Re: Is anyone having fun with this game?
 

I DESPISE this game.

I started Arcoscephale for a Astral war. Astrologers with masses of communion slaves walking over the petty mortals. Then I found "The Citidel of Pyriphlegeton" with +4 fire gems and lvl 3 Fire adepts. My dream became corrupted by their siren call of Fire Arrows. I was weak.

I am so ashamed.

But, they also have a 60 buck lvl 1 fire mage. Give them a communion slave gem and .........

The ones that don't burn are in trouble.

Re: Is anyone having fun with this game?
 

An age thing? Heh, don't think so. _I_ remember the days where you _had_ to buy a game without playing anyone else's copy, because there'd be at most two copies of the game, packaged in ziploc bags, in the computer stores in your city. So you'd drop 60-70 bucks on a game, and sometimes get lucky (the original Wizardry, Loderunner, etc). http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/wink.gif

And I'm not saying I don't like the game - I do, and I appreciate the improvements IW has made. And I'll stop short before saying anything more, 'cause Gandalf already thinks I hijacked his thread. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/wink.gif

(Gandalf - I missed the bit about wanting a more upbeat thread, and only keyed in on the question, "is anyone having fun?", which is a question with more than one answer. Sorry. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/wink.gif )

Re: Is anyone having fun with this game?
 

This game is awe inspiring. It sells a fantasy world that is rich and complex. Yet easy to enter. It is a sign of how jaded some players are that they don't just sit back and go "wow" sometimes.

Could it use patching? Of course and I look forward to it. That does not make it a monumental achivement.

I like the dom 1 combat graphics better. Which goes to show you can't please everybody. It will never be perfect for everyone. Welcome to the real world.

Re: Is anyone having fun with this game?
 

Yes, even Awe+6 ! http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/image...es/biggrin.gif

Re: Is anyone having fun with this game?
 

I think it's pretty clear, given my near-Pollyanna love for Dominions, that I'm having a fun time. Playing in three MP games, getting ready to host a fourth, tinkering when work allows in SP.

Yes, as in every game I've ever played, going back to Chivalry and Aztec, my first two loves on the Apple II+, there are improvements I'm looking forward to, both from the devs and from the community. But I think for the gold release, it's a great start. I think we sometimes get so blinded by the potential of Dominions and how much we want it to achieve that we forget how much we like where it began. And I'd say we like that a lot.

That said, bring on the first patch! Or some patch notes! http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

Re: Is anyone having fun with this game?
 

I'm having fun but don't think the game is perfect. I think many things may be improved, and it's logical to see people who like the game asking for these improvements. I see no post on this forum giving the impression that the author has as a definitive opinion "dom3 sucks" (except perhaps one or two Cainehill messages http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/wink.gif ), just players asking with passion for one or another thing that would make the game better for them.

PS : globally I also think that many of the qualities of this game may become defaults due to bad luck in the early game and give a bad opinion of it. In example the aging system is good but IMO having entire categories of mages starting more than old instead of 1-3 years before the old age limit is not, the event system is good but having a plague in turn 3 without a big misfortune scale is not, etc... After 2-3 tests by an unlucky player this game may appear far worse than it is.

Re: Is anyone having fun with this game?
 

I'm having fun even though I don't have the game yet, just think of what it'll be like when I do get it. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/image...ies/tongue.gif

Re: Is anyone having fun with this game?
 

The thing I've noticed is that the complaints about Dom3 sound much less like customers griping about problems with a product they bought, and more like friends critiquing (usually constructively) the work of their friends.

And astral travel not working is a good handicap for playing LE R'lyeh SP. Otherwise it'd just be moidah! Make them all crazy and THEN drop an army on their heads.

Re: Is anyone having fun with this game?
 

Obviously there's some high MRs around here because a lot of people manage to attack it anyway. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/image...ies/tongue.gif

I'm most impressed with the random map feature. I play SP, and mostly Aran-sized maps. Now every game is different! All in all, it's a big step up from Dom2. The "griping" is inevitable, and I take it as a good thing. When people don't say anything, or just say it's bad, you have a problem. When people discuss what to improve, it means they like it.

Re: Is anyone having fun with this game?
 

I'm a Three Star veteran from the sheer amount of time I've been recruited. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/image...ies/tongue.gif

Re: Is anyone having fun with this game?
 

