Re: Boot Camp - Newbie intro to Dominions MP - Running
 

Maybe the turn you attacked Caelum recruited a bunch of troops and they're inside? Flyers are quite good a sieging/defending castles.

Re: Boot Camp - Newbie intro to Dominions MP - Running
 

It's also possible to summon units into a fortress even after a siege has started. Having all your mages spam weak conjurations can be a good way to keep a castle standing if you're desperate. Caelum's research stalled a long time ago, though, so I kind of doubt there are any mages left in there.

Re: Boot Camp - Newbie intro to Dominions MP - Running
 

Good point. And Caelum has easy access to Call of the Winds, which gives a nice boost to defense at an affordable price. Of course if he has no mages left that won't do him any good.

This also illustrates the difference between playing to the end and going AI early. Instead of the AI suiciding its forces by trying to break a siege, a player can force their attacker to expend considerable resources to breach the walls and take the fort. In the meantime they can launch attacks against lightly defended provinces if they still have any kind of raiding potential.

Re: Boot Camp - Newbie intro to Dominions MP - Running
 

Yeah, but staying in your cap also makes you vulnerable to the tactic that you leave only one small defender, and go around the cap and conquer some more provinces. (And even if you attack this token force, your opponent now knows your current tactics, so change the way you place your troops (This is actually how I took out some of Caelums mages, few flanking forces, worked again and again. While he should have placed his troops in a far flank to prevent my troops from running around his main forces (I learned some placement tricks in a blitz long ago when my main force chased some stupid troops all over the battlefield, while a flanking force of mages blasted them to smithereens)).

Yeah, and the cap is now breached. Just piled a lot of giants at the door.

Re: Boot Camp - Newbie intro to Dominions MP - Running
 

Absolutely; hiding in forts is no way to win a war. But if the war is lost and that's all you have left it's worth making your opponent work as hard as possible to breach the walls and then storm the castle.

Re: Boot Camp - Newbie intro to Dominions MP - Running
 

Don't the birds that you get from that spell have a massive penalty to siege effectiveness? I'm pretty sure I remember hearing that somewhere.

Re: Boot Camp - Newbie intro to Dominions MP - Running
 

Right, forgot to mention that! Black hawks are ok at defending forts but horrible at sieging them. Here's some numbers from a test I ran: 32 black hawks were able to hold off 10 Str. 20 Jotuns but when the situation was reversed it required almost 140 hawks to make progress against those same 10 giants in their fort.

Re: Boot Camp - Newbie intro to Dominions MP - Running
 

Really. I had assumed that their siege and counter-siege potential were both equally abysmal, but I guess they're one of the most gem-efficient defenders after all.

Re: Boot Camp - Newbie intro to Dominions MP - Running
 

Crap! Bought the wrong commanders last turn. Wanted to buy a Jarl, for his H1, got a Herse... which is just sacred... That is what I get for trying to save gold and not buying the normal H2 priest. I feel very stupid now...

Re: Boot Camp - Newbie intro to Dominions MP - Running
 

Hi Bootcamp, how is everybody doing? I would have really expected somebody to have cast a global by now. As most indies have been captured by now. (24 left, with a lot of them being water provinces).

I have some use for a crystal coin, anybody have one to trade? Could trade it for a Moonvine Bracelet for example.

Ps: I know it is still a long way off, but just to inform all of you guys. I'm at a lan party 15 and 16 Oct. So I don't think I will be able to do my turn. (There will be internet, but I don't think I will be logging into my mail there, nor have a lot of time to do my turn then. (I think we will be at turn 35 or something then)). Hopefully I'll remember this before the that weekend and post it again. But I will be kinda busy then (I'm one of the organizers of the party), so I would like to ask for an extension in advance.

Re: Boot Camp - Newbie intro to Dominions MP - Running
 

The magicks required to forge a Crystal Coin should be known to me before the month is out. The question is...why should I be so willing to give it to the one who has so cruelly attempted to incite the other nations of the world against me, when I had never done any harm to you (a few months before exploding through Pythium and nearly matching my size, no less)? Especially given the fact that I would most likely need to see to its construction personally when there is so much to be done.

Perhaps a Moonvine Bracelet together with Boots of Youth would be a suitable offering to convince me to look past such matters. Or, if blood magic is beyond you, an additional 10-gem surcharge (payable in any combination of nature and death gems) would be acceptable in the boots' stead.

