Re: Are we paying more for less?
 

It's a pointless debate : in fact the message "we declare war" makes no sense from a gaming standpoint ! In Dom everyone is *always* at war with everyone else.
So if the message was changed to "we love you and kiss your feet/tentacle/stand/whatever" would you be happier ? http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/image...es/biggrin.gif

Re: Are we paying more for less?
 

PDF : The pointless declarations of war aren't the real point, although it's just not true that everyone is always at war with everyone. When the AI can have armies on your borders and _not_ attack for 10+ turns, it's not exactly a on a war footing / status.

But the real irration (at least with Dom2, haven't seen it yet with Dom3) is that those irrational declarations of war from nations still 20 provinces away, lead to ranged artillery spells being cast that couldn't possibly be targetted without AI cheating.

Re: Are we paying more for less?
 

It could be finding you with scouts. I'm seeing a lot of AI scouts wandering my provinces.

It's almost like a grudge thing. Oceania insisted on declaring war on me every other turn (I was Ulm) despite not being able to see me (and since they were surrounded by Ry'leh I don't see how they could get to me). The occaisional war declaration came in from Sauromantia, but they were next to me.Oceania were eventually crushed by Ry'leh, without ever actually taking action against me.

Mind you, Ry'leh never declared war and spent an inordinate amount of time trying to dream kill my prophet.

Re: Are we paying more for less?
 

Archonsod : _NO_ it can't be finding me with scouts. I start _eight_ bloody provinces away, my scouts didn't go that way. Yet it declared war on turn _FOUR_.

For Dog's sake, read the flooding thread!

Re: Are we paying more for less?
 

That’s not true actually. You are not in automatic war with everyone from turn 1. Also, there is small and subtle 'diplomatic system' (it's a bit of stretch). And those 2 messages that AI can send you have important meaning.

Let me elaborate. When you start game you are in neutral relations with everyone. If you come in contact with another empire, they will not attack you unless you attack them (you declare war that way) or they send you a message that they are declaring war with you (they can attack on the same turn they send message). Assassinations count as attack and declaration of war btw. and so do offensive spells directed at them specifically. When they go to war with you, and there hasn't been any fighting between your 2 nations for a while, an uneasy peace will kick in. How long it takes for it to happen is hard to tell. After that AI may declare war on you again (that is why you may receive multiple war messages from same nation).
If, however, you actually kill enemy pretender a total war comes in place and there will never be peace until one of your nations is completely destroyed. That is why you receive that message when you kill enemy pretender - it means exactly what it says, permanent war.

So, as you can see, there is some simple 'diplomacy system' in game after all. It was the same in Dom2 as well. Unfortunately, there is no way to tell at what diplomatic state you are with another nation other than those messages.

As far as declaring war over the whole map is concerned, AI DOES know whole map. However, AI will build scouts and spies, cast scrying spells or Eyes of the God, and do whatever player is doing in order to get information about the playworld around him. That way AI SIMULATES the need to have scouts and spies although he doesn't really need to. That way you are on more/less even terms with AI regarding scouting. You will spend resources for it and AI will spend resources for it. Because of the fact that AI knows whole map it may happen that you get war declaration from across the map early but it really isn't that much of the problem as AI can't do anything about it that early in game over such distance (it still needs to research offensive spells to cast that far and it still needs gems like you do). After a while such war will turn back into uneasy peace anyway.

Note that amount of PD you have in provinces has effect on how much AI will declare war on you. More PD means more troops and AI does take that into account.

I hope this will make it more clear for you guys.

Re: Are we paying more for less?
 

I don't understand that why should we care that which AI is declaring war and when.
There is no diplomacy in the game, so this is a pointless discussion. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/image...s/rolleyes.gif

Re: Are we paying more for less?
 

Not that we should continue this disscusion much longer - we're REALLY OT - but its not so much that there is no diplomacy (there's a really simple system) but its not really relavant since you can attack anyone, some spells effect everyone, not shared LOS, etc etc and most of all, there is no mutual victory, so you can't do a team game very well, except in MP. But hey, you can't exploit the AI diplomacy like in some games.

Re: Are we paying more for less?
 

Well, I knew that you are biased and not very bright, but you tend to be a liar as well.

I didn't wanted to swing a majority on Usenet. I just BTW. bought the game.

But, I reserve my right to say a few words ABOUT THE PRICE.

PRICE IS SET TOO HIGH. PERIOD. All arguments that I have read are in vain.

It is clear fact that Shrapnel was carried away a little bit.

I bought Dominion 2 at 50 US$ and 3 $ postage to Europe. Now is 55 $ and 9.35 US$ postage... great http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/frown.gif

Now, if someone wants to buy me, a regular customer, go ahead....

But, I will say few words about the price. 55$ is too high price, argument that you will spend 1000 hours playing it blah, you will spend 1000 hours playing Heroes 5 as well. Maybe some argument is there about size of the manual (I still wait for the game to arrive).

Argument that game will sell less and crying how this is niche game is of no interest to us, regular paying customers! Mind you, I deeply believe that this game should be priced at 40 US$-45$ top. 50$ is also too high, and 55$ way too much.

Matrix Games is also inflating their games like TOAW 3 for 40 US$, a almost same game from 2000. AD. and full of bugs (COW is better).

So, I give Shrapnel THUMBS DOWN on setting this game and also to developer also THUMBS DOWN because they should be aware that price is set too high.

You just got BIG reputation down in my eyes. Yes, I bought the game but next time I won't if this greedy politics at Shrapnel will continue.

Thank you for listening.


Mario

Re: Are we paying more for less?
 

Hello Mario,

May I be the first to welcome you to our forums. You certainly do have the right to state your opinion about the price or any other issue regarding the game or our company. You also have the right to disagree with another forum member. You do not, however, have the right to make accusatory statements about another forum member. This is not usenet. This is our company's forums where we expect participants to treat each other with a measure of respect. There is a link at the top of this page called "board rules". I ask that you read it. I am happy to see you here, but I have to ask that you "play nice." It's what we expect of all our members.

As to your post, there are several interesting discussions on various boards about this issue. I think I'd like to hear your impressions once you've received the game and play it a bit to see if your opinion remains the same. And we do thank you for your order and the vote of confidence it portrays. You've been a supporter of our developers in the past, and we're happy to hear your constructive feedback.

Re: Are we paying more for less?
 

O for a muse of euphemisms, that would ascend the highest peaks of human invetion: a forum for a stage, pretenders as players: can yet this facade obscure the vast human disregard?