlike Vanilla)
Higher chance of recruiting a hero at start of game (when playing a Enhanced map)
Over 570 new hero portraits
Improved organisation of hero portraits
Reduced hero starting defence
Enabled more hero ability upgrades

SPELLS

Reduced mana upkeep for summoned creatures
Summoned creatures buffed with roughly +1 DEF +2 HP with following exceptions:
- Fire Sprite +1 DEF +1 HP
- Black Spider +1 ATK +2 HP
- Wild Boar -6 MP -1 DEF +1 ATK +1 Lvl -1 Mana upkeep
- Giant Frog +1 Lvl +1 HP

Reduced mana upkeep for unit enchantments
Reduced magic resistance by 1 to all Tier 1 & 2 non-magical units
Reduced magic resistance by 2 to all Tier 3 heavy melee units
Reduced combat spell mana requirements
Fixed descriptions for Fury and Bless



MAPS

Includes Enhanced map pack with new units, heroes and tuned for AI Emperor
- Of Wretches and Kings by TheHiddenOne
- Serpentis by Twanfr
- The Green Azaranor by DIX
- Eversong Woods by sKout77
- Forge of War by Queen Elquein
- Land of Merhal v1.2 by Queen Elquein
- The War God Tournament by Dan Donnard
- Green Valley by sKout77
- Broken Bow v2 by Wint3r
- Lowlands by Duster
+ all Vanilla Maps



UNITS

Altered titles of swordsmen for immersion
Fixed missing dead unit sprites
Added over 230 new unit portraits
Added 85 new unit portraits for future mods

Added 15 new units:
- Azrac Halberdier
- Azrac War Elephant
- Azrac Noble
- Dwarf Skirmisher
- Dwarf Steel Ram
- Dark Elf Mummy
- Elf Shadowdancer
- Goblin Werewolf
- Halfling Battle Mage
- Halfling Phoenix
- Highman Templar
- Human Wizard
- Lizardman Turtle Ram
- Orc Stone Golem
- Undead Lich

Added 44 new units in new builder guilds (available only in Enhanced maps):
- Human Mercenary
- Human Guardsman
- Human Fine Ballista
- Human Sharpshooter
- Azrac Gladiator
- Azrac Executioner
- Azrac Fire Toad
- Frostling Protector
- Frostling Arctic Wolf
- Frostling Ice Frog
- Frostling Enchantress
- Lizardman Bodyguard
- Lizardman Giant Frog
- Lizardman Giant Turtle
- Elf Guardian
- Elf Wind Archer
- Elf Mystic Nymph
- Elf Great Druid
- Halfling Shieldbearer
- Halfling Spellthief
- Halfling Priestess
- Dwarf Elite
- Dwarf Raging Boar
- Dwarf Bladesinger
- Dwarf Iron Golem
- Highman Knight
- Highman Crusader
- Highman Spectre
- Highman Ethereal
- Dark Elf Vanguard
- Dark Elf Dire Wolf
- Dark Elf Stalker
- Dark Elf Temptress
- Orc Savage
- Orc Worm Rider
- Orc Warlock
- Goblin Marauder
- Goblin Lackey
- Goblin Nightcrawler
- Goblin Satyr
- Undead Phantom
- Undead Zombie
- Undead Vampiress
- Undead Necromancer

