This is a new modification of core mechanics of the great game. The mod is called CATNIP, is still being developped and is subject to critique, suggestion and further improvement.

What is it
Catnip's main development lines:
- to reduce exploits that suck out the nice part and the true challenge from MoM
- to improve sub-par wizard skills/ spells / building choices, to add more juice to an already great game
- to extend the RPG element of the game (more unit experience levels, better lairs and lair rewards, lairs differentiation)
- to deepen the strategic element by enhancement of city defenses
- to improve sub-par combat mechanics (speed up the units, new poison conception etc., new resistance conception etc.)
- to change the monetary economy of MoM, so that "gold -> mana route" is far less easy to follow
- to reduce unnecessary micromanagement (iif possible)

Where is it
There is a first part of the mod, featuring about 20% of projected changes, here:
http://realmsbeyond.net/forums/showthread.php?p=198724#post198724

You are invited to discuss the features in appropriate threads in Catnip subforum,
http://realmsbeyond.net/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=59.


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Release notes: - Catnip 0.5a

Anti-exploit measures
- once you Buy something, you cannot Change it until next turn
- the 50 turn limit in combat is gone, no automatic withdrawal
- destroyed magic items now give only 25% of their price

Economic changes
- new speed "Buy" cost brackets [6x if no hammer, 4x if more than 25% build, 3x if more than 50% built]
- new alchemy ratio = 1:3. For alchemist wizards = 1:2
- new tax rates system

Wizard traits changes
- artificer now gives magic weapons
- conjurer now needs only 50% upkeep of magic creatures
- channeler makes your spell cost 1/2 mana in overland (same effect as fortress fight)
- mana focusing now gives 50% upkeep discount (combined with conjurer it gives 25%) on top of the old bonus

City defence enhancement
- city walls give defenders +5 shield bonus
- on top of that, defenders get +2 bonus against ranged attack or +1 against thrown/breath attacks
- no suppression effect on the gate defender
- defenders shooting from a walled city get long range bonus

Experience
- large shield bonus grows with levelling up (1 + lvl, 1 + lvl/2 for heroes)
- all units may now reach Champion level
- new experience level bonuses
- new XP gained from combat (+1 fame is awarded when the total gained is bigger than 10 ep)

Lairs
- the lairs are tougher in general, really weak lairs should be an exception rather than a rule
- towers are really well guarded, they will have creatures from different magic realms
- the game should create more unusual defender combinations (3 primary, 4 secondary et simile)
- the mana and gold reward from lairs will be significantly higher
- you may ultimately collect up to 15 magic books as a reward
- the heroes freed from lairs will never be the basic ones (0 fame heroes)

Combat mechanics
- new poison conception: for every inflicted hit you have a chance of Unit_resistance - posion_level to score another hit
- no shooting after a move!
- all combat summons, except for AIr elemental and Demon, suffer from summoning sickness (cannot move that turn)
- weapon immunity now adds +10 defense (instead of putting defense to 10 for all units) against non-magic weapons

Overland
- Pathfinding should now give you a 2MP movement (instead of 1MP)

City
- production hammers now carry over to the next item built
- units stationed in a city cannot quell unrest
- new percentage unrest system