Re: How to successfully utilize your \"Dominion Wal
 

The number of temples you have only affects your maximum dominion strength and the number of holy troops you can recruit. The probability that dominion will spread from a temple is set at pretender creation and never changes. You also seriously underestimated the amount of gold I'd spend, since every temple would also have a castle built before the temple goes up. Which is why I wouldn't be particularly worried about raiding parties killing temples.

Then you had better turn off your mods. Or get rid of a couple of levels of magic, since he's got way more than he would need anyways.

I'm still waiting to see how you would spend an extra 80 points in a manner that would completely crush such a pretender, which already has the optimum scales for C'Tis in the unmodded game.

Re: How to successfully utilize your \"Dominion Wal
 

I don't play unmodded since then I'd change my scales (since you have A LOT more points to play with from unmodded) and probably be willing to pump dominion up a bit. Also unless you're talking about late game, I can't even fantom how you'll get the time to amass that much extra gold for castles and temples in any MP game. Considering you're talking about the cost of well over 20 extra mages had I not sunk the resources in them. And in terms of crushing your pretender, I'll be perfectly willing to duel you anytime.

Re: How to successfully utilize your \"Dominion Wal
 

If you two play a game against each other, please make sure to save all of your saves, I'm sure everyone would like to see how this one turns out http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/image...ies/tongue.gif
My guess is Graeme will win, because I agree with him that dominion-3 is suicide.

And KissBlade, if he builds 20 temples, and you spend the same amount of money on mages, than you built absolutely no temples - you'll be gone before you know it.

Re: How to successfully utilize your \"Dominion Wal
 

Whoever is ahead in dominion is also going to win more battles and, depending on scales, be racking up other assorted bonuses. It always seems like a small thing, but the extra production or magic or morale on every province or unit adds up. Then, once the higher levels are reached, there are various globals which are directly tide to dominion. If I am just a couple of % ahead of you each turn, by the end of 40 turns I have a big lead.

Re: How to successfully utilize your \"Dominion Wal
 

Very low dominion is hardly suicidal, particularly if you have mage-priests. I have only ever dominion died twice that I can remember- once as Atlantis totally surrounded by Ermor dom 10 temples, once as Mictlan when the possibilty of it just slipped my mind.

Mictlan is actually the perfect illustration of why dominion is not all that important, they considered are one of the best nations, yet most of the time most of your provinces won't even have your dominion.

Re: How to successfully utilize your \"Dominion Wal
 

Ive purposely played with low dominion. With a stealth race like Pangaea it can help hide you for a few turns longer.

Re: How to successfully utilize your \"Dominion Wal
 

LoL, reminds me of the game Qm picked dom ONE and simply took advantage of Pan's 100 gold temples XD.

Re: How to successfully utilize your \"Dominion Wal
 

Interesting. Against the AI, I allways take dominion of at least four (I consider that to be VERY low) and usually take six or seven. I find that that allows me to forget about temples for the early part of the game, and lets me spread a bit of dominion around my teritory, though I've yet to crush anybody without taking a higher dominion or something sneaky (skeptics, stealth preaching, restless worshipers etc). IMHO dominion above seven is useful only as a pop-killing theme, anyone building lots of sacreds, if you KNOW you're fighting pop-killing dominion or other really high dominion, or to dominion kill your opponents. When I play a water nation, I often take a higher than average dominion too, as I find that water nations have rapidly fluctiating dominion, thats either really strong, or really low, and if I'm not paying attention I can easily end up in dire straits, having to scramble madly to avoid the inogmonious lost to the easy AI that took dominion strength 10.

Re: How to successfully utilize your \"Dominion Wal
 

With water nations, when possible i also try to take ceremonial faith, it lets rlyeh have decent preachng defence and atlantis have it very strong.

Re: How to successfully utilize your \"Dominion Wal
 

That might work, but I almost allways take turmoil and luck, so I can't (you need order for ceremonial faith don't you?) I find that turmoil gives me more gems, and that turmoil 3/luck 3 is about the same as order 0 no luck. It's alos easier to get those nice underwater heroes... btw, just how strong is ceremonial faith? It's double or something isn't it?