Rlyeh newbie getting massacred by AI...any tips?

[General_Jah]

Failure said:
Thanks to your tips I beat the impossible AI. Though, I got the strong impression that with rlyeh, you're going to live or die by your dominion. You can't try to muscle people out of their land areas. You do a land-grab (for above ground lands) at the start, hole up with monster defense values, and let your dominion do its work.

I'm playing MA rlyeh for the first time and am not doing so hot... I really don't feel i fully understand/appreciate dominion...

Could you please further explain what you mean when you say this?

thanks

[Taqwus]

If a nation's pretender is no longer worshipped anywhere -- it has no positive dominion in any province, including other nations' provinces -- that nation is eliminated.

[Failure]

Hi,

Basically, I, as a newbie, hold the opinion that due to it being tough for R'lyeh to take and hold land-provinces, it's easy to get pushed back completely into the ocean, or simply to have only a few land provinces.

If that happens, a dominion battle typically ensues. If the enemy pretenders dominion levels are higher than yours, you're screwed!

Keep in mind, I'm still quite green, so my word is not gospel, but I do get the feel that a high (8+) dominion was key to my few successes against the "impossible" ai.

[Forrest]

Don't forget Dominion is affected by the number of temples you build(5 per point). So your starting level does not matter that much except for blessed troops.

Stone Idols are a good item. However you will need to start a nature 2 pretender unless you want to work for them.

The guide says build in water and jump big when you come out of the water. If you jump a castle then your foot hold is very secure. The gem income is nice and you can quickly reach the point of dumping all your money into land troops. Take out the nation with the best home province troops first thing. You are the ocean that rises up to take castles with out warning. Only a fool builds a temple on the beach for you to burn and slip back into the water uncontested.

Also, remember if you are safe in the sea then you can build a few thousand up for the jump. You are going to spend money fast.

[Evilhomer]

Don't forget Dominion is affected by the number of temples you build(5 per point). So your starting level does not matter that much except for blessed troops.

This is supposed to be true, but i belive it is buggy. Basically the "Power" of your dominion scale is unaffected by the number of temples, of course each temple spreads dominion in themself.

[Sombre]

As I understand it the max dominion in any province (number of candles) can be upped with temples and the temples have temple checks to spread dominion, but the actual 'power' of dominion for spread etc can't be upped.

Fairly major bug that makes domkill even more difficult.

[Forrest]

Dominion spread is on pages 93 and 94 of the manual. 5 temples adds 1 candle for the math just like taking another candle at start up would.

[Evilhomer]

No, you are wrong im afraid. 5 temples ups the max dominion with 1 yes, but as for the dominion spread it is determined by the starting value (so the manual is incorrect). An example, if i pick dom 10 and build 25 temples i will spread my dominion twice as fast as someone with dom 5 and 25 temples.

[Sombre]

Don't quote the manual like it's infallible. This is one of the several cases where it appears to be wrong - hence the reporting of the way things currently work as a bug.