Re: Questions by a MP Newb
 

However, the nature also provides actual meaningful nature access, which is pretty key. There are a lot of good nature items, a fair few nature summons, so on and so forth, and you want that path. The other option is Earth-Death, for many of the same reasons.

Re: Questions by a MP Newb
 

I can't really comment on MA Marignon, but I heartily agree with Misfortune 3 being a bad idea even with order 3. I picked that in my first game as OceaniaI constantly had events where I had 60-80 Heavy Cavalry appearing on my land territories: I was literally losing far more troops fighting rebels than I did fighting the other gods. Can't forget about the lovely event that turns 99% of the population to mandragoras: I had a friend that had that happen to his capital. I'm sure there's even worse stuff that can happen at Misfortune 3, but what I've seen so far convinced me not to go Misfortune 3 ever again.

Re: Questions by a MP Newb
 

I have been a fan of blesses and low dominion score-5. I don't know for marignon but Luck/Misfortune scale is tied to the other scales so for example its a bad idea to pick death+ misfortune coz you unlock some naughty events.(plague every now and then) I'm so much used to taking misfortune 2 now that I don't care anymore it probably nets to something like -100 gold a turn(max might be even less) overall(considering everything). Also having low dominion means that at the beginning of the game those bad events are not going to be happening too much because you haven't spread your dominion everywhere yet. I'd consider taking neutral luck just so that I can get some of the national heroes for some nations but I don't remember MA marignon having any really impressive ones.
Misfortune 3 is quite a bad idea, but I feel that misf 2 and order 3 is bareable.(once you get used to it). Also In multiplayer people generally set some sort of borders, so even loosing a borther region to a barbarian attack/ knight attack is not that bad. If your neighbour takes that region that already means that he is prepered to go to war with you and will take more of your regions other than the one attacked by the barbarians.
Luck is more important late game when it nets you more gems and gives you diversity(having 2-3 +5-10 gem events a turn is nice)But since you already have order 3 you won't be getting as many events anyways, so I don't see much difference between misf 1 and misf 2

Re: Questions by a MP Newb
 

the 95% of your population dies only needs a forest province and some other random scale, not misf 3 iirc. The main reason not to pick misf-3 or misf + death is because it unlocks very nasty events.

It can happen even with luck. (With the nice event that gives misf scales).

Re: Questions by a MP Newb
 

Now I'm curious... If 95% of your population dies is not a "very nasty event", what sort of horrible events comes from Misfortune 3?

Re: Questions by a MP Newb
 

it is a nasty event, it just isn't one of the nasty events unlocked by misf3/death

Re: Questions by a MP Newb
 

I think, the only event that unlocks with Misfortune-3 is "A huge barbarian horde has unexpectedly attacked and pillaged our province.". But you get many more other bad events - random assasins, barbarian/knight attacks, Dream Horrors...

Re: Questions by a MP Newb
 

Ugh, dream horrors are why you should never take more than Magic 1 and misfortune at the same time. I don't take more than magic 1 unless I have luck 3 or tons of fortunetellers. They're near impossible to deal with early unless you have recruitables with magic weapons, and a terrible pain to deal with even late since you have to commit mages to patrol them out.

Re: Questions by a MP Newb
 

Something I never knew but the barbarian hordes also kill off some population.

And the magic is fading events are the worst.

Re: Questions by a MP Newb
 

I think, fading magic comes with drain, not with misfortune. :)