Your favorite nations / themes -- and why! please participate!
 

I am trying to be as comprehensive here as possible...

For this reason, I am including some voting options for various reasons, including no Favorites and including options for how often you may change your mind, and why.

It is clear to me that for most of us, there is no one single favorite all the time -- this game is just too groovy for such simplicities as that. But please try to see the "favorite" as a form of "Well, this may not be my "favorite", but I sure do play *this* one much more than *that* one...", just a kind of heuristic device.

It would also be great if people could post here some elaborations on their choices.

I am trying to limit the number of choices in the second vote to 5 -- I hope, however, that people will be more selective than that.

I don't know really what to expect, but I do expect at least a few corroborations and conflicts with two earlier polls of mine.... but I'll wait to see the results first.

Thanks very much for participating and for commenting!

Re: Your favorite nations / themes -- and why! please participate!
 

There are a number of the races that appeal to me generally and I think the sheer diversity available in Dom 2 is what makes it such a playable game.

Although most of the magic styles appeal on various levels I found myself playing Blood and Death more than any other. I remember in MOM casting dark rituals on my cities and being tickled at the little ritualists sacrificing in the town square, so initially it was most certainly a style decision as i had no idea what the spells etc would be.

In most of my early games I did not use the blood summons at all either, as I almost always couple it with death and found it easier as a new player to create hordes of skelly-type chaff or ghouls.

Mictian appealed instantly as they seem an underdog....have to sacrifice to generate domain and national troops have archaic weapons and Marignon have that Maleus Maleficarum witch hunter feel on their blood theme...Oh, and Im notoriously biased towards human nations, I was never fond of exotic races like abysia or Ctis.

Death I feel is not represented as a nation in any capacity I can enjoy. I am not keen on the ars magica feel of Ermor though I think they are well themed, so despite it being a deep favourite magic, I find my use of death a secondary line in most nations.

But then thats the beauty of modding and Im beavering away on a new nation for myself that is themed as I wish it. Blood, Death and Plague.

Spiro.

Re: Your favorite nations / themes -- and why! please participate!
 

Pythium are my Favorites but I have multiple reasons.

1. I like their flavor. I get the feeling of expanding the roman empire as an ancient Caesar.
2. I like their strength in MP. What with the astral domination, communions and high priestly powers.
I absolutely love the emerald guards, they shine in tough battles. I have seen them in countless battles and can attest to their prowess.
3. I can use them without the conventional SC pretender since they have very strong army.
4. They can counter (imo) some of the other tier 1 nations effectively. For example, Ermor with priestly power and assassins, R'lyeh with astral domination.

Re: Your favorite nations / themes -- and why! please participate!
 

You are getting good at this. Most of these polls its usually pretty obvious what the poll writer feels on the subject by how its worded, and has gaps showing responses that the writer didnt consider. It looks like you actually dredged up alot of the common trains of thought on this subject and put them in your poll. Good job.

[ July 08, 2004, 14:23: Message edited by: Gandalf Parker ]

Re: Your favorite nations / themes -- and why! please participate!
 

I think it's a very well-done and interesting poll.

I still haven't played with all of the nations, but I've at least looked at nearly all of them.

I find that I have multiple play styles, or that my play style adapts to the nation and god choice, at least to a certain degree.

There are some that seem to fit my taste and styles better than others, though. It also changes a bit as I learn more magic tricks, and depending on whom I'm playing against and what the research and magic site settings are - sometimes the settings make it a bad idea to focus more or less on different kinds of magic. With Very Hard research, one wouldn't want to base a strategy around high-level magic. With very common site frequency, one would want to be able to find sites and use magic gems, and not place too much stock in, say, Ulmish armor!

PvK

Re: Your favorite nations / themes -- and why! please participate!
 

I choose the "I haven't even played all the nations" answer to the 1st question. There a still a few nations/themes I haven't tinkered with beyond designing a quikie pretender and starting up a game just to see what the units look like.

For number of Favorites, I chose one, because I have one clear favorite, though I enjoy and play several nations.

That favorite nation is Vanheim standard theme.

I chose straightforward/uncomplicated as the reason why, although there are certainly a lot of ways the nation can be played. What I was getting at is that I like both Air and Earth magic a lot, and have a clear idea of what to do with both of them. I hem and haw over strategies for Astral magic for instance - that's partly because I'm a summoner at heart.

