Your favorite nations / themes -- and why! please participate!

[Kel]

I still experiment a lot but so far, I like Arco, Aby and Miasma the best.

I play Aby when I want a fast start via a blood nation (occasionally BF Ulm but mostly Aby). Small maps, blitzes, etc. Not a lot of micro, not a lot of re-scripting mages, etc. but still effective.

I play Miasma because I like the potential for tartarians and the Miasma effect helps me get to them and can otherwise be a nice MP tool. I also like Miasma because I think they are a bit of a challenge (compared to Aby and Arc, anyway), due to their, imo, abysmal national troops. Otoh, I love marshmasters. I probably play Miasma the most, of the three, since I feel like I haven't *quite* got my finger on them yet

I play Arco (mostly default but sometimes GE) when I want to do well and have tons of time to script mages, complicated communions, teleports,, excessive artifacting, etc. I don't play them defensively but I think more long term with them (large or underpopulated maps).

I don't really dislike any nations except maybe dead Ermor(AE or SG), for reasons that would only spark a dead horse debate

- Kel

[Norfleet]

Meh. Why the big fuss about Ermor? Plenty of nations spank Ermor easily.

[Stormbinder]

Originally posted by Norfleet:
Meh. Why the big fuss about Ermor? Plenty of nations spank Ermor easily.

Clearly some people are always looking for the dead horse.


As for the favorite race - I've recently fall in love with Vanheim, great nation that plays quite differently from the rest. Before that it was Abyssia (main theme), Jotuns(Niefel theme) and Pythium.

[Norfleet]

Originally posted by Stormbinder:
Clearly some people are always looking for the dead horse.

Yes, well, let's not forget:

In Soviet Russia, dead horse beats you!

[tinkthank]

Originally posted by Gandalf Parker:
Overall Id say it looks great. No real "zeros", and the default themes are generally ahead of the sub-themes. I think thats how the developers wanted it. And its rather an amazing achievment.
I know of alot of games with only 3 or 5 choices that got it so messed up that a poll like this would end up with nearly 100% all agreeing on one.

Yes, I think this is very good.
No votes for CotS, which I find totally acceptable -- it is the 3rd theme, after all. None for BK, which does not surprise me -- I, however, am one of those people who draw "need for tweakage" conclusions from this.
Abysia's popularity surprises me too, although I voted for them myself -- and I would have asked "who voted for BoH??" (which I dislike) had Cohen not elaborated.
Of all the default themes, only Atlantis (which has no theme) seems hurting. Any feelings on this?
S&A got more votes than default -- hm.

I would also like to hear more from Arco players about why -- I have actually never finished or even got into an Arco game. Despite their having a very strong team and some of the best cost-effective mages in the game (mystics), I have found them to be just very unsexy, and never found them cool enough to "enjoy". Powerful, yes, but fun?

In this light, it is worthy to note that a very few number of people like their Favorites because of power -- rather more, because of fun; I would like to know what the Arco players think about this.

Anyhow, thanks much for all your feedback and participation!

I do hope that I can pull one conlcusion from this poll (not that it needed any corroboration...):

GREAT GAME, DEVELOPERS!!! NICE JOB!!!!

[HotNifeThruButr]

Well, I voted default Tien Chi (means air or sky in Chinese, I forgot which.) and default Pangaea, since both are FUN FUN FUN.

[Norfleet]

Originally posted by tinkthank:
Of all the default themes, only Atlantis (which has no theme) seems hurting. Any feelings on this?

Probably because in a tossmatch between Atlantis and R'lyeh....rarely is there enough ocean space on a map for BOTH, R'lyeh usually wins the toss for what to play, for both thematic niftiness and ability. Once the next player sees R'lyeh is in the game, the oceans are then too crowded for both of them.

There's also the fact that Atlantis, by necessity, is pushed in the direction of clamhoarding, due to the limited number of effective behaviors one can engage in with primarily Water magic, and most of these aren't big gem-consumers, with the exceptions of clam hoarding, or Sea King hoarding, the latter of which necessitates a rather antagonistic behavior pattern which can be potentially counterproductive to long-term survival in MP.

S&A got more votes than default -- hm.

This in spite of being a turmoil theme: The authorities I've spoken to still believe S&A is better than the standard theme. I tend to agree, as their mages are much better. The turmoil still bites, though.

I would also like to hear more from Arco players about why -- I have actually never finished or even got into an Arco game. Despite their having a very strong team and some of the best cost-effective mages in the game (mystics), I have found them to be just very unsexy, and never found them cool enough to "enjoy". Powerful, yes, but fun?

Probably because the lack of consistency in the mages means that any mystic you hire will be a random crapshoot of magic paths, so you can't slap on a one-size-fits-all config. This turns Arco mage-management into a micromanagement hell that tends to push most people beyond their tolerance for pain.

In this light, it is worthy to note that a very few number of people like their Favorites because of power -- rather more, because of fun; I would like to know what the Arco players think about this.

ARCO IS SHINY! How can you resist the potential to be able to play with every single magic toy in the game, through your widely varied magic paths that give you just about anything, if you hire enough of them and summon the right ones? With only a little pretender aid, Arco has access to any magic in the game: IT IS SHINY! OOH! SHINY!