Veterancy improvements (when reaching Gold Veterancy)
- Marksmanship on all Tier 2 mages
- Physical protection & Fearless on all Tier 1 swordsman & Tier 2 cavalry
- Marksmanship on Flamethrowers
- Musketeer + Strike on gold -2 MP
- Mummy + Entangle on gold
- Werewolf + Phys Pro on gold
- Wraith + Dominate on gold
- Scorpion + Phys Pro on gold -Cause Fear
- Penguin + Water Conceal on gold - Path of Frost
- War Elephant, Turtle ballista, Turtle catapult + Strike on gold
- Human Pikeman + Leadership on gold
- Azrac Scorpion + Phys pro on gold
- Frostling Penguin + Water concealment on gold
- Lizardman Lurker + Regeneration on gold
- Elf Nymph + Phys pro + Concealment on gold
- Halfling Pony Rider + Hurl Stones on gold
- Dwarf Berserker + Phys pro on gold
- Highman Spirit Puppet + Healing on gold
- Dark Elf Lady of Pain + Phys pro + Concealment on gold
- Orc Kobold + Phys pro on gold
- Goblin Wolf + Phys pro on gold
- Undead Hell Hound + Phys pro + Fire immunity on gold
- Halfling Satyr + Phys pro on gold

Added Veterancy hints in unit descriptions

Nerfed all tier 1 Archers
- Archers -1 HP

Buffed all Tier 2 Mages +1 DEF

Buffed all units with Wall Climbing or Pass Wall ability (except Undead Wraith)
- Giant Slug +2 HP + 2 GOLD -Wall Climbing +Wall Crushing +Swimming
- Orc Assassin +1 HP
- Spider Queen +1 HP
- Shadow +1 HP
- Rogue +1 HP

Buffed all level 3 ranged support units
- Elf Ranger +1 HP
- Avenger +1 HP +1 MARK +10 GOLD
- Frost Queen +1 HP +2 MARK +16 GOLD
- Human Charlatan +1 HP
- Djinn +1 HP
- Spider Queen +1 DEF -Magic Bolt +Lightning Bolt
- Beholder/Djinni/Spider Queen +MARK on veterancy

Buffed all level 1 special units (except wolves & elephants)
- Scorpion +1 HP +1 DMG +2 MP +10 GOLD
- Berserker +2 MP
- Spirit Puppet +1 HP
- Kobold +1 HP +2 GOLD
- Goblin Bomber +1 HP -5 GOLD +Wall Crushing +AI awareness
- Hell Hound +1 HP
- Dire Penguin +2 HP +9 GOLD

Buffed specific siege weapons
- Dwarf Bombardier +1 MARK
- Undead Skull Thrower +1 MARK
- Lizard Turtle Ballista/Catapult +Physical Protection
- Battering Rams +1 HP
- Flamethrowers and Freezthrowers +4 MP +DEF to 3 +HP to 9
- Moved Freezer to Frostlings
- Moved Ballista to Builder Guilds -20 GOLD
- All Catapults & Ballistas +2 HP
- Dwarf Cannon -1 DEF -20 GOLD
- Drill -2 DEF +Reduced to Tier 1

