Masquerades queries
 

Hello everyone. I'm Matt and have just recently purchased the game (two years late I know) and I'm currently trying to feel my way through it, generally choosing to play as the sea-based nations because I just like the idea.

I've read the manual through, up to the grimoire that is, played the tutorial and attempted a few SP games which have each ended when I've begun to feel I'm not going anywhere.

I'd like, if I may, to use this thread to ask questions of the helpful readers among you, more knowledgeable than I in this game, that are causing me to stumble or that I'm not entirely certain of the answers to.

In my experience so far I'm starting to get the impression that the capital province is always 100% magic-site searched, but I'm not certain - Is this the case?
So far, whilst playing as Atlantis EA, spells Dark Knowledge, Voice of Tiamat and a search by a Basalt Queen Prophet have repeatedly yielded no new discoveries in the capital so I'm concerned I'm wasting turns there.

That's actually the only question that springs to mind at the moment but I'm sure I'll need to ask more. Many thanks in advance to anyone that helps, Matt.

Re: Masquerades queries
 

Hey welcome to the addiction =)

You cant find new sites in your capital. To get quick help on some questions or first mp experiences, you might want to consider to join the irc channel

Re: Masquerades queries
 

Yes, you will never find additional magic sites in your capital.

Furthermore there is a limit of 4 magic sites per province, so not worth searching when you find 4. Once you have searched with a lvl 4 or higher in that magic path, you will have found all magic sites of that type.

Once you have played a nation yourself, you might want to read the strategy guide for it (stickied at the top), to see how it can be played differently and other players views on that nation.

Hope you enjoy the game. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

Re: Masquerades queries
 

Thanks for the answers.
I wasn't aware that there was a max number of sites and was also under the impression that some magic sites might require high level magic searches to be discovered.

Re: Masquerades queries
 

The answers are generally correct, so dont let me worry you.

However, for those who are more jaded with the game (like me) and tempted to rock the boat... the game does make it possible to break those rules. But it would most likely be done by map commands. In other words, its possible to play a map where the starting magic sites are not the same, or additional hidden magic sites at the capital. I havent seen such a game map created yet. Its an option yet to be explored.

Re: Masquerades queries
 

The ones that need high level magic searches need level 4. There are very few such sites, level 3 gets almost everything.

Re: Masquerades queries
 

In a general sense, 3 and 4 ARE "high magic." Pretenders can go way above that but that just gives you an idea of how incredible they are (when you spend the points for them). If your nation can get Fire-3 or Astral-4 recruitable mages it is considered to be quite strong in Fire or Astral, respectively. Of course it also matters how much they cost, whether they're recruitable anywhere, etc. Generally speaking, if you've searched a province with a Level 3 mage you've probable found everything there is to find in that path. Even a level 1 or 2 will find a high percentage of what's there, so you may or may not want to spend the gems to search it with a spell.

-Max

Re: Masquerades queries
 

If you're interested in the detailed numbers, stickied strategy guide thread links to site-searching guide.

Re: Masquerades queries
 

Many thanks to all of you, I had no idea that levels 3-4 were considered high magic.
So, with regards to certain summons that describe the units magic capability, a master would most likely be level 4? I'd noticed 'some xxxx magic' often produced a unit with level 1 in the mentioned path.

Re: Masquerades queries
 

Put it this way: the King of Elemental Earth has Earth-4. Same for the other Elemental Kings and Queens IIRC. I personally think that's too low--I'd like to see them at 5 or 6--but yeah, level 4 is master-class.

Ashdod gets Death-4 mages and I LOVE it.

-Max

Re: Masquerades queries
 

For SP games the water nations are a good place to start... unfortunately the AI land nations are very poor with attacking water provinces so eventually you'll want to choose a land nation and maps with very few water provinces.

Also max out supplies for the game settings as this will help the AI from starving its troops.

Re: Masquerades queries
 

A good guide for magic paths on mages is:-

Lvl 1 = Weak
Lvl 2 = Average
Lvl 3 = Strong
Lvl 4 = Powerful
Lvl 5+ = Pretender God

Re: Masquerades queries
 

I like those titles. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/wink.gif

Partly bearing in mind a few nations can get 5's on random picks, so it's not exclusive of those with delusions of godhood. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/image...ies/tongue.gif

Re: Masquerades queries
 

Ahhh...so thats where I got them from... http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

Yours sound better.

Re: Masquerades queries
 

I had noticed that the AI appeared reluctant to pursue once it had driven me off land.
I'd assumed this was because the units available to them via coastal provinces in the map were judged insufficient for the task by the AI and/or they had no amphibious summons/chose not to dedicate their gems to summoning them.
I'm assuming, from NT Jedi's comment, that this isn't quite the whole story and that regardless of their capabilities in assaulting me in the sea they'll choose not to. Is this so?
If so that's quite disconcerting, personally I'd rather get my bearings with the game on a bit more level footing with the opponent. Would there be any way to encourage the AI to be more confident or overcome whatever holds them back?

