What\'s your favorite nation and why?
 

How about another massive nation poll? What are you favorites and why? Which ones have the the most thematic feel? Which ones require the least micromanagement? Which ones are the easiest to use? And of course, which ones are the most fun?

I'm a fan of EA Mictlan and EA Arco for the interesting bless strategies. But there's still like 30 odd nations I need to try, so I would like some more perspective.

Re: What\'s your favorite nation and why?
 

I voted:

EA R'lyeh
MA R'lyeh
LA Argatha

EA R'lyeh because I love turning the Mind Lords and Aboleths into thugs. Honorable mentions (Pangaea, Niefelheim and Tir na n'Og)

MA R'lyeh because of the void gate.

LA Argatha because of the mages http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif.

I like all the vanilla nations except for a handful, so really I am voting on which ones I like right now. My taste will probably change again in a few weeks.

Re: What\'s your favorite nation and why?
 

How about LA R'lyeh? I'm playing MA R'lyeh right now and it's okay, but I wouldn't mind having some freespawns. Of course freespawns probably introduce a whole set of micromanagement issues, which could make it less fun and more of a headache. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

Re: What\'s your favorite nation and why?
 

Too easy http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/wink.gif.

Re: What\'s your favorite nation and why?
 

MA R'lyeh has freespawns. Just build some forts at the shore and here come the hybrids.

Re: What\'s your favorite nation and why?
 

True, but that means spending 800-1200 gold for a for that is good for freespawns, but not for recruiting mages. Do those freespawns have upkeep though? If not, perhaps they it is not a bad deal for a long game, or if you need to fortify a coastal province for some strange reason. I guess on the upside, you don't have to lose your sanity like with LA R'yleh. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

Re: What\'s your favorite nation and why?
 

They do have upkeep in the base game.

Re: What\'s your favorite nation and why?
 

The upkeep is 1 gold per hybrid. I never said, it would be worth building a fort. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/image...es/biggrin.gif

Re: What\'s your favorite nation and why?
 

Anyone who's read any thread where I get going about Dominions thematics knows my answer already...

In order:
EA Abysia, Fomoria, Ulm
MA Ulm and Abysia
LA Ulm and Abysia

For all of these, they suit my play style and I like them best thematically from the story point of view in the Dominions world.

With EA, I like Fomoria, but I don't give much of a damn about the giants really, it's the Nemedians fascinate me, moreso even than the Abysians. Ulm because of what comes later. Abysia likewise, through the whole arc of its history (especially with the new references to the Gath nations).

In MA, Ulm and Abysia always have been my favorites. One generally doesn't manage to write stuff like in the poetry thread unless one finds inspiration.

In LA, same thing, but you can also add Diabolic Faith Marignon to the list, because it can so easily be thematically linked with the Ulm civil war.

Re: What\'s your favorite nation and why?
 

My Choices were:
EA Tir na n'Og
Ma Abysia
LA Pythium

I picked Tir na n'Og because I really enjoy the mythology that goes with them and the link to Formoria (who I also enjoy.) The units are enjoyable for me too and I tend to like nations without archers for some reason. The Tuatha are fun to have a bless for.

Middle age I picked Abysia because they are the strongest of the abysian nations when it comes to blood. I also like the Light/heavy troop balance, and the demon breed casters. I would also say MA I do like to play Pythium because of the early Byzantine roots. (and not really as much for communions.)

Late age my favorite right now is Pythium thematically. I was really excited when I first booted them up and found the later byzantine style troops mixed with the different cults. Even though the periods magic is a little messed up historically I still like the feel of it. Of honroable mention that have always been ones I like but not listed here would be all ages of Agartha. I really enjoy the tragic nature of this nations arc and I like the way the units go. Again it seems I pick a non archer nation....hmmmm.

Re: What\'s your favorite nation and why?
 

I like Lanka because demon monkeys are awesome. Longdead monkeys are awesome too.

Sadly, I'll probably never play it again in MP due to people wanting to hit it with the nerf-stick all the time.

Re: What\'s your favorite nation and why?
 

Footstamp has read my mind! These are my favorites per age as well! http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/eek.gif

EA R'Lyeh: Is unconventional and I love Mind Lords. Having a large group of them enslaving enemy troops makes some really interesting armies over the longterm. The whole evil mind-controlling fish theme is just a lot of fun for me.

