FAQ Discussion & Submissions
 

This thread is intended for discussion of the FAQ thread and making suggestions for additions, corrections and clarifications to that thread. Its function is similar to the function of the Bug Discussion thread in relation to the Bug Shortlist.

Re: FAQ Discussion & Submissions
 

What's useful about a weak air bless? A 20% air shield is pretty worthless. It's nice being able to build air boosters, but that's about it.

Re: FAQ Discussion & Submissions
 

A weak air bless varies from 20% to 40% in effect, depending on how much air you actually have. If you have shieldless sacred units, even 20% and 30% air bless will have a marked effect on how badly they get mauled by archers, but if you're going for some otehr magic as the main bless, you are likely not going to be able to get A9, in which case the weak blessing is useful. Doesn't cost too much, still offers a benefit and you have points for something else (scales, dominion, whatever).

But as stated, this thread is for discussing the merits or lack thereof of what is included in the FAQ. If that particular section gets a lot of more experienced people's hackles up, it can be removed.

Re: FAQ Discussion & Submissions
 

Any way you could tone down the hostility in that FAQ a bit? I understand getting annoyed if people don't read it and keep asking the same questions, but what's the point of coming across hostile when they're doing the /right/ thing by actually consulting it?

Anyway, how about this?

Q: I like Dom3, but sometimes I wish X or Y was a little different. Is there any way I can alter the game?

A: There sure is. Check the docs subfolder in your Dom3 install - there's a pretty handy modding manual in there that explains step by step how to make game altering mods. You could also drop by the modding forum for more info and mods made by other fans.

Re: FAQ Discussion & Submissions
 

Yeah, a more friendly tone is better suited.

Re: FAQ Discussion & Submissions
 

Sombre, Deads, point taken. Done.

Sombre, that's a great one. I'll wait and see if we get any more submissions, then they can be added all at once.

Re: FAQ Discussion & Submissions
 

*Submission*

Turns and Time
Q: How how is time counted?

The basic unit of time in Dominions 3 is the turn. A turn is equivalent to one month of the Gregorian solar calendar. There are 12 turns in a year, and 3 in a season.

While there are no smaller units of time in Dominions 3 besides the turn, there are larger units like years and seasons. Each of these years is divided up into four seasons: Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter. Each season is divided up into three sections: Early, Normal, Late.

All games begin by default in Normal Spring of the first year (the 2nd season of Spring). Once 11 turns have been taken a regular game enters into Early Spring of the second year. From that point on it takes 12 turns to reach year 3, then another 12 to reach year 4, etc. etc.

Jazzepi

Re: FAQ Discussion & Submissions
 

Just a note, I think if you're going to have an entry in the FAQ, it should actually answer the question, not point to somewhere else.

Case in point.

Q: What are the bless effects?
See the manual section on blessings.

I think this should either be removed, or modified to provide some actual information.

Also, hostility again.


Q: Why can’t I build enemy national units from castles I’ve conquered from him?
Because the developers did not want that in the game and to keep all nations unique. You can only recruit your own troops and the native population type independent units in castles. *Before you ask, no, this is never going to be changed.*

The part in stars should be removed. I don't think I need to even state the reason!

Jazzepi

Re: FAQ Discussion & Submissions
 

The reason why the bless effects refers to the manual is that I really cannot be bothered to explain every single, most basic mechanic of the game in the FAQ. It is supposed to answer those questions that most often crop up due to having inadequate, unclear or hard to find explanations in the manual. If someone needs to ask what the bless effects are, they probably did not read the manual or they do not even have one. There's only so far I will go with the handholding. If somebody provides me with a ready list of effects that I won't have to type up for that one, it's a different matter, but am I going to type that up? Be a cold day in hell when I do.

Also, I have a hard time seeing what is hostile about the recruiting enemy unit types question. The answer preempts the next question that is asked 90% of the time and does not do it in a particularly rude manner. I suppose if it really offends a lot of people, I'll chop the "Before you ask, no," out of it.

