The Winnowing - DaMilano wins!!
 

New to dominions? Want to play an MP game but worried about getting slaughtered by bloodthirsty veterans? Well, here is your chance! This game is being hosted in response to the desires of new players to get some experience against players of the same skill level. It will be a pretty basic game so that players have the ability to make mistakes and experiment. So noobs, come one, come all and try your hand at dom2 MP. See if you are skilled and daring enough to survive The Winnowing!!

House Rules
1) Only new or newer players allowed (no hardcore veterans)
2) No water nations unless BOTH water nations are selected
3) No population-killing dominion themes (Ermor AE/SG, Pan CW)

Server
IP: 67.190.105.206
Port: 2002

Map
Inland formerly Aran

Mods
Conceptual Balance 5.2 (download here)

Settings
Starting Provs: 1
Indies Strength: 6
Site Frequency: 65
World Richness: rich
Random Events: common
Score Graphs: enabled
Hall of Fame: 15
Research: normal

Players - 15/15
Abysia - Nihilistic
Pythium - Castigated
Man - The Watcher
Ulm - Zywadugu
Ctis - Shovah
Arco - Shmonk
Caelum - Peackeeper
Ermor - Bluebird
Marignon - Nah27
Pangea - Folket
Vanhiem - OG_Gleep
Jotunhiem - Tom_Scudder
Mict - Oversway
Tien Chi - WishForBloodSlaves
Machaka - DaMilano

Re: The Winnowing (Noob Game) - open
 

Since this game is for newer players and it might be your first time using a mod, I will give some instructions. Before you go about designing your pretender, you must install the CB 5.2 mod. To do this, first download the zipped mod file from the link I've given above. Then, unzip the files into your dom2/mods directory. Once you have done that, run dom2 and go under Preferences->Mod Preferences and select Conceptual Balance 5.2. When this is complete, you will be ready to make your pretender.

Re: The Winnowing (Noob Game) - open
 

What map are we playing? Or will you decide that later?

In order of preference, I'd like 1 - Jotunheim 2 - Machaka 3 - Marignon, but I'd be willing to play pretty much anyone but Mictian or Atlantis.

Re: The Winnowing (Noob Game) - open
 

The map is Aran, which I think came with the game.

Re: The Winnowing (Noob Game) - open
 

Yep, it is Aran, as I listed in the initial post. It is not the best map but it does come with the game. I played my first games on it so I figure it will work well for you guys.

Re: The Winnowing (Noob Game) - open
 

i am definitely in. shotgun pythium.

Re: The Winnowing (Noob Game) - open
 

Hey, everyone. I've been lurking on this forum for awhile. I'm in for the game!

I'd guess I'll give Man a try! Bards for the win, hopefully!

Re: The Winnowing (Noob Game) - open
 

I would like to join with Machaka. I do not know if I am a new player. I have played MP games three times.

If only one person wants to play a water nation I could play the other.

Re: The Winnowing (Noob Game) - open
 

Both the Watcher and I are about that, so welcome aboard, i say!

also, how are we running this?...24 hour quick host?

i am also all for allowing master password, and having you and/or QM (or anyone else who's bored, and not playing) look at what we're doing, and criticize http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

Re: The Winnowing (Noob Game) - open
 

Sounds very intresting to have people watching our moves. I would prefer TCP/IP with 24 hour QH.

I also think I have changed my mind, I would like to play Pangea now.

Re: The Winnowing (Noob Game) - open
 

I am a newbie and I would really like to participate. Thanks to Ironhawk for this opportunity. So, sign me up for Abysia and watch me botch my pretender's creation.

On another issue, I really hope that there would be at least some aspects of cooperation and diplomacy since so far I have only played single-player and I want some experience on that.

Re: The Winnowing (Noob Game) - open
 

sign me up for ctis, ive been experimenting with them.

Re: The Winnowing (Noob Game) - open
 

Hello everyone, I've been playing this excellent game single player for a couple of months, and I would like to try getting beat by someone else than the AI.. It seems Machaka are still available, so if noone objects, I'll take that nation.

Re: The Winnowing (Noob Game) - open
 

rich world indies 6 65% sites, im loving it already http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/laugh.gif im still a noob but probably slightly more experienced than some, so if any-one has any questions/needs any help then pm me or add matthewbird32@hotmail.co.uk on msn

Re: The Winnowing (Noob Game) - open
 

id like to play. ive got 3mp games under my belt and a few sp ones too.

how bout ill take ryleh and you atlantis folket?(ill understand having to change to a land race if the situation/map calls for it)

Re: The Winnowing (Noob Game) - open
 

just be careful, 11 water provinces with 2 water nations could get messy (this will be fun)

Re: The Winnowing (Noob Game) - open
 

At least when I play Rl'yeh, I usually end up doing most of my expanding on land, because my squids are too chicken to go play with the tritons.

Re: The Winnowing (Noob Game) - open
 

I'll take Tien Chi. I think I'm still considered one of the noobs, right?

Re: The Winnowing (Noob Game) - open
 

it is important to take al ittle nature as rlyeh - so you can make anti poison gear http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/image...ies/tongue.gif

(or choose a pretender immune to poison)

Re: The Winnowing (Noob Game) - open
 

Ah. I usually take nature so I could get gift of health and have my 15-skill summoners get their brains back in order. (As well as gift-of-reason for the odd Vastness that pops up, and living castle just because.) One of my weaknesses as a player is I don't really use gear or rituals much in the early game.

Re: The Winnowing (Noob Game) - open
 

This is a great idea! Glad to see new Shrapnel accounts. I'm pretty new at MP, but I'll let this one go unless you have a hard time getting full 17. I still haven't played all the nations yet, so I don't mind anything new (not Jotunheim)

Re: The Winnowing (Noob Game) - open
 

I've been convinced... I'll play as Ermor.

Re: The Winnowing (Noob Game) - open
 

There will be a master password for this game as it is my policy to use one for all games I host. If you like I will share the password with QM or one or two other veteran players so that we can check your turns at your request.

Another small note on the topic of passwords. I want everyone to password thier pretenders. Doesnt matter if its just two letters or something. Just put a password on for your pretender own sake, ok?

This game will be TCP/IP and run 24hr QuickHost (QH).

Diplomacy is critical to any dom2 MP game. Without it, when you are the largest player, every will immediately turn against you. Be in constant contact with your neighbors, trading items, gems and intel. Forge NAPs and alliances as you see fit. Be very careful of breaking agreements tho as your reputation will impact people's desire to do business with you in the future.

Lastly, as for getting advice if you need it: while shovah does have some technical knowledge, it would be better to seek advice from the very highly experienced players like QM, arch, boron, and myself. This can best be done via IRC at irc.gamesurge.net in channel #dominions. And of course you can just post to the forum.

Re: The Winnowing (Noob Game) - open
 

Oops! Sorry mork - I forgot to mention that I will be banning pop-killing dominion themes from this game. We discussed it in IRC for a bit and decided that the experience noobs might gain fighting thru a pop-dead dominion would be outweighed by the sheer frustration of it.

So, no pop-killing themes please.

Note the new house rule...

Re: The Winnowing (Noob Game) - open
 

ill play caelum, screw rlyeh

Re: The Winnowing (Noob Game) - open
 

Hrm my first game in MP...don't know what I should take out of whats left. Any suggestions? If anything I can always take Ulm...only race I've played more than 10 turns with.

Re: The Winnowing (Noob Game) - open
 

Ulm is traditionally weak, but they're winning (by a long shot) 2 of the 3 big games I'm in now. Go figure.

Re: The Winnowing (Noob Game) - open
 

you can't go by the Artifacts game - that had special reasons for ulm's success.

ulm is very weak. I'd recommend against them. try vanheim if they haven't been taken, and either go for a bless strat, or hvy inf followed later by your wonderful dwarves casting blade wind

Not as newbly as anticipated
 

Actually, I'm going to drop out, everyone. I'm not good enough to play with Peacekeeper: the three multiplayers we've played together, it's been pretty clear he's way above me in terms of skill and strategy. I'll open another slot for a better player. I don't even really have a good enough grip on the game to play multiplayer yet, anyway.

Thanks for hosting, by the way, Ironhawk. I'll be following the game for sure, just to see what happens! Good luck to everyone!

Re: Not as newbly as anticipated
 

use it for a learning experience, in a large MP game theres a pretty good chance you won't even start next to him

I feel the same way when I play QM, but i have gained alot of skill from it.

Re: The Winnowing (Noob Game) - open
 

Not to mention that Ulm having an early lead in that game doesn't necessarily mean much - it's mid to late game that Ulm really starts to suffer in.

Re: The Winnowing
 

I'd also like to sign up, playing marignon, so far only one badly played mp game under my belt.

Re: The Winnowing (Noob Game) - open
 

Not when they have access to tons of indy mages...

Re: The Winnowing
 

With 11 or 12 in the game already (depending on whether TheWatcher plays) I'd say we might want to move to a slightly bigger map - The Desert Eye, maybe. Or Inland. (Going just with the maps that came with the game).

Re: The Winnowing
 

Ya right now I have acess to a buttload of indy mages and am doing quite well. But I'll take Valhiem.


Edit: Why do they suffer mid to late game? If you take a fairly competent rainbow mage, and even access to one or two different indy mages, you can summon where you are missing..and once you do most paths have access to summoned mages. Once your pretender has summoned the first one, they can start summoning in additonal mages for that path. And as ulm you can pretty much forge everything in the game with the right pretender, so you can increase +2-+3 in every path for every mage both indy and summoned.

Re: The Winnowing
 

Ok when do we start? once everyone has picked a race?

Re: The Winnowing
 

I think you'll do well with Vanheim. Just be sure to decide whether or not you want to go vans... they are freeking expensive and you want a good bless (fire, nature, or water)

Re: The Winnowing
 

I think that this is a valid point. What do people with more experience on the game think?

Re: The Winnowing
 

i would lean towards the desert eye because iirc it comes with the demo so hopefully is more well known

Re: The Winnowing
 

i think inland is a good map for that many players - just set up some victory conditions so that the late game doesn't get too hairy http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

I like desert eye, but it does have numerous bad starting positions... Inland its hard to go too far wrong.

Re: The Winnowing
 

true

Re: Not as newbly as anticipated
 

Watcher, I would recommend you not drop out. There is always going to be division in skill level, even in a newbie game. To back out because of it is to deny yourself a great chance at experience. You think Peace is really that good? Ok, then join the game and do the diplomacy to form an alliance against him. It is a skill you will very much need in coming MP games - because even when you are an experienced player, thats does not always mean you are the strongest. You have to know how to function when in both favorable and unfavorable conditions.

another \"experienced\" newbie
 

I've only been in 4 MP games, so if you don't mind and need to fill up the game, I'll join too. I'll take Ulm or Arco, or Man if Watcher decides to drop (which he shouldn't, the more the merrier). If you have enough, that's fine too, I can wait for the next one to start.

Re: another \"experienced\" newbie
 

Hrm I'm going to play them as a peace loving nation for my first game. Let me know when we are going to start.

Question on Diplomacy....is there some sort of ettiquite guide? Or some guideline on how we should act? Is it accepted that deals are set in stone? Or do you normally have to watch out for backstabbing? Basically what should someone new to the community expect?

Re: another \"experienced\" newbie
 

I dont think there is any ettique quide out there for diplomacy. Just get in touch with people however you can and make some deals. Many of the players in this game also spend time in IRC, which is an ideal place to talk and trade. As for whether to expect backstabbing: I've found the dom2 community to be relatively free of that. Occassionally deals will fall through or allegiances will change but even in those cases players usually give a token warning that the shift is immiment.

Game Status
 

Due to the number of players who have responded, I have decided to change the map from Aran to Inland. (I believe Inland also comes with the game? someone correct me if not). This will give each player a bit more room to expand, which I think will be very helpful for the newer players.

As for the game start: I will bring the server up for pretender upload sometime this Monday. Players will then have until Thursday at midnight to upload thier pretenders. If your pretender is not in by then, you will be out of luck. So start preparing now! http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

TheWatcher will play
 

I appreciate the encouragement. I'll play in the game, but I'll play as Ulm. That way Shmonk can play as Man.

I know Ulm is pretty untenable late-game, but it'll be fun stomping independants early on!

Re: TheWatcher will play
 

yay! i encourage you further!

Re: TheWatcher will play
 

Careful, too much encouragement and I might go crazy and take a Mountain Citadel.... hmm...

Oh, and if it's okay, a friend of mine wants to get in on this as Arcoscephale--he says he'll make an account tomorrow. Clearly, his race will have Sloth-3 http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/image...ies/tongue.gif

Re: TheWatcher will play
 

If you want Vanhiem I'll take Ulm. They are familiar to me so I'd actually do better probably. Up to you on that one bud.