A general inquiry about Dom 3 gaming habits.

CelestialGoblyn · #1 June 24th, 2007, 12:46 AM

I mostly play:
small random map - because I like things simple and easily manageable
6 Mighty AI opponents - because I am a masochist type of a person and I enjoy losing the game after a hard fight. I'm also steadily improving and it will be good fun when I'll win.
Always try a different facion - I like variety

I set some my opponents to play human, medieval-type factions because I enjoy fighting humans much more than monsters. I also like to set my opponents to be 'in character' for my faction, for example if I play Utgard then Midgard will be amongst my opponents.

I enjoy using large armies of good troops and experimenting with thugs and SC's. I like to go a different way in every game. In some, I'll be all SC's, in others i'll use chaff+wizards, in others I'll summon trolls.

Tuidjy · #2 June 24th, 2007, 01:07 AM

I play Parganos against 7 impossible AIs in single player. The favorite setup
with my friends is Parganos with 4-5-6 players. (That's how many of us there are)
On here, I look for games with less than 10 players, with no more than 15-20
province per player.

Archonsod · #3 June 24th, 2007, 01:34 AM

I prefer to come up with the perfect, unbeatable plan, then deviate from it as much as possible until my inevitable defeat.

Failing that, I often enjoy setting little challenges for myself. Like totally forgetting to assign magic to a Pretender, or forgetting that the cool sounding guy I saved in the Pretender Designer was designed to play Ulm in a specific way, and is completely useless for trying to play LA Ermor for example.

If I'm feeling particularly vicious, I sometimes even play a turn for one game while pretending I'm actually playing another game entirely, thus relying on research and items I don't have yet.

jutetrea · #4 June 24th, 2007, 02:14 AM

SP Fan of larger maps with as much random/special provinces as popular. Love the mid-late game transition, which unfortunately the AI can't handle too well. Love SCs/thugs/heroes, can almost play like an RPG... favorite unit gets a bit of experience, gets new items, takes on whole armies solo or leads your armies vs nasty specials or huge AI nations. I like to cheat on behalf of the AI when possible, but at the same time i'll restart when a favored SC or God dies stupidly.

In MP I'm finding that I'm not a huge fan of the hour long micro sessions around turn 70+. Still relatively new to it so I think i'll try out some <10 player maps or blitz games.

Don't play SP at all any more except to test stuff, especially new mods/nations.

Still liking MP though, although hate having to wait for my next turn.

Roghain · #5 June 24th, 2007, 02:35 AM

I don't MP. I don't have the skill so I am a worthless opponent - there would be little challenge.

I enjoy playing a huge map as random as possible. I find the must fun for me comes from trial and error - playing a nation/age never tried before and making it work. I dislike the graphs so I turn them off, otherwise I become pre-occupied with finding a counter-strategy for the (then) known opponents. i develop my ow (for better or more likely worse) and damn the torp... uhm... black knights.
I haven't touched the full depth of the game so I am not bothered with mods - though I am rather curious about the Greyhawk mod, as I am a GH fan from day one (yes, I am THAT old)

Horst F. JENS · #6 June 25th, 2007, 11:23 AM

Quote:

If I'm feeling particularly vicious, I sometimes even play a turn for one game while pretending I'm actually playing another game entirely, thus relying on research and items I don't have yet.

Awesome ! You're my hero

hnchrist3 · #7 June 24th, 2007, 09:15 PM

I like a slow but steady approach. When you expand too quickly, you also collapse quickly, especially if you start near another player.

When I take a province, it will take great power to get it away from me.

Endoperez · #8 June 25th, 2007, 03:59 AM

I've been playing Dominions series for a long time now. I think I started with Conquest of Elysium II... Any way, I enjoy the games where I'm in a weak position the most. I like the challenge. Not necessarily the challenge of multiplayer games, but the games where I'm e.g. Mictlan (whose own troops are rather weak, with few exceptions) trying to quickly research Blood to get some summons that would keep me alive against the several AI nations coming my way in a map too small for all of us. As such, especially in SP I usually remember my few defeats better than my many wins. The games never get to the "I've won, now I just have to play the 50 turns to finish this".

Also, I'd like to use victory point condition in all my games so that the games are finished without me having to go and kill everyone everywhere, but that also means that the AI can only win by defeating me, as it doesn't value VP provinces enough.

JaghataiKhan · #9 June 24th, 2007, 05:58 AM

Quote:

Gandalf Parker
-- After years of playing Dominions I have not come up with a winning strategy, but I have found hundreds of ways to lose in creative and interesting ways.

I laughed hard.

For a Mod, you seems to be very active in forum likewise.

Anyway, you guys are interesting gamers.
Celestial Goblyn's "Roleplaying" style opponent setting is a good one.I do the same, with Playing R'Lyeh against Atlantis and Oceania.

Crafty · #10 June 24th, 2007, 09:59 AM

I'm very much like the OP.

Large maps get very tiresome.

On the other hand, small maps are boring, and the AI is very weak on it. You swamp and kill them before they can even do anything.

Medium maps seem to best compromise. I like to play 3-4 opponents medium automap. I wish there was a custom map with about 60-80 land provinces. The automap takes a while to generate.

Silent seas is close with 45 provinces, but a bit too small if i want to play with more opponents.