On the cusp...

[DominionsFan]

Lads, some old users here should moderate themselves. I find some replies a bit too harsh. I think that there is a more intelligent way to discuss in this thread.

[kimmitt]

Yeah, my tone was a bit grumpy; I was disappointed by the demo for Dom3.

I agree that the map generation is probably not a big deal; it just shocked me with the 3 minutes it took to do so. But the turn processing time means that I just can't justify buying the game to myself. I spent more time watching turns process than playing them, and this on the first few turns of a 5-person game in the demo.

My machine's a 2 GHz with 768 MB of RAM; my graphics aren't the best, but my problem isn't with graphics processing.

Anyways, I played the heck out of Dom2 and probably will continue to do so. I'm even enamoured of the "no save" aspect. I just can't justify shelling out for (or recommending to friends) a game that I won't end up playing due to the fact that I won't want to wait for turns to process. I figure Ilwinter deserves to know that.

[Nerfix]

I don't have any notable problems with turn processing, and when I get slow turn it's mostly thanks to having Ermor and Dreamlands R'lyeh on the same game.

Might be that I lived through Dom I turn processing speed where it could slow to the point the comp hang...

[Foodstamp]

kimmitt said:
Yeah, my tone was a bit grumpy; I was disappointed by the demo for Dom3.

I agree that the map generation is probably not a big deal; it just shocked me with the 3 minutes it took to do so. But the turn processing time means that I just can't justify buying the game to myself. I spent more time watching turns process than playing them, and this on the first few turns of a 5-person game in the demo.

My machine's a 2 GHz with 768 MB of RAM; my graphics aren't the best, but my problem isn't with graphics processing.

Anyways, I played the heck out of Dom2 and probably will continue to do so. I'm even enamoured of the "no save" aspect. I just can't justify shelling out for (or recommending to friends) a game that I won't end up playing due to the fact that I won't want to wait for turns to process. I figure Ilwinter deserves to know that.

There is something else going on here. If it is taking a while for a 5 player game to process there is something wrong not related to the game. My system is a little better than yours, but not too much better to where I should get drastically superior turn load times, but I do.

Now in games with medium+ maps, 15+ AI players, I get anywhere from 2-5 minute load times which are frustrating.

@curtadams: I think even you would agree that "several second" turn load times is a bit of a stretch for the normal single player game.

[Unwise]

My system is a little better than yours, but not too much better to where I should get drastically superior turn load times, but I do.

Not necessarily. A 2GHz Intel (especially if it's a Celeron) might be struggling to process all the battles on even a modest map. There is a lot of data being crunched.

On the "Glory of Gods" map (a big one) with all Early Era races represented, I have seen processing times of about a minute and a half and I am running a fairly beefy rig.

[Foodstamp]

Yes, but a 5 player map in the demo? I think there is something else going on with his system.

[Ozymandias]

Cross posting the same article three times stinks of troll. It is a natural that many readers would want to flame kimmett just on that ground. I prefer to starve trolls, but here I am posting anyway.

[alexti]

kimmitt said:
But the turn processing time means that I just can't justify buying the game to myself. I spent more time watching turns process than playing them, and this on the first few turns of a 5-person game in the demo.

My machine's a 2 GHz with 768 MB of RAM; my graphics aren't the best, but my problem isn't with graphics processing.

It doesn't sound right. I thought you were complaining about sluggish turn processing on turn 80 on a huge map. I've marginally better computer and turn processing in similar setup takes maybe 1-3 seconds...

[Ballbarian]

My only complaint regarding the map generation is the lack of options. Not that the maps it usually generates are bad, but it would be nice to be able to generate a land only map, or lower the ratio of mountains to plains and similar.

You already can!
From the main menu, select 'Game Tools', then select 'Random Map Creator'. From there you can set map:
width/height
province count
sea%
mountain%
ruggedness
rivers(not pretty)
impassable mountains
and finally antialiasing.

[Archonsod]

Heh, one of these days I'll get around to actually reading the manual...