A Couple of Dom3 Questions
 

I've already ordered Dom3 so there's no need to compete over my sale, but I've got a few questions about the new incarnation of Dominions that have been naggling me. Perhaps one of the lucky posters who already has their copy can fill me in on some of the answers?

1. The Random Map Generator! How do they look (aesthetically) compared to the "normal" style of dom3 maps? How balanced are they in regards to starting positions and water races? How much control do you have over the generation a new map?

2. Horrors! Are they still so pathetic? I remember summoning a Horror to "annihilate any army not hiding in a fortress" and having it get its butt handed back to it by a few huskarls and a van. Not cool!

3. Is Tien'Chi a bit more... flavorful in any of its new eras? I'm a giant fan of HK/Chinese martial arts movies, and there's just so much material to draw on in that it seems terribly unfortunate to have the ancient Chinese-based faction come off so vanilla. Any Jiangshi, demon-summoning eunuch sorcerors, or ancient kung-fu masters to be found? http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/laugh.gif

4. ... Which leads me to the modding tools. I created one of the first complete mods (including decent art!) for Dom2, the Ashikaga Shogunate (now replaced by Shinuyama, I guess), and might have interest in creating another such mod for dom3. How much more is it possible to mod now than before? Do you only need to replace one era of a nation? Can you mod sites to provide capitol-only units? Can you create new spells or rename old ones?

Thanks! And congratulations to Illwinter on what is apparently their most popular version of Dominions yet!

Re: A Couple of Dom3 Questions
 

1. My first game was on a random map. To be honest, it looks -very- good, much more polished than I was expecting. Little random bits of scenery, no quirks in terms of land masses that made no sense or were inaccessible, no bad starting positions for my Dreamlands water-based army... Overall, I was very impressed.

2. No idea. Haven't gotten that far.

3. T'ien Chi is pretty much as it was before. The three themes are, afaik, largely unchanged from before. That said, I think Shinuyama does a good job of filling the demon-sumoning niche. I think they're much more your style in that respect.

4. I'm still playing the base game, having just gotten it today. Impressions on modding much later. I imagine the beta testers might be more useful here. ;-)

Re: A Couple of Dom3 Questions
 

1. Random map generator is not bad looking at all. On it you can even see some special sites that aren't hidden, clearly spot farmlands, swamps and other features you would expect to see. They aren't as good as some artists can make them, but they are very nice looking and very playable. I have found myself using RMG all the time recently.

2. Horrors are probably the only unit type that got as much boost in Dom3. Actually, there are some really powerful and special horrors that will attack most powerful units (one is called 'Eater of Gods'). However, I'm not sure if you can wish for those and then send them against enemy. Anyway expect some nasty horrors in Dom3.

3. Tien Chi has undergone some changes but it mainly remained the same. There is warrior of five elements in Early Age Tien Chi that is close to those kung-fu masters but they use 2 swords instead of hands.

4. There is no need to replace any nation. You can now add nations to any era and play with them together with all standard Dom3 nations. Moding has improved a lot, actually there is so much new handy things regarding moding that it's hard to list them here. First thing that falls on my mind is ability to copy existing unit with all its abilities and then mod it which makes editing much easier. Moding has changed across the board so it's best to wait for your copy of Dom3 to see changes that will interest you.

Re: A Couple of Dom3 Questions
 

http://www.dom3minions.com/RandomMaps/X/thumbnails.html
The top maps are done by the Dom3 generator. Click on one to see a full view. The others were done by the old DomMap program

Thumbnail strips of various test runs.
http://lab.dom3minions.com/~dom3/map...les/_index.jpg
http://lab.dom3minions.com/~dom3/map...ine/_index.jpg
http://lab.dom3minions.com/~dom3/maps/T/_index.jpg
http://lab.dom3minions.com/~dom3/maps/S/_index.jpg
http://lab.dom3minions.com/~dom3/maps/M/_index.jpg
http://lab.dom3minions.com/~dom3/maps/L/_index.jpg
http://lab.dom3minions.com/~dom3/maps/H/_index.jpg
http://lab.dom3minions.com/~dom3/maps/E/_index.jpg
http://lab.dom3minions.com/~dom3/maps/X/_index.jpg
http://lab.dom3minions.com/~dom3/maps/I/_index.jpg

Here is one of the Insane Maps. 1500 provinces
http://lab.dom3minions.com/~dom3/maps/I/insane15.jpg

Re: A Couple of Dom3 Questions
 

Ahh, you beat me to it Gandalf. I was going to post a link to your Dom3 generated maps. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

Also worth mentioning that KO showed an interest in making the random map sprites moddable! *Droooools* http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/image...ies/tongue.gif

Re: A Couple of Dom3 Questions
 

I tested this some time ago. I can summon the new Doom Horrors, but I can't decide who comes. The one who comes might not like the summoner. Even if it obeys, it usually vanishes after one fight. I could always get a Slave to Unreason, who doesn't seem to want to obey my orders to move out of my capital. In addition, in the test game random units became Feeble-minded just for being in the same place as the horrors. Of perhaps in the province where the horrors were summoned to. Nasty stuff.

I'm not sure how the Lesser Horrors have been changed, or Horrors in general.

Re: A Couple of Dom3 Questions
 

Horror Mark also stacks now from what I hear. Stronger HM and bigger creature -> larger chance of summoning stronger Horrors. I think my most beloved Doom Horror, Umor the Eater of Gods likes to go after pretenders. Umor has True Ethereality which makes him hard to hit even with magic weapons and non-astral spells. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

Re: A Couple of Dom3 Questions
 

Only in two of his three forms.

EDITED, it's two of his forms, not just one

Re: A Couple of Dom3 Questions
 

I've never had any complaints about regular Horrors in Dom2. Maybe that Van got lucky? Lesser Horrors are only good for clearing PD before sending in the ghouls, or in bulk.

Re: A Couple of Dom3 Questions
 

Regular Horrors are pretty nasty... except against the undead.