[Altus]

Originally posted by Elmo:
So there are two differences mentioned so far:

No diplomacy with the AI in D2.
No control of tactical combat in D2.

In Dom2 the player can give his commanders a limited number of combat formation and tactical orders prior to a battle. I find this far more realistic than AoW: SM's hands on tactical battles where the player controls every troop's action in the heat of battle; no commander has ever had that much control in any field engagement. I also appreciate how this limited battle control speeds up gameflow and reduces tedium.

Originally posted by Elmo:
One similarity:

Weak AI.

The quality of the AI between the two are far apart IMO. I have logged over a hundred hours of playtime with SM and have a difficult time recalling a battle I have lost, even at Emperor difficulty level; I know have never lost an entire game. In Dom2, playing with default settings at Normal difficulty and configuring my game to the recommended number of AI opponents for a given map losing a battle is commonplace, and loss of a game is not a shock either .

I rank Dom2 within the top10 most challenging solo turnbased games I have ever played. I wish SM provided as much of a challenge.

Originally posted by Elmo:
Anyone else have something for comparison to help me decide whether to get D2 or not?

Graphically, SM is far superior to Dom2. It has excellent 2D graphics; Dom2 graphics are minimalist. I have friends who have been unable to get beyond the graphics and appreciate the gameplay depth.

SM is a great 'beer and pretzel' fantasy wargame. I've had a lot of fun with it. Dom2 is also a lot of fun, but in a more cerebral way. Often I need to take a break from Dom2 to relax; it can get that involving and complex. Many gamers play for relaxation, so this can be a negative. SM is a lighter gaming experience and may compare favorably in this light.

As its been stated elsewhere in this thread, SM and Dom2 are vastly different games, both fun in their way. Personally though, I prefer Dom2 because I find it more challenging and complex.

[ November 25, 2003, 14:43: Message edited by: Altus ]