Re: FAQ Discussion & Submissions
 

That's still pretty weak. 130-odd points for a very situational bless that's only applicable to a few nations. Unless you need the air for forging or an SC strategy, it's surely better to take stronger scales and field larger armies.

I also agree that the hostility should be removed. One entry for curse only, no patronising 'follow-on' questions.

Re: FAQ Discussion & Submissions
 

I'll leave the blessing bit for a while yet and see about that later, Sandman. I don't disagree with you as such, it is expensive. A rather weak bless in any case as weak blesses go.

For the rest, done. I also tweaked a couple of other answers to make them seems more matter of fact and less chatty.

Re: FAQ Discussion & Submissions
 

I think we all agree it should be as friendly and helpful as possible,.. although it's easy to get annoyed at questions that are asked hundreds of times and seem (to us at least) to have obvious answers.

Let's focus on stuff that's missing from the manual, isn't made clear or is hard to find.

I'd chip in with some more mod focused suggestions, but beyond where to find the docs, where to download mods and how to enable them,.. I think it would just confuse newcomers. Maybe I can contribute to a modding faq in the future.

Re: FAQ Discussion & Submissions
 

Modding and mapmaking both need separate focused FAQs on those subjects and should be placed in the subforum. If you want to write a modding FAQ, be my guest. There's so much stuff related to that scattered around that having it all in one place as a reference would be a good thing. The community could certainly use one.

Re: FAQ Discussion & Submissions
 

Please don't take offense to this, but just from casual observation you come off as extremely terse and hostile. Like a strict school room teacher or some such. While I understand not brooking ignorance, I think if you're going to write an FAQ for newbies, like the above poster said, it should be done so in the spirit of as much friendliness as possible.

I would still remove the "this is never going to change" because quite honestly, you don't know that! FAQs shouldn't predict the future versions of Dominions, or what new patches will bring.

I also typed up the bless effects.

*submission*

Each bless effect is granted to blessed sacred units dependent upon your pretender's original score in any given magic path. The following format is "score #" ("effect granted").

Air - 4 (Air Shield 20%) 5 (Air Shield 30%) 6 (Air Shield 40%) 7 (Air Shield 50%) 8 (Air Shield 60%) 9 (Air Shield 70%) 10 (Air Shield 90%, shock resistance 70%)

Astral - 4 (+1 MR, max 18) 6 (+2 MR, max 18) 8 (+3 MR, max 18) 9 (+3 MR, max 18 and Twist Fate) 10 (+4 MR, max 18 and Twist Fate)

Blood - 4 (+2 Strength) 6 (+3 Strength) 8 (+4 Strength) 9 (+4 Strength, Death Curse) 10 (+5 Strength, Death Curse)

Death - 4 (Affliction Chance +100%) 5 (Affliction Chance +150%) 6 (Affliction Chance +200%) 7 (Affliction Chance +250%) 8 (Affliction Chance +300%) 9 (Affliction Chance +350%, Death Weapons) 10 (Affliction Chance +400%, Death Weapons)

Earth - 4 (Reinvigoration +2) 6 (Reinvigoration +3) 8 (Reinvigoration +4) 9 (Reinvigoration +4, Protection +4) 10 (Reinvigoration +5, Protection +4)

Fire - 4 (+2 Attack) 6 (+3 Attack) 8 (+4 Attack) 9 (+4 Attack, Flaming Weapons) 10 (+5 Attack, Flaming Weapons)

Nature - 4 (Regen +5%) 6 (Regen +10%) 8 (Regen +15%) 9 (Regen +15%, +2 Berserk) 10 (Regen +20%, +2 Berserk)

Water - 4 (+2 Defense) 6 (+3 Defense) 8 (+4 Defense) 9 (+4 Defense, Quickness) 10 (+5 Defense, Quickness)

Re: FAQ Discussion & Submissions
 

The most effective bless differs from nation to nation and according to your particular play style, but the above categorization >us< generally the accepted view of the majority of Dom3 veterans active on the Shrapnel Games forums.

