Help a newbie out!

[Targa]

Hi all. I'm fairly new to the game, and have been avidly reading the Posts in this forum. My first questions is actually not about the game, but the forum itself. Is there a way to make Messages appear in a first-to-Last configuration? Currently, when I view a thread, the first (top-most) message is the LAST reply posted, rather than the "Thread-starter". This is the opposite of any forum that I've ever seen.

Anyways...on to the game. I've gone through the "newbie walkthrough" that's posted everywhere (and seems to be the ONLY walkthrough for this game). That BARELY scratches the surface, as you no doubt know. I've played a little as Jotunheim (from the walkthrough), and more recently as Marignon. I guess my real question is this: How do you guys/gals figure out all this stuff? Is it just trial-and-error? Reading some of the Posts about the strengths and weaknesses of various nations, as well as what could be termed "advanced tactics" leaves me bewildered as to how you can figure all this out.

Let me be clear that I am not new to gaming, and have been playing computer games since Commodore came out with the C64. I've been letting the computer handle all the battle orders/spells/formations (other than placing troops in front of my commanders on the little green screens). Trying to decide what schools of magic to give my Pretender when creating him, deciding what to research, figuring out what type of units are good against which AI enemy, etc, etc... Is all this knowledge just an accumulation of hours upon hours of playing or what?

What I've been doing is (I know) very basic. Recruit commanders/armies/researchers. Search for magic sites. Patrol where unrest is found. Build alot of temples. Build forts/labs 3 provinces away from starting fort (bc of the resource-drain thing on connected provinces). And basically just try to build armies that can conquer other provinces. The most "advanced" thing I've done is to use "Fires from Afar" (or whatever it is named) to bLast armies in a far away province before attacking them.

I know it's impossible to make a comprehensive guide to this game, since it is so complicated, but even basic things seem not to be covered. For example, when I first started playing, I set ALL the other factions to "normal AI". That game ended fast! Haha! The most recent game, I only "turned on" about 4 "normal AI" and 3 "easy AI" nations, which has been moderately easier to play. I found the tip about making indies stronger, used it, and that helps too. So it comes down to this: "How do you learn this game?"

Any suggestions?

[onomastikon]

Hello, this a short reply from a fellow "newbie".

First question I posed yesterday, and the answers I received I still havent understood yet, thread is somewhere here "stupid technical questions about this forum".

As to how to play: Yes, hours of playing helped me, as well as reading some of the Posts here. Cherry's Newbie Thread is very helpful.
Start with "easy AI".
Experiment. I have tried lots of different startup scenarios (build-a-god) with "identical" strategies afterwards (e.g. make guy X prophet on turn 1, attack Y on turn 2) as well as the exact opposite: try the same starting setup and do different things with it, and I have learned from both.
Sorry I am still a newbie too.

[Targa]

One other question also: How to decide what to research, and up to what level? There are SO many cool spells...

[ January 22, 2004, 16:20: Message edited by: Targa ]

[onomastikon]

Originally posted by Targa:
One other question also: How to decide what to research, and up to what level? There are SO many cool spells...

Well like I said I'm still a newbie, but maybe this helps (if you dont think it is a stupid answer):
Experiment!
I say this because there is no way of saying which schools are better because we don't know what race/theme you are playing, and researching the same will have different results for different races.
A wise person here once suggested to me for Man and Ulm to do some nice Construction research, and that helps. I like Alteration with nature and earth and/or fire Users. Conjuration is good too. If you have a lot of fire Users, you might want Evokation. Do you like to "buff" your units? Then try some enchantment. I usually research Conjuration until 3 to get the "summon power of" spells, then switch to alteration, maybe evocation 1-2, then construction; once I get these four schools to a halfway decent level (3-4), I go with construction and alteration (playing Man, Pangaia, and Machaka), because low reasearch goes fast, specialst doesnt.
But this is me being a newbie. Sorry hope that helps.

[Gandalf Parker]

I dont want to sound all mistical or anything but if anyone answers you at this point you would probably not like the results. This game isnt so much about learning how to play everything, as it is about learning which of the 100's of different ways to play will fit you best.

Play the different nations. They all have things they do well and things they fail at. For now dont worry about the gods and magic so much as which race seems to fit your style. When you have that then giving tips on pretender, magic, equip, tactics will be alittle easier.

Yes Jotun seems the only walkthru offered at the moment. Maybe you could do another for us.

[Targa]

I guess this thread is going to rapidly fill up with everything I don't know about this game.

I was just reading Apoger's thread, and in part of it he states: "Upon entering combat cast Astral Tempest - Body Ethereal - Personal Luck - Astral Shield - Twist Fate - then "cast spells". Make sure you have at least 4 pearls on the Golem for the castings".

Since you have no battle control during "host", how can you cast specific spells in a specific order like this? Or for that matter, take specific actions? I know you can "set orders". Do these orders "stack sequentially" if you continue to issue new orders? Thnx.