Answering the Critics

[Unwise]

For example, to control research, Dom has just on/off switch for every mage. Compare it to something like Civ system when you can move the worked tiles around, tweak research rates, set specialists etc...

But that compares almost directly to the Civ research system. Your mages are the "tiles" -- do you use them to research, site-search, cast rituals, or lead armies? Once you decide what you want your mage/tile to be, you can set it up as a "specialist" with the appropriate gear (quill for research, boosters for summons, combat items for leaders, etc.).

[FAJ]

I havent played civ4, but in civ3, the research system is based on income. You set your research rate, and choose a path. In dominions, you set your mages to research (I consider mages a resource in this respect) You want specialists to boost research? Forge a Research bonus item.

I don't see how the economic system is any less complex than in other games. As long as civ is the comparison, how is it any better? Dominions even incorporates the temperature of the province into the income!

If Dominions is too shallow for you, don't bother looking to fufill your needs with video games, because your not going to find a more complex, more interesting game.

As for the graphics, I would like to get the 2d system back, with less of the superfluous graphics upgrades.

there are actually a few things I miss from dominions I, like the light/dark way of showing dominion strength, the ability to set 'attack commanders/attack magic users' and the ability TO USE MY DAMNED SCROLL WHEEL.

[Graeme Dice]

FAJ said:
there are actually a few things I miss from dominions I, like the light/dark way of showing dominion strength, the ability to set 'attack commanders/attack magic users' and the ability TO USE MY DAMNED SCROLL WHEEL.

Personally, I hope that attack commanders/mages is never returned, as all it does is force every nation to invest heavily enough into air magic to build a staff of storms. Otherwise there's no use for mages whatsoever on the battlefield.

[Agrajag]

FAJ said:
...
there are actually a few things I miss from dominions I, like the light/dark way of showing dominion strength...

I never played Dom1, so I'm just wondering what you mean by that.
I think I read somewhere on the dom2 forums that the game map used to change in color according to dominion and other stuff, am I right about this?
Either way, if it was possible to somehow extract information about the provinces (such as dominion and scales) it would be possible to make a program that will recolor the map for and run it --postexec, though I don't know how to get that information.

[FAJ]

You could set the map to be shaded in by dominion. The lighter it was, closer to white, meant a higher friendly dominion. The closer to black meant a higher enemy dominion. You had to click on the province to get the exact number of candles, but looking over the whole land, it gave you a much better idea than haveing to count each candle on the main map.

[Nerfix]

I also miss the light/dark Dominion view.

[Gandalf Parker]

The graphics were done differently back then. The new graphics mode didnt support it.

Of course NOW with the shift to an RGB format, it might be able to be done with an alpha layer. But thats a conversation to be had between better graphics people than I, and Johan

[Endoperez]

Agrajag said:

I never played Dom1, so I'm just wondering what you mean by that.
I think I read somewhere on the dom2 forums that the game map used to change in color according to dominion and other stuff, am I right about this?
Either way, if it was possible to somehow extract information about the provinces (such as dominion and scales) it would be possible to make a program that will recolor the map for and run it --postexec, though I don't know how to get that information.

Dom:PPP maps were pixel-based. Pixels were changed by things. Dominion over-lay made provinces brighter or darker, depending on dominion. Cold areas got more white. Hot areas got more sand-like-color.

Dom:PPP GUI was also beautiful. It was! It didn't work, and was micro-management hell (Order allowed you to set taxes to 130% without unrest penalties, no effects otherwise), etc. But the GUI was beautiful. It also had the Cube. Turn-generation never looked so beautiful.

[Nerfix]

Oooohhhhh, memories of The GUI... It was indeed beatiful. Dom 3 is a step back to the right track. But Dom 2 looked so, so....clinic in comparison.

And the Cube! The Cube! No-one still knows what eldritch mysteries it holds!

[Eduardo_X]

I'm actually surprised at all the criticisms of Dominions being too deep to get in to. I figured out the demo for Dom3 in almost no time and have been playing the game non-stop since getting it Monday.
Maybe the interface is much improved, but I was fearing a backward interface from all the comments my friends had regarding the game.