If an agreement can be reached, I should be able to see to it that the coin is in your possession by early autumn.

--Sjohara, Will of the Eternal Flame

Re: Boot Camp - Newbie intro to Dominions MP - Running
 

Sorry about the horrible late reaction.

But apparantly my assumptions about the paths I had where vastly mistaken. I currently don't have the capabilities to make a moonvine bracelet.

Does the misfortune scale also give worse random magic picks? It almost looks like it :). In all my test games I always had at least one of the picks I wanted before end of the first year. This game none... And when I finally get a gygja with +1 magic it is a n2b2d2 one.

Re: Boot Camp - Newbie intro to Dominions MP - Running
 

No problem. I'll make a note of it but please try to remind me as well next week.

I don't think it does but sometimes it can seem like the random number generator is broken when you are waiting for a particular random path to appear. :)


Also, I notice C'tis and Abysia both staled this past turn so I'll keep an eye on things. Seems like they may both be at war but still have some strength left?

Re: Boot Camp - Newbie intro to Dominions MP - Running
 

Ahhhh, spreaking of that...I am out of town from the 16th (Thursday) until Monday the 20th.

I have 2 provinces left and no army...If not destroyed by then I will set myself to AI so as to not upset the flow of the game.

So PLEASE end it quickly....

Thanks to all for a fun and amusing game and I look forward to seeing you guys agian!!:)

Re: Boot Camp - Newbie intro to Dominions MP - Running
 

Thanks all for the game ! The winged man are no longer in game ...

Two much errors in the beginning, I will to it better the next time !

Be carefull of Marignon :-)

Arnob

Re: Boot Camp - Newbie intro to Dominions MP - Running
 

Thanks for playing arnob and nice job playing it through to the end.

Ragnars Wolves, also nice job continuing to fight. It appears things went downhill after your good start?

It seems to me this game is moving at a quick pace in the sense that early wars are being fought and nations eliminated. That certainly makes for an action-packed game.

Re: Boot Camp - Newbie intro to Dominions MP - Running
 

Ragnar seemed to have a lot of Gladiators in his army so after a few fights he ran out of steam.

Re: Boot Camp - Newbie intro to Dominions MP - Running
 

That isn't exactly true....

I got into a fight with one nation and 2 others broke naps and joined in on me. However, they BOTH waited the specified time and acted Honorably so I have no problem with either (good job, I should have seen it coming). But I realized I had NO chance so I decided to try a few things.

Gladiators...I didn't use them in my army excep as arrow catchers in front should i fight (since they would die anyway why not use cheap fodder).

I may be giving away a secret (or maybe it isn't a secret) but I was reading a post about Pangea and Maenads. It was describing how those little buggers inside a fort could repair the fort and make the siege last forever.

I decided to try that with Gladiators, as long as they are NOT set on patrol they will NOT join the fight for the castle until the walls are broken (that is my understanding). It seemed to work ok.:p

Re: Boot Camp - Newbie intro to Dominions MP - Running
 

BTW, thank you Valerius for setting this up and helping us get our feet wet. You did a GREAT job as admin and I think we all thank you for it!!!

Re: Boot Camp - Newbie intro to Dominions MP - Running
 

Has anyone heard from C'tis lately? They apparently staled last turn, and it's looking like there's a decent possibility that they'll stale again overnight. I'm not really sure what the standard policy is on this sort of thing. Should we delay hosting until we can find out what's happening?

Re: Boot Camp - Newbie intro to Dominions MP - Running
 

You're welcome! :) I hope everyone is enjoying the game.


I've been keeping an eye on the server, hoping C'tis' turn would arrive but no luck. I believe C'tis is at war so a stale would be unfortunate. Duncan_Frost hasn't responded to my message or logged in since the 6th so I'll postpone hosting by 24 hours and if I don't hear anything I'll look for a sub.

Re: Boot Camp - Newbie intro to Dominions MP - Running
 

Who's side of the war is C'tis on anyway?

Re: Boot Camp - Newbie intro to Dominions MP - Running
 

Still no word from C'tis so I've delayed hosting again and posted for a sub.

Re: Boot Camp - Newbie intro to Dominions MP - Running
 

Everyone please welcome Pjoo to the game as the new ruler of C'tis! If you have diplomatic agreements with C'tis please PM him to let him know.

