Mod: Dominions 3000 v0.81 - lots of new indies, new map (using the brand new map commands)

[Fate]

Ok, some further thoughts.

The Orcs are VERY powerful. If you can get 1 province to 7+ dom and put just a few heroes in it you can get a full army every turn. On top of that the Orcish blasters are very powerful. Significant numbers of Orcish Shooters can take down just about anything. IDK about the summons, but just the basic orcs can really tear stuff up.

I still think the Common Wealth is underpowered. All their better belee troops are missing the all powerful shield. Also, their shield does nothing against the Neoclidean lasers (they get chopped down mercilessly). The only advantage to the Common Wealth is the ease with which they can defend territories. The turrets output ~20 AP rounds a turn, so two of them are normally sufficient to defend against most armies (with a little PD to catch enemy fire). Offensively I was helpless until I got Falling Frost, and even then I had to sacrifice swarms of my Teachers just to get close enough to cast it.

This could also all be a reflection of Neoclidia, which I think is very powerful. The recruitables are good, especially anything with a laser. A group of 20 heavy lasers can take down anything, including space worms. The tramplers are useless because of the speed with which chaff is destroyed in this game and the generally large enemies (especially the indies). I think their cheapest militia unit having mindblast is a little overpowered. Unless you really swarm them or attack with very high MR units you are dead, because they can mindblast entire armies into oblivion.

Then Neoclidia has powerful summons. I generally find the ranged more powerful for the above reason (if you get 40+ mindblasters there is really nothing the enemy can do). I was a bit confused at the way the summons ramped up. Because the higher level summons give you better Old Ones AND more Old Ones/gem there is really no reason to ever cast the lower level spells after that. Of course, some of the higher ones require more paths, but that logic doesn't apply to the lowest level versions which are easily researched and each makes the preceding version completely obsolete.

I also thought Neoclidia had no need whatsoever for the (admittedly very nice) space ships, because most their normal units (and certainly their best units) can go into space anyway. I would probably suggest making the standard troops significantly weaker in space, and maybe even weakening the Old Ones in space, both to restrict Neoclidia a bit more and to force them to use the battle stations.


And a small bug on the map, province 38 is connected to 25 (a planet on the far right to the center of jupiter). I found this out just in time to take advantage of it, :P

Still a very entertaining Mod, thanks guys!

[Darkwind]

@Fate: Yay! Someone's using Neoclidia! Now on to the post itself...

Originally Posted by Fate

All their better belee[I think that should be melee] troops are missing the all powerful shield.

Though, Neoclidian troops don't really have shields either. I guess Neoclidia makes up for it with range.

This could also all be a reflection of Neoclidia, which I think is very powerful. The recruitables are good, especially anything with a laser. A group of 20 heavy lasers can take down anything, including space worms.

Looking at the Heavy Lasers, 12 bonus attack, 1 bonus defense, and 18 AP damage is admittedly a lot. Toned down now (lower range, -1 defense versus 1 defense, 3 vs 12 attack). What was I thinking, for only 9 resources?

The tramplers are useless because of the speed with which chaff is destroyed in this game and the generally large enemies (especially the indies).

I can live with Shoggoths being a niche unit. Against something like the Orcs, though, who don't field many large units (only a ton of human-sized ones), they can be powerful, I imagine.

I think their cheapest militia unit having mindblast is a little overpowered. Unless you really swarm them or attack with very high MR units you are dead, because they can mindblast entire armies into oblivion.

Maybe you're just being faced by a really bad AI? The Yithians are fragile. As in, really fragile. If the enemy can get a group of fliers, the Yithians will scatter like dust in the wind due to low morale and sheer fragility. Thus, Yithians are worth nothing against Dragons (or Dragons played competently, which is I suppose too much to ask of the AI). You don't need to fly in and do melee, either--anything with a ranged attack could do. The Orcs could crush the Yithians under sheer weight of numbers, too--who cares if they're melee?! It''s 10-1 odds! In summary, I think Yithian Cultists suck completely but just for you (you're the one with the experience in Yithians, after all; I never touched them) I'll increase them to 40 gold, keeping them with twice as many resources as the Illithids.

Then Neoclidia has powerful summons. I generally find the ranged more powerful for the above reason (if you get 40+ mindblasters there is really nothing the enemy can do).

I meant for the summons to be powerful, honestly. The later ones, at least. And yeah, Old Ones are kind of powerful. I'm rethinking the Fear on them, really. I can't really argue about the mindblaster stuff there, though I used Old Ones as shock troops (the fear is a killer).

I was a bit confused at the way the summons ramped up. Because the higher level summons give you better Old Ones AND more Old Ones/gem there is really no reason to ever cast the lower level spells after that. Of course, some of the higher ones require more paths, but that logic doesn't apply to the lowest level versions which are easily researched and each makes the preceding version completely obsolete.

The individual Summon (Lesser) Old One spells were meant to be there for the impatient people. I wouldn't use them myself, honestly. I think the Summon A Ton Of Lesser Old Ones spell is useful, though, because every other Awakener can do it. Though, there's not much need to make Awakeners now, since Scholars have become the primary researchers. So, err, yeah. Never mind. Though, the weaker Elder Awakeners can do it too. So the Summon A Ton Of Lesser Old Ones IS still useful!

Also, have you tried the highest-level spells? If not, you really should. They definitely don't invalidate the other spells; they're on a whole different level from them.

I also thought Neoclidia had no need whatsoever for the (admittedly very nice) space ships, because most their normal units (and certainly their best units) can go into space anyway. I would probably suggest making the standard troops significantly weaker in space, and maybe even weakening the Old Ones in space, both to restrict Neoclidia a bit more and to force them to use the battle stations.

That's certainly true. In fact, you've helped me realize something--Deep Ones would pine for the Deep that they are One with out in space, no? I think I'll just decrease the number of Old Ones summoned, though. They are a bit too powerful.

Still a very entertaining Mod, thanks guys!

No problem! If I may say so, it's not hard to entertain with Lovecraft as an inspiration.

And for your enjoyment, Neoclidia taking into account the account I've been given.