Dome Question
 

Curious what people's dome layering strategies look like... Answers should address things like:
a) how many gems to put into a single dome... this seems to be a trade-off between the dome shattering soon anyway from enemy spellcasting and the cost of recasting
b) which domes you like and why, and the order you layer them
c) typical timeframes for installing domes. Clearly part of this answer will be when people start casting spells at my provinces, but by now, most of you have a sense for when you should have a dome up in any given MP game
d) drawbacks/tips/tricks with domes - things like don't try teleporting through your own dome (surely there are more)
e) specifics for domes beyond the manual. Take for example the blood magic dome (astral corruption? methinks). The manual description warns that those casting spells into it may be feebleminded or some other vagary. Does this happen or is it just an erroneous description? Also it warns that horrors occasionally attack mages within the dome. How often does this happen? Feels like an important thing to know before casting such a spell. And that's just one example...

As always, thanks in advance for the great answers.

Re: Dome Question
 

The dome of arcane warding stays up regardless of whether a spell goes past it or not. The dome of solid air and dome of trees always costs costs the same. The only ones where this really matters are the frost and fire domes.

Yes, this happens. Spell descriptions all tend to be accurate in what the spells do.

Re: Dome Question
 

Bump.

Doesn't anyone out there besides Graeme (and btw, thanks Graeme http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif ) have some answers to Incognito's original questions? I've also been wondering about dome strategy, myself, and would appreciate some insights.

One specific question, I've looked that description for the blood dome (Dome of Corruption), and it says that occasionally the mages inside the dome are attacked by Horrors. This sounds like a pretty expensive cost (all depending on the frequency of Horror attacks, of course) for keeping up a dome - do any MP players out there like the Dome of Corruption, and find it worth the occasional mage?

Re: Dome Question
 

Yeah, I'm curious about the numbers too. How often does the horror attack happen?

Re: Dome Question
 

I'm curious too. So I'm going to test it myself in SP. I'll report back soon! http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

Re: Dome Question
 

Typically if I put up a Dome I place them in order of free gems, but under the asumption that you have an equal # of gems and the mages to cast each and every Dome.

1.) Dome of Arcane Warding
2.) Dome of Solid Air
3.) Forest Dome
4.) Dome of Corruption (Rarely do I have it so it's Importance is factored by that)
5.) Frost Dome
6.) Dome of Flaming Death

You should note that I usually only dome 2-3 provinces in any game and I intend for them to Last or are a temporary bulwark against artillary spells. Typically under a Dome is either an Advancing Army/Supply Depot. Research Center, or Production Center.

In particular if you are fighting anyone with any real knowledge of how to use Murdering Winter or Fires from the Sky, these help you at key points.

Not enough so you'd notice I have found. Though I rarely am able to put up this kind of Dome and rarely do I not spend my Blood Slaves so this is a real option.

Re: Dome Question
 

In the case where one has multiple domes up, are spells applied on domes sequentially, until one dome is successful in repelling the spell?

If so, is the sequence a stack or a queue? I'd guess stack, both based on what seems intuitively appropriate and Zen's choice in ordering.

Again assuming that domes are ordered as a stack, it makes sense that Zen's ordering has Dome of Flaming Death cast Last, but it the surprises me that Dome of Arcane Warding is cast first. Since DoSA and FD both have a chance of being broken by incoming spells, wouldn't you want to cast DoAW after DoSA and FD? Also, sooner or later you'll have to recast DoAW anyhow, whereupon it would become top of the stack (at which point you might want to recast DoFD, I'd guess).

Re: Dome Question
 

Oh, and one more question (forgive me if the answer to this one is documented), based on the spell description I'd guess that the formula for duration on DoAW is:

1 + 1 turn/extra gem spent

Could someone confirm this for me?

Re: Dome Question
 

yes, that's correct. also applies to the cold and fire domes.

Re: Dome Question
 

The order in which you cast the domes has no impact. They are resolved in an order that is beneficial for the caster e.g. fire dome before astral dome before air dome.