Enhanced racial diversity (added to above changes):
- Lizard Swordsman +1 HP +4 GOLD
- Lizard Frog Rider + 2 HP +3 GOLD
- Lizard Shaman +1 HP +4 GOLD
- Lizard Lurker -2 Tiers +new stats
- Lizard Archer + 1 HP +5 GOLD
- Frostling Swordsman, Archer, Rider, Shaman + Elemental protection except magic protection +2 GOLD
- Azrac Rider -1 DEF -14 GOLD
- Azrac Priest +Calluponflames +1 ATK +4 GOLD
- Azrac Infantry (Swordsman, Archer, Priest) +4 MP
- Azrac Swordsman -Parry +1 DMG
- Dwarf Axeman +1 ATK +6 GOLD
- Dwarf Berserker +1 ATK +5 GOLD
- Dwarf Rider +1 ATK +4 GOLD
- Dwarf Cleric +Flamethrowing +3 GOLD
- Elf Swordsman, Archer, Rider, Cleric, Duelist + Magic Pro + Nature's Blessing
- Elf Archer +6 GOLD
- Elf Swordsman +9 GOLD
- Elf Duelist +Leadership on gold vet + 8 GOLD
- Elf Scout +Concealment & Vision on silver vet +8 GOLD
- Elf Cleric +1 MARK +4 GOLD
- Halfling Cleric +Parry +4 GOLD
- Highman Rider -1HP +Healing on gold vet
- Highman Infantry (Swordsman, Archer, Spirit Puppet, Saint, Templar) -2 MP
- Highman Swordsman/Spirit Puppet +1 HP
- Highman Swordsmen +2 GOLD
- Highman Paladin -Healing +2 HP -10 GOLD
- Dark Elf Swordsman -Bloodlust +Extra Strike +3 GOLD
- Dark Elf Rider +Extra Strike +1 DMG +8 GOLD
- Dark Elf Priest +Extra Strike
- Orc Swordsman +1 HP +6 GOLD
- Orc Shaman +1 HP +Calluponflames +4 GOLD
- Orc Rider +1 HP +4 GOLD
- Orc Assassin +2 ATK +20 GOLD
- Orc Doom Bat +2 Vision +8 MP +6 GOLD
- Orc Kobold +1 DEF +1 HP +4 MP +Phys Pro on gold vet +Replace Poison with Death Strike + Underground concealment +10 GOLD
- Goblin Spearman, Darter, Rider, Shaman + Concealment on silver vet
- Goblin Spearman +Death Strike +3 GOLD
- Goblin Rider +First strike +4 GOLD
- Goblin Shaman +Poisondarts +First Strike +4 GOLD
- Undead Swordsman +Death Strike +1 HP +3 GOLD
- Undead Fire Hound +1 ATK +1 HP +5 GOLD
- Undead Rider +Death Strike +1 HP +4 GOLD
- Undead Wraith +1 HP +4 GOLD

Other Stat Changes
- Azrac Elephant -1 ATK -2 DEF +1 DMG -16 GOLD
- Azrac Sandworm + 4 HP - 2 DMG
- Human Cavalier -2 DEF
- Human Musketeer -1 Tier +6 GOLD
- Human Charlatan -Magic Bolt -Parry +Lightning strike +First strike +20 GOLD
- Dwarf First Born + Ignition
- Dwarf Balloon -1 Tier
- Undead Wraith -1 Tier +new stats
- Orc Doom Bat +1 ATK +12 GOLD
- Goblin Wolf -4 MP +1 ATK +1 DEF +5 GOLD
- Halfling Satyr +1 DEF -1 RES +Parry +6 GOLD
- Halfing Eagle Rider +Vision on Silver veterancy
- Elf Nymph & Dark Elf Lady of Pain +1 DEF



Closing words

The mod is compatible with all maps but I recommend playing it using one of the supplied maps (kept in the "Enhanced" folder) for the best experience.

Finally, I hope you all enjoy it as much as I enjoyed making it. This is probably not my final update, as I have a tendency to return to this game after months to years, so please feel free to drop some feedback :)

Ps. Don't forget to back up your game files.
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AuthorComments & Reviews   ( All | Comments Only | Reviews Only )
Elsasquatch94 Just downloaded mod
super excited
started to play
noticed a bug
(note, i'm playing via steam)
when i'm in tactical mode and kill a unit, it appears that one of your files made it so the game freezes as if it doesn't know to show the dead unit's body on the ground
would appreciate response asap! thanks! very excited to get to try a re-balanced version of one of my all time favorite games
Thirsk
File Author
Finally some feedback at last! First of all, thank you for trying it out and letting me know of this bug.
Sounds pretty serious though..I did make a quick test before uploading to see if it worked but sadly didn't play test it long enough to notice the bug.

I'll look into it after work tomorrow but I'm guessing it's probably due to a missing file I forgot to upload :S
Thirsk
File Author
Actually decided to get to the bottom of this before sleeping and lo and behold - missing files! Re-uploaded the mod so please re-download and install. Your save games should still operate on the new update.