I chose just don't try to draw conclusions since even though I chose to respond to it, I don't think polls like this are very valuable http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon12.gif

Re: Your favorite nations / themes -- and why! please participate!
 

I tend to play the same nations even though I haven't played them all. But most of the fun for me is trying to create play styles and then execute them. It's what IMO opinion makes Dom2 so fun, you can deliberately play in so many different ways.

I like to make metagames out of my gaming.

heh.

Re: Your favorite nations / themes -- and why! please participate!
 

I chose Machaka as my favorite nation. They are very diverse, with access to decent magic and solid troops. They have the tools for a number of different strategic options. Of course, there are so many different ways to play Machaka that I still can't say that I've found one that works well for me, but I'm having fun http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif One idea that I've had was to go with very strong dominion, either Restless Worshippers or Ceremonial Faith, and really push dominion with the Ears of the Lord. I haven't had a chance to try it yet, but it could be fun.

If I ever get off my Machaka kick, I'll probably explore Vanheim Helheim or C'Tis Miasma. I tried one game with Helheim and was completely lost, so that would be a fun challenge. I'd also like to see how a strong dominion defensive strategy works with Miasma. Tien'Chi S&A looks very interesting, too, but they are further down on my list.

Honestly, each nation represents weeks upon weeks of playing time. I can't see how anyone could possibly have a good understanding of every different nation and theme.

Re: Your favorite nations / themes -- and why! please participate!
 

I answered Abysya (both themes) and Marignon (all themes except CotS, I dislike that guerrilla raiding).

I like Ulm too however, except the BF theme.
And I'm getting in fond of Pythium even if not liking it a lot, since I notice in a game my allied player Pythium is doing pretty well where I often failed.

I find them to suit my gameplay.

I like a lot blood, and strong national troops, usually HI and Cavalry or both of them (I like a little Man, but infantry isn't so heavy and disciplined.)

I believe my choices are not 1st tier, since I believe they're Ermor and Air magic based nations like Vanheim and Caelum (I dislike them a lot because they're too strong IMO).

I like too Arco because I'm fond in ancient grece too, and ancient rome ... well I'm Italian, my land is fullfilled of this ancient lore.

I dislike what I see as mass poorly equipped troops like Mictlan and Machaka (well big spiders aren't so mass ... but ... I like humans - I considers Aybsyans uber-humans elite troops).
I love hand-to-hand combat and dislike those michievous raiders like Thuathas and Vans.
Don't like too to be under sea ^^

Well probably I expanded my answer to my feelings about many races so I stop myself there.

Re: Your favorite nations / themes -- and why! please participate!
 

Abysia and Niefelheim. Plain, hardhitting, powerful, and relaxing to play without too much micro. And it suits my play style well (I always choose fighters in RPGs). Ulm would be the third, but leading stocky humans is not nearly as impressive thought as leading hellhumans and frost giants. For the same reasons, I'll probably never play Vanheim, Tuatha, or Caelum.

Re: Your favorite nations / themes -- and why! please participate!
 

Nice poll.

I can't really say why I like the themes/nations that I play more often then the rest. ... The three nations I play most are:
Pythium SC (yup, I'm the one)- mainly roleplaying reasons... it is really NOT a competative theme;
Marignion standard - oh, how I love to cleanse the world of infidels
and Ermor AE- oh, how I love to cleanse the world, period.


I have no style... other thean that I like to constantly try something new (which keeps me from being very good with one nation, but what the heck)

Re: Your favorite nations / themes -- and why! please participate!
 

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">Heh - if you like hardhitting, powerful, braindead troops, you should try an Einheriar-heavy Vanheim at least once. I'm confident you won't be displeased. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon12.gif

Re: Your favorite nations / themes -- and why! please participate!
 

I love Neifelheim. jarls with wraith swords are wrecking crews,you get worthwhile PD and good access to blood - whats not to love. I am also enjoying R'leh but new to it, something very amusing about playing awful squid things from space

Frosted Flake

Re: Your favorite nations / themes -- and why! please participate!
 