Just another quick question while I'm blabbing. I'm currently a bit uncertain about the transition from land to sea income and resource wise. The manual didn't seem too clear as to whether coastal forts gathered the excess resources from adjacent sea provinces or not - same for sea forts to land provinces so I'd appreciate if anyone can clear that one up for me. Umm, also I'm under the impression that land provinces produce more resources or income or just generally are better all round. Am I right in this and are sea based nations at a distinct disadvantage therefore?

Re: Masquerades queries
 

Nit: "archmage" definitely sounds higher-level than "master."

The AI is perfectly willing to push into the water. It's not easy to do, though.

I don't think coastal forts gather from sea provinces even if you are an aquatic race. I haven't tested it, though, which is the way you often have to settle questions w/rt this game: test it directly or ask someone woh has. Sea provinces in my experience give much better gold income than land provinces. I think they count as some kind of rich farmland. I'm not sure how good they are for resources or gems.

-Max

Re: Masquerades queries
 

I actually liked your first ones.

-Max

Re: Masquerades queries
 

I was just goofing around. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/wink.gif

Semantics is a funny science. Connotation of arbitrary terms is bound to vary from subject to subject. To me, Archmage means that he's above a Mage, and Master is the teacher, so above all others (unless they get all mystically touched and head to 5+ land http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/image...ies/tongue.gif). Whereas to you, Archmage means he above all other mages, and the master is -just- a teacher (my guess). It's all relevant depending on perspective. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/laugh.gif


As far as the castles go, no there really isn't any resource transfer from land-sea or sea-land. And for a long time I felt I had observed most sea provinces to be high income as well, but now the more I play, I can't see any bonus modifier (income stays relative), so it seems to me that for some reason randomly generated maps tend towards higher pop in sea? For the most part, the MP maps I've been playing on lately, don't do aquatics any big favors on income. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/image...ies/tongue.gif Though Glory for example seems to like to punish everyone equally on gold income. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/wink.gif

Re: Masquerades queries
 

I always considered arch-mages the pinnacle of mage-hood

Re: Masquerades queries
 

Well it is true, they are to be considered extremely powerful no matter how you slice it. To be terribly fair, I probably did what I was trying not to do, I ended up using 2 terms that are for most purposes interchangable. It's actually very hard, because so many people have used the terms in so many ways, to make an easily recognizable hierarchy. Realistically over time, these mystical titles can easily be broken down into 3 categories corresponding to Apprentice, Journeyman, and Master. Unfortunately, when you try to go to 4 ranks and above, you start to have to steal terms from those 3 categories, and shove them inbetween to fill the gaps.

For example, I was going to have the first 2 be Initiate and Novice/Novitiate. I was upset to find that the dictionary considers them to be synonyms. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/image...ies/tongue.gif

Re: Masquerades queries
 

IMO you can add Novice before Apprentice. For me an Archimage is not necesseraly a more powerful mage than a Master' but one which has acquirred political power as the Guildmaster for example.

Re: Masquerades queries
 

Makes me think of cadre mages and high mages from the malazan books which, incidentally, Dominions bares more than a passing resemblance to.

I kind of took a break from trying to be Atlantis and have switched to R'lyeh EA. I'm currently further and more successfully in to an SP game than previous games but I was wondering if I were to host my save on a free upload site somewhere if anyone would be kind enough to review how I'm doing, what I've done right/wrong and how I could have improved upon my current situation.

Re: Masquerades queries
 

You can actually post it as an attachment here, and odds are someone will grab it and peek. Dominions players are an inquisitive, and often compulsively helpful lot. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/image...ies/tongue.gif

Re: Masquerades queries
 

For Mages I have always considered them to be

Level 1 Apprentice
Level 2 Journeyman
Level 3 Mage
Level 4 Archmage
Level 5+ God Touched

or for the magic levels themselves

Level 1 Gift
Level 2 Minor Arcana
Level 3 Arcana
Level 4 Major Arcana
Level 5+ Forbidden Arcana

Re: Masquerades queries
 

Ah alright, I'll give that a shot - nice to know it's a decent community, but then again I'm not too surprised given the game it supports. Not likely to find the average *****ing teen or ten year old playing something like this - this kind of game is for people who are serious about what they play, at least that's my interpretation.

Anyways, here's my save I think - R'lyeh EA. My current COA against C'tis has just been to trample them into the ground with large numbers of Thralls, unsophisticated and probably inefficient in some way I'm not aware of but I'm not being beaten back yet. I fully expect to be.

The map is Aran and, not being sure which file was needed, I've included all three from the savedgame/masq folder in a RAR