Dom-III discussion at GalCiv

[baby_arm]

we're very appreciative that Brad started a thread about Dom 3 on his forums.

And had it on the front page no less. It's also worth noting what he wrote further in the thread:

I think Domininions 2 is the best fantasy strategy game that has ever been made. It has depth, it has expandability. And while some may not like the graphics, the entire game is easily moddable and third parties have made some incredibly cool stuff for it.

I have no doubt that Dominions 3 will be the same sort of thing. It's a great game.

I also am very certain that there is a significant subset of GalCiv II players who are likely to enjoy Dominions just as I think there's a lot of Dominions players who are likely to enjoy GalCiv.

But more to the point -- we're all on the same side here. Shrapnel and co. are our kind of people. We should do what we can to support them. The world is a better place with games like Dominions.

If fantasy strategy or hard core strategy games like Dominions aren't your cup of tea, that's fine. But I think it's a great game and the people who make it and the community around it is wonderful IMO.

edit: That's the best sort of endorsement I could imagine. I wonder what Sid Meier thinks of Dominions...

[WraithLord]

You have probably played GC-II considerably longer then I have, for my personal experience with its AI was that it's very tough. Maybe the fact that dominions doesn't support diplomacy has something to do with the GC-II fans complaints

I agree that it's much harder to write an AI to dom since it's more complex (and less motivation to do so, since it's more MP oriented).

Ahhm, I have to say that I share your sentiment of disappointment, it reminds of when I've tried to tell ppl in the AOW forums how great dom is

[quantum_mechani]

Even somewhat negative discussion is a lot better than the absolutely zero response I have gotten posting about dom3 on Apolyton...

[PDF]

Just posted my views at GC2

[PDF]

Even if there hasn't been a huge rewrite of the AI codewise between Dom2 and 3, it has been improved significantly (the AI build castles, doesn't take scales as destructive, builds better troops also), and the Dom3 setting is much more AI-friendly : more gold, more resources mean more conventional armies, that play a bigger role up to the mid-game. PD is also usually bigger and allows for a defensive boost in the early stages also.
In my few Dom3 test games I've had difficulties to just survive the 20 first turns vs "difficult" AIs when playing on a crowded map (Silent seas with 5-7 nations).
Very good so far

[DominionsFan]

Nice to hear this lads. Well I was playing TCP/IP MP games in Doms 2 mainly. However I used to play SP games as well, when my friends had no time to play an MP game. So it is nice to hear about all these AI improvements.
Maybe the Galciv 2 players will like Doms 3. with this upgraded AI.
Great job IW!

[Meglobob]

I am a newbie to Dominions, arrived here via Brads/Frogboy/Draginals's (he likes his alter egos) link. So any publicity or discussion on any other forum is good for Dominions, it will attract new blood (no not new bloodslaves ) to the game.

I am a huge Galactic Civilizations 2 fan, very few games retain my interest after 40+ games and six months playing, but I still love playing GC2. GC2 has been a great success, plans exist for 2 expansions and there will be a GC3. The community on the GC forums is argumentative, very demanding and easy to criicize, must be a sci-fi thing. The community on here seem altogether nicer. I think Stardock r too soft/easy going when arguments/debate gets out of hand.

Brad was right about there being a potiential crossover between GC2 and Dom3. After downloading the Dom2 demo and playing it for a week, I could not pre-order Dom3 fast enougth. It's strange that alot of negative comment was placed on the thread, because Dominions looks a great game to me and a recent poll of Stardock's asking which new game they should develop, came out overwhealmingly in favour of a fantasy strategy game.

AI wise, I would not even compare the two together. GC2 has the best AI in the pc gaming world, while Dominions went from the opposite side, concentrating on being a multiplayer game to adding AI on. As both games develop perhaps they will travel 2 different paths meeting in the same place, ie...both good AI and multiplayer. It would be better to compare Dominions AI to Heros Of Might & Magic, Age Of wonders and Disciples. In such a comparsion Dominions AI is not that bad and can provide a decent enough challenge to hold a players interest, especially at impossible level.

Dominions strengths r its huge depth, excellent game design, playability and re-playability and the helpful Dominions community.

[DominionsFan]

Meglobob said:

GC2 has the best AI in the pc gaming world

I don't want to be rude, but the Galciv AI is pretty much average. I've installed the game again to try it out with the latest patch. I steamrolled the AI on the hardest level...and I wasn't playing for lot of weeks.

[PDF]

DominionsFAN said:

I don't want to be rude, but the Galciv AI is pretty much average. I've installed the game again to try it out with the latest patch. I steamrolled the AI on the hardest level...and I wasn't playing for lot of weeks.

I won't be so definitive : in GC the AI is surprinsingly "intelligent" strategically, enters into diplomacy with more or less good results (for it), but falls into "traps" that are easy to design by players.
In Dom1-3 the AI is totally brainless, can't be reasoned with, but produces things and send them to attack you: sometimes it even win !

[Meglobob]

DominionsFAN said:

I don't want to be rude, but the Galciv AI is pretty much average. I've installed the game again to try it out with the latest patch. I steamrolled the AI on the hardest level...and I wasn't playing for lot of weeks.

Interesting...u must be a extremly good player to do this with GC2 1.3, what lvl were the AI's on? Sucidal is the highest (but its cheating, 200% universal bonus to everything), I think tough is where it plays exactly as the player does, without cheating (individual AI setting ultimate), I can not name another pc game which plays better without cheating, can u?

In Dominions is the AI cheating on impossible level? If so by how much and in what way?

I personally do not care how a AI puts up a challenge to me in any SP game, wether it cheats or not. So long as the game is entertaining and interesting.

Please note I am not attacking Dominions in any way, I like the game or I would not have pre-ordered Dominions 3. I am a DominionsFAN too...