Re: Boot Camp - Newbie intro to Dominions MP - Running
 

Vive la révolution! The most awesomest Pjoo drove away the spirit of the entity that was most definetly a spirit of an ancient Prince of Death that was banished into the Sphinx, and now Pjoo now inhabits the damn rock, pretending to be their pretender.

As C'tis, I have to say I do not have the damnest idea, but as the new ruler of C'tis I have to recheck the geopolitical situation.

Any clarification on the current situation would be welcome, along with the diplomatic proposals are welcome, and encouraged.
When it comes to trade, I would need bunch of stuff, especially gems of the earthen variety. As I don't have damnest idea about the current non-aggression pacts, they will be considered null on turn 34 unless renewed. This is just so I get to review who I have them with and actually verify I have them.
Any aggression or threats, trying to get concession out of C'tis due to recent disarray will be met with the full power of the C'tian arsenal of magic. Tremble mortals!

Re: Boot Camp - Newbie intro to Dominions MP - Running
 

New turn dawns!
Apparently you cannot edit your posts, but well... :/


Lizard News Channel is concerned about the new domestic policy concerning Skull Mentors, that has many of our Pretender-God-fearing, patriotic citizens weary. Apparently, Skull Mentors have been redistributed based on merit, instead of favoritism, which is radical change from the previous policies of Mr. Sphinx. While some of those liberal scum are happy about the change, claiming "It allows for more specialized researchers" and "it frees up the less experienced for forging and magic sites searching", and also point that the social experiment worked in Bandar-Logterdam, who are on their way to surpassing C'tis as the most magically advanced nation in the world, it is bad! We do not care about the Bandar-Logsterdam, who are bunch of astral-magic using moralless apes. The change is direcly in conflict with the C'tian values of Religion, Nation and Family values. Besides, rewarding talent and aiming for utilitarianism instead of rewarding the brown-noses is just unnatural!
Lizard News, Just and Unbiased

Re: Boot Camp - Newbie intro to Dominions MP - Running
 

Welcome to the game, Pjoo. I just sent you a PM with a bunch of important information about where C'tis stands at the moment.

Re: Boot Camp - Newbie intro to Dominions MP - Running
 

Re: Boot Camp - Newbie intro to Dominions MP - Running
 

Gentlemen, I want to thank Valerius for putting this game together, and all of you for making my MP debut a fun (though short) one.

I will be leaving to go out of the country Thursday and have 2 provinces left. I have fought up till now but Staling isn't in my nature. I will complete turns up until Thursday Early Morning and then I will set it to AI so you don't have to wait on me. I would stick it out if I wasn't leaving, but see no reason to drag out the obvious and make everyone wait also....There is one Goody left, My Capitol is available for the one that can get there first and whip the defenders!!!

Good Luck guys and see you in the next one!!!!!!

For those of you in other games with me I will be back Monday noonish and have tried to work something out for each game.

Re: Boot Camp - Newbie intro to Dominions MP - Running
 

Ragnar, thanks for fighting it out as long as possible. I think it's ok to set yourself AI when you leave (though if the rest of you prefer I can play out Pythium's last stand).

Pjoo, I'm enjoying the Lizard News Channel, now Crystal Ball News Nework, updates. Mr Sphinx may well have my support for Godhood. Unfortunately my vote doesn't count for anything but perhaps you'll manage to convince the other players of the justness of the lizard cause.

Re: Boot Camp - Newbie intro to Dominions MP - Running
 

NP, I 'Think' I just set it to Ai and sent it in...I had done the turn and when I saw that I was not ging to get another one in I redid the turn by setting it AI...never done that so I wonder if it took.


Thanks all!!!!!!!!!!!!:D

Re: Boot Camp - Newbie intro to Dominions MP - Running
 

Thanks for playing Ragnars Wolves!

I will be able to play this turn tonight (or earlier at least when it hosts) But I will not be able to play another turn before Sunday. So I would like to ask an extension for next turn till Sunday.

Re: Boot Camp - Newbie intro to Dominions MP - Running
 

No problem. I'll set it for late Sunday (maybe 23:00 GMT?).

Re: Boot Camp - Newbie intro to Dominions MP - Running
 

Re: Boot Camp - Newbie intro to Dominions MP - Running
 

The great nation of Shinuyama is pleased to announce that we will fashion Dwarven Hammers for any nation that requires one in exchange for nature gems.

