Blood Magic

[Keir Maxwell]

Originally posted by Patrik:
This is my list of the biggest Dom1 blood magic abuses (subjective of course)

1. Ice Devil - changed from 30 to 55 (= 83% increase). Limited numbers. No free water gems. +1 lvl research.

2. Pazuzuu - Now Demon Lord (I think, haven't actually summoned all DLs yet though). 150 slaves, 9th lvl research.

3. Father Illearth - Cost increase 50 to 75 (Yes that's 50%). Unique. +2 lvl research.

These were the big ones IMO. They have all been severely nerfed. The other big blood summons were much less of an issue, and were thus less changed (about 50% cost increase )

Now, blood hunting were also made harder to in Dom2

All good points well made.

And here is another I hope:

Arco Hopilites cost the same in Dom I as in Dom II and as their gold cost is largely irrelevent for expansion their power early has not been meaningfully affected. I experimented with Arco in Dom I and I found that Arco Hopilites could provide the basis for appalling fast conquering armies which generally didn't take a casuality in the early expansion phase and with priestess didn't even build up afflictions. The result of this fast start certainly ecliplsed the fast starts I achieved with Abysia AND left heaps of gold free for mages etc so I don't sacrifice long term power. This in my opinion was the grossiest race (other than Caelum or Pythium which I didn't consider) I could have played in Dom I MP and so I did't - I tend to do well enough without choosing the grossiest races. Abysia on the other hand never seemed as powerful - so what has Arco lost if you follow my approach rather than the classic Hypastpist one?

When given the choice of long term power or short term power in mutli-player it is generally right to go for short term power because the faster expansion leads to long term power.

Alex you have been very concerned with strategies being nerfed and the loss of fun. IMO you are desperately arguing for the nerfing of one of the key alternatives to ridiculous speed. Ridiculous speed is so overpwoered in MP - the alternatives have to be gross and really appealling or no-one will even consider playing them.

Generally all the cool slow race designs in Stars! did was unbalence the game by providing easy kills to early game predators of the ilk of me and you.

This is ridiculous!! Did ANYONE (I am certain you didn't Alex) use the native blood mages as hunters in Dom1?

Ooops - take it all back. I'm a newbie and you can ignore everything I say.

Yes I used Demonbreds extensively for blood hunting in Dom I. Its a speed question - early fire gems = gold, gold = anathement dragons to lead the HI (fanatacism)and Demonbred with Moloch created Demons providing the fast start and lotsa gold to buy more demonbred to research conj 4. This leads to 2nd phase of summer lion abuse in which the Demonbreds leave the research to indie's and kick start the blood economy while impacting less on gold income than commanders with SDR's would helping to maintain the impetous at the front - I hate fighting wars in my own territory. The key point is that all the way through this gold was not the limit to building HI and demons so spending it on good, multi- use mages was a perfectly reasonably option and their research gives a quicker route to Conj 4 which, back then, was truly abusive.

Its all about speed - getting the key summons equipped and to the front a turn before your opponent has their main army able to counter you. Instead they are crushed and their lands go up in unholy fire - Muhahahahah!!

Sorry did I lose track of the point?

Oh yes - speed, speed, speed, speed, speed.

Blood is inherently a slower strategy now the FOB is no longer abusable (8-9th turn ID's with Caelum in Dom I - wohooo) so it is harder to play and should in the long term be more powerful than the faster approaches. I'm not saying blood races are slow but that the decision to invest in blood is the decision of when to slow your expansion race down and its a tricky one to get right in MP.

Don't worry, be happy . . .

Keir