Era of Magic (EoMa) 4.6.2 - now on Ko-fi!

[inferno8]

One important thing to mention is that Runesmaster is the only faction that cannot summon units at all

That is not true. Constructor can build drones, using a custom summon-like ability. In 4.4 the unit will in fact use the "real" summon ability instead just to make things even more clear.

In case of Flying Fortress, together with ForestDragon we've decided that the unit will get the "Inspires 2" aura and at the same time Heavy Balloon will get "Inspires 1". The latter will also have its movement points reduced by 1 to compensate this. There will be no summoning of parachutists. Also there will be no transportation option which I also disliked.

Other planned changes (there will be more later):
Red Steam Ulfserker: regen from +4 to +6
Cataphract: removal of magic-counter; 1 ranged attack instead of two: 12-2 first strike + hit and run 1 (hp to 68); melee 10-3 growing fury +2
Devourer: xp 170 -> 150
Titania: hit and run +1 -> hit and run +2
Mechanical Dragon: awe 1 (once it becomes lvl4)
Goblin Wizard: removal of magic-counter; +4hp; 8-2 magical to 10-2 magical
Chosen of Forest: removal of magic-counter; +15% fire resistance

Btw, we have new lvl3 Roc stats:

hp: 60
mp: 10
abilities: none

claws: 10-4 melee pierce
bow: 11-2 ranged pierce hit-and-run 2
bolas: 5-3 ranged impact slow attack-only hit-and-run 2

Mechanical Wyrm keeps current lvl3 Mechanical Dragon stats.

And new lvl4 Mechanical Dragon stats idea (anything unspecified is same as lvl3):

hp: roughly 90-92
abilities: hard landing 15, parachute
resistance: maybe 30-40% fire resistance instead of lvl3's 20%?

attacks:
fangs 18-2 pierce melee marksman
fangs 12-3 blade melee marksman
fire breath 25-2 fire ranged marksman dragon breath

Runemasters need some serious rework in my opinion. A few players complained about the faction loosing its steampunk feel with recent additions of more "modern" units. The presence of those units can be easily explained with lore in my opinion, but the most problematic units right now are Dwarvish Cadet and Solider. Other Runemaster altgrades tend to give a more radical difference from base branch. That's why are also thinking about removing these two to make room for more interesting units in the future.

Btw, @IPS: we noticed that Cyclops Noble lvl2 lacks drain on his eye attack, while lvl3 Cyclops Lord has it. Do you think we should give +drain to lvl2 as well?

[IPS]

Wait I'm reading all that info and stuff you've planned and giving my opinion.

Red Steam uflseker regenerates +6 , seems okay, also the ohter option levels up really fast so both units are fair.

Caphract lossing melee pierce , well... it makes it too similar to lv2, but idea is about it having something that it can allow it to have decent retaliation againist melee swift foots that is not melee impact at all, still it gains higher growing fury values which makes it quite strong in highly modded games (still, not as much as skilled bow on melee...) so I guess it's fair. The new propossed version is much better againist heavier enemies but defenetively inferior againsit very swift enemies, interesting concept, maybe should give it a try.

Devourer XP seems fine, it's most likely weakest lv4, still a lv4, but it's not strong on lv3, so looks fine.

Lv4 mechanical dragon, will debate about that later, seems okay giving AWE 1.

Goblin Wizard buff in cold ranged magical at cost of magic counter in melee seems okay.

Chosen of Forest fire ressist instead of magic-counter, we can give it a try and see how it works, still I advise it is low in dmg's for a lv4, but having mega healing and regenarates in same unit is really cool.


Lv3 Roc, well I was quite very againist giving it a lv3 unit, so I decided to give a option B lv2 , still that other roc rider had moderate differences like TOD from neutral to chaotic, which in modded games does a lot of difference. Idea in bolas being attack only is to avoid the unit completely replace the original one, still if propossing to lv3 well.... I have to check that unit more carefully in soon. Also Goblin Invader was precisely made to give players options for pierce melee appart of roc riders.

About lv4 mechanical dragon , I preffer impair values, for certain attacks because Idk, it feels way more different : ) , specially for things that are semi critical (like reality warp) I often preffer impair values instead of pair ... ... IDK, just VERY PERSONAL THINGS, but I find something special in certain impair mount of damages in certain attacks. So I would just readjusting fangs attack to 19-2 & 13-3 , and don't know , 25-2 for fire breath ? Also fire ressistance to 30% seems okay. HP maybe 90, it's really lot considering the unit moves really fast.

Cyclops ritualist siuts perfectly! if we remember there is cyclops necromancer in destroyers army, it would suit perfect that cyclops were really deep in dark arts and something gone just terribly bad and caused a massive extiction because of this.