I hate this game.












For eating all my free time.

Re: Is anyone having fun with this game?
 

Heh. It's fine entertainment for oddballs like myself. :p

Re: Is anyone having fun with this game?
 

have much fun with the game (still playing Pangea, Early Age, but i'm learning!).
I also love to work llike mad at the strategywiki http://strategywiki.org/wiki/Dominio...le_of_Contents
but well, i'm strange :-)

Re: Is anyone having fun with this game?
 

Heehee. My wife asked what I was doing. I have Dom3 running on 3 different machines from my desktop (it could be 5 but that would just be insane). She is surprised that I havent loaded it on her machine and LAN'd it into the mix.
I guess maybe Im addicted. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

My Old Desktop Machine:
Playing a solo testing the variables on my EA Pangaea before I post it here

My New Dual-Processing Desktop:
running random tests on the map generation trying to figure out how the map color commands work

My Newer Linux Server:
running a script over and over to try and create a huge maximum settings map that I like. When I get one I want I will start serving some huge games on it while I work on fixing any bad neighbor commands. Then I will start modifying the provinces to get a map that is downloadable since I dont think too many people can generate one this big. On my server (which is also doing internet for a couple of hundred people) it takes 2-3 hours to generate one map.
11000x11000 pixels
1500 provinces
20% water
50% mountains (creates a maze/labyrinth style map)
anti-alias smoothing on and special colors

the Older Linux Server:
is also running Dom3. Many blitz and demo games

Re: Is anyone having fun with this game?
 

I should have mine today or Monday from NWS Online. I WILL be having fun...my kids were in diapers when Dom2 came out and now??? Where did the time go...Dom3 and they'll be married before my first campaign is over http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/smirk.gif
Edit: Okay maybe not diapers, pull-ups.

Re: Is anyone having fun with this game?
 

Gandalf, to aid you who seem an optimist, in your own personal persuit of true happiness on earth, I offer you this observation: There are two kinds of people who frequent forums dedicated to niche turn-based fantasy strategy games. The first is the one who hasn't got enough of a personality/philosophy/life/social network/hugs from mommie and daddy, and doesn't really enjoy anything except by despising it, eating and drinking spite, hate, and bitterness, and then vomiting it out onto anything flawed that anyone else may find pleasure in. That sort of person should in my opinion be dropped into the heart of Sol as soon as convenient to the rest of us, in order to provide additional fuel so that we may continue enjoying the beautiful Earth past the looming 5 billion year mark.

The second sort are the ones who see that a thing is flawed, but love it anyway, not by ignoring the flaw or by being blind to it, but reveling in what the thing they love is, flaws and all. I feel that a thing's worth, atleast as it is discussed on a forum such as this one, is in the type of people that thing attracts. Here in this forum, I find myself surrounded by those I want to continue living on my planet, sharing my Earth. So in conclusion: Yes, I'm having fun. Yes I *****, yes I complain, yes I want more and better into the very heights and depths of infinity, but I want those things for Dom 3 because I'm in love with this game, joyfully, gleefully, past all point of reason. And I think that fact, not that I spend all my free time playing the game-and I do, believe me-but the fact that I spend all the *rest* of my time here on these boards, surrounded by the people I want to be surrounded by, discussing the thing I want to discuss, proves that I'm having fun. We all are.

Re: Is anyone having fun with this game?
 

Looks like HoneyBadger has been into the "happyjuice" again..

Re: Is anyone having fun with this game?
 

Let me just point out that the sun is fueled by Hydrogen fusion, and thus supplying it with the body of a human can only do it harm by absorbing some of the heat energy into incinerating that person.
It would probably be more useful to bury them for nutrients for plantlife to supply us with a less CO2 rich air.

Re: Is anyone having fun with this game?
 

Astral Travel not working makes me sad; the spell sits there, taunting me with its promises of army movement.

It lies!

I see it a lot, as every free moment not involving my loved ones gets eaten by the game.

I love the game, don't regret the money I spent on it, and recommend it to my TBS-liking friends.

Re: Is anyone having fun with this game?
 

It works fine for me, give it a try.

Re: Is anyone having fun with this game?
 

mmmmm...happyjuice http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

Actually, I was just coming off a 12 hour workday, including 6 hours answering phones. It was either take it out on you guys or strangle a co-worker. I couldn't find a co-worker within strangling range.

