Tips for first full game...Arco
 

So if you read my "Introduction" topic, you'll know that I'm getting the non-demo game sometime next week. I intend to play my first full game as Arco, and was thinking about the Nataraja as pretender...just because I can't stop thinking about loading him up with crafted weapons and letting him turn into a big blue Cuisinart. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif

Any tips from Arco vets on a game vs. normal AI? What opponents might I use, what strategies, etc? Thanks for reading! http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif

[ February 07, 2004, 05:04: Message edited by: fahdiz ]

Re: Tips for first full game...Arco
 

I don't want to sound like Gandalf ... er, I mean a badly scratched broken record ... er.

Well here,

http://www.shrapnelgames.com/cgi-bin...=001036#000000

Re: Tips for first full game...Arco
 

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">Thanks Zen, that's exactly the sort of thing for which I was looking.

Re: Tips for first full game...Arco
 

And if you plan on using the Natty. Your best bet is probably Earth.

It's a favorite of mine. For an early time playing around with your Natty, try getting Alteration 5 (For Invulnerability), 3 Conjuration (Summon Earthpower), 2 Main Gauge of Defense, 1 Lucky Coin, 1 Charcoal Shield, Boots of the Behemoth, Elemental Hauberk, Starshine Skullcap (for the MR), Amulet of Antimagic and a Ring of Regeneration.

You can swap out other things (Like Reinvigoration items) upon need, but that is a fairly stalwart little Natty right there. And depending on your gem income fairly easy to obtain. Most of the items you can get as you advance in levels. The real kicker is getting to Construction 4 for most of the items.

[ February 07, 2004, 06:00: Message edited by: Zen ]

Re: Tips for first full game...Arco
 

Thank you for the tips. I was already sort of leaning toward Earth, but that pretty much solidifies it in my mind.

Does Arco tend to fare better on smaller maps or on bigger ones, given that aside from Nataraja as SC the Arco strategy appears to be defensive, conservative, and research-oriented? Just curious. And thanks again.

Re: Tips for first full game...Arco
 

It really depends on what type of player you are. I personally don't consider Arco much of a 'defense' nation. They have a powerful offense in Elephants, Hoplites and Hypsists, as well as great access to spells.

They have the ability to reinforce fairly easily with Astrologers and Gateway. So it's possible to have a large peacekeeping force (with Leadership Items) that can gateway to reinforce your lines.

Also a favorite strategy is to teleport in an Astrologer, cast Doom, then either let him die or have him cast Returning. It's a little high on the chain, but something worth noting for such cheap Astrologers.

The Priestesses allow you to send your SC's into potentially dangerous situations where they might get a few afflictions, and come out and go to the hospital and heal back up. Where other nations do not usually have that option.

Cheap Research, Mystics with multiple paths and a good search/gem income rounds out Arco very nicely.

Re: Tips for first full game...Arco
 

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">What opponents you might use? In Soviet Russia, your opponents use you! You don't "pick which opponents you use", except possibly at random. That's just not how it's done, picking your opponents as if this makes for an easier game. You pick the hugest map possible, then jam all 17, or maybe just not including Ermor, because they kill all of the other AIs and pretty much guarantee that you'll always be fighting them, or at least make sure they're not AE/SG. After the first 5 games or so where it was always me and them, it started getting a tad old.

Anyway, the one problem with the Nataraja is that he has the endurance in combat of a wet noodle. With an base encumberance of 3, it takes a lot of reinvigoration to keep him kicking, or at least a Wraith Sword, which will fail utterly against anything which is lifeless or undead, and he'll pass out like a big wuss again. If you can equip him with the items that'll give him the reinvigoration he needs, though, he can be a right mean fellow.

Re: Tips for first full game...Arco
 

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">It's more fun to do hit-and-run Master Enslaves. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif

Teleport in a huge mass of astrologers with crystal matrices so they'll start out communioned, pop off a master enslave or two, and then Vortex out. Cursing everyone is merely a nuisance.

Re: Tips for first full game...Arco
 

Well Norfleet, the Doom strategy you can cast by turn ~25-30 with Arco, and can potentially devastate an elite army. Where as the Master Enslave is something you do for ****s and giggles.

In Dom1 it was used alot with Golems, but Arco has a hand up because of Astrologers.

Re: Tips for first full game...Arco
 

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">Heh. Yes, I definitely didn't word that well. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon10.gif

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">Great! Thank you for the advice.

Re: Tips for first full game...Arco
 

After a couple of really good Pythium games (well, as good as only 40 turns of a Pythium game can be...) I think I've decided to try Pythium instead of Arco for my first full game.

I won't ask for strats, though...I'll poke around the forums http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon12.gif unless of course someone has a never-before-shared Pythian gem they're dying to get off their chest. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif

I tend (in the demo) to use SC pretenders more often than not, and I think it's because I'm underconfident in my research/ritual/global enchantment skills right now, and the SC pretenders give me a little morale boost. But I was wondering a bit about the Divine Emperor as a Pythium pretender. Does he make a better stay-at-home pretender than most of the other rainbow mages?

[ February 08, 2004, 16:46: Message edited by: fahdiz ]

Re: Tips for first full game...Arco
 

He's a Rainbow Variety of Pretender. It would be best to only choose him if you plan on going rainbow with a significant level in Astral (5+).

Otherwise you are better off using something with a little more physical strength and survivability.

Re: Tips for first full game...Arco
 

I'm very interested to see how things look *after* turn 40 in any of these games. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon10.gif Last night I played as Machaka, and I was doing well (Desert Sun was really wreaking havoc on my closest opponents, namely Caelum and Vanaheim, and I had several very good assassinations followed by Black Lord/Black Hunters military victories) but I could sense that in a few turns I was going to get squeezed really badly since they were concentrating their troops.

One good thing about the 40-turn limit: you can almost always end on a decent note. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon10.gif