Re: Boot Camp - Newbie intro to Dominions MP - Running
 

Re: Boot Camp - Newbie intro to Dominions MP - Running
 

I got Saturday and Sunday mixed up, better be more careful.

Re: Boot Camp - Newbie intro to Dominions MP - Running
 

Also, I'm back. (And need a new keyboard I think. Somehow a little bit of energy drink went into the keyboard and now a lot of keys behave very strange... typing is still possible. But I have no usable tab key). Also, the crystal ball extension on my keyboard has exploded... anybody know anything about that?

I already did my turn last night. And dropped into a coma after that.

Edit: and somebody has the luckiest pretender ever. I should have attacked that one. Especially now that the pretender's support army has moved away. (You know who you are).

Re: Boot Camp - Newbie intro to Dominions MP - Running
 

"May it be known far and wide that on this day, the dawn of Winter in the Third Year of the New Age, Abysia's cathedral of sin at Urd has been reduced to rubble, along with the false idol worshiped there. The infernal spirit Kai'Ckul has been banished to the burning hells from whence it came, and the blood of its hapless worshipers simmers across the countryside.

Let this be a lesson to all would-be apostates of the world: Marignon has eyes in all places, and consorting with diabolical forces will not be tolerated under our righteous and glorious rule."

--Sjohara, Will of the Eternal Flame

Re: Boot Camp - Newbie intro to Dominions MP - Running
 

Is anyone making hammers? Also looking for someone who can make shields of gleaming gold.

Re: Boot Camp - Newbie intro to Dominions MP - Running
 

I'm making hammers. Only my pretender can make them. So I'll still ask 15 egems a pop.

Re: Boot Camp - Newbie intro to Dominions MP - Running
 

I'm also capable of making hammers.

Re: Boot Camp - Newbie intro to Dominions MP - Running
 

Teh Learning Channel

"Let's Learn about water magic with our hydromancers! Lets give one of them a chance to speak!"

"So, umm, as you know, hydromancy in C'tis is pretty new, as it had been previously banned. However, now we have been given blessing by our beloved mr. Sphinx, and are making great leaps forward in the research of Hydromancy.

We had this problem of, well, holding the water gems. Due to their property of producing water all the time, they made the floors wet, or if carried, the clothes. It was infact the reason why the water magic was banned, the mages carrying the gems always looked like they had peed in their pants, and that reduced morale of our forces. But we have now solved this problem. We use buckets.

As you know, anything that can hold over 5 liters of water is a bucket and bucket can also hold other buckets. As buckets are used to hold water, and also other buckets, and water gems are used to hold water, water gems are buckets. Well, ctually, technically if they hold under 5 liters of water, they are cans, but most of them are ancient and have produced far more than that. Anyways, we only use bucket-grade gems, and while not all the synthetic water gems might be buckets, they produce water at constant rate, so eventually they'll mature into buckets.

But, as the water gems are buckets, and buckets are used to hold other buckets, water gems are carried in buckets. This is not everything though! As water gems are buckets, buckets are also water gems. Mathematic formula for that would be:

Water Gems = Buckets <=> Buckets = Water Gems

For those who do not understand the practical usage for such find, let me explain. Our mages can carry buckets full of water gems into battle in compact form, as they can also use the bucket, being a water gems, for their magics after they have used all the gems in the bucket! The testing hasn't begun yet, but our mages think this will give us an edge on the battlefield."

"This find is potentially so revolutionary that Hycromancy will actually be known as Bucketmancy!", another of them adds.

"Thanks to the Hydromancers' Guild for today's episode of Let's Learn! We have truly been enlighetend about the mysteries of bucketmancy!"

There are still some problems with usage of buckets, most notably tapping into water gem inside a bucket while casting acid rain deals serious damage to the bucket. Also, there seems to be a bloodthirsty seal on the loose, attacking anyone holding a teal bucket. But these issues are being taken care off! If you have any questions about today's show, please send a message in a bottle to message box 347 at 33101 Tampere.

Inspired by my talk with Executor about certain "math problem" involving buckets, hidden variables, protecting ma buckets, and other amusing things making probably about as much sense as this Let's Learn!

Re: Boot Camp - Newbie intro to Dominions MP - Running
 

Here is something I wrote a couple of weeks ago when I invaded the cap of Caelum.

