New age suggestions

[North Southland]

Harking back to my old proposal, I've thought about the role that elites play in the game. They're good military units, but for most cases they're just stronger offensive or defensive specialists, lacking in what makes an elite an actually unique unit. With that in mind, here's a new race proposal that focuses on elites. I've decided not to suggest any new personalities so as to not make this proposal too long. Note that some races also get a new racial spell that interplays with said elites; I'm not exactly keen on that, but I think it's what makes the most sense. I'm building on some of my old ideas too (hence Halfling, or Undead).

Avian

Avian is the race of fast, relentless attacking. Live fast and die young is their motto. They're also rumored to be very tasty.

+30% birth rate
-25% attack time
-50% training time
Elites count as peasants for birth rate calculations

-10% gains
Can't use stables

Elite: 15/6, 800gc, 8.0 NW

Spellbook: Fanaticism, Semelparity
Semelparity: hard spell, short duration. An hormonal surge in Drakes causes them to reproduce and fight with no regard for their own bodies. While this spell is active:

• Drakes have +10 offensive points
• Avian BR increases by 80%
• Drakes have a 100% casualty rate in battle

Elf

(Light) Elves are a calm, mostly peaceful, somewhat conservative race. They're better known for their support spells.

Self-spell cost reduced by 1 mana
Can cast support spells on teammates
+2 dspec
Elites generate runes
+100% hospitals land effect

+20% explore costs
-10% books produced

Elite: 13/7, 900 gc, 8 NW

Spellbook: Greater Protection, Mystic Aura, Magic Ward

Dark Elf

The counterpart to the above, Dark Elves are better known for their offensive magic and their creativity in using the resources at their disposal. Their nighttime adaptations make them well-suited for thievery. On the other hand, their chaotic tendencies make for poor province management.

Can cast support spells on enemy provinces
+2 ospec
+20% instant spell/sabotage damage
Elites add TPA

+30% wages
+20% building cost

Elite: 8/12, 1000 gc, 9 NW

Spellbook: Reflect Magic, Invisibility, Fanaticism, Aggression, Mage's Fury.

Aggression and Mage's Fury are now support spells.

Dwarf

Dwarves are a laborious race, known as much for their effectiveness in filling up jobs as for their appetite.

+30% Building Efficiency
-75% building cost
Each elite fills 0.25 jobs

+100% food consumption

Elite: 13/8, 950 gc, 8.5 NW

Spellbook: Gluttony, Reflect Magic, Greater Protection

Dryad

Dryads have a special bond with their land. They can extract their nourishment directly from it, but they're held to it by a magic bond that can only be broken with difficulty. While their provinces can produce even magical runes with ease, gold is hard to come by.

All land generates food, runes
Land Lust is twice as effective
Immune to Land Lust
-10% losses in battle

Elites can only attack in ambushes*
-40% income

Elite: 25/8, 2,000 gc, 15 NW

Spellbook: Tree of Gold, Pitfalls, Unchaining

Unchaining: Hard spell, short duration. While it's active, elites can attack (outside ambushes) but attack times increase by 35%.

*I think the easiest way to code this would be for elites to have 0 offensive points whenever they're attacking, as a modifier. Ambushes don't count modifiers like that, and the spell above would remove it.

Faery

Faeries are also well-known for their magic proficiency, which allows them to compensate for their physical disadvantages.

Elites add WPA
+30% towers land effect

-10% population

Elite: 7/13, 1,100 gc, 8.5 NW

Spellbook: all racial spells

Halfling

Halflings are known for their architectural prowess and their collaborative provinces. They make up for their small stature with sheer numbers. Their size makes them very capable thieves, but poor riders.

+10% population
Capacity buildings (houses, stables and dungeons) have double capacity
+30% TPA
-20% military costs
Elites don't cost any wages
Can use credits to train elites, thieves

-1 horses
+10% military losses

Elite: 9/9, 350 gc, 6 NW

Spellbook: Vermin, Aggression, Town Watch
*Vermin now increases rune decay, too

Human

Humans are wealthy and knowledgeable, especially when it comes to horsemanship. Their bond with the horse makes it easier for them to expand by exploring. On the other hand, they're poor wizards.

+20% income
+2 horses
Elites generate books
-15% explore costs

-20% WPA

Elite: 8/12, 1100 gc, 10 NW

Spellbook: Quick Feet, Fountain of Knowledge

Orcs

Orcs are a warrior race, more concerned with fighting than tending to their land. They can be cruel to their prisoners but, uniquely among Utopian races, they also grant them the ability to raise through their ranks to the topmost elite. They adhere to a strict honor code which hampers thievery.

Free draft
+2/+2 soldiers
Prisoners fill 1 job each
Prisoners turn into elites over time

Elites are too proud to defend!
-20% TPA
+10% sabotage/spell damage

Elite: 15/10*, 1,000 gc, 8 NW

*note that Orc elites do not defend. Their defensive value is only relevant for ambushes

Spellbook: Bloodlust, Aggression, Garland Wars*
Garland Wars: like the Aztecs in real life, Orcs have a ritualized battle designed to capture prisoners. While this spell is active, Orcs get

• -10% casualties, both own and enemy
• -10% gains
• All enemy casualties are captured

This spell and Bloodlust cancel out each other

Undead
The Undead consist of those fallen in battle, resurrected by a dark magic. Their numbers are bolstered with each casualty in battle, and they must go through multiple cycles of (un)death to reach their full battle potential, but they mostly lack the ability to create on their own.

Carries and is immune to the Plague
Each enemy casualty becomes a soldier on your side
Each soldier casualty becomes a spec credit
Each spec casualty becomes an elite
Massacres add peasants to your province

Can't train elites
No dungeons
Only intel thievery
-50% BR
-50% books produced

Elite: 16/9, 12 NW

Spellbook: Animate Dead (only works on elites, obviously), Chastity, Ghost Workers