Wow.. Where to start..
I love Ermor, Ashen empire only.
I love man, who needs themes?
I can play Ctis as I like the dancers.
I love Mictlan.
Pangaie is fun, and I like the age of iron option (whatever they call it).
Arcosephale - I only like Golden Era. I love philosophers, fast research trail,mind burn,soul slay.
Jotunheim I like - cheap mages, and boy can they tear down forts.
Pythium is cool, although I don't much go for hydras.
Caelum raiding is...incredibly fun, although I generally cant stand the "nerve wracking, constantly moving" pace.
I love the Autumn & Spring of Tien.. An age of heros.


On the other hand:
Can't stand ULM, boring, weak
Marignon.. Might as well call them Iran to me - although I know its more a Teutonic theme.
Machkava. Spiders are for squishing, not playing with.
Vanheim. Worthy foes. Too expensive.
Ryleh is fun.. but I cant stand loosing priests to the void gate.
Atlantis is just boooooooring.
Abyssia... I know everyone likes em. Too expensive, slow for my style of play. Must admit.. watching troops becoming flaming marshmallows is fun..

Favorite subtlety:
With Death 9, as your troops and leaders die, they become souless. Accumulate enough of them for your own "free" amphibious force. Good enough to take that first water hex....


Best

Re: Your favorite nations / themes -- and why! please participate!
 

hey thanks so much for participating so far -- interesting. Very few nations as to this posting with zero votes at all....

Re: Your favorite nations / themes -- and why! please participate!
 

Just out of curiousity, what is wrong with Caelum Return of the Raptors? They get good access to both Air and Death magic, two very strong schools, and the mages seem reasonably priced. It looks as though they could do quite well.

Re: Your favorite nations / themes -- and why! please participate!
 

i didn't expect that abysia is the most liked race so far . i wonder why ermor has quite few votes http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif
i myself like abysia too and one of my votes was for abysia but that they are the most liked so far surprises me a bit http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif

Re: Your favorite nations / themes -- and why! please participate!
 

Overall Id say it looks great. No real "zeros", and the default themes are generally ahead of the sub-themes. I think thats how the developers wanted it. And its rather an amazing achievment.
I know of alot of games with only 3 or 5 choices that got it so messed up that a poll like this would end up with nearly 100% all agreeing on one.

Re: Your favorite nations / themes -- and why! please participate!
 

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">They have no randoms, their upper-class mage and only (lousy)priest is capitol-only, and their earth magic is low-level and not, by default, capable of reaching the level needed to actually forge boots/hammers. They also lose out on national cold immunity, as the Raptors are not cold-immune and are harmed by the cold-3 dominion.

Plus it's just a general pain in the *** to be unable to build any kind of national priest outside of the capitol, and your only priest is rather expensive and isn't actually a very GOOD priest, to boot - at least the Elder is mobile thanks to trapezing, though.

Re: Your favorite nations / themes -- and why! please participate!
 

I still experiment a lot but so far, I like Arco, Aby and Miasma the best.

I play Aby when I want a fast start via a blood nation (occasionally BF Ulm but mostly Aby). Small maps, blitzes, etc. Not a lot of micro, not a lot of re-scripting mages, etc. but still effective.

I play Miasma because I like the potential for tartarians and the Miasma effect helps me get to them and can otherwise be a nice MP tool. I also like Miasma because I think they are a bit of a challenge (compared to Aby and Arc, anyway), due to their, imo, abysmal national troops. Otoh, I love marshmasters. I probably play Miasma the most, of the three, since I feel like I haven't *quite* got my finger on them yet http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif

I play Arco (mostly default but sometimes GE) when I want to do well and have tons of time to script mages, complicated communions, teleports,, excessive artifacting, etc. I don't play them defensively but I think more long term with them (large or underpopulated maps).

I don't really dislike any nations except maybe dead Ermor(AE or SG), for reasons that would only spark a dead horse debate http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif

- Kel

Re: Your favorite nations / themes -- and why! please participate!
 

Meh. Why the big fuss about Ermor? Plenty of nations spank Ermor easily.

Re: Your favorite nations / themes -- and why! please participate!
 

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">Clearly some people are always looking for the dead horse. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon10.gif


As for the favorite race - I've recently fall in love with Vanheim, great nation that plays quite differently from the rest. Before that it was Abyssia (main theme), Jotuns(Niefel theme) and Pythium.

