[Kristoffer O]

Originally posted by Zerger:
Dominions is a very simple game. Nothing special in it. As I said it is average. Sure I like to play with it, that is not a question.
600 units? Guys don't be clowns. You know that most of the units are useless. You won't use more than 90% of those units. IW put in 1000 to Doms II. It is a great addition? To me: NO
I guess the IW scripter didn't wanted to add more complex things, like diplomacy. Instead they added 400 units. Yes it is lot more easier, that is for sure.
Spells? Heh yeah we have lot of spells. The problem is that you won't use the majority of these spells. Just like the units.
When you know what to do, you won't. Simple as you know what.
So what we have more other than a huge amount of useless units/spells? Basically nothing. That is the truth.
That is why I am pissed about Doms II. There won't be major gameplay additions. Too bad. New units, new spells....what a joke. Instead of 500 useless units, now we will have like 850.

In a single game I do not use more than 10% of the units in the game, but if I would like to play the game more than once and with a different nation I would probably use a lot more.

If you are a newbie you might play several games with the same nation before you figure out all benefits and drawbacks of the unit setup of that particular nation. True, some units are less useful than others, but I believe most units have some uses and you might encounter some as independents where this does not matter. I would say that less useful units add to gameplay or the feel of the game. Historically Romans did not use horses to any great extent and their cavalry was inferior to that of Carthage or Numidia, but still there was equestrians in the roman army. The relative strengths of Hastatii or Triarii is and was difficult to measure. Probably one of the two was stronger, but this didnt matter much. The triarii were used as rear guard a long time after the reformation of legionary army.

The uselessness is a matter of strength vs cost. In SP games where competition is less pronounced you might find a unit that you believe is better than other units and therefore avoid other units. On the other hand you can indulge yourself in making units for fun rather than because they are the most cost effective units in the game. In MP games most people try to make the most cost effective units in a given situation. Here you must adopt to your enemies tactics to avoid defeat. What first seemed a good units combination might be worthless because your opponent has come up with something.

Of course it is easier to make new units. It is also fun . As an old pen and paper RPG game master I gladly indulge myself in imagining things. Some of these things end up in Dominions. Other ideas are used in roleplaying, yet other ideas I use on my unwary students.

Some spells are rarely useful, but they do not take much coding to add. I can assure you that the amounts of time spent on adding spells is quite limited.

I really do not understand how you can be pissed at something you havn't tried. I have never eaten corned beef, but I couldn't say that I'm pissed at it . BTW is this language offensive to americans? If so I'm sorry and hope that Zerger also will moderate his tongue.

The most important change I would say is the UI, but perhaps you do not consider this important.