Thinking about Lv2 cyclops noble if having drains, maybe increase XP by +5/+10 XP more to lv3 and add drains to the attack-only attack? so it would be fair, more XP requeriment for lv3, and also, players are forced it to lv3 instead of cheesing +strikes upgrades in XP mod in perma lv2 version.


From my point of view, cadette and soldier don't have to be removed as units, just changing their sprite and concepts, originally lv2 was named "militia, oops I mean Guerrilla" and lv3 "soldier" , maybe something like WW II vietnam war as reference instead of a less modern version could suit well, OR for lv2 cadette something between steampunk and guerrilla concepts. But as far, I've suggested Cadette as "Guerrilla" as an attempt to give dwarves some ground unit that can do OKAY in forest terrain because machines are slow there and not depending in air units to do this task of keeping forest tiles.

The sprites are really nice, but as few said, they feel out of steampunk concept , maybe these sprites and names can be used special/campaign units with slightly different (and more OP stats? ) AND ALSO, keeping units with suggested stats with "less modern" and more "steampunk" art/concepts, even if they're WW II reference or vietnam war.


For now I have no pricing for all mentioned units, as there still lots of things still to debate.

[inferno8]

Thinking about Lv2 cyclops noble if having drains, maybe increase XP by +5/+10 XP more to lv3 and add drains to the attack-only attack? so it would be fair, more XP requeriment for lv3

Sure

there is cyclops necromancer in destroyers army, it would suit perfect that cyclops were really deep in dark arts and something gone just terribly bad and caused a massive extiction because of this.

Well, the ones who were really into dark arts were living in the Great Marsh and weren't cyclopes. But the concept of Cyclops Mages is not finished yet, so I wouldn't be surprised to see them use some form of black magic at some point.

From my point of view, cadette and soldier don't have to be removed as units, just changing their sprite and concepts, originally lv2 was named "militia, oops I mean Guerrilla" and lv3 "soldier" , maybe something like WW II vietnam war as reference instead of a less modern version could suit well, OR for lv2 cadette something between steampunk and guerrilla concepts. But as far, I've suggested Cadette as "Guerrilla" as an attempt to give dwarves some ground unit that can do OKAY in forest terrain because machines are slow there and not depending in air units to do this task of keeping forest tiles.

We think buffing the gunner line defense to be more effective in forests might be the more effective option (at least lvl2/3) @IPS: I'd like to hear your opinion about whether the buff should extend to lvl1 too.

As for removing these two units in the future, well, sometimes I want to redesign the whole faction from scratch, but its probably too late for that.

Btw, together with ForestDragon we came to a conclusion that usage of "magic counter" should be limited. It's an interesting mechanic... but not when half of your recruit list has it. So from now on let's use it in cases where this is absolutely necessary.

Another question: We are wondering if troll sorcerer's 57 exp might be a little overpriced for what the unit line offers. @IPS what do you think?

[Mechanical]

To be honest, I don't like the way EoMa has been developing lately. I mean some new unit lines and weird abilities all over the place designed to make "balance".

I've often discussed this with FD, we agree on many things and he brings these thoughts to you. But I'd like to speak up as well.

The thing I dislike the most is how the Masters of Runes faction is evolving. It was originally a good faction with a steampunk and rune magic theme, but now it's turned into a hodgepodge of all things high-tech.

The shooter line looks good, but the laser sight on level 3 looks out of place to me. As well as the cadet lineup. They look too modern and refer to something like the Vietnam War, but they are almost no different, except for stealth, from the warrior line. Why would you even think dwarves should have good units for the forest? Why try to give every faction all the options?

I also don't like what's going on with the units. All these 4-1 attacks with 3 properties like defense/attack only, magic counter, and whatever else... I feel like unit design should be ergonomic. The default dark adept has no melee attack, but that doesn't make it a bad unit, for example.

I often start to look back on the good old Age of Magic from my childhood with regret. Hopefully the direction of its development will be corrected in the future.

[inferno8]

Well, EoMa is still considered a very popular add-on despite the current direction of its development, so I think that not everything we've made so far is bad. But don't worry - uncle inferno & the team will make some improvements here and there to make things better!

The thing I dislike the most is how the Masters of Runes faction is evolving. It was originally a good faction with a steampunk and rune magic theme, but now it's turned into a hodgepodge of all things high-tech.

This can be explained with lore. You see, there are actually two tech levels in the faction, but it turns out to be more confusing than I initially thought. So once I start making a visual overhaul of the faction in the future (with 24fps animations and stuff), I'll take that into consideration and try to make units look more coherent.

All these 4-1 attacks with 3 properties like defense/attack only, magic counter, and whatever else... I feel like unit design should be ergonomic.

