JetSolo:
You obviously need to re-examine a few things. Egypt is not as underpowered as you think. I agree Norse are slightly more powerful and match up well vs Egypt, but they are not overpowered.
I would recommend building Axeman/Spearman combo as RA. Forget about wood until heroic. Slingers are great vs TA but that's the only unit they are good for and they are much less versitile. They cannot take down buildings and are slow. Axeman rape TA as long as you have = numbers which should not be a problem since you build axeman faster than he builds TA and they fare better vs RC than slingers do and obviously they rape ulfs. I would suggest massing Axeman and only build enough spearman to handle the RC he builds.
Or you could try this...
I just started playing Set (Que_Set) and he owns all Norse. I also play him in non-rated 3v3 as Que. The middle of the map is mine every game in 1v1 and most times in 3v3. I have 100% winning percentage (1v1) and I played 5 Norse and 3 Eggy I think (8-0). Greeks are tough cos they have high base attack units so I expect they are the best vs animal armies and would be most effective vs Set (I think Poseidin owns Set), but TA and Ulfs die horribly to massed feral animals. Egyptians absolutley SUCK vs animal armies because of the low base attacks and generally weak units. Norse fare better unless they forward build but give up the center of the map early on.
My favorite is Loki as they seem to think they get to inherit the middle and learn later that they have no chance to do this vs a strong Set player with 3-4 scouting apes early on. I think Set is not overpowered but very strong. I too don't want to give my build order because I don't want the RAFH effect or at least I want to delay the effect a bit and I notice no Set experts really use my strat (yet). At least none that I could find.
I don't agree that its a cheap strat using Set animals though because it takes a hell of a lot of micro to convert animals and mass apes while maintaining the worst econ in the game as Set. No where near that much effort was required for the RAFH. Add in the fact that researching Feral puts you another 3.5 villies behind (because it's researched at the TC) making it balanced. If Ferel was researched at the Temple it would be WAAAAY overpowered. Once thing with Set is that he has the worst econ in the game by far.
I think they overnerfed RA and his bonuses should be 15% empowering and 15% for Migdol units. Empowering is usless after your first priest. Another option would to take away his migdol bonus and restore the 20% empower bonus, OR take away empower and give Migdol Units 20% bunes. 10% and 10% is like you don't even get anything. You can't empower and your expensive units are not *THAT* much stronger at 10% to justify only focusing on them.
Try Set but be warned he is the most difficult god to play and involves doing about 6-9 things at once all over the map to be effective. I have found my micro skills have improved a great deal after playing Set for only a few weeks. Give him a try. If you don't like heavy micro style of Set (most don't as only 7% of the players are playing him as of this writing) then I suggest you take Isis over RA as of the patch. I rank Egypt civs as:
Post-patch
1. Set
2. Isis
3. RA
Pre-patch
1. RA
2. Isis
3. Set
Isis is a close second both pre and post patch. Set barely edges him out.
[This message has been edited by Que2 (edited 02-06-2003 @ 01:48 PM).]