Uropia (Dominons in "Europe")
 

This is my first go at mapping (well, the first time I've "finished" a map). I haven't done extensive play testing on this map yet, but am confident it's ready for a v0.9 release http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/smile.gif

This map vaguely resembles Northern and Mediterranean Europe, Western Asia, and North Africa, but everything is a mirror image and the details do not conform to true European geography. I was interested in the idea of having a map similar to that presented in "Medieval: Total War" where various kingdoms from the eleventh to fifteenth centuries vied for European dominance. With so many nations in Dominions that correspond to real historical states or at least the mythologies of certain regions in real history, this sort of map seemed natural.

Please check it out and play around with it. The "Europe" region of the map is LOADED with resources thanks to tons of forest, mountain, and border mountain terrain. "North Africa" is conversely quite barren and I had a good bit of trouble getting off the ground while playing as Abysia based near "Carthage". Let me know what you like and dislike (as well as what is broken or unbalanced) so I can make this map even better!

Zepath

Re: New Map: Uropia (Dominons in \"Europe\")
 

Very nice first map zepath. I like the way you handled docks and the shipping lanes. Will definitely give this map a try for my next game. Thank you for sharing it. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

Re: New Map: Uropia (Dominons in \"Europe\")
 

The map looks great. Nice work!

Will give it a try for my next game.

Re: New Map: Uropia (Dominons in \"Europe\")
 

Thanks for giving the map a go! Please pass along your experiences, good or bad.

I've done some play-testing and am progressing in a game as Early Ages Abysia against all the nations mentioned in the map's description. I've noticed Oceania (the lone sea nation in the current game) and Agartha (which benefits from a pretty awesome start point) are dominating. However, I've been able to destroy C'tis in "Egypt" and secure all of "North Africa" against serious invasions while throwing up a Second Sun and preparing to campaign against "Europe". Haven't found anything broken yet, but I'm still looking.

Re: New Map: Uropia (Dominons in \"Europe\")
 

Dom:PPP, or Dominions 1, had a Europe map. Abysia was in Sahara, C'tis in Egypt, but there were only 14 nations altogether. It'll be interesting to see how you've located the others. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

Re: New Map: Uropia (Dominons in \"Europe\")
 

Playing a ME Vanheim (Lich D9W6, Luck 2, Prod 1, Dom 7) game with about 10 of the hostiles, all on mighty.

I tried it once and let Jotun live too long. Got beaten up bad with the giant factory two provinces over.

Then I tried it and made a point of mercenarying Jotun into non-existence before turn 10.

Then I had two fortresses, which was nice. Now I have four. Ermor did me the favor of beating up on Ulm. But now they fall to the blurry priests on horseback. (BTW Vann's PD is extremely effective vs. Ermor attacks. Set it at 30, drop a few priests in and they keep throwing undead at it and losing 80-90 of'em a turn.)

No problems yet...I like the way you did the mountains.

Re: New Map: Uropia (Dominons in \"Europe\")
 

Ooops -- the Lich started imprisoned to get bless+decent scales, relied on death bless and mercenaries for early expansion.

Re: New Map: Uropia (Dominons in \"Europe\")
 

This is a great map. Played as Agartha. Built a small empire. Waited till Arco and Sauros went to war and then I attacked the Sauros. This shot me to the top of the world in the charts and I also conquered Arcos in the process. But now Ermor attacked and my armygroups are elsewhere...but once I get my warmachine back to order I'll beat them. Ermorian forces are invading my heartlands, but I think that massed Umbrals and Magma Children can beat them back. Especially the Umbrals.

Re: New Map: Uropia (Dominons in \"Europe\")
 

Endoperez, I had no idea such a map had been done before in the first title. I'm happy to have revived it! Seems like a given to have maps that resemble real geography.

Tichy, I tried to use sea lanes to give Niefel/Jotun/Utgard players a way around the close presence of Vanheim/Midgard through "Iceland" (which is terribly far off its real-world location). Obviously the AI prefers to bash the nearer opponent than seek new harbors.

Nerfix, I've noticed Agartha rising to the top of the heap in both the games I've played at length on this map.

Thanks for playing this map! Keep the comments coming when you think of them.

Re: New Map: Uropia (Dominons in \"Europe\")
 

Hehe, back in Dom: PPP I played hardly anything else than the Europe (Old World) map. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

Agartha has a nice starting position I think, but against a human player starting near Sauromatia, Mounted Terror of Early Age who shoots to top of charts in any game is propably somewhat disadvantageous. I also got some nasty indies to deal with, but that could have been random.