MA R'Lyeh: I'm a Lovecraft buff and the void gate is a lot of fun to use. Having so many amphibious mindblasters, combined with the void gate summons and the hybrid freespawn in coastal forts makes a combo I really enjoy.

LA Agartha: I like all ages of Agartha, but LA really comes together well for me. Well-armored (if underarmed) main infantry, nice national spells, and the whole theme of LA Agartha is just a great fit for me.

<font color="blue">Runners-up would include:</font>

EA Yomi: Dai Onis alone make me love this nation. Throw in the other Oni types and you're cooking with gas. Only slightly below EA R'Lyeh for me.

LA R'Lyeh and LA Ermor: I like these nations themes immensely, but the micro-management they require knock them down off the top for me.

EA Abysia: Setting your enemies on fire over and over is a lot of fun, but the lack of being able to build sacreds and many mages in non-capital forts is why I don't rank it higher.

EA Agartha: Agartha in general is one of my favorites, and EA is no exception. Just below EA Yomi in my list of favorites.

MA Agartha: Yeah, I know some people will call me loopy, but I love the sacred statues and the whole theme of the nation in any era.

MA Shinuyama: Goblins and lots of them! The extreme old age of their best mages is a problem though.

EA Lanka: Demon monkeys! Need I say more? http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/image...ies/tongue.gif

Re: What\'s your favorite nation and why?
 

My favorite nation has to be LA Atlantis. How can you resist all those silly frogzars trying mighty hard to look evil with all that ice &amp; bones stuff? I actually don't especially like how they play, though I have yet to try them in MP, but, well... as I said, I just can't resist the frogzars.

Excuse me? I also picked Abysia as my favorite MA nation. There is just something magical about the smoking remains of a battlefield where a few hundred abyssian troops with a dozen fire-mages have fried the opposition, the ground and the air, and they were also my first introduction into the power of blood magic. But the strongest Abysian nation when it comes to blood? I do agree that the Warlock guys are awesome blood mages, but you have the choise between a capitol only, 120?g non-sacred bloodhunter, and a 220g, capitol only, sacred one. Both of which compete for the capitol-only slot with your warlocks, who you need to actually use those slaves. There's just no way to build an efficiënt blood economy out of that. Still, it makes for a nice extra, and I do like these guys.

Re: What\'s your favorite nation and why?
 

Hmm, are R'yleh's freespawn hybrids 0 upkeep in CBM then? Then they would suck slightly less. I guess if you take someone else's coastal fort, they are OK chaff.

deleted
 

oops. please ignore this double post.

Re: What\'s your favorite nation and why?
 

While it is definitely dependent on map size, I far prefer MA Abysia's blood options. They might be cap only, but they're also sacred and fliers, making it easier to get them out hunting in the far away provinces. More importantly though; they are flying undead leadership, which means if I take a god capable of forging Soul Contracts I only need construction 2 researched to quickly start rolling down the road to large devil armies. An awake Moloch does this, while also helping greatly with early expansion. You can have surprisingly large devil output surprisingly fast this way, and having capable devil leaders is key.

Re: What\'s your favorite nation and why?
 

Pangaea.

I like the gorgon, the nature theme, the high hps, the high mr, and the various MA units.

Re: What\'s your favorite nation and why?
 

EA Pangaea was my first love. I think I played that nation exclusively for about a month after I got my copy of the game. I tried every possible strategy I could think of with them, I loved it.

Re: What\'s your favorite nation and why?
 

I am the odd one:
EA Arco- love the philosophers and they have a good mix of troops and magic
MA Argatha - I love golems and earth magic
LA Ulm -I like them because ummm I am not sure. I like the wolf summoning guys. the fortune tellers are nice, I don't feel bad taking misfortune 3.

Re: What\'s your favorite nation and why?
 

Wow, I didn't know you could get hooked on a nation like that. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif I've tried nations here and there, but I haven't found one I'd want to play for a month straight. So of course, this probably demonstrates my inability for commitment. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/wink.gif

Re: What\'s your favorite nation and why?
 

Very much enjoy EA Niefelheim &amp; Abysia &amp; Yomi.
Agartha all ages.
LA Ermor, and LA Ulm.

So I guess mostly nonhuman.

Re: What\'s your favorite nation and why?
 

