I dunno about you, but my game doesn't have any unit called 'podromos.'
It does, on the other hand, have a unit called a 'prodromos.' Plural 'prodromoi,' I think.
Regarding this thread.
1. Original priest empowering rate - check; farms - fine as they are now.
2. Maybe, but I think making spearmen cost less food is more the kind of game ES are aiming for. If you make spearmen, ulfsarks, and hoplites cost a little less food, and reduce raiding cav hack armor, I think it's balanced.
3/4. (3) Don't really think I like that idea much; I'd rather weaken Set's upfront advantages. (4) Having Set start without a priest actually sounds like a great idea that wouldn't involve messing with too many numbers. You'd also have to make apes cost a bit more, and give heroes a small bonus against summoned animals (like x2) or have apes be the same cost, but give heroes a bigger bonus (like x4).
5. No go. Mostly fine as is. Maybe increase the favor rate of monuments slightly, but I don't really see ES doing that. Maybe make pharaoh or priest empowering monuments give a better boost than right now to make it worth it to do so.
6. Wouldn't accomplish much - there's a thin line between absolutely murdering infantry to a ridiculous degree, and getting owned. I'd much rather chew into the source itself - Norse cavalry, which is just plain too good. Reduce RC and Jarl hack armor, and reduce the hit point boosts they get from Thundering Hooves and Ring Giver.
7. That'd seriously deprive the Norse of the theorethical ability to go Fast Heroic and make it count for something. I think making Greek fortresses slightly cheaper would be more productive.
8. The bug where krakens sink leviathans in one hit? Yeah, no fun. Even worse with kraken/Argo.
9. He gets restoration and pestilence already - excellent god powers for winning galley wars. What he really needs, and what all Greeks need, would be a slight econ boost on water maps, like cheaper docks.
10. Bingo.