Also, please let me know if the bug is resolved :)
Elsasquatch94 First things first, i'd like the password to your version of after the fall so i can get a good look at it :D
I have also tried to make some very much needed adjustments to this already amazing map
I found that its potential was so great but the creators fell short in a few ways
Also, i'd like to find out how you modded the game in the first place
this forum site is OLD AS DIRT and most query's like "how do i mod this attack damage?" go unnoticed
I would like to make a balance patch for this game as well, but don't know how to go about doing it
my friend and i still play this game and LOVE the lore-aspects of it as well as the art and music
but the depth and strategic elements are what drives us to keep going
i'll try it out and see if the bug has been fixed, thanks!
Elsasquatch94 update: apparently this did NOT fix the problem
I re-downloaded the mod, took all the files and put them into their places (obviously replaced any files that were already there in case you made adjustments)
i also noticed that there were MORE files this time than there were last time, making it seem like it was going to fix the problem
I went in game and killed a halfling pony rider
as the last hit struck, an error popped up freezing my game
because all of the units are changed, the map is changed, unit images have changed ETC. I'm assuming that i'm not doing anything wrong....
assuming.
Elsasquatch94 update #2: another bug
when i try to do certain functions on certain cities (by pressing "change") the game freezes
not all cities
and not all times
just sometimes
and i don't know why
I guess i'm your official bug-catcher or something
Elsasquatch94 Update 3:
after putting a couple hours into it, I have to deem it unplayable. I've found 4 (or maybe 5...) cities that won't let me click the "change" button without freezing the game and I haven't been able to do tactical combat when I find it necessary
As for the new units and changes made, I think this mod could could could COULD be a great success. However, I can't put any more time into it until you've confirmed that these issues are resolved. If I can't migrate a city, I can't leave it without it revolting against me.
And I'm sick of my random hero's trying to do stupid things in battle and jeopardize their safety, but I can't do tactical.
As excited as I am while I'm playing it...it loses its appeal when I keep having to restart it.
Thirsk
File Author
Well that's a pity, as it works perfectly fine for me (using original aow cd). I suspect that the bugs may be due to small differences in the core files between the original game and the newer ones provided by steam. I own the steam version as well but have not tested it there so it is quite likely my mod is currently incompatible with that version.

I will look into it, and until it is bug-free and compatible with all versions, will leave the mod removed from the downloads section.
Elsasquatch94 give it a whirl on steam and let me know if maybe i'm just doing something wrong
I take the files i downloaded and move them over to their corresponding places in the actual game files
obviously i add the new files and "replace" the old ones with the ones you provide, in case you've made changes to them but the name remains the same
my email is brentoncihonski@gmail.com
email me if you have it working/found a solution
I am super eager to play this mod, like, i don't think you have any idea how excited I am to REALLY get to play it
Thirsk
File Author
Just tried a good 3 hours of testing on Steam, playing tactical combat each time. No problems with halflings dying, let alone any dead units in tactical, and did not encounter any trouble when changing production in cities.

I did however, encounter two instances of Exception during Mapviewer.showscene crashes when capturing the reflection pool in After the Fall map. Since I practically never have bugs on the original game cd, and after analysing the files between the cd and Steam, I have to conclude it's a problem inherent in Steam itself.

Steam's Aow.exe launcher differs as it is optimised for their online steam function as well as compatibility with newer os's like Windows 7/8 through support of Microsoft Visual C+ software.

There is a whole thread of complaints and tips on steam's aow forum here:
https://steamcommunity.com/app/61500/discussions/0/864973123853580717/

From what I gather, steam's aow is very fussy with Windows OS, 32/64 bit, DEP exceptions, and windowed/fullscreen mode.

But in terms of making this mod compatible with Steam, looks like I'll have to provide a patched Aow.exe to see if it brings down your crashes.

[Edited on 03/13/15 @ 12:23 AM]

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HGDL v0.8.2

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Rating
5.0
Statistics
Downloads:1,981
Favorites: [Who?]6
Size:31.50 MB
Added:02/14/15
Updated:01/23/23