Are Clams worth empowering for?

[quantum_mechani]

Meglobob said:

I believe clams etc were already nerfed from Dom2 to Dom3, by increasing the gem cost.

They have infact already been nerfed so far they are hardly recognizable, originally they took 2w and 10 gems, now it's 20 gems and 3w1n. The only times I have ever forge clams in dom3 is in the few cases where I have mage with the combo, and need astral so badly that I would otherwise end up alchimizing for it.

It's probably possible to eventually get a decent clam income going, but any game that is not perpetuality style is quite unlikely to still be in doubt past turn 100. And further, if I was going to be worried about a hoarding item, the blood stone is far deadlier as things stand.

So, I think the current nerf was probably a good thing, but people are paraniod to still be seriously afaid of clamming in 99% of cases, considering even at the crazy dom2 settings it was hardly unbeatable.

[Xietor]

By turn 60 in 1 game I am in, the clam production already is over 100 per turn.

Blood stones also need addressed.

The Alpaca game, is on turn 100 and the outcome is still in doubt, playing on Edi's fixed cradle of dominions map. It would be easy to have a wish a turn income by turn 100.

Gem producing items completely undermine the value of global spells designed to boost gem income.

[Meglobob]

Some people might like to cast 1 wish per turn by turn 100.

If they have managed to survive and achieve that position, good luck to them. At least they should bring a end to game soon, something I sometimes wish for by that stage!

The globals get cast turns 30'ish to 60, so they are not affected at all really. Also you can only have 5 globals, so only 5 players (if that) are allowed extra gems? A bit unfair.

Blood hunting by a blood nation makes clamming/blood stones/fetish farming all look rubbish. By turn 50 a blood nation can have a blood slave income of 300 - 400 plus per turn.

They are all viable strategies, people may not like them, others do, ban them on a individual game basis but don't ask for them to be nerfed more or banned.

[quantum_mechani]

Xietor said:

Gem producing items completely undermine the value of global spells designed to boost gem income.

Gem globals are some of the most popular globals there are, I'd say at least half of those that get cast are gem globals. Playing on past turn 100 is certainly possible, but out of the ~25 longterm dominions games I've played, I've seen it happen once.

EDIT: And is the 100 clams by turn 60 with or without forge of the ancients?

[Xietor]

Forge hammer, but no forge.

[Huzurdaddi]

In Dom2 clams featured a dominant role in many games on large maps. I remember a game when the limiting factor was the size of the magic item treasury in terms of clams/turn.

I think that the changes in Dom3 were for the better and they are close to balanced now. I have yet to see a game where they are decisive.

Heck, there are very few nations with mages which can forge them. Oceania and Jot are the only two that come to mind.