How do you use astral gems?
 

How do you use astral gems when they're in abundance?

For example, for nature, earth gems and water, there's plenty good summons. Death gems are good for both summons and Skull Mentors.

There're many good items requiring astral gems, but later in the game astral gem income is often larger then the forging costs (unless one starts making magic items for nearly every commander).
Sometimes I use them for the protective dome.

Re: How do you use astral gems?
 

Hmm. I never have enough Astral Gems. More often this is because I use alot of high end combat creature. An Antimagic Amulet, Lucky Coin and Starshine Skullcap really starts adding up.

If I have the mages with the right paths, I also use alot teleporting and utilizing Gateway.

[ February 28, 2004, 16:49: Message edited by: Zen ]

Re: How do you use astral gems?
 

-The Wrath of God
-The Eyes of God
-Acashic Record
-Astral Summons
-....

Re: How do you use astral gems?
 

There are tons of uses for astral gems. Items are only one. Not to mention they convert to other gems at 2:1. But you can never have too many - in late game I'd say it's good to keep a healthy number in case a wicked global enchantment is cast.

PvK

Re: How do you use astral gems?
 

If, against all odds, there are no other obvious uses for the astral gems, Acasric Record having been cast on all your provinces, and your global Arcane Nexus granting you an obscene amount of gems per turn.... you can always open the ether gates and let it the ether lords and warriors. Summoning a few clans will eat up gems really, really, fast.

And if you do not need that either, then you can start wishing.

And if you do not have anybody with the magical power to cast wish, then you can empower somebody to do so. That should take a few gems as well. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon10.gif

But, really, astral gems are always useful for something.

Re: How do you use astral gems?
 

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">I do about the same items, but I don't teleport or Gateway (I guess I don't need it much because I usually play small maps)

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">I've never had astral/air mage to cast The Wrath of God http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon9.gif I'm not sure about The Eyes of God, but Acashic Record seems to be too expensive for what it does, which Astral Summons in particular do you use? In other paths summons seems to have better value per cost.

While there're many ways to spend astral gems, I was wondering about efficient spendings. I didn't find in astral anything as efficient as Well of Misery + Skull Mentors mass production in death path, for example.

Re: How do you use astral gems?
 

Long-duration Astral Windows are always useful.

Re: How do you use astral gems?
 

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">That's a crying shame. It is so nice to be told that 134 were killed and 120 wounded per turn by the enchantment- these sort of figures are not unusual when Wrath of God is actual.

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">All depends on whether you have other decent site searchers, really. If you have easy access to searching to level 2 or 3 with mages in many paths, or if you play on a small map, you may never need Acasric Record. If you do not, but have, say, a couple of mountain provinces unsearched, Acasric Record might boost your total gem production by 4-8 gems/turn per casting. And if you are playing on an XL map and are in the mid-game, Acasric Record is exceptional for maximizing gem income - it will usually have paid off one way or the other in about 10-15 turns.

Sure, the individual path site-searching spells are much, much, cheaper, and well worth using ASAP for your most important magic types, but it does tie up a lot of mages, and you may miss out on some of the truly outstanding sites that reduce casting costs... (And if you find a conjuration site, then it is time to immediately relocate your Acasric Record team to that province to cut down on gem cost)

Acasric Record is the one to use when you really want to ramp up gem production long-term. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif

[And the more water gem sites you find, the more astral pearls you can produce, and the greater your astral gem income.]

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">Very few summoning spells compare in power to the Ether Lord and his 15 Ether Warriors you get for 90 astral gems. Some summons are cheaper, and can compare or surpass the power if cast multiple times [Tartarian Gate anyone? http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon12.gif ], but that takes multiple mages or several rounds to match the same power. Ether Gate takes one mage to provide an instant army, and an exceptionally powerful one at that, which includes a new mage capable of casting Ether Gate when provided with a single astral boosting item.

Juggernauts are also very, very useful for rolling up enemy dominion while trampling their troops, and, additionally, they look funny, and it is hard to think of any 25 gem summon that beats the abomination. (Okay, I have a weakness for big goofy troops! http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif )

Re: How do you use astral gems?
 

If someone ever has too many Astral Pearls, please send them to me ! http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon10.gif http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon10.gif

[ February 28, 2004, 19:14: Message edited by: PDF ]

Re: How do you use astral gems?
 

I will probably regret asking but.. they dont work to boost research anymore like in Dom1?

Re: How do you use astral gems?
 

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">Nope, feature was pulled out of Dom2 ... maybe because astral nations were already the strongest and didn't need an extra boost !
A propos de Acashic Records, it isn't that much costly than the basic one-path spells : each of these costs 2, so searching all paths cost 18 (counting slaves), whereas AR is 25, that's only 25% more but is 1 action instead of 9 and can be done with only 1 path instead of 9 !
Finally note that with 40% site freq and avg 1.5 gems/site (that's a guess more than a calculation, given that many sites don't give any gems) you'll get on average 0.4*4*1.5 = 2.4 gems/turn production. So ROE is 10 turns ...

Re: How do you use astral gems?
 

cestkoi ROE?

I can understand why Alexti asked the question on first instance though. Thats because astral does not have low level summons, so one can be under the impression that there is a lull, in astral gem usage, compared to other paths.
But I dont think that somebody can seriously say he has too much gems in his labs, or it means you have won against the AI, but dont want to end the game to toy with them a bit more.

Re: How do you use astral gems?
 

Astrals:

-Convert to all other gem types
-Are great for ring of sorcery / wizardry

How can you have too many astral gems? It's not possible. If you can't use them all, either convert them or empower commanders until you can use them all. Lucky Coin / Starshine Skullcap / Robe of Shadows / Pendant of Luck / Crown of Command are all so useful that I could forge one per astral mage per turn and still want more.

Re: How do you use astral gems?
 

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">"ROI" serait "Return on Investment", ce qui makes sense dans cette context. Pour "ROE" je n'ai aucun bloody idée, unless c'est "return on enchantment" ou something comme that.

Why the proliferation of franglais, anyway?
http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/image...s/confused.gif

Re: How do you use astral gems?
 

- Acashik Record, definitly worth it.
- Luck Charm
- Spell Focus Charm

And yeah, good for dispelling, always have a few douzen in spare, just for the case...


I cant think of any other uses now, except that teleport can be PRETTY useful.

I think the mass teleport ritual is quite good, too, though i didnt used it yet.
The problem is that its QUITE difficult to get high level astral mages. Most times you only have a high astral level if your made your pretender like this or you got a hero, some have things like 2-4 astral which can be boosted with the scullcap then.

BTW: Are there ANY elemental summons which have astral skill ?

Re: How do you use astral gems?
 

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">For one nature and one astral (which should be possible to gain, if nothing else then through empowerment), you can gain a Couatl, which is nature 3, astral 3.

Re: How do you use astral gems?
 

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">"ROI" serait "Return on Investment", ce qui makes sense dans cette context. Pour "ROE" je n'ai aucun bloody idée, unless c'est "return on enchantment" ou something comme that.</font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">Well, there's "ROI", which makes sense in the context, return on investment. ROE is "rules of engagement", which seems to have nothing to do with the topic.

And Astral Gems? There are just so many uses. Wishing for an army of Doom Horrors, conVersion to any other gem type as needed, dispelling, and soforth.

[ March 01, 2004, 07:47: Message edited by: Norfleet ]

Re: How do you use astral gems?
 

Return on Equity = Net Income / Total Stockholders' Equity

The bottom line when measured against the shareholders' money.

I answered a question,
Aikamun

[ March 01, 2004, 08:34: Message edited by: Aikamun ]