Re: Your favorite nations / themes -- and why! please participate!
 

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">Yes, well, let's not forget:

In Soviet Russia, dead horse beats you!

Re: Your favorite nations / themes -- and why! please participate!
 

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">Yes, I think this is very good.
No votes for CotS, which I find totally acceptable -- it is the 3rd theme, after all. None for BK, which does not surprise me -- I, however, am one of those people who draw "need for tweakage" conclusions from this.
Abysia's popularity surprises me too, although I voted for them myself -- and I would have asked "who voted for BoH??" (which I dislike) had Cohen not elaborated.
Of all the default themes, only Atlantis (which has no theme) seems hurting. Any feelings on this?
S&A got more votes than default -- hm.

I would also like to hear more from Arco players about why -- I have actually never finished or even got into an Arco game. Despite their having a very strong team and some of the best cost-effective mages in the game (mystics), I have found them to be just very unsexy, and never found them cool enough to "enjoy". Powerful, yes, but fun?

In this light, it is worthy to note that a very few number of people like their Favorites because of power -- rather more, because of fun; I would like to know what the Arco players think about this.

Anyhow, thanks much for all your feedback and participation!

I do hope that I can pull one conlcusion from this poll (not that it needed any corroboration...):

GREAT GAME, DEVELOPERS!!! NICE JOB!!!!

Re: Your favorite nations / themes -- and why! please participate!
 

Well, I voted default Tien Chi (means air or sky in Chinese, I forgot which.) and default Pangaea, since both are FUN FUN FUN.

Re: Your favorite nations / themes -- and why! please participate!
 

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">Probably because in a tossmatch between Atlantis and R'lyeh....rarely is there enough ocean space on a map for BOTH, R'lyeh usually wins the toss for what to play, for both thematic niftiness and ability. Once the next player sees R'lyeh is in the game, the oceans are then too crowded for both of them.

There's also the fact that Atlantis, by necessity, is pushed in the direction of clamhoarding, due to the limited number of effective behaviors one can engage in with primarily Water magic, and most of these aren't big gem-consumers, with the exceptions of clam hoarding, or Sea King hoarding, the latter of which necessitates a rather antagonistic behavior pattern which can be potentially counterproductive to long-term survival in MP.

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">This in spite of being a turmoil theme: The authorities I've spoken to still believe S&A is better than the standard theme. I tend to agree, as their mages are much better. The turmoil still bites, though.

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">Probably because the lack of consistency in the mages means that any mystic you hire will be a random crapshoot of magic paths, so you can't slap on a one-size-fits-all config. This turns Arco mage-management into a micromanagement hell that tends to push most people beyond their tolerance for pain.

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">ARCO IS SHINY! How can you resist the potential to be able to play with every single magic toy in the game, through your widely varied magic paths that give you just about anything, if you hire enough of them and summon the right ones? With only a little pretender aid, Arco has access to any magic in the game: IT IS SHINY! OOH! SHINY!

Re: Your favorite nations / themes -- and why! please participate!
 

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">atlantis is a bit boring yeah. but it is quite powerful though . in early game it has better underwater troops than ryhleh and so it can very likely defeat them .
then just stay underwater a long time and clamhoard and voila you're most likely very dangerous http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">i absolutely agree http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon10.gif

Re: Your favorite nations / themes -- and why! please participate!
 

Before anyone comments on clamhoard.. keep in mind that the devs have stated that the problem with some of the "fixes" suggested was that it hurt one of the main tactics available to Atlantis.

As for Arcos, I think it is alot of fun for those who like to play with magic. If you prefer to play slow expansion, heavy defense, research the hell out of every path... then Arcos is the fun choice.

I like Pan or Man or sometimes Vanheim because the strategy of stealth armies is vastly under-used.

I like Jotun default because people who first try it usually get it wrong, then drop it. They think of rampaging armies of giants which it cant support. But as slow defensive, it kicks tail. Its also a fun choice to take water cult and water magic god in games that have Banned the water nations.

Caelum is another that is often tried too soon. Its not a stomp-*** army. Its a strategic army. You have to play to its benefits and work around its defaults or it will seem "too weak". Hmmm I guess thats true of everything in Dominions huh? I LOVE THIS GAME.

Re: Your favorite nations / themes -- and why! please participate!
 

