A clear idea has emerged about what to replace the removed Stronghold with. For now, I can't make more significant changes to the game and the faction's mechanics, but an "Mechanical" faction could be an optimal option. If you think about it, there's only one Mech unit in the game – Golems. But what if we add an entire faction consisting of, if not entirely, then 5/7 of Mechanical units? Something like engineers/craftsmen or "alternative" Mages. The faction would still be non-magical, with a focus on melee combat, but with a reworked and rethought idea of "Fury." In general, I'll slowly start trial tests in this direction; stay tuned for news.
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*If you know of any mods or know where to find ready-made unit models – "Mechanical" units – I would be very grateful for any leads. There clearly aren't enough original models to create an entire faction from them + I want it to be a new faction, not just a recolor of old units.