"Finally", Hulvid thought as his troops breached through the great wall surrounding the mountain city. "Start the construction of a gate. The bird-men might not need doors, but we do!" Hulvid shouted at his men, as he cautiously guided the remaining troops into the walled city. It all was eerily silent. Walking through the silent, once magnificent city, he started to remember.

It had all looked so very easy at the start. He could still remember the speeches Borme gave. "The winged bird-men are weak!", Borme, would should at the gathered troops "And the prosperous lands of their mountains are our birthright! Loki will oversee and protect us. With his guidance, no weapon can harm us!". At first he was right, the bird-men put up a valiant fight, but it was useless. Their bloodied and broken bodies littered the fields. And Hulvids and his troops where in high spirits, they would be home before winter! How wrong we where. How naive.

It all changed. The winged troops where replaced by mammoths, accursed mammoths. And the ineffective bows made way for destructive lightning. And easy victory changed into bitter struggle. Even now, after a long siege Hulvid dreams where troubled by the screaming face of Borme. Screaming for Loki's protection as the mammoths crushed him into a bloody pulp. While lightning rained down from the heavens, blowing giants to bits. Eventually the mammoths where defeated, and the lightning stopped. But at a high cost. Of the large initial invasion force only Hulvid remained. All his friends, dead. Not even enough of them left to properly perform the burial rites.

A shout from his scouts brought Hulvid's mind back to the gloomy city. They had found it! The fabled heart. The citadel of the frozen Crystal! It was magnificent. A true testament to the majesty of the Caelum people. The once proud people. Now all gone. During the siege there had always been the presence of the birdmen, flying around their capital. Harrying the attackers. But since this morning, they where all gone. Like they where swallowed by the sky itself. Hulvid didn't like it.

There was much he didn't like. The sudden disappearance of the Caelum people. The new humans already colonizing the fields around the mountain city. Them taking over Ravens Vale, a small town next to the imposing gateless walls of the enormous mountain city. Ravens vale, once the homes of the exiled wingless Caelum people, now the home of lowly humans. Bah! Humans, even vaetti had more uses. And the goblins also tasted a lot better.

He also didn't like the new priest his leaders had send them. While Borme was certainly a raving madman, his replacement was worse. There was just something wrong about the Skratti priest. The way he walked, the way he talked, the way he looked at the human settlers. The way he always seemed way to interested in female humans. To interested.

His troops had just discovered the seat of Caelum power. The fabled ice flower gardens. It was magnificent, almost as great as the iron forest back home. Almost. While walking through the silent but beautiful garden he wondered. Was Jotunheim going the correct way? Why was he given this strange axe to replace his sword. Why did his thoughts dwell more and more on violence? Could the axe... ? No! And why an axe, why not a simple rat tails whip, that would have stopped the Mammoths. Saved his friends. Hulvid doubted the Skrattir or the Gygjas even cared. And even the beauty of the frozen crystal gardens could not remove Hulvids unease.

Re: Boot Camp - Newbie intro to Dominions MP - Running
 

Damn, Marignon staled. That means I take a bunch of his provs unopposed.

Re: Boot Camp - Newbie intro to Dominions MP - Running
 

Crap. CRAP! The turn ended like a full day before I thought it was going to. That was an IMMENSELY important turn. Like, to the point it might be impossible to recover from. About a third of my army either died without support or is now trapped without being able to meet up with the rest, and my research plan is utterly ruined. I'm so pissed off at myself right now.

Re: Boot Camp - Newbie intro to Dominions MP - Running
 

That sucks. :hurt: Losing track of the hosting time, etc., happens to almost everyone at some point but when it happens when the two main powers in the game are fighting it out it's really unfortunate.

Re: Boot Camp - Newbie intro to Dominions MP - Running
 

Soyweiser, thanks for the post. As a spectator I'm enjoying the in-character comments from you and Pjoo. :)

Re: Boot Camp - Newbie intro to Dominions MP - Running
 

Normally, I'm not in favor of rollbacks. However, if this was a particularly important turn in the conflict between the two dominant powers in the game, I'd say we give some serious consideration to the idea. How Jotunheim and Marignon are doing are important to more than just the two of them.

Re: Boot Camp - Newbie intro to Dominions MP - Running
 

I'm certainly not about to demand that everyone else in the game be forced to redo a turn (or two) just because I'm a moron. Not to mention the fact that I now have knowledge of what Jotunheim did that turn and could try to counter it if I were given the chance.