Re: Is anyone having fun with this game?
 

I love the game. I don't think there is too much negative hype here on the forums, but I'd say that the people who have been around for a long time probably assume we all know they still like (and find value in) the series despite their critiques. People in general are quicker to critique than to praise because they think ciritique will get them what they want, but they don't see the value in praise. So, let it be a reminder that there are many new people here and we should not forget to praise what's worth praising.

That being said, I think we should also understand that the very nature of the genre means that a large portion of the playerbase is going to be analytical and critical. Shutting down threads won't change the way people think and communicate. The best thing is to just to suggest people remember to pair criticism with praise, even if it seems like the praise would be redundant. That's what I'll try to do. Honestly, I think the most practical help to this whole thing would be multiple forums. If suggestions could be kept to a suggestion forum, then the main Doms 3 forum wouldn't be cluttered with things that might be negatively interpreted by newbies. Newbies must be properly cared for in a newbie nursery....

Aha! So that's the solution. We need a forum called the "Newbie Nursery". Okay, I'm just joking, but truly I think suggestions should be taken out of the main forums. Also, make a thread called, "Why you like Dominions." and sticky it when it gets full. I think people will be more inclined to post their positive thoughts in one like that, since it is less inviting of criticism than "Is anyone having fun".

My $0.02

=$=

Re: Is anyone having fun with this game?
 

Hmmm good points.

Re: Is anyone having fun with this game?
 

I'm having too much fun losing.

It's the new effects. I know concentrating solely on fire magic is a bad idea, especially when everyone knows you do it so invest heavily in fire resistance, but I can't help it. Those fire spells are so pretty....

Re: Is anyone having fun with this game?
 

You know, speaking of praise where praise is due: I like the graphics. A lot of people don't seem to because they say they're dated. I've heard comments like: "graphics from 10 years ago" Yes, you can say they're dated, but they're pleasant to look at, and they serve their purpose, and it's an absolutely beautiful, amazing job for two programmers. And really, the battle effects are incredible. I'll slip a little criticism in here though: the turn screen, while you're waiting for the computer to calculate the battles. I really think it would be worthwile, and not too demanding, if-bare minimum-each nation got a separate skin here. I do like to think of the two "stone heads" on either side as busts of Kristoffer and Johan, but this really is one area of the game where you spend a lot of time looking at the screen and not doing anything, and it's the one area where the graphics disappoint me. If I ever get my scanner back from my dad, I'm planning to send Illwinter a whole bunch of illustrations to replace what's currently there, providing I can find the time. I'm also thinking a screen-saver type effect could be used there, where you'd see images from the "real world" of the game: living pillars standing guard before the underground and underwater gates of Atlantis, a sacrifice performed atop a ziggurat-temple of Mictlan, a mummified oracle bursting from it's crypt, the ghostly image of an ancient kracken in the depths, Call of Cthulhu style, etc. It shouldn't be too demanding, performance-wise, on a modern computer, and it should add something, imagination-wise, to the fun factor, especially if the images are from *your* nation that you're currently playing, which should cause a lot of people to want to play nations they normally wouldn't, just so they can see the pretty pictures. Maybe Illwinter could even hold a contest and host a gallery of fan art for the game, and the best images would go into upcoming patches? That way, you'd have something new that WE as a community add to the game, over time.

Re: Is anyone having fun with this game?
 

I don't know about the screen-saver, but this can be modded already, and in fact, HAS been modded. Check out some of the older threads in mod forum. I'm THINK the GUI can be defined as a per-nation setting, but I'm not sure.

Re: Is anyone having fun with this game?
 

Another thing about the graphics is that it does make the game memory efficient and fast. Some of my favorite grames have been ruined by shifting toward 3D and eye-candy.

I agree about the screen saver. Maybe its because the developers live in cold climate but I wish there were scenes other than a desert with cities scrolling behind the menu screens. If there was something abit more green, particularly more temperate zone, then I might make use of the "hit spacebar to hide menu" thing and just let the screen scroll when I have to step away for abit.

Re: Is anyone having fun with this game?
 

I can't see it taking up much more resources than the old Doms 2 glowing lights, especially if it's just a still image. Besides, even if it does slow down at least you have something to look at http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif