I had some time to try 0.5.0.3 over the weekend and the small adjustment since 0.5.0.1 have improved balance considerably. Thank you! Good work!
Some thoughts:
– The early game is still a lot harder than the mid-game. The start (until you have level 3-4 mercs) is the biggest challenge. This is a bad difficulty curve; it should be the other way around.
– A lot during the early stage depends on luck. Do you run into goblins/werewolves that you can’t outpace too early?
– Some enemies are a lot more useful than others. Early on you want to fight bandits because they give you valuable equipment. Werewolves only provide meager plunder and orc weapones/shields are horrible fatigue-wise. Goblins and skeletons are somewhere in the middle. In others words: early game success largely depends on finding the right enemies – bandits! It would be nice if the factions were better balanced loot-wise.
– Most goblin parties I have met so far were ranged (ambushers + skirmishers); these bands are easy prey during the night but can wreck you during daytime. Perhaps the nighttime penalties are a bit too steep whereas goblin ranged units are a bit too accurate during the day?