I am aware of this issue. It was reported several times in the past and I agree that in case of some units the number of specials could be limited to make UI look nice. Together with ForestDragon we've been working hard for the last few days to fix this. I think that Temple Guard from Darkblooded is the prime example of designing a unit without paying attention to User Interface (one of its attacks has 6 specials iirc). That's probably way too much. @IPS: if you are reading this, maybe you could offer some help in making this unit more UI friendly without sacrificing its unique role. ForestDragon and I have already combined magical + skilled into a new 'very skilled' special (min. 70% cumulative hit chance) but we're afraid this is not enough.

[Atreides]

It was reported several times in the past and I agree that in case of some units the number of specials could be limited to make UI look nice. I think that Temple Guard from Darkblooded is the prime example of designing a unit without paying attention to User Interface (one of its attacks has 6 specials iirc). That's probably way too much.

You think that's bad? Hehe, the Draconian Era which I ported has something like 15 specials on each weapon. The creator made them invisible though but I felt that hid critical combat info from the player so I unhid them. Compromises... eh what ya gonna do?

is that an eyeful or what?

[Ravana]

I basically agree with Mechanical. I even think the entire idea of magic counter should be avoided, for playable units at least.

[dwarftough]

You think that's bad? Hehe, the Draconian Era which I ported has something like 15 specials on each weapon. The creator made them invisible though but I felt that hid critical combat info from the player so I unhid them. Compromises... eh what ya gonna do?

On your screenshots some of abilities with the same name repeat twice, probably they may have been packed into a single weapon special. And I think in general making units with this number of specials isn't the best style (for default Wesnoth style at least)

On topic (EoMa), I support what Mechanical and Ravana say, many recently added abilities like magic counter, magic offensive, attack/defense only look not so nice, especially because they repeat really a lot across absolutely different units.

[inferno8]

While the concept of magic counter is generally interesting, but it looks like it introduces a new level of complexity to the era, which may negatively affect gameplay, especially when abused (which is exactly the case in recent versions). I think limiting it to just few units could work. If not, it will be removed completely.

Era of Magic is probably the closest umc era to mainline in terms of quality. If we want to keep that, then faction, unit and ability/special design should follow some easy to understand rules:

Simplicity, UI cleanness, orderliness, adding new units only when absolutely necessary (the same applies to abilities/specials), avoiding complex ability/weapon special interactions, trying to stay close to mainline design philosophy but at the same time being opened for innovative stuff as long as it is fun and adds to gameplay value, etc.

ForestDragon and I believe that most of new specials could easily be replaced with simple buffs to regular stats in most cases. For the last few days we've been carefully analyzing all EoMa units searching for UI clutter and weird things like magical (offensive) on attack-only attacks. We've managed to fix a lot of these for the upcoming 4.4 but the scope of work is so big, that some of the changes have to be scheduled for 4.5 as it will require cooperation with all current team members. Nevertheless I can assure all of you that the next EoMa version will offer quite a refreshing experience

[Atreides]

You think that's bad? Hehe, the Draconian Era which I ported has something like 15 specials on each weapon. The creator made them invisible though but I felt that hid critical combat info from the player so I unhid them. Compromises... eh what ya gonna do?

On your screenshots some of abilities with the same name repeat twice, probably they may have been packed into a single weapon special. And I think in general making units with this number of specials isn't the best style (for default Wesnoth style at least)

I checked, that's exactly right, it's 1 weapon special applied to all units... : ( Absurdly it filters for damage type instead of making separate specials and giving them to the right units. Guess I'll have to slog through that some time... : ) (Call me Mr Fixit)

[IPS]

I'm reading all post and yup, many units have so many attacks.

I still remember when for mobile defense platform inferno8 wanted it to have FIVE ATTACKS ... so I gift the AOD attack feature to a melee attack to make it 4 attacks instead of FIVE.... I completely understand that point about so many units have so many different attacks.

So , for Catphract will be necesary removing the melee pierce from bow, as I'm reading the complaints about that is really strong, also it might be reworked into a more impact dealer on a lv3 , and also helping cataphract to be better againist heavier units.

@Mechanical @Ravana, you were not giving your feedback in times we added that to EOMA, it's why without objections that was a route that inferno8 and me took, as when these units and mechanics were introduced, there was 0 rejections/objections in that time, and been so far various months they been added. If we don't get critics or feedback, we guess we all do is completely fine and that players will like that.]

Ofc inferno8, I'm going to check certain units how they can be reworked into a more simple but more clear role for them. But in case of Earth units and Hidden-Faces/Golems having magic counter OR thairs berzerker having magic-counter(offensive) in lv2 is something that is needed , specially for tharis unit to NOT be hard countered that hardly from fire magical melees.

