calling all players is in motion...
 

team 1
me
shovah
Revernd Z

team 2
endoperez nation unkown
folket
curious cat


NW middle earth
50%
rich
standard research

Re: calling all players
 

so far we have
team1:
1. me-man
2. no one
3. no one

team2:
1. no one
2. no one
3. no one

nuetral:
1. endorperez-any
2. no one/comp
3. no one/comp

Re: calling all players
 

What are the game settings and how are you playing it and how often?

Regards,
Goblin.

Re: calling all players
 

orania,
5 indy
55%
stadard research
rich
we would play on mon wed fri sat
it would be PBEM

Re: calling all players
 

I will be playing, and probably hosting, if we get enough players. Inter-team relationships could be discussed in any way the participants will, but no contact or trade with the opposing teams will be allowed, with exception of in-game messages visible to everyone.


I have given some thought to the idea of having the teams start in predefined provinces. They would probably start in a line, with about 5 provinces between the one in the middle and the ones in its sides. The other team would start in similar position, away to a direction in straight angle with the line. Both teams would generally know where the other starts, but not the exact province numbers.

Here is a crude ASCII wrap-around map:
<font class="small">Code:</font><hr /><pre>
N1 N2


1 4 1

2 5 2

3 6 3


N3 N4
</pre><hr />

Team 1 constists of 1, 2 and 3, Team 2 consists of 4,5,6 and N1-N4 are starting places for neutrals. The teams will probably advance to both directions, with some nations going 'east' and others 'west'. The neutral nations would be a distraction and would complicate things quite a bit. If nation 1 managed to defeat most of nation 3, neutral nations could interfere and try to catch lands of both weakened nations. Of course, if a neutral nation advances too far, it would find itself next to the armies of both middle nations (2 and 5).

Of course, while armies can't easily co-operate, the teams would help each other as much as possible, making it hard for neutral nations to actually win.

What do you think of this idea? I would like to hear your opinions, and how you think it would work better. Should distances in both 'east' and 'west' be equal? If not, should the teams now which is the direction to take offensive against? If there were, say, 25 provinces between the two teams, the first fights could start little after turn 20. Would this be too soon, or too late? Is this idea workable, or just total junk only someone without MP experience could come up with?

Re: calling all players
 

wicked I love love it! sign me up for man!

Re: calling all players
 

Re: calling all players
 

note: my comment was real not sarcastic

Re: calling all players
 

i will join as ermor but ive never played onlineb4 so....

Re: calling all players
 

Are you goning to play Broken Empire, or one of the undead themes? If you play an undead themes, I don't think anyone wants to start within 5 provinces of you, so it would force you to be one of the neutrals...

Re: calling all players
 

good point, didnt think of that. well i guess i will be broken ermor(unless no1 joins up for a while so i can think of something else

Re: calling all players
 

The rectuit is going quite slowly, so it seems you have that time... Of course, you could try to team up with Carrion Woods, and possibly Miasma or Desert Tombs C'tis. Both need gold, but the agressive dominion output could be quite a weapon, even though they would have to put lots of money into early priests and temples.

Re: calling all players
 

I would just like to add something,
as endorperez is hosting AND runnig this I just want to say thank you and would back stabbing be allowed

Re: calling all players
 

Well, the teams that have been set in the beginning would work together, and would win or lose together. Messages to teams outside your own team (neutrals) would be allowed via Dom's own message system in any case, I'm not sure about e-mail... yes, probably. If you had made a Non-Aggression Pact (NAP) with a neutral player, you should give him a notice (in-game) so that he knows that you will attack one turn before your forces first venture into his area.

Re: calling all players
 

but if you gave him notice he would have time to reinforce major tactical pints of large gem buliders or something like that

Re: calling all players
 

that would rock so much, imagince attacking that,(best thing is i love all 3 things)

Re: calling all players
 

yeah it would just imagine...

Re: calling all players
 

would be intresting to play neutral, any team is fine with me.

Re: calling all players
 

okay so we have
team1
1. me man
2.
3.
team2
1.
2.
3.
neutral
1.endorperez any
2.folket any
3.
4.

Re: calling all players
 

One turn (with the battles being resolved in the beginning of the next turn) wouldn't be enough to move major forces, or teleport more than a handful of mages. Also, some artillery spells could do major damage.

However, it would be enough to put all your gem-producing items into your laboratory... http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/frown.gif I had forgotten about those, as I don't use that particular strategy much. It would still slow down that player considerably, and probably set him back as there can only be so many items in the lab at the same time.

This would would still give a little boost to clammers, especially as with these settings (lots of provinces when compared to players) clamming might be reasonable choice. However, if played correctly it wouldn't necessarily break any player-player relationships, and other, more lasting alliances could be formed in later games. Without any rule against breaking pacts at all, one strategical necessity could mark you as a treatorous swine for that player for the rest of your life as a Dominions player.

Re: calling all players
 

With just three players, and almost a week without new attendants, it seems the game won't go on as the original plan was. If someone else comes in, the game can be done as 2vs2, or if no-one does and all three of us still want to play, we can add computer allies that won't attack unless provoked (attacked first).

Either way, Orania would be too big a map.

Re: calling all players
 

I'm sorry but I might leave this game. But I have a replacement for you.

Re: calling all players
 

kk thats fine but please hurry we need players fast

Re: calling all players
 

Are you guys still trying to get players for a new game? If so, what is the expected skill level?

Re: calling all players
 

well my and naresh r both new so...

Re: calling all players
 

My friend have some problem showing up here but I kick his but a little.

But if you are starting a game now I'm sure he will want to play Pangea.

Re: calling all players
 

normal pangea or carrion because carrion ppl might not wana start near him

Re: calling all players
 

I'm pretty new as well. I got kicked around pretty good in a MP a while back. I do want to play. I'm not sure what race. So do I interpret it correctly that we've got 5 people so far? Are we playing teams? If so, would that be 2 v 2 v 1?

Re: calling all players
 

Ok, Naresh, I would like to play if you could do me a little favour:

a) shorten your sig.
Especially short posts of yours are 75% sig and ugly to read therefore

b) choose a map with 15...20 provinces per player
(with 1 start prov, o.c.), otherwise the game will get out of hand micromanaging-wise very quickly

c) game settings
"5 indy, 55% sites, standard research, rich" - No, you don't want do that, especially with 31 provinces/player as originally planned: Way to much gems, way to much research, way too much production before players even meet. Basically it's a game that happens only in late Mid- and Endgame. Before that, it's tedious province gathering and MMing everything in place, but nothing more.

With 30prov/player "&lt;40%sites, very difficult research, ,normal" would work much better. Lower indies make for faster expansion (and earlier meeting of players), but indies 9 gives more interesting indies ...

With 15prov/player I would suggest "&lt;50%sites, normal research (or difficult), normal". Indies see above

d) Think about using mods.
There are some glaring imbalances in the standard game with spells, summons and pretenders. So I would opt for "conceptual complete 4" ...

Re: calling all players
 

teams are:
1.me-man
2.anyone who wants to

1.anyone
2.anyone

1.anyone
2.anyone

people who are playing please write in to say what team you would like to be on thank you!

Re: calling all players
 

Do people want to have spesific teams? If not, random teams might work.
I don't know if either shovah or CuriousCat is the Pangaea-playing friend Folket mentioned, but depending on that, we have 4 or 5 players (including Naresh and me).

I would like to go for the settings Arralen suggested. They are closer to the ones I play with in single-player, and I had my doubts about the speed of game with that many provinces even before...

Using Conceptual Balance mods changes so many things that those of us not yet comfortable with it would be experimenting even in-game. Other than that, I agree with you. In addition, we could use my Improved Ulm Graphics with the Conceptual mods even if Arralen's Black Steel is incompatible.

Re: calling all players
 

Neither of them is my friend. I'm pretty sure he will be known as Evilhomer, or something closeby. I will try to kick him into action today.

My friend has not played the conceptual Balance mods but I'm sure he can set himself into it.

Re: calling all players
 

i would like to be on naresh's team if he dosnt mind:D

Re: calling all players
 

note: I do not want to use any mods apart from version 2.16 okay?
shovah
1. its Naresh
2. what team are you?

Re: calling all players
 

yea, i no what it is, just made mistake, and im fine with no mods

Re: calling all players
 

kk what team are you in???

Re: calling all players
 

I vote for the balance mods.

I definitely think we should try a smaller map with so few players.

I have no preference on the other settings.

That being said, I'm willing to play regardless of any of the above.

Re: calling all players
 

Ok, if we are set for a map with 12..15 prov/player and not too much richness and sites, I don't really care about mods.

Make me a neutral player.
Don't have the time to do that extensive com that is needed in a team. Better put newbies in a team.

A

Re: calling all players
 

I am not allowed to download anything so we will play with these settings:
1. 45% magical sites
2. indy strength 6
3. magic resaerch standard
4. orania map
5. rich

Re: calling all players
 

This does not make any sense to me.

ok, I'm out.

A.

Re: calling all players
 

lots of folks think the basic game is unbalanced.

Re: calling all players
 

Actually, it's quite playable in "basic form" and far from "unbalanced" ... just some effects which expert players could exploit.

Starting with 30 prov/player is much worse: the micromanaging nightmare kills the game before turn 40.

But it looks like every noobie has make the same error - starting games which get too tedious to play them to the end.

Re: calling all players
 

Arralen, I realized that pretty quickly when I started too. I started games in SP on the big map, but I didn't like using a lot of opponents, so I'd only have 6 or 7. Those games I never finished, I hardly ever got past turn 40 or so (to much micromgmt and I barely saw an enemy AI).

Then I switched to games on small maps with the max nbr of recommended players, and it was much more intense, and I was prone to finish those games, or at least gave up after 100 or so turns without winning.

Now I play MP only (or SP for testing pretender designs).

Re: calling all players
 

Seems like my friend is out, I may play 2v2 but I will not play four players on Orania.

Re: calling all players
 

it will be 2v2v2 okay?
team1
1.high priest naresh
2.shovah

team2
1.edoperez?
2.???

team3
1.???
2.???

Re: calling all players
 

I think he meant if we were to play 2v2, he would be interested, but only if the map was something small enough for 2v2.

Re: calling all players
 

I was just saying...
endo what team are you on?
and who would you like to go with?

Re: calling all players
 

t1
1.me
2.shovah

t2
1.endoperez
2.dunno

t3
1.dunno
2.dunno

Re: calling all players
 

Depends on who is playing. If we were to change it to 2vs2 on a smaller map, Folket would be in and we could start the game. In that case, I would be with Folket.

I'm not sure if CuriousCat is still in. If he is, I could be with him, or a neutral. We would need a sixth player for 2vs2vs2, and it seems Folket would prefer a smaller game.

Re: calling all players
 

If we can agree on a smaller map (15prov/player) and normal richness, I would play, too.

Btw, Naresh, if you 'are not allowed' to download anything - how did you get DOM2 to the latest patch version ?