I read alot the forum but never actually registered or posted before, so hi people!
I don't know much about modding but was kinda annoy to see illithid alway getting wipe out. When i read the tread for a solution, nothing. So i did the only thing to do,
running away opening the raw and trying to find the solution myself.
They mostly get wiped around year 100-300. So, after doing lot's of world-gen i decided to alway use the same seed for the test. that way i could see the effect of my modification on the illithid without chance it's was simply a world more suited for them. (Not that is ever happened before)
I only worked on above-ground illithid (ILLITHID_EMPIRE_ENTITY) in the entity_illithid.txt:
First, i saw this: [START_GROUP_NUMBER:100]
[MAX_POP_NUMBER:750]
Most of the good aligned civ:
[START_GROUP_NUMBER:10]
[MAX_POP_NUMBER:10000]
See something strange?
They start strong but hit rapidly their max population. So later, when other nation have thousands, the only thing left for them is saying THIS! IS! SPARTA! and getting swarmed to dead. When i edited that and set the value to 5000... Surprise! they still got their ass kick but atleast they where surviving 500-700 year.
I look a little more and saw the item_thief tag. If the information from the kobold camp mod tread are exact that tag make them:
1. Come into people fort and steal they're shit.
2. Everyone who don't have that tag actually hate you because you steal their stuff, even the evil civilization like the goblin want you dead. Ouch
So illithid are actually the smallest nation and everyone want them dead.
Poor thing
I changed that tag for [BABYSNATCHER].
Now goblin and serpentfolk are friend with them. Sure, some could argue that illithid are monstruosity and no one would want to be friend with them. But, atleast, now they have a new way to get slave and won't come in your fort only to steal a pair of pant.
Even the illithid would know that it's not a good thing when everyone want you dead.
The result aftermath:HO my god, im gonna die! :X
not only the illithid, with their new number and new ally, is now the most successful of all the evil civilization but actually, they're arrival modified the balance of power making more goblin and serpentfolk civilization survive too.
That was unexpected.
Note1: I did not test the babysnatcher tag without boosting their max number, i kinda like the way is now so i did not bother. If someone want to try... Personnally i will prepare myself to fight the horde!
Note2: The reason of they're succes is maybe because of the start_group_number of 100. it's 10x bigger than most other civ after all. Like before, i did not bother to verify and im actually thinking of giving the same advantage to goblin and serpentfolk.
Another thing:The underground illithid empire have both [ETHIC:SLAVERY:UNTHINKABLE] and [ETHIC:SLAVERY:ACCEPTABLE] in their entity. Don't know if it's affect some part of the gameplay at all but i wanted to mention it.
Sorry if some part of my post are weird, english is not my first language.
Edit:
Also I've fixed illithids so now they are many...
Damn, im to late! Hey, maybe the babysnatcher tag can still be usefull