I'ma take all that dislikes about certain changes and in few days I'ma adjust some units to make them more simple and giving to these units more ressistances, more HP or just some more stats instead of even more attack specials. Cases that has to be reviewed is Temple Guard, because that unit in its holy spear attack has literally 6 attack specials in one attack XDDD , that must be changed for real.



About Cannoner having better defense in forests stuff, well... the reason why I designed lv2 militant and lv3 guerrilla (or whatever name you want to give) be a MELEE UNIT is because they are by far bit more different from flying machines THAN A RANGED UNIT WOULD DO. Also dwarven mech (ground) is known to be inefective in FOREST, reason it's very logic that dwarves considered training some of their men to fight well in swamp/forests.


Will dual posting later with my guesses about some more specific cases.

[inferno8]

@Mechanical @Ravana, you were not giving your feedback in times we added that to EOMA, it's why without objections that was a route that inferno8 and me took, as when these units and mechanics were introduced, there was 0 rejections/objections in that time, and been so far various months they been added. If we don't get critics or feedback, we guess we all do is completely fine and that players will like that.

Players often need some time to playtest all new changes, especially when those changes have huge impact on gameplay like new mechanics and specials. We've been implementing these for the last 2 years - and that's enough time for others to form their opinion, so I am not surprised we are receiving the feedback now. That's perfectly normal. Now we know that some of our experimental ideas were not good enough. Players want to experience something less complex, they want simplicity of old EoMa. This is an incredibly valuable knowledge in my opinion. With that in mind, we can deliver even better content in the future, which is great!

[ForestDragon]

Cases that has to be reviewed is Temple Guard, because that unit in its holy spear attack has literally 6 attack specials in one attack XDDD , that must be changed for real.

Me and inferno8 managed to already rework temple guard in the 4.4 dev build (it hasn't really been mentioned here on forums though) - magical + skilled was merged into very skilled (70% min. chance always), first strike got removed since main attack does not have it anyway, and magic hardening was removed in return for higher magic resistances.

Hidden-Faces/Golems having magic counter OR thairs berzerker having magic-counter(offensive) in lv2 is something that is needed , specially for tharis unit to NOT be hard countered that hardly from fire magical melees.

Aforementioned units will most likely keep their magic counter in 4.4 at least, but some of that (especially golems in my opinion) might need to be carefully re-examined for 4.5. My own suggested balance changes for 4.4 generally focus on lvl2-4, as properly balancing lvl1s is a much more difficult task so those will stay pretty much unchanged.

About Cannoner having better defense in forests stuff, well... the reason why I designed lv2 militant and lv3 guerrilla (or whatever name you want to give) be a MELEE UNIT is because they are by far bit more different from flying machines THAN A RANGED UNIT WOULD DO. Also dwarven mech (ground) is known to be inefective in FOREST, reason it's very logic that dwarves considered training some of their men to fight well in swamp/forests.

Right now the cadet's big problems in my opinion are 1. it's a little too similar to main branch, and 2. sprites/names don't fit into the faction's themes

The unit needs either removal or a redesign (both in appearance/name, and a bit in gameplay) in my opinion.

[IPS]

Been a lot of material to process... so I didn't reply to all not because I didn't read, just because there is a lot of data/information to still process and debate.

For golems, what about replacing +Magic-counter for +Magic-Hardening? it would be nearly the same as the idea is to golems take less damage from magical melee ... and it's rare that magic melee be physical.

For terramancer and earth golem, their melee could also have +Magic-hardening (both attack and defense) , so that makes earth units bit more tankier againist a selected group of enemies (magic melee mages). I think that agility/swiftness containing +Magic-Counter and for TANKS having +Magic-Hardening is a fine way to go in my personal criteria.


Talking about Lv1 troll requiring 57 XP to lv2 , we can just adjust it to 54 (-3) XP to lv2, as lv1 troll shaman is literally a troll whelp with 5-3 fire magical ranged in addition, so it's a strong lv1 ... I guess we can give a try to that -3 XP on Lv1's.

I consider necessary the addition of +Precision(cumulative) and +Very-Skilled , it decreases mount of attack specials in same attack.


About Lv3 Mysthical Archer, I think arcane bow attack must be removed, in prior of considering for 4.5 a Lv3 Inspired, containing the missing attack from Mysthical Archer and also giving Kharos a REAL ARCHER to that faction instead of an hybrid piercer such as kharosian Impaler. So with the Lv3 inspired, we would have a real archer that also can fire holy arrows of two strikes in order to differenciate more from Lv3 Phophet of Light.

Um is an unit that in multiplayer games is VERY ABUSED.... because of having very high HP and magic on both melee and ranged. If you're buffing Um that is an unit that players will often try to cheese/abuse then decrease its magic ressistances to same values than Lv0 MU, so the unit is more likely to die faster and to be less OP. So we're getting an Um that is stronger offensively but that dies faster, which makes it a Bruiser/Fighter and less an Off-tank role because of role being slightly changed. But Um cannot be buffed that easily for free, because that unit is VERY ABUSED because of being strong in specials and high HP/ressistances.

My previous idea of UM was being a lv2 hybrid fighter with HP of a lv4 , so it was trully fine as lv3, but if we're increasing damages then decrease tankyness as ressistnaces nerfs.

Edit: Forgot about MISTRESS OF EMPTYNESS , that unit originally DID NOT HAVE A RANGED attack, so I nerf the new attack, it's +SECRET damage type, so I I propose her ranged accuracy from +Enchanted to +Magic(offensive) ... instead of full +Magical at both attack/defense, so the unit can retaliate with a ranged attack BUT NOT THAT WELL...

I read all the upcoming changes and I trullty not have that many objections to all propossed.

For 4.5 we gonna see how can we make lv2 cadete/commando to be more different from main path, as idea is brinding something way more DIFFERENT to runemasters.

Well that's all for now.

[inferno8]

Era of Magic 4.4 is now available!

eoma_4.4_promo.gif (779.4 KiB) Viewed 5013 times

We are thrilled to announce the release of the highly anticipated 4.4 update for Era of Magic! This exciting release brings numerous changes, improvements, and new features to enhance your gaming experience. Here's what you can expect:

New Units:
Get ready to unleash four new powerful units into the battlefield - Roc Master (level 3), Mechanical Wyrm (level 3), Corrupted Hydra (level 4), and Hellish Hydra (level 4) - the last two are actually one unit! All these new units were suggested by ForestDragon - congratulations!

Corrupted/Hellish Hydra:
Augmented by Tharis inhumane experiments and fueled by the darkest sorcery of the most depraved warlocks, the Corrupted Hydra has become an unrelenting terror upon the battlefield. The very existence of this colossal monstrosity defies nature, an affront to the natural balance. With its five twisted heads, it can unleash a maelstrom of destruction upon its foes, tearing through armor like tissue paper. And yet, this is only the beginning... In the darkness of night, the Corrupted Hydra transforms into a *real* nightmare known as the Hellish Hydra - a malevolent entity imbued with the destructive power of the Destroyers, capable of erasing even the toughest enemies from existence with ease. No brave warrior dares to confront this infernal monster.

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Mechanical Wyrm:
This impressive mechanical marvel crafted by the skilled hands of Runemasters represents a significant milestone in the evolution of flight technology, bridging the gap between Steamcopter and Mechanical Dragon (currently at Level 4). This revolutionary steampunk aircraft seamlessly integrates the flame-breathing capability of a dragon with the speed and maneuverability of a helicopter. Equipped with the ability to breathe fire upon its adversaries, this high-speed flyer promises to unleash utter chaos upon enemy forces.
As previously noted, Mechanical Dragon has undergone a complete overhaul and is now a formidable level 4 unit, that strikes terror into the minds of those who oppose it.

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Roc Master:
Now level 3 this lethal unit glides across the battlefield with unnerving speed, its swift moves allowing it to suddenly appear within striking distance of unsuspecting foes. Once there, the Roc Master's deadly claws rip apart its prey with ease, while its cunning retreats ensure survival. The former Level 2 Roc Master is now known as Roc Tamer.

Removed Units:
Unfortunately, Orcish Brawler and Savage Roc Rider have been removed from multiplayer mode to make room for more important units in the future (like Cyclops Shamans coming in 4.5). However, they still remain part of the era and you can use them freely in your own creations.

Balance Changes:
Almost 100 units have been rebalanced to provide a better overall experience. Expect reduced excessive abilities and specials cluttering UI. Also lots of units got xp buffs.
Thanks to your input and ForestDragon's expertise, we spent several days refining the era, focusing on restoring the simplicity and fun of classic "Era of Magic" while keeping the best of IPS's ideas intact. While this update is not yet fully complete, we're confident that future updates (4.5 onwards) will tackle any remaining issues, ensuring a more enjoyable experience for all players.

Drone Upgrade System Overhaul:
The 4.4 update expands the list of units capable of installing drone upgrades. But there is more: now you can easily tell which unit can install which upgrade thanks to the implementation of special abilities like 'upgrade drone (rotor)' or 'upgrade drone (kamikaze module)'.