How can one vote for Marverni is beyond my understanding.
EA Agartha for their nice cheap national summons (earth elementals, fire gnomes, umbrals).
MA Arcoscephale for their strong astral magic, diversity and elephants.
LA Arcoscephale for their ARMORED elephants.

Re: deleted
 

I voted :
EA Sauromatia
MA R'Lyeh
LA Marignon, I like LA Midgard too

Re: What\'s your favorite nation and why?
 

Early: Agartha. I really like the nation, and the national units, even if I'm starting to accept that they suck. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/frown.gif At least when you don't consider magic, and before you get Darkness.

Middle: tie between Ulm and Bandar Log. I voted Bandar because I hope MA Ulm is pretty well represented already. I like Ulm's faith in strength of steel, and I kind of link the MA Ulm's siege engineers with EA Arcos' engineering culture. Black Priests aren't quite Philosophers, though. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/image...ies/tongue.gif

Late: Man wins, with Atlantis second. It has mage-spy-engineers, which is awesome, shielded, armored crossbowmen, which is awesome, longbows and knights and wardens, and it even has a good chance of making Gargoyles. Gift of Reasoning them is hard, though. Atlantis is just cool. Inuit necromancers, clay golems, sailing amphibians, all kinds of cool stuff. Also, FINALLY ice armor on beings who can actually fight in melee.

Re: What\'s your favorite nation and why?
 

I voted:-

Ea Niefelheim - Big bad giants, great...played this nation 3 times in MP and always had fun even thou I lose every time. I like the fact you have very few (but elite) forces, easy to manage in the late game.

Ma Ermor - Shadow Vestals, what a cool unit and hordes of undead horseman plus death/astral, what more could you want?

La Ermor - Hordes of freespawn, everyone hates you but thats ok cause you hate everyone as well. Death gems coming out of your ears and if you lose you have the satisfaction that your conquerers are going to be left with worthless provinces and so unlikely to win, ha ha... http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/image...es/biggrin.gif

Re: What\'s your favorite nation and why?
 

Still many nations I have yet to play but here are my picks to date:

EA Niefel - Easy to manage as Meglobob says and I like how these guys can really rack up experience. I like the model of troops that last vs. disposable chaff

MA - undecided. Not Ulm

LA TC - Love the magic diversity, troop quality &amp; variety (archers, tower shield infantry, heavy calvary w/bows), and the cheap sacred researchers

Re: What\'s your favorite nation and why?
 

I kind of like Sauromatia. Probably because I like Skögu, the other heroes and their interlinked events. Sauromatia became more fun with Fomoria in the mix.

Shinuyama got a vote. Not sure why, but I like critters of nonhuman stock I think.

LA Atlantis got a vote. Probably because I'm playing them right now in MP. I tend to like the nation I play. Also the Angakut look cute in their annoraks http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

I'm also quite fond of the LA pythium. Probably because there is more history of religions (and not just myths) than in most nations.

Re: What\'s your favorite nation and why?
 

EA: Kailasa, what else? (even with the monkey PD http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/image...es/biggrin.gif)

MA: Pangaea, what else? (sorry)

LA: Agartha, same as above

I just like nations with a nice theme, and lots of special national features.

btw. Pangaea could need more national summons spells, just to make the nation even more fluffier

Re: What\'s your favorite nation and why?
 

EA: Lanka
MA: Shinuyama
LA: Atlantis

Since I mostly play SP games I have a great love for oddball nations. When I just want to win I play Pangea, but when I simply play for fun I go for one of these three.

Re: What\'s your favorite nation and why?
 

it makes me happy to see Argatha so well liked. They are one of my favorite too. Everything just comes together so beautifully in that nation.

I'm surprised to see LA Atlantis so popular. I'd always felt they were one of the more lackluster nations; both thematically and substantively. They have a good backstory, but I just don't feel it portrayed well in the troops and summons. There is something just missing with that nation, it isn't quite there for me. And their substantive ability, doesn't feel on par with some other nations; maybe its just me.

Re: What\'s your favorite nation and why?
 

KO is playing LA Atlantis in an MP game at the moment and as nations he plays get usually buffed you might see some signigicant changes to Atlantis soon http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/smile.gif

Re: What\'s your favorite nation and why?
 

It's great to see that we're all over to map, so to speak, without any clear favorite. Speaks volumes for the developers skill at balancing the nations against each other.

Perhaps Illwinter ought to branch out into consulting? I've encountered a few other strategy game developers that could use some advice on what "balanced" means.

