Hello
 

Just wanted to say hello. I found out about this game about a week ago when I was bored and went to CDnet and just scrolled through the entire list of demo games by publishers(yes I looked through them ALL). When I came across the Dominions II entry and read the breif description I was surprised. I haven't seen a turn based fantasy strategy game of note since Masters of Magic. I remember having lots of cool hot seat games with Master of Magic when it first came out so I thought Dominions II would be worth a look so I downloaded the demo. I knew from the first choices when I started up the game that this was a game with depth. Unfortunately I found myself making a lot of choices setting up a game that I didn't understand as far as thier rammifications on a game but I mollified myself somewhat by just picking what I thought looked cool and just try and figure it all out by playing. Then the first turn map came up and I was totally lost and no tutorial in sight. I quit and deleted the game.

The next day I did some research on the game because I figured that from the depth the demo hinted at it would be worthwhile to try again. I then came across Bruce Geryk's walkthrough and used it as a reference to understand how to at least do the basic function to play the game. Thank you Mr. Geryk for taking the time to do that walkthrough, otherwise I would have passed by this excellent game. As it stands I now own the full game of Dominions II and am anticipating playing through a full game. I have had a lot of experience playing strategy game short of those mega grognard ones with the little paper squares. I have played War Hammer and War Hammer 20k on table top and a lot of way Dominions II plays as far as units and spells and routing tactically reminds me a lot of War Hammer. Especially the way the undead army works. I always favored Orcs in War Hammer and War Hammer 20k. One of my favorite things to do with a game I am new to and which catches my interest is to study the current meta-game and see how I can defy those expectations. I have done a lot of reading on this board already and am starting to get an idea of it but I think I will have more fun just playing the game and seeing some things for myself.

Anyway, just wanted to introduce myself and perhaps I will have something worthwhile to post here from time to time as well as questions most likely because I am fully aware that anyone who has it "all figured out" is doomed to never learn anything new.

Re: Hello
 

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">Heehee. I dont think anyone here considers that to be a real danger with THIS game. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif

Welcome to the addiction.

[ April 03, 2004, 19:56: Message edited by: Gandalf Parker ]

Re: Hello
 

Welcome!

There's something insanely addictive about this game. Be warned! Start freeing up more time for the game now! Later, you'll be glad you did! http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon12.gif

Psitticine

Re: Hello
 

Yes, welcome. And I say that in the same way that you would welcome someone to a crack house or opium den. You're glad to have the company, but a little saddened to see another person come through the doors.

I hope you're not married, because it has been my recent experience that things like wife and family and job have a very deleterious effect on the amount of time that you're able to put into Dom2. Good luck, and once again, welcome.

Re: Hello
 

Thanks for the welcome. Believe me I am familiar with addictive games ranging from EverCrack to Magic: The Addiction(don't play this one anymore) so I have quite a tolerance built up for them. At least with this game you can leave it and come back to the same place you left unlike EverQuest. What is funny about this game is that I haven't played one turn on it since I got the full Version because just studying it takes up a vast amount of time. Gonna be hitting it soon though. Trying out Mictlan. Yeah, yeah not the simplest one to try out I know but I usually find the hardest ones to play yeild the most interesting results and I learn more as a result. Question: What does setting the difficulty level higher do exactly? Give them a jump on you in research/troops/resources etc.? Haven't been able to find anything about it in the manual. Thanks in advance for any help.

[ April 04, 2004, 23:28: Message edited by: Anglachel ]

Re: Hello
 

Increasing the difficulty increases the number of points that the AI has to spend on its pretender. At normal difficulty, it has the same amount of points as you do.

Re: Hello
 

Ah. Thanks, was afraid it was something worse than that. A walk in the park it is not but not as bad as I thought.

Re: Hello
 

Thanks. Mictlan is sure slow out of the gate. Playing a game on Orania with normal difficulty and independants 9. Only got about 4 provinces under my control after 24 turns but the summonings are comming nice and acashic record is keeping me in gems. Blood hunts are doing ok I guess. Got about three clams and two quills going on and now and a thistle mace on one of my priests so he can awaken sleeper and vine ogres. The other one is bringing in spine devils each turn when he isn't making clams and an Ice Devil from time to time. Popped a scepter of authority and crystal shield on my prophet(the high cost 2 fire/3 blood one). Pretender is the Smoking Mirror one with 4 in all paths(maybe not the smartest move but I was just experimenting, berserk is nice on the jaguars but found out I need to keep my prophet out of missle fire or he goes nuts and runs at the battle lines). Lot of shifting taxation and patrols with the blood hunts causing unrest. Machaka is in two provinces on my Southeast side of my fortress at the moment but hasn't bothered me yet. Money is a problem with the way I had to tweak the dominion scales to get 4 in all paths on my pretender. Oh well, onward and hopefully outward.

Re: Hello
 

From one newb to another, welcome to the game. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif

I've played Mictlan, and surprisingly, I like it. Here's one little trick I figured out. If you take a high Death magic on your Pretender (not a bad move since one of the few magics your priests don't cover is Death, oddly), you can recruit Eagle Warriors, bless them, have them hit the rear, and they'll each have their own Fear effect to rout the enemy faster. Don't know how viable it is on Ind 9, but something you may want to consider.

Bayushi Tasogare

Re: Hello
 

Welcome!
You're starting with... Mictlan? Wow. Have fun!