Other significant changes:
The "divine" weapon special can now work on undrainable units and monsters. This opens up new possibilities for your strategies and tactics.
The Wonderful Jinni is now a selectable leader in the Masters era, allowing you to command this wise and powerful ally on the battlefield.

Special thanks:
I'd like to express my gratitude to ForestDragon for collaborating with me on preparing this challenging update. As I worked on developing new units and animations, he diligently reviewed over 290 units from the relevant era, identifying potential issues and proposing comprehensive solutions. We then devoted numerous hours to discussing the proposed changes in terms of gameplay complexity and UI clarity. Collaborating with you has consistently been a delight; it warms my heart to see how EoMa attracts gifted individuals like IPS, ForestDragon, Ravana, and many others.

I'd like to extend a huge thank you to all of my Ko-fi supporters for their interest in my work! To my surprise, this whole donations idea turned out to be quite a success! Your generosity means the world to me. Thanks to your donations I was able to spend more time on creating animations for new units, and I couldn't do this on such a scale without your backing. Thank you again for your kindness and support – I truly appreciate it!

The next 4.5 version will probably feature the long awaited Cyclops Mages for the Barbarians faction as well as many other exciting improvements and animations.

So if you’d like to support Era of Magic, you can leave a donation over at:
https://ko-fi.com/inferno8

By becoming a patron of my work, you'll be directly contributing to the growth and evolution of Era of Magic and To Lands Unknown add-ons, and helping me to create even more magical adventures for the Battle for Wesnoth community to enjoy! All supporters will be mentioned in credits!


By the way, EoMa Jokes are back! To celebrate the new release ForestDragon created these cool comics for you to enjoy! (my favorite one is about Commander Bedee Esemme - don't ask why... )

EoMa jokes

There will be more EoMa jokes in the future, so stay tuned!

Full 4.4 changelog:

Code: Select all

## Version 4.4
 ### Gameplay
   * added 4 new units: Roc Master (lvl3), Mechanical Wyrm (lvl3), Corrupted Hydra (lvl4), Hellish Hydra (lvl4)
   * Mechanical Dragon is now a lvl4 unit
   * removed Orcish Brawler and Savage Roc Rider from MP
   * renamed Roc Master (lvl2) to Roc Tamer
   * renamed Dwarvish Soldier to Dwarvish Commando
   * in Masters era random leaderpool intentionally only includes lvl4s
   * Wonderful Jinni can now be selected as a leader in Masters era
   * removed Crimson Atokpi from the Masters leader list
 ### Units
   * Barbarians:
     * Barbarian: decreased the ranged blade attack damage from 7-2 to 6-2
     * Barbarian King: increased the melee blade attack damage from 15-4 to 16-4, removed the 'growing fury' weapon special
     * Barbarian Lord: decreased the melee double-attack damage from 9-3 to 8-3
     * Blood Warrior: increased the melee pierce attack damage from 8-2 to 9-2
     * Cyclops Noble: XP from 95 to 100; added the 'drain' weapon special to the attack only ranged attack
     * Cyclops Warmonger: XP from 230 to 200
     * Goblin Raider: increased the ranged impact attack damage from 6-3 to 7-3; removed the 'first strike' special from ranged pierce attack
     * Goblin Wizard: hitpoints from 36 to 40; removed the 'magic counter' special from the melee attack; increased cold ranged attack damage from 8-2 to 10-2;
     * Goblin Wizard (RPG): removed the 'magic hardening' from all attacks
     * Orcish Chieftain: recruiting an orc via the 'recruit' ability costs 13g instead of 14g
     * Orcish Warbanner: XP from 88 to 78
     * Orcish Warrior: decreased the ranged blade attack damage from 5-2 to 4-2
     * Troll Sorcerer: XP from 57 to 54
     * Troll Warbanner: replaced the 'first strike' special with 'skilled' for the melee attack
   * Darkblood Alliance:
     * Black Salamander: XP from 105 to 90
     * Blue Salamander: XP from 105 to 90
     * Chosen of Forest: increased fire restistance from 0 to 15%; removed 'magic counter' specials from all attacks
     * Chosen of Marsh: increased fire resistance from 20 to 30%
     * Clan Leader: XP from 110 to 100
     * Green Salamander: XP from 105 to 90
     * Jungle Champion: cost from 47 to 52
     * Lava Salamander: replaced the 'magical (offensive)' with 'magical' for the attack with the 'attack only' special
     * Lava Salamander (RPG): removed the 'magic counter' from the melee attack, changed attack damage to 8-3
     * Red Salamander: XP from 105 to 90
     * Saurian Assassin: cost from 48 to 55
     * Shadow Salamander: removed 'magic counter' and 'first strike' specials from all attacks
     * Temple Guard: cost from 48 to 53; increased arcane resistance from 40 to 50%; increased fire and cold resitance from 20 to 35%; increased the melee arcane attack damage from 9-3 to 10-3, removed 'first strike' and 'magic hardening' specials; replaced 'magical' and 'skilled' specials with one 'very skilled' special
     * Yellow Salamander: XP from 105 to 90
   * Destroyers:
     * Atokpi Charger: increased the melee blade attack damage from 11-3 to 12-3; replaced 'precision' and 'skilled' specials with 'precision (cumulative)'
     * Crimson Atokpi: increased the melee pierce attack damage from 16-2 to 18-2
     * Crimson Atokpi (RPG): replaced the 'lesser revenge' special with 'skilled'
     * Dark Portal: replaced the 'magical (defensive)' with 'magical' for all attacks with the 'defend only' special
     * Devourer: XP from 170 to 150
     * Extinct Cyclops Mage: XP from 220 to 210
     * Harbinger: decreased the melee fire damage from 5-4 to 4-4, replaced the 'enchanted' special with 'magical'
     * Infernal Vortex: replaced the 'magical (defensive)' with 'magical' for all attacks with the 'defend only' special
     * Mara: XP from 117 to 107; removed the 'enchanted' special from the melee attack
     * Obliterator: XP from 214 to 220
     * Titania: increased the 'hit and run' value from 1 to 2 movepoints
   * Kharos:
     * Bishop: XP from 100 to 95
     * Bronze Warrior: XP from 100 to 85
     * Divine Executor: removed 'lesser revenge' and 'magic counter' specials from all attacks; increased the melee pierce attack damage from 11-4 to 12-4; increased the ranged melee arcane attack damage from 9-4 to 10-4
     * Grand Kharosian Warbanner: replaced 'magical (offensive)' and 'enchanted' specials with 'magical' for the ranged attack
     * Heavy Cavalry: XP from 90 to 86
     * Inspired: hitpoints from 38 to 40; removed the 'first strike' special from all ranged attacks
     * Inspired (RPG): removed the 'magic counter' special from all attacks; removed the 'magical' special from the last attack
     * Impaler: increased the melee pierce attack damage from 10-3 to 11-3, removed the 'magic counter' special from the attack
     * Kharos War Banner: XP from 100 to 95
     * Kharosian Cataphract: hitpoints from 63 to 68; increased the 'growing fury' value from 1 to 2 for the melee impact attack; removed the melee pierce attack; increased the ranged pierce attack damage from 10-2 to 12-2
     * Prophet of Light: replaced the 'magical' special with 'precision' for the ranged arcane attack
     * Prophet of Light: replaced the 'magical (offensive)' special with 'magical' for the last attack
     * Solar Master: replaced 'precision' and 'skilled' specials with 'precision (cumulative)'
   * Runemasters:
     * Battlecopter: removed the 'first strike' special from all attacks; replaced the 'precision (offensive)' special with 'very skilled'; increased blade resistance from -10% to +10%
     * Constructor: replaced the 'repair +8' ability with 'repair +10'; changed drone build cost from 9 to 4g
     * Drone: changed the behavior of Drone HP AMLAs
     * Dwarvish Mobile Turret: increased the ranged impact attack damage from 15-1 to 16-1
     * Dwarvish Rune Lord: replaced 'magical' and 'skilled' specials with one 'very skilled' special
     * Dwarvish Runic Warrior: XP from 200 to 185
