The next patch

[Kristoffer O]

Originally posted by Zapmeister:

quote:

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What - "5 bucks to kill hoarders line?

Not much, but enough to show that they think that this is a non-issue.

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No, it is not a non-issue.

As shown in this thread there is no consensus on the clam matter. Some people have a problem, some don't.

I havn't decided my own opinion yet.

My brother came up with the idea that clam hoarding is mostly a blitz problem. In quick paced games it is easier to get left alone and it is easier to get away with less than optimal use of resources.

In PBEM games you ponder your turn for hours, when at work and when sleeping. In this kind of game clam hoarders are probably less likely to succeed.


We didn't intend to make the game a build-up-wish-win-game. We didn't imagine MP games would Last until wish was researched (slight exaggeration, but not far from the truth). High level spells are mostly there for the SP community and to hasten the end of long Lasting MP games.

Research cost can and should be altered in large games.

[Jasper]

Originally posted by Nagot Gick Fel:

quote:

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Originally posted by Jasper:
I used to do that a bit as well, but found I got better battle results out of Fire, Earth, Air, or Astral. Mostly because Water's main benefit to a combat pretender is quickness, which can be easily received from Quickness Boots.

Many pretenders haven't the required appendages to put boots on.

For battle magic, my own Favorites paths are Water, Earth, Death. With Air and Nature as outsiders.

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True. I guess I'm biased as I generally choose those that can use boots (although that's most pretenders). Being able to get most of the benefit from a path of magic for a single item slot is pretty nice.

What do you like about Death on a Combat Pretender? The fear effect, or some spell combination? I've always thought of death mainly as support magic, with only Soul Vortex ever standing out for close combat use.

[Jasper]

Originally posted by Kristoffer O:
My brother came up with the idea that clam hoarding is mostly a blitz problem. In quick paced games it is easier to get left alone and it is easier to get away with less than optimal use of resources.

In PBEM games you ponder your turn for hours, when at work and when sleeping. In this kind of game clam hoarders are probably less likely to succeed.

Interesting point. I typically don't play blitz games, excepting the first 10 turns or so. Even then I prefer slow enough play to allow diplomacy.

Do those who think Clams are broken play mostly blitz games?

[Jasper]

Originally posted by Kristoffer O:
We didn't intend to make the game a build-up-wish-win-game. We didn't imagine MP games would Last until wish was researched (slight exaggeration, but not far from the truth). High level spells are mostly there for the SP community and to hasten the end of long Lasting MP games.

Most of the Dom 1 games I played saw level 9 spells in action roughly turn 40-50, IIRC. I haven't played enough with Dom 2's reduced income to have a good feel for it's research pace, but I'd be surprised if it was more than 5-10 turns behind.

[Kristoffer O]

Originally posted by Jasper:

quote:

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Originally posted by Kristoffer O:
My brother came up with the idea that clam hoarding is mostly a blitz problem. In quick paced games it is easier to get left alone and it is easier to get away with less than optimal use of resources.

In PBEM games you ponder your turn for hours, when at work and when sleeping. In this kind of game clam hoarders are probably less likely to succeed.

Interesting point. I typically don't play blitz games, excepting the first 10 turns or so. Even then I prefer slow enough play to allow diplomacy.

Do those who think Clams are broken play mostly blitz games?

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Johan had a discussion on the matter with the 'blitz-finns' on IRC. They were the first ones to bring the matter to our attention. I have only heard blitzers complain, but that might be a misconception. I very rarely play blitzes.

[Kristoffer O]

Originally posted by Jasper:
Most of the Dom 1 games I played saw level 9 spells in action roughly turn 40-50, IIRC. I haven't played enough with Dom 2's reduced income to have a good feel for it's research pace, but I'd be surprised if it was more than 5-10 turns behind.

Yes. It was an exaggeration. But at turn 50 the game might well be decided, at least for a handful of nations.

All recent MP games I have been in have had victory conditions set. Either by VP or dominion. They didn't Last very long (20-60 turns).

I think VP's is a good workaround on the clam hoarding. Let him hoard while I grab these VP sites. Battles for VP's will change the goals of the players and the way the game is played.

[Gandalf Parker]

Originally posted by Kristoffer O:
All recent MP games I have been in have had victory conditions set. Either by VP or dominion. They didn't Last very long (20-60 turns).

I think VP's is a good workaround on the clam hoarding. Let him hoard while I grab these VP sites. Battles for VP's will change the goals of the players and the way the game is played.

I dont see a need to "fix" every way of winning the game as long as its not an automatic obvious choice. It kills a game for me to discover that there is strategy which will always win.

Which leaves me still undecided on this subject. On the one hand, game settings can make it not such a major deal which makes it not a major fix need IMHO. On the other hand it sounds as though its killer enough to make one type of games in Dom2, a rather popular type of games, to be less chosen or a fairly easy win. So it sounds like some sort of change might be good.