Us should be is.

Spelling error in the bless section.

Jazzepi

Re: FAQ Discussion & Submissions
 

Reference to veterans seems to bring up another question:
Who are the Veterans?
Are they Dom2 players?
or People who post the most?
Or the blitz crowd from the IRC channel who seem to have played the MOST games.
The people ranking highest on the challenge ladder being the ones who have WON the most games?
The beta testers who played dom3 for (a year?) longer than the rest of us? (and just who are the beta testers? How about a list of logins that go with that list of names in the manual).

The old Dom forum had a way for you to rank threads, and rank posters. Having veteran on your login meant something then.

Re: FAQ Discussion & Submissions
 

I think a page number here would work just fine, rather than reproducing material from the manual.

Re: FAQ Discussion & Submissions
 

Bless effects, time counting and Sombre's modding Q&A added.

No offense taken. It'd have to be a lot worse than that to get me offended. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/smile.gif

I can be pretty blunt and brusque at times, so I don't mind having it pointed out when I go too far with it. If I agree with such admonitions, as you have seen me do in this thread, I'm not averse to correcting the behavior. Some of it comes from generally trying to be to the point. If I disagree, well, it's usually easy to tell. I'm generally not hostile and most of the time I just toss out an answer to a factual question without sugarcoating it.

The one thing that annoys the hell out of me is people not putting ANY effort into finding out things themselves. Ignorance is excusable, but a combination of ignorance AND laziness is not. That's when the prickly side tends to emerge. That said, you're right about the tone required of the FAQ.

It's been modified, but it's not gone. The thing is, I know the IW guys well enough to know that this feature is going to stay. Arcoscephale isn't going to just suddenly start recruiting giants after conquering a Jotunheim fort in this or any future release unless Johan and Kristoffer have a rather drastic change of mind regarding one of the core design principles of the game. It's been asked several times during the days of Dom2 and it's been asked a couple of times already regarding Dom3 and the answer has been "no". That's good enough for me.

Re: FAQ Discussion & Submissions
 

Well, RZ, I agree, but I don't have the manual at work and I needed something to do on my break... http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/wink.gif

Re: FAQ Discussion & Submissions
 

I think a combination of those two is what typically makes someone be considered a "veteran".

Re: FAQ Discussion & Submissions
 

I think something in the line of:

My archers are producing lots of friedly fire, what can i do about it?

Set them to fire Archers so they shoot farther away and might even kill a mage.

and

Which spells can i use to attack players anonymously?

Seeking Arrow, Hurricane, Locust Swarm, Diesease Demon and all the others i forgot here

Re: FAQ Discussion & Submissions
 

Its just that "veterans" seems to change depending on who you talk to. Many use the words but can only name a couple. For one group it seems to be Quantum and Boron, for another group is Graeme and Norfleet, yet another list IronHawk and Morkilus? Unless of course you are the server/documentation crowd which have their own "veterans" (haha)

Re: FAQ Discussion & Submissions
 

I think "read the manual" responses are fine...if you give the page numbers.

Re: FAQ Discussion & Submissions
 

Q: Can I get rid of afflictions? How?
Kirke the Pharmakeia, a Sauromatia national hero, also has the Heal Troops ability

Re: FAQ Discussion & Submissions
 

More on afflictions in the FAQ:

You might want to add that units 'born' with battle afflictions (Forge Lord, flagellants, etc) can be healed through the usual affliction healing process (Arco priestess etc).

And it's pretty obvious from just playing the game and also mentioned in other threads, but armies can get diseased if there is simple not enough food available.