Re: New Map: Uropia (Dominons in \"Europe\")
 

I've continued playing Vann, but shortly after my last report the AIs pretty much collapsed. Ermor went abrupt dominion-kill while they still had about 20 provinces. None of the other AI's in the south jumped on the newly independent and undefended provinces. Arco had one province which I went hunting for because the jerk'd put up wrath of god. (Starting to get used to sneaky army strategies...) Agartha seems like it's going to be the only moderate challenge now.

I think the start points in the south need something to make up for the desert environment. It seems to be a killer.

Re: New Map: Uropia (Dominons in \"Europe\")
 

Nerfix, per the danger posed by Sauromatia's generous starting position... In the game I played as EA Abysia, both myself and Sauro converged in C'tis almost simultaneously. Afterwards it was a matter of keeping Sauro from taking what I had just earned in "Egypt" and controlling the waterway access from The Promised Lands. I was able to resist and eventually expel Sauro to "Asia Minor" despite Abysia's weak position. The superpower Agartha may have had something to do with it. I've had the most problems with Oceania.

Re: New Map: Uropia (Dominons in \"Europe\")
 

I started some game on the map and i find it very funny to play.

Maybe you should think about a second fixed Water Nation so oceania have some troubles on water in games with only nations with fixed startpoint.

Atlantis could be in the atlantic for example.

Re: New Map: Uropia (Dominons in \"Europe\")
 

calmon, thanks, I will probably add specific starting locales for Atlantis if I update this map and release a v1.1.

Re: New Map: Uropia (Dominons in \"Europe\")
 

This is a great map!

I agree that it would be good to add Atlantis to the mix!

Re: New Map: Uropia (Dominons in \"Europe\")
 

Very nice!

Re: New Map: Uropia (Dominons in \"Europe\")
 

Yeah. It's very easy to play on. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

Re: New Map: Uropia (Dominons in \"Europe\")
 

I try this map and I get a bad neighbor error

Re: New Map: Uropia (Dominons in \"Europe\")
 

thanks for the map

Re: New Map: Uropia (Dominons in \"Europe\")
 

Does anyone mind if I update the .map file for the nations available after this map was first released? I could also try and strengthen/weaken provinces around any nation starts that people find over- or underpowered.

The changes I have made so far:

Switching Agartha for Bogarus (more thematic).
Agartha now in southern Ukraine.
Fomoria/Eriu on "Emerald Isle" province.
Hinnom/Ashdod/Gath in province north of "promised land" (forget name right now)


Upcoming changes:

Might add Atlantis
Adding some rarely seen (by me) poptypes (vaetti, fir bolg, asmeg, toad tribals) to thematically appropriate places.
Might add other poptypes to thematically appropriate places (raptors & monkeys near border to "Asia", tribals in central & eastern europe, etc.)

If anyone has any requests/comments/complaints please don't hesitate to share them.

Re: New Map: Uropia (Dominons in \"Europe\")
 

Don't go overboard with the tribals. They're quite easy to conquer, so having large areas of mostly them wouldn't be good for balance.

It sounds like an interesting project, good luck with it!

Re: New Map: Uropia (Dominons in \"Europe\")
 

Actually Endo, I have changed that to making a single province next to the start positions having a predetermined poptype and a non-random army, usually with a 'special' commander who is #randomequip-ed (usually at 3, more for single commanders with no magic, less for multiple commanders) and at least one #knownfeature which lets you summon a commander to diversify your magic. Hopefully they won't be too easy to conquer, but can provide an interesting boost to early conquest.


Also, a correction: Agartha lairs in the Balkans, not in the Ukraine. The funky geography messed me up a bit.

Re: New Map: Uropia (Dominons in \"Europe\")
 

I'm a bit wary about changes like that, especially if you aren't sure the defenders are strong enough.

Do you mean weak mages with 1s in several paths (Tien Chi mages from Jade Pagoda), mediocre specialists like Illusionists (level 2s) or versatile mages with several randoms (Sorceresses with Nature and elemental randoms, Wizards etc)?

Re: New Map: Uropia (Dominons in \"Europe\")
 

It's usually something along the lines of either specialists (like gnomes and illusionists).

I tested it a little yesterday, and found that some of them were quite easy to conquer, but most of them weren't. I used a basic, quick test (no scales change, whatever pretender the com gave me), but I'll try and test it again today. Probably second turn attack, strong scales, and maybe a dragon or other thuggie commander. Hopefully I'll be able to upload something tomorrow or Monday to get people's impressions.

Re: New Map: Uropia (Dominons in \"Europe\")
 

I would like the map update, it sounds quite fun.

Re: Uropia (Dominons in "Europe")
 

Well by good a see map "Dominions in Asia"!