Then again maybe not. I imagine that developers are pretty protective about their own games. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

Re: What\'s your favorite nation and why?
 

Bandar Log is the leading MA nation. That is fun.

Re: What\'s your favorite nation and why?
 

And unexpected. Yes, very unexpected.

Re: What\'s your favorite nation and why?
 

That's funny...not one vote for Vanhiem in any age. Where'd all the "Vans are overpowered" guys go? I think I'll play them next...

Re: What\'s your favorite nation and why?
 

EA Mictlan - I love their awe-inspiring return per gold with Mictlan Priests and Jaguar Warriors. I play Imprisoned F9E4S4B4D2 Growth 2 Luck/Turmoil/Sloth 3 Heat 1 Dom 6 Smoking Mirror. I do think that Lanka is actually a stronger nation overall, but I resent that someone is outblooding Mictlan (who should, by definition, blow everyone else out of the water in the blood game) so I don't play them.

Honorable mention to EA pangea with a sleeping E4D4N4(SorA)4 Gorgon - very effective with minimal Alteration and Conjuration investment, unlocks LA Pangea undead summons. A nation with reanimation, blood, freespawn (I play turmoil/sloth/growth/luck 3), great archers, and powerful stealth preaching/unrest engines. Lots to like here, I just can't quite put my finger on the missing element that catalyzes the synergy between all these elements.

2nd honorable mention to EA Abyssia for pure joy of no friendly fire battle magics.

MA Ermor - Usually a fountain, either F9orD9 S9 depending on whether I want early or late game power, sometimes with E4 snuck in to help out communions. Shadow Vestals give you ridiculous early game expansion, which you follow up with the best gold-recruitable reanimators in the game from your capital and excellent communion power (easiest way to H4 in the game for a nation who really benefits from it). Solid regular troops give you an option against an enemy who has invested too heavily in priests.

Honorable mention to MA Abyssia for reasons mentioned by others in this thread - probably my favorite MA blood magic nation, and no slouch across the board magically.

LA Ermor - a thematic nation executed to a T; the reason I bought the game in the first place. Much too strong against the AI. Some micro-management HA, but nothing compared to R'yleh's issues due to insanity.

LA Ulm for it's wonderful spies, rangers, counts, mix of death/blood/freespawns, and slow rise to magical dominance. Somewhat clunky gear-shifts in this nation make it a definite second best to Ermor, but this makes it somewhat more interesting to play against the computer.

Re: What\'s your favorite nation and why?
 

EA i like sauromantia for their story because i always liked scitian but also marverni(for the same cause)

MA pangea for the theme of wild and civilization together and agartha for the falling of a race that they cannot stop
i forgot ctis that mix very well egyptian and mesopotamic theme also i always liked swamps where the intruder get poisoned if they dare to enter http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/image...ies/tongue.gif

LA ctis because they fight the doom without been crazy or dead or demoniac(ok ctis use dead but their army is also made of good lizard soldier)an la atlatntis first beacuse they are the first Inuit nation i ever saw and because they choose a god that doesnt curse them

Re: What\'s your favorite nation and why?
 

My votes went for:
LA Caelum. I'm really into the raiding thing and this nation fits perfectly in that respect.

MA Pythium. For me this nation represents raw power. Ever expanding ,unstoppable, war machine and astral dominance. I love the historic connotations as well.

EA Pangaea, did I mention I like raiding?

In truth there's not even one single nation I don't like to play, just as well I'll mention my runner ups for these top three, LA Ctis, MA R'lyeh and Jotunheim.

Re: What\'s your favorite nation and why?
 

Don't be so sure of that. LA Atlantis is both fun and powerful and splendid and undefeatable and Inuit and cute. Thus no changes are needed http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif They are already way too powerful.

They even smote the Abysian god mute, but you already know that http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/wink.gif

Re: What\'s your favorite nation and why?
 

LA R'lyeh is highly entertaining for those of us who like bringing randomness and insanity into the world. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/laugh.gif

Re: What\'s your favorite nation and why?
 

I think people are voting for the nations they enjoy playing the most, not the ones they think are most powerful. Only sometimes are those nations the same. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

I voted EA C'tis, MA Mictlan, LA Rlyeh. Van is my second choice in MA.

Re: What\'s your favorite nation and why?
 

