Previews from WorthPlaying and Bovine
 

OK, what can we learn from these new previews.
WorthPlaying preview : mostly things we knew, but good screenshots
the Bovine Conspiracy preview : In my opinion not great writing and rather fanboyish, but some nice info

• from the WorthPlaying screenshots, we can see Awakening and Load Pretender God on the new god creation menu window
• the Design Dominion window has nice new details showing the effects of your selection
• on the first screenshot in the second set, does it show that you can see the battle orders script as you create it? If so, thank you, nice to avoid the "I forget, did I cast Body Etherial or Resist Magic already in this script? Drat, *cancel*, *start over*, ..."
• the Bovine suggests you can get used to Kim Chi (I'm not convinced)
• the main menu has "Game Tools" (leading probably to Create a New God, the Map Editor, and I guess the new Random Map tool ?)
• the screenshot with Physical Forms shows some really nice detail in the new pretender graphics
• you can get a T'ien Ch'i leader named "Fu-xing"? Beavis will love it.
• Derrick at Bovine says "Also nice is that you now have the option to create multiple pretenders for each race, instead of getting limited to one per race." Yay, yay, yay.
• also from Derrick, some fort info we wanted "you no longer get to choose your fortress. ... the specific type is now limited to the map and territory you build it in." And the nation according to info elsewhere.
• the Awakening screenshot shows the options and design points, but not the times. Anyone want to take a guess? Dormant = 1 year for 150 points and Imprisoned = 2 years for 300 points?
• "it'll actually tell you what bonuses you get with various magic and dominion levels" -- does that refer to bless effects, or pretender/prophet dominion effects or both?
• Warrior of the Five Elements look nifty
• no new diplomatic or alliance options? :-(

Some of the new graphics we have seen from before seem very 2-dimensional to me. I think my impression is probably from the shading and shadows, since the level of detail seems good. For example, the angelic figure leading the Arco hoplites in the "pillar of fire" screenshot, the chilled giant Ermorian? attacking in the midst of the Jotunheim giants in the "burning" screenshot on WorthPlaying, and the ape archers in the "bandar" shot. Lack of contrast in the color/intensity maybe?

Also, has nobody asked why all the new menu windows have 2 little images of Gandalf in the top corners ? Well ?

Sill

Re: Previews from WorthPlaying and Bovine
 

According to the description below, Imprisoned is three years ±0.5years
EDIT: Also, it obviously isn't the same gandalf. The one on the corners isn't wearing any glasses!

Re: Previews from WorthPlaying and Bovine
 

Of course he isn't wearing any glasses! That's Gandalf, the Lord of Winds, the Scourge of Heavens, Friends with the Bombardment Squadron, the White, and his power over Air gives him increased precision! http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/image...ies/tongue.gif

Re: Previews from WorthPlaying and Bovine
 

Hehe. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/smirk.gif

Re: Previews from WorthPlaying and Bovine
 

Oh, look, it does. That's what I get for browsing with a little 1024x768 window, didn't even see it.

+300 points for 30-42 turns of no pretender. That can allow quite powerful scales and multi-bless too, if you want to leave ol' tentacle-face locked up dreaming for a while.

Sill

Re: Previews from WorthPlaying and Bovine
 

the "wait for a god" thing is definately a nice tactical add. On a small map you would basically be giving up your god for the whole game in order to have more powerful scales.

On a large map you might create a powerful bless god which isnt that much needed anyway until you have had time to take local provinces to get enough gold/resources to build up a decent blessable army. (plus it can protect my god from my own tendencies to waste them on independents early in the game).

As to that being me.. LOL http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

Gandalf Parker

Re: Previews from WorthPlaying and Bovine
 

I wonder what Dormant means? Can't use him for 2 years?

Re: Previews from WorthPlaying and Bovine
 

Dormant is one year give or take a couple of months.

Re: Previews from WorthPlaying and Bovine
 

In my unending quest for more Dom3 info here is another question: how many different types of forts are there? Do they equate to the ones in Dom2? Do they have different attributes we haven't seen before? Tell me about forts!

Re: Previews from WorthPlaying and Bovine
 

Oh, my holy deity! That's the spitting image! Gandalf, stop spitting.

Re: Previews from WorthPlaying and Bovine
 

I agree totally, we can play around with different "starting strategies". This is definitely a great addition. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/cool.gif

Re: Previews from WorthPlaying and Bovine
 

I am afraid the imprisonment might be unbalancing.
300 extra points might allow for four level 9 bless, this will make blessable units and commanders ridiculously powerful from day one and w/o need to research, who needs the pretender anyway with such a powerful army.

Re: Previews from WorthPlaying and Bovine
 

Hm I dont know, a powerful SC pretender is awesome especially in the early game..however 4xl9 blessings will be hardcore for sure also...we shall see this -balance wise- when the game is out.

Re: Previews from WorthPlaying and Bovine
 

Quadruple bless strategy? I doubt it.
1) 500 Design Points are barely enough for Dual Bless, 800 is only 60% more Design Points, so how is that enough for a quadruple bless?
2) Even if you can squeeze in a quadruple bless, it would take really really bad scales (even worse than Dom2 Dual Bless), which would be a weakness (especially since Turmoil and Sloth will severely hinder your ability to produce holy units)
3) It would take certain units to pull off successfully, the only thing I can imagine for a quadruple bless (assuming blesses don't change) is W9F9N9E9, which would mean you have to have a high HP unit, preferably with elemental resistances and high encumberance.
4) It would still eventually be weaker than summoned troops, mages and SCs (especially combinations of those).

So I don't think quadruple blessing is going to be a problem.

Though obviously this is just guesswork, as I don't have the game and don't know how things are going to be like.

Re: Previews from WorthPlaying and Bovine
 

I suppose that it might allow stuff like 9 W 9 F + moderate scales or 9 W + 9 F + 4 E

Re: Previews from WorthPlaying and Bovine
 

Even in Dom2 I was able to get all 4 lvl blesses plus a couple of 9's if I was willing to take damaging scales (and plan on always fighting ahead of my dominion)

Re: Previews from WorthPlaying and Bovine
 

I have seen in MP games examples of ppl taking trashy scales to allow for three level 9 blessings, it is a viable strategy.
Such blessable armies are hard to stop, especially in the early to mid game. I shudder to think of facing four lvl 9 bless armies early on in the game.

But I'm sure will find if that's true or not soon enough http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

Re: Previews from WorthPlaying and Bovine
 

You used that with Mictlan, IIRC, keeping the damaging scales in some province you won't use anyway, and somewhat negating your enemies' dominion with some blood sacrificing? Or was that some Arco Golden Era tactic with Skeptics?

Re: Previews from WorthPlaying and Bovine
 

I guess I have been assuming that the starting design points will not be the same as Dom2, or else the costs for scales and magic increase. Since you don't spend any points on a castle anymore, and can add points by awakening, if the starting points aren't reduced that would be a power increase.

Sill

Re: Previews from WorthPlaying and Bovine
 

Allt är relativt.

As the same option is available to all nations, they can all get the extra points... yet, thanks to the economics in Dom2 it is possible to royally screw the lives of one's worshippers by taking death-sloth-misfortune-order scales and pump up the pretender with only a small effect on the well-being of the nation. If the economics have been changed (and from what's been written here I assume they have) the min-maxing of the scales might not be as viable option as before. Then taking the slumbering pretender may be one of the few options for real beefcake.

Lots of ifs and mights. Anyway, I'd like it should the above become even somewhat true...

Re: Previews from WorthPlaying and Bovine
 

Duh, there's probably some reduction there.
800!!! http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/eek.gif