     * Flying Fortress: now has the 'inspires 2' ability; removed the 'defend only' special from the melee pierce attack; removed the 'first strike' special from all ranged attacks
     * Heavy Balloon: now has the 'inspires 1' ability; removed the 'defend only' special from the melee pierce attack, replaced the 'skilled' special with 'lesser revenge'; removed the 'first strike' special from all ranged attacks
     * Mechanical Dragon: is now a lvl 4 unit
     * Mobile Defensive Platform: removed 'lesser revenge' and 'first strike' specials from the 'split fire' attack; increased ranged impact attack damage from 21-1 to 23-1
     * Red Steam Ulfserker: increased the regeneration value from 4 to 6; increased fire and cold resistances from 10 to 20%; removed the 'magic counter (offensive)' special
     * Rune Artist: XP from 220 to 200
     * Steamcopter: removed the 'marksman' special from the melee attack; removed the 'marksman' special from the melee attack; removed the 'first strike' special from the ranged attack
     * Technocrat: hitpoints from 57 to 60; removed the 'first strike' special from the ranged pierce attack; replaced the 'precision (offensive)' with 'greater marksman' for the ranged impact attack
     * Technologist: hitpoints from 42 to 44; removed the 'first strike' special from the ranged pierce attack; replaced the 'precision (offensive)' with 'greater marksman' for the ranged impact attack
     * Trench Sweeper: the 'point blank' special deals 5 additional damage instead of 4; increased the ranged pierce attack damage from 16-2 to 17-2, removed the 'first strike' special
   * Sky Kingdom:
     * Aeromancer: removed the 'first strike' special from the 3-7 attack
     * Architect: XP from 160 to 150; replaced the 'precision (offensive)' with 'precision' for the attack with the 'attack only' special
     * Battle Eye: replaced the 'precision' special with 'precision (offensive)' and 'magical' for the ranged attack
     * Chronomancer: replaced the 'first strike' special with 'skilled' for the melee attack
     * Guru of Magic: remove the 'magic counter' from the melee attack
     * Magical Eye: replaced the 'precision' special with 'precision (offensive)' and 'enchanted' for the ranged attack
     * Master of Air: removed the 'first strike' special from the 4-8 attack
     * Master of Earth: increased melee impact attack damage from 13-2 to 14-2; removed the 'first stike' special from the 4-9 attack
     * Mystic Warrior: XP from 110 to 100; replaced the 'skilled' weapon special with 'marksman'
     * Sculptor: XP from 100 to 93; replaced the 'magical (offensive)' with 'magical' for the attack with the 'attack only' special
     * Shadow Mage: remove the 'magic counter' special from the melee attack
     * Sky Guardian: replaced the 'skilled' weapon special with 'marksman'
     * Terramancer: removed the 'first strike' special from the 4-5 attack
     * Um: increase the ranged secret attack damage from 3-11 to 3-13; increase the ranged secret attack damage from 15-1 to 20-1
   * Summoners:
     * Air God: increased the ranged arcane attack damage from 11-3 to 12-3
     * Camel Master: increased the melee blade attack damage from 10-3 to 11-3
     * Carpet Rider: removed 'first strike' and 'defend only' specials from the melee attack
     * Earth God: increased the regeneration value from 8 to 10; removed the shielded ability and weapon special; changed the melee impact attack damage from 12-3 to 18-2, added the 'stun' special to the attack
     * Elite Camel Rider: XP from 95 to 88
     * Great Efreeti: replaced the 'magical (offensive)' with 'magical' for the attack with the 'attack only' special
     * Neutral Summoner: increased fire and cold resistances from 10% to 15%; removed the 'magic counter' special from all attacks
     * Summons Master: replaced the 'magical' special with 'very skilled' for all melee attacks
     * Water Avatar: XP from 82 to 75
   * Tharis:
     * Chaos Hydra: hitpoints from 78 to 80
     * Crimson Blade: removed the 'first strike' special from the melee pierce attack
     * Great Warlock: increased the ranged impact attack damage from 7-3 to 9-3
     * Great Witch: XP from 100 to 93
     * Master of Darkness: increased the ranged impact attack damage from 12-3 to 13-3
     * Matriarch of Darkness: XP from 150 to 166; replaced the 'precision (offensive)' with 'precision' for the attack with the 'attack only' special
     * Matriarch of Emptiness: XP from 150 to 166; replaced the 'enchanted' weapon special with 'magical' for the ranged secret attack
     * Matriarch of Frost: XP from 150 to 166
     * Matriarch of Pain: removed the 'first strike' special from the ranged fire attack
     * Pain Mistress: XP from 95 to 90; removed the 'first strike' special from the ranged fire attack
     * Pain Sphere: hitpoints from 42 to 43; removed the 'enchanted' special from the ranged impact attack
     * Shadowblade: changed the melee blade attack damage from 8-4 to 15-2
 ### Abilities
   * added a new weapon special: very skilled (at least 70% cth)
   * added a new weapon special: precision (cumulative) (at least 80% cth)
   * made the 'divine' weapon special work on undrainable units and monsters
   * replaced the 'activate drone' ability with the regular 'summon' ability
   * renamed the 'complete repair (drone)' ability to 'upgrade drone'
   * implemented specific 'upgrade drone (module)' abilities for various units
   * expanded the list of units capable of installing drone upgrades
 ### Graphics
   * changed one of Bishop's ranged attack icons
   * changed one of Prophet's of Light ranged attack icons
 ### Descriptions
   * improved the Era of Magic (Masters) description
 ### Code 
   * refactored the 'upgrade drone' ability (former 'complete repair')
   * refactored the 'upgradable' ability
   * refactored the 'alter ego' code to work with custom ToD
   * fixed incorrect Fallen Goblin Sniper image
   * moved unused units to a separate directory
   * fixed some typos
  ### Translations
   * updated EoMa_translation_template.pot and all .po files
   * updated the Polish translation