Suggested playthought

I'd recommend the second option.  We already know that FE's champions are overpowered.  What needs to be demonstrated now is how to improve trained troops to be competitive with champs, and worth the investment.  Plus, I liked seeing the exploits with troops that you came up with.

I'd go with the first option. While it's not very original, it addresses a core problem in the game. If the strategy is still viable, I'm sure you (and the dev's) will see a few things that just shouldn't happen and need fixing.

Your second option is not bad, but I'd rate the balance issues with one or two races as a lot less important than how overpowered heroes are.

Scarred is bugged anyways.
(posted a thread about it some days ago: https://forums.elementalgame.com/432746)

Sincerely
~ Kongdej

Curious as to how you finish wiping out everyone by turn 100 all the time...

Small map?

I play on normal map and, while I don't aggressively push my enemy right away, it still takes me to turn 200 to pull a win...

I play hundreds of turns whithout shit happening at all.  100 turns, thats just long enough to build a couple buildings, a couple troops and that's it.

No, all of the playthroughs have been on a large map.  I play very aggressively, and unless house rules prevent me, my sovereigns are designed as self-buffing fighters.  Even when I could not use heroes, my troops were exploitative to the point where they went through juggernauts without losing hps, let alone units.

That said, Stardock have been quite good at slowing down the game, and removing exploits.  The lack of regeneration in combat will go a long way toward slowing down my expansion.  I am personally leaning towards the second option.

But, Xia and GFireflyE, if you are curious how I play in the first 100 turns, why don't you read the playthroughs?  I think that my strategy is quite clear in all of them, and most of what I did in the .98 one it is even applicable to the last version (except for the lack of regeneration)

I still enjoy your playthroughs Tuidjy, and I hope you pick one of the low hp races, preferably Pariden (because they suck :P)
If your really hardcore, you make a custom race with pariden or resoln bloodline and try to not use ANY of the overpowered traits available, so pick stuff like "Warrior Caste" and "Assassins Tools"...

*turns on widescreen to see Tuidjy fail horribly :D*

Sincerely
~ Kongdej

I think the playthroughs are sort of pointless until they fix the AI not being able to see us or each other bug.  Come Thursday, I'm all in!  Maybe you should create a saved game for us all to play and see how everybody ends up.

There's another release coming this Thursday?  I have not seen a change log.  Are you sure?

That's an interesting idea.

Save a game at some point early on, and give people 30-50 turns and see where they end

Sincerely
~ Kongdej

They are stickied in the 0.982, and therefore I have a hard time noticing them too, I blame the forum software.

https://forums.elementalgame.com/432738

Sincerely
~ Kongdej

If there's a new version coming out, there's not much point in starting a full blown play through.  I'm writing those in the hopes that we'll learn something that's worth changing/improving/balancing, so I stop them when there's a new version out.  I think I'll just start a game with standard Resoln and a custom sovereign, and see how fast the game progresses.

As for intentionally crippling a custom race with Wraith blood, what is the point? It's easy to come up with really bad choices, for example taking "No Ranged" and "Master Archers", or the corruption book with a Kingdom.  I always prefer when my challenge comes from the AI levels and the home rules.

And sure, I could keep a few saves along the way.  It will be easier to do better if one has watched the play through, of course - one will know where the good stuff is.

Does the aforementioned "miserable good-for-nothing stinking forum software" allow for spoilers (i.e. hidden text unless you click a button)?

I couldn't make it work, but its probably a good idea if he can

Its a different approach to the home rules part, running a hero faction but with wraith or pariden bloodline, and no master scouts is way harder than going say krax, men, or trogs and with master scouts and something like enchanters, its a suggestion, take it or leave it

Its a good idea with waiting, and I am still happy you provide insight to unit tactics ETC. also because you are better at presenting it than I am

Sincerely
~ Kongdej

Oh, It's a good suggestion, actually.  Standard Resoln, custom sovereign, and Go Heroes!  I think I'll go Earth+Water+wealthy, so that I can have "enchanted hammers" and "set in stone" for manufacturing centers and "inspiration" for conclaves.  I'll also throw a bunch of money and effort on trained troops, despite knowing that the heroes are more effective.

After all, it's not as if playing a TBS besides the heroes is hurting them any.  Not helping much, but not hurting either.