EA-I remember really having fun with Caelum in SP because it was the first time I really made strategic use of weather. I was fighting Abysia, so hitting provinces with Wolven Winter before I attacked them really made a difference. And having super-easy access to very high path Air was fun.
Recently I had a fun game as Tir Na Nog. You don't have national archers anyway, so using Storm to boost air evocations is no big deal, and you can just Sing all your fatigue away.

MA-Played lots of nations here, so this was a tough call. I like ancient Greece, and MA Arco is definitely "classical" Greece, and leading Hoplites/Peltasts with Strategoi just felt cool. (Overshadowed by Elephants, sadly, but they have their own charms.) Having fun as Jotunheim (the Moose Riders are sorta fun, but about as bad as everyone says, though Giant Werewolves rock!) MA Pan has awesome units (recuperation! by a time another faction's unit gets 3-4 XP stars they're usually wrecked...) But in the end I picked Ulm, even though I figured they would be well-represented. Something about getting all the mileage you can out of 2E1F is fun, and plus, I like forging items.

LA-LA Ulm was my first blood nation, but getting a good pretender design was hard for me. (Imagine when I foolishly took Drain-2, because I was ULM, after all...) Also like Atlantis, the Inuit theme is nifty.

LA Atlantis gets love
 

Made me smile...
http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/cool.gif


due in next patch....

24th june
* New monster modding commands: #watershape, #landshape, #forestshape, #plainshape, #unique, #stormimmune, #startaff, #bloodvengeance, #stonebeing, #leper, #beckon.
* LA Atlantis uw recruitment improved.
* LA Atlantis hero.

-SSJ

edit: more descriptive URL

Re: LA Atlantis gets love
 

I like:

EA: C'tis, Ermor, Marverni
MA: Ashdod
LA: Agartha

As you can see I'm a big fan of recruitable-anywhere mages. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif I used to like Helheim but without the Svartalfs I am sad. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/frown.gif

-Max

P.S. Ashdod is like LA Agartha crossed with Niefelheim with a dash of Pythium thrown in. Awesome mages, awesome sacreds, awesome summons. Just crazy strong.

Re: LA Atlantis gets love
 

From the earliest version of Dominions its been Pangaea for me. The RPG of it fit the neo-pagan druidism of me. Also I tended to love the sneak-army strategies that got such low play.

Now I can fall in love with pretty much any nation which seems underplayed, under-appreciated, and under-understood in its built-in abilities.

Monkey PD
 

LA Patala. Because it PWNZ.

Re: What\'s your favorite nation and why?
 

My sentimental favorite is MA Ulm. They're the second nation I played in the original Dominions, and still an SP favorite. I like trying to conquer the world with Ulmish anti-magic philosophy, in a game that is so balanced against their main tactic. Against the AI, it has a decent chance, and provides an interesting thematic handicap.

I also like Ashen Ermor a lot because it transforms the strategy and gameplay so much. That was another thing that hooked me on the original Dominions - that different nations' strategies could be entirely different from each other.

I'm also a fan of most of the others...

Re: deleted
 

I tend to like to play the percieved (or actual) underdog in any game I pick up. Regardless of what happens after that point I usually stick with that team or character, even if it gets buffed later on because I grow to like them. On that theme I usually start out any RPG playing as a female Fighter before trying any other combo, so for Dominions I picked Sauramatia. I was slighly dismayed that their most powerful units are the androphag anyway. Sort of defeats the point with the team name : P

Since then I've heard that they actually belong to the high tier of EA teams. Oh well, too late to change now! ;D

For the middle ages it's slighly harder to choose, so I went for Machaka, because they ride ****in' huge spiders, and you can't get much cooler than that without actually bringing out Buer or something.

Late age was a simpler choice though, because of my RPG-playing style: defense is the best defense. Ulm! I only wish they'd get a team-specific spell that raises magic defense on top of their evil armor class ^^ I also hope future patches will grant us the ability to build mines to raise resource production by spending gold : /

Re: What\'s your favorite nation and why?
 

Seems to me the Sauromatian amazons hold up pretty well in comparison to the Androphags except for the Witch Kings.

As for Ulm, they do have such a spell: Tempering the Will.

Re: What\'s your favorite nation and why?
 

Well, magic is strongest and most important in EA, so I was sort of refering to the Witch Kings. : )

Humm... so they do... Heh, shows how big of a noob I am : P