Dominions 2 Demo Review

[Arryn]

People keep forgetting the most basic rule of gaming:

Game balance trumps realism

How much fun would it be to play a nation that is famous for its mounted, armored troops (that cost a bundle to make and keep up), and then run across an opponent that has an army 3-6x the size of yours, armed with crossbows, that cost him the same amount and watch your precious knights die in a hail of bolts? Answer: not much at all (unless you're a masochist).

How much fun is it to play east front WW2 scenarios where the Germans have low-grade troops, low ammunition and very few tanks, versus Russians with veritable hordes of battle-hardened troops, near-limitless ammo, artillery, tanks, and aircraft? Realistic? You bet. But hardly fun. Unless your whole idea is to see how long it takes you to get wiped out. Which is why most historical wargames eschew reality for balance. They strive for accurate mechanics, but then skew the scenarios so that both players have a chance to win.

So how does this relate to Dom? Simple. Since you cannot make the archers cost what they need to cost to be "balanced" (not without giving you same people that are complaining now something new to gripe about), they keep the cost low and make them inaccurate. Realistic? No. Balanced? Yes.

Don't like having your own archers killing your troops? I agree it's annoying but life's tough. Deal with it. Understanding the game design will go a long way towards getting over your frustrations and seeing the beauty of the game.


Cheers!