Re: MP Game - Back to the Fray (noob/int game) - o
 

If we didn't have to wait for him, you would have had to wait for me, as I was out all of today (Saturday), I just barely had time to play the first turn at around 7.30 pm, so. Thing is, I'm less available on weekends than on weekdays, the result of being unemployed (though that will hopefully change in the near future).

Edi

Re: MP Game - Back to the Fray (noob/int game) - o
 

Me too - only in my case I am hoping that will change in the more distant future http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/laugh.gif

Re: MP Game - Back to the Fray (noob/int game) - o
 

oh shart, be wary of long hours, they dull the mind and then cause you to upload pretenders and forget to confess, which causes you to look at your mose welcome screen and think "huh, i dont have any turns that need doing, that new game must not have started yet." because of course, mosehansen's wonderful server doesn't know your in the game because you never bothered to tell it because you were tired because you were working too much. I blame capitalism and our consumer society, and myself for joining the military....sorry for taking so long.

Re: MP Game - Back to the Fray (noob/int game) - o
 

no worries - just happy you didn't stale - it's turn 2 and we're off with everyone on board!

Re: MP Game - Back to the Fray (noob/int game) - o
 

Waiting on Breschau.

Re: MP Game - Back to the Fray (noob/int game) - o
 

breschau was waiting on getting home from work http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/wink.gif

on weekdays i'll be logging on to run my turn(s) between 6 and 7pm (uk time, i forget if we're gmt just now).. but I'll sometimes be able to log on around 7am too.

Re: MP Game - Back to the Fray (noob/int game) - o
 

Sorry to harass http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/image...es/redface.gif - I'm just used to the idea that the first 10-20 turns go relatively quickly. But that's an ideal to aspire to, not a requirement. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/wink.gif

Re: MP Game - Back to the Fray (noob/int game) - o
 

Looks like the pace has been picking up quite a bit. Goddamn #$!£& indie crossbowmen just killed my best commander (one of the two in the hall of fame) who was about to become my prophet as soon as I could spare a turn...

Edi

Re: MP Game - Back to the Fray (noob/int game) - o
 

Its ok you arent the only one with problems http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/wink.gif, my main army was crushed almost to the Last man by barbarians on turn 10... how embarrassing.

Re: MP Game - Back to the Fray (noob/int game) - o
 

I'm out. To avoid giving anything away at such an early stage - somebody rushed me which I was not expecting, so I got stomped. With maybe 4 provinces (no capital) and no troops and my attackers still as strong as when they attacked it seemed pointless to keep going, so I turned AI for the mop-up.

Re: MP Game - Back to the Fray (noob/int game) - o
 

I got the Messages that Vanheim was toast... doesnt bode well!

Re: MP Game - Back to the Fray (noob/int game) - o
 

Nothing to give away there, it's clear from the graphs that it was Pangaea that rushed you. BTW, good job Pangaea, so far in my newbie games I've seen far more failed rushes than successful ones.

Re: MP Game - Back to the Fray (noob/int game) - o
 

Waiting on Boron.

Re: MP Game - Back to the Fray (noob/int game) - o
 

As usual http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/wink.gif

Re: MP Game - Back to the Fray (noob/int game) - o
 

I'm Pan in this game. I just sort of lucked out, I think. I was expanding and came across his capital without many troops around.

I really like the Zen Cradle map. I just started playing MP, and I'm in a game on Faerun Small. There are no province boundries on that map, and I have a tough time trying to figure out what is going on.

Re: MP Game - Back to the Fray (noob/int game) - o
 

Waiting for jeffr - you're just a little more than 2 hrs from a stale here Jeff, are you out there?

Re: MP Game - Back to the Fray (noob/int game) - o
 

Didnt he stale (or almost) Last turn too?

Re: MP Game - Back to the Fray (noob/int game) - o
 

Damn, yeah I staled. I probably missed it by 1/2 hour or so. I've only staled once, though.

The weekends present a bit of a problem for me with the 25 hour hosting. I like the fast turn around, but I sometimes am away on the weekends. I'll do my best.

Re: MP Game - Back to the Fray (noob/int game) - o
 

Something triggered the cheating thingy on me. Any ideas? I didn't get any extra cash, or random events.

