FAQ: FAQ Discussion & Submissions

[Jazzepi]

Edi said:
The reason why the bless effects refers to the manual is that I really cannot be bothered to explain every single, most basic mechanic of the game in the FAQ. It is supposed to answer those questions that most often crop up due to having inadequate, unclear or hard to find explanations in the manual. If someone needs to ask what the bless effects are, they probably did not read the manual or they do not even have one. There's only so far I will go with the handholding. If somebody provides me with a ready list of effects that I won't have to type up for that one, it's a different matter, but am I going to type that up? Be a cold day in hell when I do.

Also, I have a hard time seeing what is hostile about the recruiting enemy unit types question. The answer preempts the next question that is asked 90% of the time and does not do it in a particularly rude manner. I suppose if it really offends a lot of people, I'll chop the "Before you ask, no," out of it.

Please don't take offense to this, but just from casual observation you come off as extremely terse and hostile. Like a strict school room teacher or some such. While I understand not brooking ignorance, I think if you're going to write an FAQ for newbies, like the above poster said, it should be done so in the spirit of as much friendliness as possible.

I would still remove the "this is never going to change" because quite honestly, you don't know that! FAQs shouldn't predict the future versions of Dominions, or what new patches will bring.

I also typed up the bless effects.

*submission*

Each bless effect is granted to blessed sacred units dependent upon your pretender's original score in any given magic path. The following format is "score #" ("effect granted").

Air - 4 (Air Shield 20%) 5 (Air Shield 30%) 6 (Air Shield 40%) 7 (Air Shield 50%) 8 (Air Shield 60%) 9 (Air Shield 70%) 10 (Air Shield 90%, shock resistance 70%)

Astral - 4 (+1 MR, max 18) 6 (+2 MR, max 18) 8 (+3 MR, max 18) 9 (+3 MR, max 18 and Twist Fate) 10 (+4 MR, max 18 and Twist Fate)

Blood - 4 (+2 Strength) 6 (+3 Strength) 8 (+4 Strength) 9 (+4 Strength, Death Curse) 10 (+5 Strength, Death Curse)

Death - 4 (Affliction Chance +100%) 5 (Affliction Chance +150%) 6 (Affliction Chance +200%) 7 (Affliction Chance +250%) 8 (Affliction Chance +300%) 9 (Affliction Chance +350%, Death Weapons) 10 (Affliction Chance +400%, Death Weapons)

Earth - 4 (Reinvigoration +2) 6 (Reinvigoration +3) 8 (Reinvigoration +4) 9 (Reinvigoration +4, Protection +4) 10 (Reinvigoration +5, Protection +4)

Fire - 4 (+2 Attack) 6 (+3 Attack) 8 (+4 Attack) 9 (+4 Attack, Flaming Weapons) 10 (+5 Attack, Flaming Weapons)

Nature - 4 (Regen +5%) 6 (Regen +10%) 8 (Regen +15%) 9 (Regen +15%, +2 Berserk) 10 (Regen +20%, +2 Berserk)

Water - 4 (+2 Defense) 6 (+3 Defense) 8 (+4 Defense) 9 (+4 Defense, Quickness) 10 (+5 Defense, Quickness)

[Jazzepi]

The most effective bless differs from nation to nation and according to your particular play style, but the above categorization >us< generally the accepted view of the majority of Dom3 veterans active on the Shrapnel Games forums.

Us should be is.

Spelling error in the bless section.

Jazzepi

[Wikd Thots]

Reference to veterans seems to bring up another question:
Who are the Veterans?
Are they Dom2 players?
or People who post the most?
Or the blitz crowd from the IRC channel who seem to have played the MOST games.
The people ranking highest on the challenge ladder being the ones who have WON the most games?
The beta testers who played dom3 for (a year?) longer than the rest of us? (and just who are the beta testers? How about a list of logins that go with that list of names in the manual).

The old Dom forum had a way for you to rank threads, and rank posters. Having veteran on your login meant something then.

[Teraswaerto]

Wikd Thots said:
Reference to veterans seems to bring up another question:
Who are the Veterans?

Are they Dom2 players?

Or the blitz crowd from the IRC channel who seem to have played the MOST games.

I think a combination of those two is what typically makes someone be considered a "veteran".

[Hadrian_II]

I think something in the line of:

My archers are producing lots of friedly fire, what can i do about it?

Set them to fire Archers so they shoot farther away and might even kill a mage.

and

Which spells can i use to attack players anonymously?

Seeking Arrow, Hurricane, Locust Swarm, Diesease Demon and all the others i forgot here

[Wikd Thots]

Its just that "veterans" seems to change depending on who you talk to. Many use the words but can only name a couple. For one group it seems to be Quantum and Boron, for another group is Graeme and Norfleet, yet another list IronHawk and Morkilus? Unless of course you are the server/documentation crowd which have their own "veterans" (haha)

[Edi]

Bless effects, time counting and Sombre's modding Q&A added.

Jazzepi said:
Please don't take offense to this, but just from casual observation you come off as extremely terse and hostile. Like a strict school room teacher or some such. While I understand not brooking ignorance, I think if you're going to write an FAQ for newbies, like the above poster said, it should be done so in the spirit of as much friendliness as possible.

No offense taken. It'd have to be a lot worse than that to get me offended.

I can be pretty blunt and brusque at times, so I don't mind having it pointed out when I go too far with it. If I agree with such admonitions, as you have seen me do in this thread, I'm not averse to correcting the behavior. Some of it comes from generally trying to be to the point. If I disagree, well, it's usually easy to tell. I'm generally not hostile and most of the time I just toss out an answer to a factual question without sugarcoating it.

The one thing that annoys the hell out of me is people not putting ANY effort into finding out things themselves. Ignorance is excusable, but a combination of ignorance AND laziness is not. That's when the prickly side tends to emerge. That said, you're right about the tone required of the FAQ.

Jazzepi said:
I would still remove the "this is never going to change" because quite honestly, you don't know that! FAQs shouldn't predict the future versions of Dominions, or what new patches will bring.

It's been modified, but it's not gone. The thing is, I know the IW guys well enough to know that this feature is going to stay. Arcoscephale isn't going to just suddenly start recruiting giants after conquering a Jotunheim fort in this or any future release unless Johan and Kristoffer have a rather drastic change of mind regarding one of the core design principles of the game. It's been asked several times during the days of Dom2 and it's been asked a couple of times already regarding Dom3 and the answer has been "no". That's good enough for me.

[Edi]

Well, RZ, I agree, but I don't have the manual at work and I needed something to do on my break...

[JaghataiKhan]

Q: How do I remove the Curse?
You don't. Curse is permanent and will stay with the unit for the rest of the game. There is NO way to remove it. At all. Removing curses will NOT be added in a patch.

(Same for horrormark)

Excuse me. Do you Dev guys have a psychiological problem about getting "cursed"?

Why do you emphasize it that much? Does it please you or temporarily heal a control problem of yours about other people? Sorry to burst your balloon but:

*Making very stern settings about a condition in game does not make the game "cool" at all.
*Making an irreperable condition on a unit doesn't make players any more careful, I can build thousands of commanders if one is cursed.
*If a "wish" spell doesn't remove a curse, that game has a big mistake in it. (wish is described as influencing the very Fabric of Existence,the first surge of power during Creation, transcending any misfortune or Horror Mark)

[Meglobob]

Got to say I agree with Jaghataikhan, a wish should be capable of removing every ill effect from a unit full stop.