So I am thinking: Resoln (standard) and a Clumsy, wealthy, hardy, brilliant general with Earth and Water.  That's half way between hero centric and economy centric on the sovereign, so it should give us some idea of the hero/troops balance.

And I won't bother staying in character, not for just the few starting turns, given that there will be a new version in two days.

How about playing with no magic paths and no wealthy?

What's that going to tell anyone about balance?

Sure, I could play a Wraith kingdom with No ranged and Master Archers, etc... And a cowardly adventurer sovereign without magic but with the encumbering bracers and Procipinee's crown.

I won't enjoy it, the nation will suck, and... where's the point? 

If I win, we'll know the AIs need improvement.  Does anyone think that a better AI is a bad idea? 

If I lose, we'll know that stupid decisions make one's life harder.  Does anyone need to be shown that?

I play without magic paths and without wealthy all the time.  The only thing that I am getting from this is that taking wealthy and magic paths for essence spells gives a strong early game boost.  So what are you proving now?  I think that using any race with that build will work and it proves nothing.  Play something that you haven't already proven to be op.  Wealthy is, we got it.  Picking certain magic paths for their city spells is, we got that.  Don't think that will really change with another race, thought you might want to really challenge yourself.

Agree with Xia, if you're looking for balance issues then the last thing you want to create is a custom faction or sovereign.  custom = unbalanced by design.  Try standard Resoln period.  Or standard Pariden period.  Or if you like wealthy and earth spells, then play Kraxis and steal the spirit of one of your heroes.

Do we want the game to be balanced for stupid choices?

I think it is rather silly to have have a magicless sovereign, especially when you do not have "Enchanters".  I also do not think that city boosters need to be nerfed.  What needs to be done is to have them balanced. 

And no, I do not think that the developers have yet gotten exactly how unbalancing "Wealthy" is.  I see them nerfing "Adventurer's Boon" from 10 hp to 8hp, which is a laughable adjustment, so I'm pretty sure that if they had gotten the message about "Wealthy", they would have done something about it.  1150 is way too much gold to start with, and I fully intend to demonstrate it in this play through. 

As for a challenge, that's what the difficulty level is.  If you are telling me that you are winning with a magicless sovereign on Insane, I'd be surprised, but I will still believe you, because I have gone solo with a Life only sovereign on Insane.  But I hardly see what that would bring to the Beta testing process.  Everyone has understood that there is a problem with hero balance, and the developers are clearly trying to adjust them.

You are not quite understanding that I want this playthrough to be useful to the tuning of the game.  If I play Resoln without magic boosting my cities, and without wealthy, and I lose, the results will be meaningless, because the setup is clearly inferior. 

Ah, now I can't wait to start.

I usually play on Hard or Expert and Kraxis is the only one I haven't won with yet.  I was just going to post how Wealthy (1000 gold) alone is not enough.  I think it should be changed to Aristocratic (1000 gold + 1 influence/turn) to help with Kraxis betrayers ability.  Put up a saved game on Thursday after the new patch with standard Kraxis and all standard settings on Ridiculous or Insane.  Then let everybody try to win it.  If we all win it, then we can tell SD that wealthy is unbalanced.

Kraxis is pretty much the only default nation I play as.  Wealthy, betrayed, defensive, are among my favorite things to use.  One handed spears, leather armor and bronze shields in a five man group make for a very good early unit with the Kraxis fortify. 

Thats not the point.  You will always be able to find the combination that is over powered or works the best.  Try playing the game with the combination that is awful.  In Master of Magic terms, try playing the game with the Gnolls.  The gnolls absolutely suck, but it was fun to play.  High Men and Halflings were always going to be the best.  On "Impossible", any race but High Men and Halflings were exactly that, Impossible.

I know most do not agree, but I think a balanced game is boring.  On of the best and lasting qualities to MoM was that fact that it was so unbalanced.  It is what made it fun.  The game is over 20 years old, and many people on this forum say they still play it.

Ok, I promise that my next playthrough, once the next version is released, will be standard Karavox on Ridiculous.

By the way, Insane is a HUGE jump from Ridiculous.  I have never won on Insane in any way but "All out heroes"... which is rather easy with Altar, Gilden and Tarth.  I believe that I could win with troops only on Insane with a Krax based custom race, but I may or may not be able to win with standard Kraxis.

Its your time, by all means pick the stuff you want

Sincerely
~ Kongdej