[quote]Originally posted by Thufir:
One question out of the box: what does 'MM' mean?
Micromanagement.
[quote]
I can't argue against BK being more in need of tweakage, but I am still inclined to think that Tien S&A could be better than it is (without being unbalanced). From my rather limited experience, I would have to guess that few people are winning MP games with S&A - am I wrong?
Winning SP games has a lot more to do with starting position and diplomacy than it does with strength of theme.
It seems to me that the design intent of Tien AS is to be the best, of the mage oriented races/themes. I started my first SP game w/ TC after reading Zen's guide on the race (on Sunray's now locked site), and aesthetically it made it look like the kind setup I'd most enjoy in Dom 2.
IMO, the design intent of S&A is to reflect in Dominions terms a particular period of Chinese history - and to be different in game feel from standard T'ien Ch'i
If S&A were successfully implemented, I'd expect that in an MP game where no one gets screwed in the opening turns and the players are roughly equal, that S&A would be at a slight disadvantage in taking indies, and at a significant advantage in acquiring gem income and developing large numbers of useful mages.
Then by your definition S&A is already succesfully implemented.
Quote:
Originally posted by Cainehill:
Also, I'm sure I'm not the only one who despises the concept that a theme is only going to be viable if you totally trash your scales and make an ungodly SC, especially a VQ.
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I agree completely. Boron, with all due respect, I'd have to say that if your aproach is necessary to make the theme viable, then the theme is truly broken.
Boron's approach takes what may be a slightly underpowered theme and makes it completely unplayable. Its income will be so awful that it won't be able to take advantage of the superb S&A Celestial Masters, effectively reducing the entire nation to a single unit - not a winning strategy for any for any nation, as I'm surprised Cainehill didn't understand.
1) Increase accuracy of Demons of Heavenly Fire? I certainly have noticed their inaccuracy in SP play, and I'd think that would be crippling in MP play.
You should be increasing their accuracy yourself, using Aim and/or Wind Guide.
2) Increase the number of Demons of Heavenly River per summoning - perhaps with increased gem cost? It might be reasonable to do the same for DHF, as well.
Not unreasonable, although S&A well played can field quite respectable numbers of demons as it stands.
One thing I've been wondering - would it be reasonable for Mot5E to be recruitable in non-capital provinces?
Not from a thematic viewpoint, IMO.
I would also say that adding to S&A's gem income goes in the wrong direction. S&A can start it's clam hoarding earlier and easier than any other nation. On top of that, with a combination of a CM plus Mot5E, it gets a broad search team very easily, so should find it easier to search for sites than other nations. All in all, I expect that S&A would tend to be more gem rich than any other nation, as is.
Good points.