by sigmazero13
Just a few notes from my perspective as well :)steveg700 wrote:
2) Do allied units ever require any kind of special upkeep? It sure *seems* like a huge power swing can result from diplomacy (or even failed diplomacy, as in the example above).
As mentioned, neutral units can be an investment to obtain in one form or another. And while strong, I've found the neutrals aren't all THAT much stronger than normal faction units of the same type. But they do take up food, and they also have the added quirk of you having to keep faction units with them, or they revert back to unallied status; this can sometimes mean the neutrals end up biting the dust first in battle.
4) Other than quest cards that specify acquiring a new quest card at their conclusion, is there any other way to gain quest cards?
Just to reiterate what the above have said: You not only get a new card when you discard and draw one for certain failed quests, you get a new card whenever you successfully complete a quest as well. There should never be a time where you have less than 2 Quest Cards.
(That being said, it could make an interesting variant to make it so that you don't get a new quest automatically on success; that would make the "quest card" option on cities more useful. In playing the game dozens of times, I think I've only seen that option used once, ever.)
7) For purposes of tallying strength, are all standing units considered to only contribute one strength? Yes, I've read the tallying strength rules, but thought there might be something I'm overlooking to differentiate the strength of a footman from a dragon (guess the latter's more likely to be alive when tallying time comes 'round....).
This is one of my favorite parts of the battle mechanics of Runewars. While the big units tend to do more damage and survive, you NEED to have a good mix of small units in there to win the battles. Numbers are just as important as raw power.
I think if big units had more "strength" weight than weak units, it would really tip the dynamics of the game. The Latari Elves, for instance, would be at some disadvantage, since they have no hexagon units in the base game. Waiqar has no rectangle units, etc. Players would just focus on bringing in the power units, and it would make the weak triangle units even weaker.
As written, though, it means you have to balance out your forces - sure, you still want a lot of big units, but you also need raw numbers. And in battle, just picking off your triangles isn't always the best option, as sometimes letting the big units soak up some damage can tip the battle, because killing off big units first means that your strength diminishes at a slower rate. It's a trade off between raw power in killing your opponent, and surviving the attrition and winning the battle. As I said, it's one of my favorite aspects of the game, as I think it really makes the battle system shine.