Can those who have the game now...

[Joonie73]

POST INTERESTING INFO? PLEASE?

[Joonie73]

Darn it! Is everyone already playing?!!!

[trebuchet]

Yes, I think most of us are.

I have mostly been interested in the new Ermor themes, and trying out various things with them. Soul Gate seems very nice to start with - *starting* with ethereal troops is quite the advantage - though at this point I haven't seen any sacred troops. Ashen Empire Ermor, though, with the Knights of the Unholy Citadel and a pretender that is loaded with magic (Ermor has lots of points) may be even better. Though I don't think their base priests have a "Bless" spell, I'm sure that can be worked around

[trebuchet]

Thus far, one difficulty with Ermor I've had already that was never a factor in Dom I is a lack of leaders. They still generate undead troops in provinces of their own dominion (in Ashen Empire and Soul Gate), but there are no handy spontaneous Mound Kings to ferry them around.

One improvement is that the Longdead Velites carry, and use, javelins. Javelins in Dom II seem generally improved to me, and this makes Ermor more interesting, tactically, than they were before.

[Joonie73]

I have so many questions but...

What are the nations with level 4 priests other than Pythium?

Also, how deep into the game have you gotten? Is AI competitive even toward end game?

[trebuchet]

Can't answer the first question... with regard to the second question, the AI isn't competetive in the early game. This means that even if it were very good at endgame tactics, it would tend to arrive at the endgame with a significant disadvantage.

In some ways the AI is improved over Dom I. However some of these improvements seem to have been passed by as far as changes to the game. Independent archers, for example, more intelligently target the back ranks where leaders and mages are to be found; on the other hand, missile precision seems to have been downgraded between Dom I and II to where you can no longer hit at the same range.