The only thing I can think of is that I cashed in some fire gems using the alchenist's stone... Which I am doing again this turn to see if that is what is causing the message:(

Re: MP Game - Back to the Fray (noob/int game) - o
 

I do believe there is a known bug related to using the alchemist's stone for cashing in gems.

Edit: And thanks for letting us all know what's going on promptly! I was just getting ready to send you a PM to find out.

Re: MP Game - Back to the Fray (noob/int game) - o
 

Less than 2hrs till hosting and we're waiting on Cheezeninja - hope you make it in there!

Re: MP Game - Back to the Fray (noob/int game) - o
 

Anyone know if Ermor (Cheezeninja) played his turn Last night? Cheezeninja - are you out there? Unfortunately we are hosting at about 1am my time right now, so that makes it hard for me to detect a stale.

While Ermor might be in trouble, it seems to me that Ermor is in a quite pivotal position, and I'd really hate to see two consecutive stales here. I'm considering holding the game for 12-24 hrs in order to give Cheezeninja some time to show up. If I don't get confirmation that Ermor is active, we can set him to AI, but I'd like to do it w/o the 2 consecutive stales (as usually seems to be the way this happens).

Re: MP Game - Back to the Fray (noob/int game) - o
 

I'm fine with having the game on hold for a while. Ermor is really pivotal right now, from what I've seen, so better to hold the game than have him stale.

Edi

Re: MP Game - Back to the Fray (noob/int game) - o
 

Well, still no sign of Cheezeninja - if we don't hear from him before I go to sleep tonight, I'll reset the timer on the game. Then, at 12pm PST tomorrow, I'll set him to AI.

Re: MP Game - Back to the Fray (noob/int game) - o
 

I have to go away at short notice Early Wednesday until Friday afternoon - I am hoping you can hold the game until then.

Sorry, Thanks

Re: MP Game - Back to the Fray (noob/int game) - o
 

I don't see any problem with holding the game - I'll make sure it doesn't host w/o you having submitted until Friday 8pm, your time. Are you just one hour ahead of us, here in California?

If possible, it would be cool if you could get one more turn in before you go, but if that's a problem - no worries.

Re: MP Game - Back to the Fray (noob/int game) - o
 

Got my turn in tonight - I am 1 hour ahead of you.

Thanks - I really appreciate it (even though you are pounding me right now :{)

Re: MP Game - Back to the Fray (noob/int game) - o
 

Cool - thanks for getting your turn in. Sometime after 8pm (your time) tomorrow, I will set it to 48h QH, then after your back Friday, I'll set it back to 24h QH.

BTW, we are at a point where it is reasonable to go to 48h QH - my personal preference is to stay at 24h, but if others want to go to 48, I'm fine with that.

As for pounding you, Anatoli, it's nothing personal. Honest. And you're a brave man for playing TC S&A - it's one of my Favorites, but it certainly is not an easy one to win with. Not only do you have plenty of weaknesses to exploit, you're a very good gem searcher, meaning you make quite a tempting victim! http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/evil.gif

Re: MP Game - Back to the Fray (noob/int game) - o
 

Game set to 48H QH.

Re: MP Game - Back to the Fray (noob/int game) - o
 

I noticed that Ermor is now AI. Ermor just attacked me with his pretender that I thought I had killed two turns ago. Does AI Ermor get an advantage in resurrecting his god?

A bit off topic, but what time zone are the post's times diplayed in ? EST (i.e. NY) ? For example, Thufir's post above is 1:17am and I think he is in California, which would be 10:17pm EST.

Re: MP Game - Back to the Fray (noob/int game) - o
 

I am away over the weekend. I will be back on monday morning CET. I don't have a problem with skipping a turn, but it would be nice if nobody would attack me during that time ;-)

Bluebird

Re: MP Game - Back to the Fray (noob/int game) - o
 

I'll keep it on 48h QH till monday. If you should manage to get in one more turn before you leave (we host tonight, or earlier if Anatoli gets his turn in), then I think you'd be virtually guaranteed not to stale.

Re: MP Game - Back to the Fray (noob/int game) - o
 

I'll be resetting the clock tonight to avert having Bluebird stale. I'll set it to 25h QH such that the next forced hosting will be Monday evening (~8pm) Pacific Time (GMT -8?).