Here's something I'm currently trying to find out: can a missing eye caused by using an Eye of Aiming be healed? And if so, does the Eye of Aiming pop out of your head, or do you end up with 3 eyes? I've been waiting a while in a current game to see if it ever heals. It hasn't yet.

Re: FAQ Discussion & Submissions
 

You can't heal afflictions from replacement parts without getting rid of the parts -- but the parts (hearts and eyes) are pretty much always cursed, so you can't get rid of them except by

* death
* transforming into something that doesn't even have misc slots
* possibly, casting Wish for a misc item and getting an item bounced out -- but haven't experimented to see what the order of precedence is (first slot? non-cursed items bounced first?)
* and if it's a unique part (The Green Eye, say), somebody else can pull it out via Wish, into their own misc slots

Minor notes:
 

Blessing section doesn't mention the cap on the Astral bless (max MR). Death Curse isn't explained; this is an obvious follow-up.

Some other questions that seem to be fairly common:
- Why aren't my <duplicate magic items> stacking?
(design decision)
- What is the best nation for a newbie?
(snarky answer: depends on preferred playing style)
- How do I cure insanity?
(can't)

Re: Minor notes:
 

Q: Who is this Norfleet I keep hearing about?
A: Shhhhhh! We no longer speak that name. He was once the most powerful of our wizards. But he used his power for evil.
Oh wait, that is Voldemort.
Yes that is the answer. Norfleet is our Voldemort.

Re: Minor notes:
 

I'd remove excessively pedantic technical information that is not likely to be very useful for novices. The list of disease-causing units, for example, or the exact magic requirements for faerie queens.

Also, remove the <text in brackets>, it's <annoying> to <read>.

Re: Minor notes:
 

Can I copy the FAQ to the Dom 3 entry on the Strategy Wiki?

Re: Minor notes:
 

Go ahead.

Re: Minor notes:
 

Ok, done it. I reworked the 'odds and ends' section into forts, modding and miscellaneous.

Stun Damage
 

I didn't know what 'Stun Damage' (from Stellar Cascades for example) did, until I tried it in game (it increases fatigue).

Is that FAQ-worthy? The manual documents it on page 79, but it's in the index under 'Fatigue'. So if you are a noob and you see a nice 100% precision, no-MR, AP, stun damage spell in the grimoire, and you can't find 'stun damage' in the manual, you might script a bunch of mages to cast it instead of something more appropriate.

Re: Stun Damage
 

It could be. I need to update the FAQ sometime to include the disbanding question and a couple of other things, so I can add that in there as well under "Damage Types" (poison damage has come up).

Re: Stun Damage
 

Thanks Edi! I really appreciate all the work you do on the forums, and with the DB files.

Re: FAQ Discussion & Submissions
 

Excuse me. Do you Dev guys have a psychiological problem about getting "cursed"?

Why do you emphasize it that much? Does it please you or temporarily heal a control problem of yours about other people? Sorry to burst your balloon but:

*Making very stern settings about a condition in game does not make the game "cool" at all.
*Making an irreperable condition on a unit doesn't make players any more careful, I can build thousands of commanders if one is cursed.
*If a "wish" spell doesn't remove a curse, that game has a big mistake in it. (wish is described as influencing the very Fabric of Existence,the first surge of power during Creation, transcending any misfortune or Horror Mark)

Re: FAQ Discussion & Submissions
 

Got to say I agree with Jaghataikhan, a wish should be capable of removing every ill effect from a unit full stop.

Re: FAQ Discussion & Submissions
 

JaghataiKhan, the permanence of curse and horrormark is emphasized in the FAQ to discourage threads about how to remove curses and horrormarks. It has been asked time and again of the developers that a method of removal be added, and it has been refused just as many times. Illwinter has made this game the way they want it to be, and on certain issues they are not going to compromise on it. I do not claim to know all of the reasoning behind it.