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">Of the nations I like to play, Arcos is unquestionably the most fun but also the most time intensive (in the end game anyway).

Arcos's overall flexibility is sexy.
Hypasists, as one of the few good MI, can really move so they are a little sexy.
Priestesses will take care of you and are uniquely sexy.
Astrologers have a great mind, that's always sexy. Mystics are all flexible and are amazingly sexy. (High level of randoms on any mage is sexy (I wanted to make a new nation whose primary mage was the Loremaster, just to have the randoms).
<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">If it's about balance, I don't think you can draw any conclusions from a poll about what people like to play. A lot of people like to play weaker nations as a challenge. The only real conclusion is the direct one, what people on the Boards like to play.

- Kel

Re: Your favorite nations / themes -- and why! please participate!
 

[quote]Originally posted by Kel:
</font><blockquote><font size="1" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">

Quote:

[qb] I do hope that I can pull one conlcusion from this poll (not that it needed any corroboration...):

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">If it's about balance, I don't think you can draw any conclusions from a poll about what people like to play. A lot of people like to play weaker nations as a challenge. The only real conclusion is the direct one, what people on the Boards like to play.

- Kel </font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">Firstly, thanks to all for all the Arco tips -- I will have to give them another run-through.
I hope I was clear enough in my poll itself and in my comments as well, too, to indicate that I dont think this is about balance. Need for tweakage, YES, but that is rare and only to spice up those nations that seem just plain bland (Tien BK, for example, in comparison with S&A) and hence less enticing to play.

Re: Your favorite nations / themes -- and why! please participate!
 

I choose Tien Chi default because i just simply love Imperial Troops and Imperial Consorts; Marignon Diabolical Faith because of Goetics (and its wide variety of spies and assassins), and Man's Tuatha because, well, i always play them as 3-luck/3-magic and i like that extreme, unusual combination - though there is no good reason i can't pick those scales with another nation, its a bit of roleplaying mixed in with the Tuatha seemeing to be closest to 'good guys' in Dom2 as you can get. It seems my preferences have something in common - infiltration, spies, unrest, and/or assassination http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif . I generally prefer attacking indirectly. Against the computer, 10 Consorts, 3 or so to each fort, will literally shut an empire down in a handful of turns, and cripple his economy. Spies tend to be uncovered somewhat more regularly - it takes a very large patrolling force to uncover +30 stealth units.

Imperial Troops are quite like Pythium's and Ermor's legions, in that they are moderately armed but highly skilled. Overall this is a better combination in practice than one extreme or the other - Ulm's troops have great armor but only average skills, terrible defense, and poor morale. Imperial Archers are well protected from counter-archer fire, which is rare for ranged.

Marignon's easy access to blood makes it easier to buff their assassins with contracts and weapons that any other although the Abysian Slayer is a better assassin overall, (and oddly ive never had any luck with Machakan Spider Warriors despite their high cost). Personally i think Marignon as a blood nation is just plain better than Mictlan because of the cost efficiency of Goetics and the fact Marignon's base troops don't suck. And eventually you can move to Succubi assassin builds.

With the Tuatha i don't find much to be excited about, but i seem to play them frequently. I generally find Man to be dull, but something about the Tuatha keeps me coming back for more.

I've been having more and more fun with R'yleh recently. I haven't really found a set of scales and magic paths that just fire me up, but for some reason Meteoric armor and hybrid troopers are just interesting enough to keep me coming back. The Traitor Prince and Illithid Lord are both very powerful thugs.

Re: Your favorite nations / themes -- and why! please participate!
 

Mood Nations.
The only reason I have multiple Favorites is because I have multiple moods. Some of these nations DEFINATELY fit certain moods that I might want to play. At least for solo games.

Re: Your favorite nations / themes -- and why! please participate!
 

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">Great point, and good concept.

I am a big SP fan as well, too (I am not good enough for competetive MP), and moods can take full reign there, yesindeed.

Re: Your favorite nations / themes -- and why! please participate!
 

Hey thanks so much -- 85 people have participated! (How many people visit these Boards regularly, do you think?)

I know too litle about statistics to draw any conclusions about the game from this anyhow, but it seems that there are very many reasons for choosing just about anything, and that the game does in fact offer many options for choosing a playing style that its players like.

The only conclusions I think I can draw from this is about the players (or the players who participated anyhow). And it seems to me that this poll shows a very large "fun" aspect of the game that goes way beyond other forms of motivation found in other games (e.g. the treadmill of RPGs or the pure fun of beating others in other strategy type games). Yey for Dom2!

Re: Your favorite nations / themes -- and why! please participate!
 

As i am a newbie who hasent even played any MP, i can only share my SP experiences. Before i start a game, i pick a completely random race with a couple dice. So i have played nearly all the races. For the poll, i picked the 5 i enjoy playing most. Probably my absolute favorite is pythium, because i enjoy watching my hydras destroy the AI's massed armies of crap. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon12.gif

Re: Your favorite nations / themes -- and why! please participate!
 

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">Do you prefer Serpent Cult Pythium with their blessable hydras, or do you prefer the regular Pythium?

Re: Your favorite nations / themes -- and why! please participate!
 

Another question here:

Although I didnt vote for them (I restricted myself to 3), I really like Van Helheim, for many reasons. I like Van Default quite a lot, but find Helheim even sexier. Sure, the dwarves are less variable -- but they are dark and nasty necromancers! And now the my top-notch mage becomes less of a bloodhunter and more of a... big scary necromancer! And I can still recruit those groovy dark vans... Ja, I like em!

So my question is: Why do I appear to be alone here? It is because Helheim isnt as competetive as Default Van? (or is it because you cant get those cute little pigs anymore?) Are Svartalvs really so much less sexy than Dwarves? Your honest opinion is appreciated!

[ July 15, 2004, 15:41: Message edited by: tinkthank ]

Re: Your favorite nations / themes -- and why! please participate!
 

Got 3 Favorites races.

The first one is C'tis - Miasma, Dominion strength 8, Combat Pretender: Green Dragon with 6 green magic. Heat:3, Luck:2, Magic:2. Dark citadel.

The secound is Man - No theme, Dominion strength 4, Magic Pretender: Druid on unicorn with 4 air magic, 4 nature magic, 2 water magic. Cold:1, Luck:2, Magic:2. Fortified City.

The third is Caelum - No theme. Dominion strength 4, Combat Pretender: Ice Dragon with 6 Astral magic and 6 water magic. Cold:3, luck:2, Magic:2.


best regards
Thilock

Re: Your favorite nations / themes -- and why! please participate!
 

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">I ticked helheim. I think my four selections were Arco base, and all three Vanheim themes. Hangadrotts are second only to Tuatha in the recruitable SC class... and they forge their own wraith swords. in addition to Soul Vortex, they can sit back and drain/raise with the best of them. Lack of a cheap random pick is their only real drawback. You gotta drop 400 gold to get a random-one, so it's really up to your pretender to forge any jade armor or whatever. Their research abilities are dubious, so finding sages is really important. Helheim + indy mages is a beatdown. If you don't find them, life can be rough.

Re: Your favorite nations / themes -- and why! please participate!
 

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">As a commited arco player, I hate this.

Re: Your favorite nations / themes -- and why! please participate!
 

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">Just curious, why dom 4 here? Such a low dominion scares me in general, although I can imagine it working ok for pan or man -- but for caelum, who needs all that cold, isnt that a bit low?</font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">It works fine with me http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif ...I know it looks a bit weird but with dom 4 I'm trying to keep out of distance with the AI and break the silence when I'm ready. I mainly play against the AI and only tried MP 2 times(not with this one). So I don't know how it works in MP. The cold havn't been a problem so far, but sure it still need some adjustments http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon12.gif .


<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">Yea, but the only problem is that another path cost 80 which is much to start another path up and when the dragon is in dragon form it half it's magic paths. Sure I could choose another Pretender like 'Nataraja' (which would fit more nicely) but I have a thing when it comes to dragons http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon10.gif . (perhaps illwinter should make an air dragon with lightning firing?). Also you'll get a quick start An Ice dragon with Quickness can do some several damage on the opponents. Or change tatics if needed like change back into human form and use it as mage to do damage over distances.(Some good water magic out there IMO)

Though I've tried with another ice dragon with air magic,water magic and astral magic to get the ultimate killer machine one which gets rarly hit.(Image mirror, quickness, luck, twisted fate etc.)


best regards
Thilock

[ July 17, 2004, 14:01: Message edited by: Thilock_Dominus ]

Re: Your favorite nations / themes -- and why! please participate!
 

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">And there's more!

Elephants are sexy! How can you not like big gray elephants going trumpety-trumpety squish squish squish?

Arco just has so many toys, it's fab. And the inner Powergamer in me doesn't rebel while I'm playing with the toys, because Arco is powerful and competitive in MP too.

Mark

Re: Your favorite nations / themes -- and why! please participate!
 

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">I'm rather fond of Helheim myself. With the Hangadrott I don't need to take death magic on my pretender, making the Allfather a little less compelling and letting me try other pretenders. As someone else mentioned, the Hangadrott's are 2nd only to Tuatha when it comes to recruitable commanders.

In addition, I find Helheim has less of a problem getting decent magic research going than the other themes, which is a big help. The Svartalfs don't have a random, but can forge a lot of good things - earth boots, dwarven hammers, wraith swords, etc.

Re: Your favorite nations / themes -- and why! please participate!
 

Why do people think of various Vanir and Tuatha commanders when they hear someone say 'recruitable super combatant'? I think non-commander Niefel Giants are scary enough with a decent blessing, and 500 pieces of gold for a Niefel Jarl aren't that much more than the 400 needed for a Hangadrott... Niefel Jarls can also cast Quickness on their own, and have a foot slot.

Re: Your favorite nations / themes -- and why! please participate!
 

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">Forgot the Niefel Jarls - they're certainly up there too. One reason I consider the Tuatha to be the best, better than the Niefel, is the innate recuperation. Crippled Niefel Jarls and Van-lords aren't nearly as useful as a healthy Tuatha.

Re: Your favorite nations / themes -- and why! please participate!
 

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">Just curious, why dom 4 here? Such a low dominion scares me in general, although I can imagine it working ok for pan or man -- but for caelum, who needs all that cold, isnt that a bit low? Why the ice dragon with so much water? Thems a lot of points in water for a nation that is bound to get water-3 very soon. (All those points could go to Order, or dominion, or a different magic path, or anything really.) Just curious as to your feelings!!

Re: Your favorite nations / themes -- and why! please participate!
 

ooh - a vote for Tien BK! can you elaborate and say why?

Re: Your favorite nations / themes -- and why! please participate!
 

Well these are some of my views in short:

I love
MACHAKA, because
- they have assassins and spies!! Only Marignon has that adaik
- they dont really lack in any troop: they have great cavalry, albeit VERY expensive, and decent footsoldiers, and archers (although the worst in the game)
- they have most excellent mages!
- forest survival!
Too bad they also have
- all the neato troops are capital only! Argh!
- neither air nor astral -- argh!
- crap-o PD

TIEN CHI S&A because
- flying CMs are one of the best mages in the game
- MoD are great researchers and decent, cheap necros, with SUPER starting spell for them
- good summons
- decent archers!
- great heros
- nice summons as starting spells!
Too bad they also have
- turmoil!

MARIGNON because
- they have assassins AND spies!! whoo hoo! Only Machaka has these too
- they have scary good cavalry
- which are also part of the very good sacred troops
- inquisitors!!
- great crossbowmen!
- decent footsoldiers!
too bad they also have
- no real magical flexibility
- their best units are very expensive and capital-only

CAELUM because
- i love archers!
- cheapo troops!
- GREAT sneaky flying priests, for cheap too!
- great cheap mages!
- super mobility!
- magical weapons!
- almost nothing worth mentioning is capital-only! you can build the best everywhere!
- with cold 3, you can afford high dominion and other scales
too bad they also have
- no exciting sacred unit
- no easily accessible footsoldiers (very high resources)
- no real magical flexibility

I like so much more, too, but these are my reasons. I thus checked the "cool" box for "why", although I suppose that is sort of broad and pretty lame.
I LOVE the stealthy nations too, I just stink at them (I always lose with Pan). I think Man and Van are great too, I just dont have quite as much fun with them, I dont know why.

Re: Your favorite nations / themes -- and why! please participate!
 

Damn, did I do something wrong? I wanted to look at these older polls, but I cant see the poll information, just the Posts. Any tips? Thanks much