Historical Question
 

What was the biggest advancement from dom2 to dom3?

Re: Historical Question
 

The better question is what is the biggest advancement from Dom3 over Dom1?

Random maps.

The reason I say this is because, as an SP player, I simply skipped Dom2. I was interested in gameplay, not fancy graphics, and I didn't see any significant improvement in Dom2 over Dom1.

Dom3's introduction of customizable, randomly generated maps was a huge improvement for me. I like small (50 province) games, but how many times can you play the same small map without getting bored?

(I can't stand big maps because it's just too aggravating to run an empire that large. I can see how it would be fun in MP where you play one turn per day, but it doesn't work at all in SP.)

Re: Historical Question
 

I agree. The maps. And the expansion on the size of maps.
Yes 1500 provinces is a lot of map to play out. Or it was when I requested it.
But now we are up to (100?) nation slots? Thats only 15 provinces per player.
By the games definitions 15/player is only a medium sized map :)

Re: Historical Question
 

So anyone got anything other than map size?

Re: Historical Question
 

I have played all three versions. I like Dom2 better.
You had slightly more options on where to spend points. (Themes).

I like water mages giving water breathing. I prefer the old blood major bless. I prefer how vampires and vampire queens were.

Re: Historical Question
 

Well, the nice thing about the game is, it's not that hard to make your own version of vampires and vamp queens, and if it's good enough, it's likely that people will accept it, since I don't think anyone is in particular love with the current vanilla versions.

You don't even have to do the sprites, they're already done.

Re: Historical Question
 

The addition of new maps, random map generator, and most of all, all the new nations. The game is basically the same (although it undergoes iterations all the time... as it always has), but the amount of content has expanded greatly.

Re: Historical Question
 

I never played dom 2 or 3, but even in dom 3 itself there have been many advances in modding and unit limits, and many additional nations. So I would say probably the biggest advances have been made to the number of options you have available to you as a player, as to how you can play the game.

Re: Historical Question
 

For me, the UI improvements are the biggest draw. Especially the automatic tax setting and shift-click to recruit ten units.

Re: Historical Question
 

Seconded! I also like the ability to quickly pool all of the slaves from my blood hunters. Blood-hunting was so much micromanagement in Dom1 (Dom:PPP) that it almost wasn't worth the hassle. Now it's much easier.

Monthly casting is another great improvement, especially when applied to site-searching spells.

Finally, the continual updates to the content and the active modding community make sure that I'll never get bored with the game. Ever. I'll probably still be playing Dom3 ten years from now.... :D