For the record, I'm not a member of Illwinter, I just manage the bug threads and bug reporting on the forum as well as the FAQ and the DB (which was made to encourage modding and mapmaking). So if Illwinter decides to change something, then they will and that's that, but in the meanwhile I'm reporting things based on direct statements from the devs. YThe most relevant thread I could find was here.

Re: FAQ Discussion & Submissions
 

Say, I've never really tried it, but I wonder why the blood bless is considered so weak? I understand that strength won't help much if units are unable to hit anything at all (take for example Agartha ^^) but when their attack skill is already satisfactory (Vanheim/Helheim) wouldn't they benefit greatly from strength boost?

And what exactly does 'Death Curse' mean? :S

Re: FAQ Discussion & Submissions
 

Death curse curses an enemy that kills your unit, and supposedly horror marks it as well.

Re: FAQ Discussion & Submissions
 

I also like the permanence of curse and horror marks, BUT a wish spell must be able to remove them for reading its description it is obvious it must be able to remove it.

After all, if one's desperate to cast wish to remove it, it should be removed after all.

Just because Illwinter wants it a midget cannot trample an elephant. There is gaming ethics and all the [censored].

Re: FAQ Discussion & Submissions
 

Personally, I don't see any reason for Wish not being able to remove curse and/or horror mark, but there are many, many things Wish "should" do that it doesn't.

Re: FAQ Discussion & Submissions
 

Conversely, just because JaghataiKhan wants it a midget cannot trample an elephant. There is gameing ethics and all the [censored].

Re: FAQ Discussion & Submissions
 

:blink : blink:

Did he really say that, or...

Anyways, if you you have wish, you might be better off wishing for a way to continually remove the extra wounds you get from the curse- it gives a longer lasting benefit and return, when you can just get recursed. Curse, by itself, doesn't do any harm, its only in combination with combat that's a threat. A Mother of Serpents, various units & artifacts are available to help with the affects.

I recognize Horror Marking may be a different story- but I haven't formed any opinion on that. Aside from the fact the affects are much more significant. So I won't comment on that.

I will make a suggestion - insufficient for mp, but a halfway measure for sp - mod horror marking out of the game. That's up to you, though. I haven't been keeping my Pretenders alive long enough to worry about Horror Marks.

Re: FAQ Discussion & Submissions
 

I would like to make a suggestion with regards to the FAQ- include your signature, Edi. That way, I can quickly point someone towards the database. Or just insert a link.

Re: FAQ Discussion & Submissions
 

Good suggestion. I need to add the disbanding stuff and the research cost table for different difficulty levels, so I might as well include the DB links too.

Re: FAQ Discussion & Submissions
 

FAQ updated.

Added a section on the Dom3 DB as per previous suggestion since it gets tiresome to explain it all the time. Now any queries about the DB can be answered with "FAQ".

Also added research cost chart to the very end and reorganized the ODD & ENDS section better so that it is split to CASTLES and the true miscellaneous stuff.

Re: FAQ Discussion & Submissions
 

Thanks for adding the research charts!

Re: FAQ Discussion & Submissions
 

It's not the minor blood bless that's considered weak. +2 to +4 to strength can be quite nice, especially vs. heavily-armored troops, although +4 to strength is also easily available via Strength of Giants, which costs no gems. That makes it a little bit less desirable of a bless than Fire or Water minor blesses (+att or +def), which AFAIK are available only via Quickness spells (which either cost gems or affect only a handful of units per casting) or indirectly via Darkness (which costs gems and doesn't help elite units).

But yeah, the B9 bless is weak. I can't speak as to whether B9 magic is weak because I don't typically play blood nations. I know I'm supposed to be playing an evil god, but if I think too hard about the blood slaves I start getting queasy.

-Max

Re: FAQ Discussion & Submissions
 

I have a W9/F9/B4 bless in one game I'm playing in, mostly because the blood was very easy to get. I can say that I'm extremely happy with it. It adds +2 damage to each attack.

Jazzepi