Re: MP Game - Back to the Fray (noob/int game) - o
 

Whew, got my turn done with just 35 minutes to spare... That was close!

Edi

Re: MP Game - Back to the Fray (noob/int game) - o
 

The peaceful land of Ulm has come under attack by the combined forces of Abysia and Pangea, two nation immensely greater in size and power, combined presenting an insurmountable challenge.

We fight tooth and nail, but he are driven back step by faltering step.

Therefore I appeal to all who would look to their own survival: when I go, surely one of you will be next on the chopping block, to be slain by the axe of this unholy alliance.

Pangea and Abysia must die! Do not let them run rampant, or the world will be doomed to an eternity of... of... flaming... plant life... er... or something. Anyway point being: we need to band together. Where is the love, my brothers??

Re: MP Game - Back to the Fray (noob/int game) - o
 

I am at war with pangenea since about 3 turns too http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif .
So at least pangenea shouldn't be able to attack you with full might .

Re: MP Game - Back to the Fray (noob/int game) - o
 

He has about a billion maenads... but I am honestly maybe a bit more worried about Abysia.

Re: MP Game - Back to the Fray (noob/int game) - o
 

Hmmmm. So mighty Pangaea has opened up a two front war. I read something about two front wars in my history book... What was that they said?

Re: MP Game - Back to the Fray (noob/int game) - o
 

Sometimes they are won , e.g. seven years war was still won by prussia even though they were attacked from france , russia + austria hungary .

And it depends on the definition of 2 front :
Had GB in WW 2 e.g. 2 fronts ? I think you could say so , 1 front in africa and 1 front in the pacific against japan .

Re: MP Game - Back to the Fray (noob/int game) - o
 

I don't border them . But Last turn has shown some decline for Abysia in army strength too so it seems you are succeeding at the moment . Grats http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/smile.gif

Re: MP Game - Back to the Fray (noob/int game) - o
 

Well killing lots of chaff no doubt about it, but he still has his truly dangerous toys, i.e. air queen, arch devil(s), king of banefire...

Same for Pangea. Easy to kill swathes of troops, its the commanders that are the problem.

Re: MP Game - Back to the Fray (noob/int game) - o
 

Well, you did just off 15 mage commanders (and my prophet), along with 150 troops, so it'll take a while to replace those, and I lost a buttload of equipment as well. I was NOT a happy bunny...

Actually what I expect to happen is that after the current spates of conflict are resolved to their satisfactory conclusion, I'm going to get stomped flat. It's bound to happen sooner or later, because I'm not a very skilled player. This, what, my first MP game and I've been lucky with lots of things.

Edi

Re: MP Game - Back to the Fray (noob/int game) - o
 

Well in that case... how about we return to our orginal borders? http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/wink.gif

Re: MP Game - Back to the Fray (noob/int game) - o
 

Certainly, Soapy, your original borders under the Aegis of the Abysian Empire will be just fine! http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/wink.gif

Don't worry, at least you will have the satisfaction of probably having drained me enough to make me vulnerable for somebody else, unless Pangaea has you in worse straits than I thought.

Edi

Re: MP Game - Back to the Fray (noob/int game) - o
 

Hear that everyone? Abysia is WEAK! GET HIM!!! http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/image...ies/tongue.gif

Re: MP Game - Back to the Fray (noob/int game) - o
 

By the time you're dead, that is. Not yet, I'm not quite that inept. Nice try, though. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/image...es/biggrin.gif

Re: MP Game - Back to the Fray (noob/int game) - o
 

I (aka Pan) attacked Ulm because Abysia was coming from one side, but also because I had a ton of maneads that were killing my economy. I didn't feel like marching them to the other end of the world, so I thought I'd get them killed off against Ulm.

I've read about the Staff of Storms, but since i'm new to MP, Ulm was the first one to use it on me. I nailed a Wraith Lord (who'm I'm assuming was supposed to Last long enough so that wrathful skies killed all/most of my army), but I still lost some valuable commanders. Next time, they'll be lightning immune.

He attacked my force before I stormed his castle and by killing the right commanders, caused my troops to be left out of the storming of the castle. I ended up storming the castle with 4 commanders and no troops !!!!

