What is really new?
 

Just stumbled over the anouncement that Dom 3 is approaching release. Then read the features list and looked at the screenshots. Big disappointment.

What is really new in Dom 3 compared to Dom 2? The graphics seem to be largely unchanged (at least they are as horrible as in Dom 2). Ok, I also do not care too much for graphics. So what are the revolutonary changes in game mechanics? Frankly, I cannot find them. Everything is just Dom 2 with some minor improvements like you would expect from a bonus patch or at best from an extension. Is there anything really important which is truly new?

Re: What is really new?
 

This is a sequel. It is a sequel I enjoy playing much, much more. There are many new nations. There are many new ideas. Balance has been changed considerably. It's harder to rely only on summons, and almost all of the buff spells have been changed in one way or another (e.g. Breath of Winter doesn't kill, Fire Shield is weaker and higher in the research level, all protection-increasing spells result in increased vulnerability against one of the elements, or poison), there are now nation-spesific spells that have to be researched so that Jotun player can't cast Illwinter on turn 7, and it gives many other nations access to very cool national spells.

I can't give you one big chance. I can tell you of a game that is much better than its prequel.

Re: What is really new?
 

It's true, the basic mechanics and engine are largely unchanged.

That doesn't mean there isn't a ton of things for dominions players to look forward to. Having played dom3, and going back for an occasional dom2 game, you really feel the difference. It's a lot of little things added together that make it a new game, not one big thing you can point to (personally, I would have been disappointed if they had opted to spend much time revamping the graphics engine instead).

If I was to point to the most 'stand out' new changes, I think it would have to be the new random system, the gold/resource/fort changes, and concept of eras. Each of these changes the way the game is played quite dramatically. The first opens up new ways for each nation to (and each type of mage) to be more unique. The second makes for larger battles, and gives lighter troops a real niche. And the last one gives the whole game a great sense of history, each age has a story and a unique feel, and add to dominions already epic feeling.

These aren't the only things, there are other new features and details too numerous to mentions (the age system, reworked routing to make more sense, gods can awaken, random maps, darkvision, magic site modding, rebalance of summons, armor spells give vulnerabilities, you can now reduce province defense on the turn you buy it, astral horrors much more unique and deadly, when you create a game it now takes your there automatically rather than back to the main screen, satyrs causing unrest, hordes of new units, spells, nations and items, blood hunting difficulty linked to magic site frequency, death blessing reworked, more tool-tips/transparency in the interface, etc.).

If you are looking for something that looks and plays radically different from dom2, you won't find it. Myself, I'm just glad they kept what made dom2 so great, and made it better.

Re: What is really new?
 

Well, if you play SP, just that the AI builds castles will get them attack you with different armies for each nation instead of everyone attacking you with the same crap (slingers, militia, etc).
It was odd that ashen empire attacks you with tons of light units and that an army of vanheim had only a very few national units (skin shifters, hirdman).
I hope that now they bless their units or design a god to have fire 9 instead of 8, or instead of lvl 3 lvl 4.

Re: What is really new?
 

The Awakening mechaning seems to have changed the game dynamics quite a bit too.

Re: What is really new?
 

Improved AI is a huge deal for me. The graphics were improved, by the way. If you were looking for something like Warcraft 2 -> Warcraft 3, well, you're not dealing with Blizzard here.

So OP: I'm curious, besides graphics, what were you looking for in improvements?

Re: What is really new?
 

More units, more spells, more nations, more themes, more items, better AI, and improved modding ability. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/smile.gif

Re: What is really new?
 

Damn good thing, too. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/image...ies/tongue.gif

Re: What is really new?
 

I second that

Re: What is really new?
 

Why the Blizzard dislike? They've made quality games if you ask me.