I really dislike the "one commander kills any army with wrathful skies/staff of storms" thing. That was actually discouraging.

Pythium (Boron) has attacked me, but all of those former ermor provinces int the south aren't worth much, except for a gem site here and there.

This game has been a lot of fun (although occasionally discouraging -- i.e. a bunch of mages endlessly casting ethereal false horrors. Ah well, you live and learn.)

Re: MP Game - Back to the Fray (noob/int game) - o
 

This wasn't intended http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/frown.gif . But the spellcasting Ai loves to use false horrors . My communion slaves died all against ermor and i hadn't the time to replace them but normal theurgs really seem to cast false horror 80% of the time http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/frown.gif .

It is live and learn for me as well . I was shocked when my theurgs did cast nothing else then false horrros http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/frown.gif .

Your voul vapors + living statues combo was nice i haven't seen it before . It worked imo well and i was lucky that at least most of my mages survived .

Re: MP Game - Back to the Fray (noob/int game) - o
 

It is kind of weird to get freespawns that cost maintenance. That's enough to scare me off Pangaea, although I gather there are some players out there that do well with Pan.


Good move! Planning out immunities is certainly key. As I understand it from Boron, your use of foul vapors certainly exploited Boron's lack of any kind of poison immunity (in my limited MP experience, people are more likely to be prepared for fire or lightning than they are for poison).


Well, as you may have read, there are a great many Posts where people argue intensely about whether single heroes/demigods (read SCs) should be able to take on entire armies. IMO, part of what makes Dom II great is that such arguments are so insolveable. There are various ways to tweak the game such that militaristic tactics and national troops take on more importance, and SCs are harder to create/equip. Someone out there started a few "low magic" games, where as I understand it, national troops were pretty much the main thing going for the entire game.

Personally, I like the "high magic" style notion that a single heroic figure can take on entire armies, given the appropriate circumstances. And again, given Dom II's complexity/richness it's not as if SCs exclusively rule the day. I am a huge fan of battlefield magic, and IME, I've been able to wipe out numerically superior (even numerically and quality superior), armies via careful scripting of mages, combined with superior research.


But the gem sites can be quite key - so be sure not to ignore them. Typically, as the game goes into the endgame, cash becomes less important, while gems become more important.

Edit: Also, don't forget Acashic Record. This is easier for some nations to cast than others, but it is especially useful for a large nation (such as yours http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/wink.gif). It's my guess that Ermor was not in the game long enough to have done a thorough job of site searching (although you should also keep in mind that it can be a bad idea to cast this on provinces near the front).


I certainly have been having a ton of fun! T'ien Ch'i has been at the short end of the stick in our war (he was out-resourced from day 1, and any man who takes on playing TC has my respect!), but he's taught me more than a few lessons along the way (and delivered quite a bit of damage!).

I would say that discouragement is part of the Dom II learning curve. I know in my first MP game, I had the clear upper hand with me and Jotunheim allied against Abysia, until I started to encounter her Devil hordes, whereupon I discovered I had no clue how to counter Devils. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

As for False Horrors, if I had to vote today, I would probably vote for nerfing False Horrors. Zen's spell mod does nerf the False Horror spell, but perhaps not enough. But I have to say that Dom II is a tremendously complicated game, and I do not consider myself a qualified judge of game balance issues in Dom II.

Re: MP Game - Back to the Fray (noob/int game) - o
 

It was not a wraith lord, just a bane lord... I could not possibly afford a wraith lord at this point!! I was hoping he would Last longer, but oh well he did the job to some degree.
Yes indeed it is discouraging! But when you are on a tight budget, like I am, you have to seek out the most efficient methods of inflciting death and mayhem.

Actually I have been a total failure in that regard. My wrathful attacks surely do kill a fair number of enemies, but unfortunately it has cost me a fully equipped commander each time. A rather well decked out golem (as you can see in the bug report thread), 2 bane lords with good equipment, and most recently, one of my wrathers... that is NOT cheap equipment!

I am thinking between those massive equipment & summons losses (probably 200 gems worth) and my mishandling of my longdead archers, and the destruction of my Ulmish national army, I figure I have, at best, broken even.