Why Dominions 3 isn't just another computer game.

[Jazzepi]

My only major beef with Dom 3 is the wretched interface. There's a really funny parody to be found here

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yg7Xh0m_Oco

"I don't feel like I'm operating the mac so much as I'm just there sharing the mac experience"

That's how I honestly feel when I'm playing Dominions 3. The interface is a real tragedy. At least a quarter of each turn is spend fighting with the interface. Here are a few of my major complaints.

1. Sending gold/items doesn't allow you to see what you've sent, or do anything to modify those. Instead of some kind of GUI allowing you to click and drag items/gold to trade nations, you have to delete every message/item/gold sent whenever you make a mistake.

2. Transferring items between commanders is awkward. Generally I just stick it in the lab and then move it to the commander. The worst part is that the "destroy this item" option is right next to the lab. If you destroy an item, your only recourse is to restart the entire turn. Once I destroyed a flame helm after 25 minutes of a turn, and had to do /everything/ all over again.

3. Sending commanders on long routes is a pain, especially if they're map move 1. I'm not even saying that you should have to build a pathing algorithm into the game, but just being able to hold down shift and que up orders so that they'll move to a far away destination automatically would be great.

4. There is no command to give a commander that allows you to skip them while they're hiding, or while they're doing nothing. Sometimes I have guys just sitting around, and I have to scroll through all of them.

5. This is probably the most irritating. There are NO ARMY STACKS?! In a game when you can field 30+ commanders in the later stages in a single army, or God help you if you're playing LA Ry'leh or Ermor, it would be extremely beneficial to be able to move armies as stacks instead of clicking each commander individually. I must spent 5-6 minutes just double checking my orders each time I send a large stack in to prevent the stealth units from sneaking in and thus not being part of the combat, and to prevent someone from not being selected, or having deleted orders.

6. Scripting. I always have to reinvent the wheel each time I pickup a nation. 0 becomes retreat for all my spies. 1 becomes smitex5. With nations who have easy access to Earth, I always end up with "summon earth power" "blade windx4", with some variations. I would really like to be able to store generic scripts in a text file, and load them in through some kind of click and drag interface rather than creating them each and every time. Scripting is definitely /manageable/ ATM, but it still gobbles up more time then it should.

One more change that would make it more useful. Since you only have 10 scripting slots. Allow the computer to understand the difference between storing a script for a set of units, and for a commander. For instance, the 0 slot could hold the command (Hold->attack archers) for UNITS, and (Retreat) for COMMANDERS. This way you could store twice as many orders. The game can figure out if you're issuing a command to units or commanders based on context and then go fetch the right one.

7. Building. The game really needs an autobuild option that lets you repeat build commands just like you would ritual spells. It would also be a huge boost if you could see the /discounted/ prices in the building window instead of the base prices. Or maybe both would be better, actually.

Anyways, there are still many more issues that I have, but these are the big ones I can think of. Let me say that I have played no game more than I've played Dominions 3. I still get thrashed by players on a regular basis, and the competitive MP is the heart and the soul of the game. And it's an /amazing/ game. The best 50 bucks I've ever spent. If Dom 4 came out tomorrow, I'd put 100 down for it.

But the game has serious issues. Ones that, IMHO, keep the game being adopted by more people. Dom 3 is extremely, *extremely* complicated. I'm still learning new stuff every time I play. So that alone makes the game less accessible to most people, but the interface acts like a multiplier (for good or bad). Something that is a simple problem of learning to play the game becomes that much harder when the interface you're using has to be fought with.

Jazzepi

[Jazzepi]

For the moderators.

I don't see why HB is allowed to lambaste large groups of people who criticize Dom 3 by saying

"Lately, we've had a few posts complaining about the cost of the game, the instability of various servers, problems with the forum, etc. *****, *****, *****, go whine to your mommies, says I."

but others are not allowed to criticize him.

Not that I think that the way Monkeyfinger said what he did was appropriate, but I agree with /some/ of it.

Jazzepi

[HoneyBadger]

It has to do with my not mentioning any names, or making any personal attacks. It deals with an event that has happened, not the ones who caused the event to happen. I could say, for instance, "forum trolls are dumb" and that wouldn't be against the rules, because it's a general statement that doesn't go against any race, religion, nation, etc. Ofcourse, anyone out there who happened to recognise themselves as forum trolls might take insult, but they aren't required to. It's your choice whether or not you identify yourself with the negativity of the statement, on a personal basis.

[Jazzepi]

lulz.

I've just discovered something I'd like to share with all of you.

Lately, we've had a few posts complaining about other players complaining about the game. *****, *****, *****, go whine to your mommies, says I. These people are clearly brainless dolts. I've never seen more hypocritical trolls in my entire life. The forums are brought down by the presence of these unnamed people, whomever they might be.

Jazzepi

[HoneyBadger]

I'll agree with Jazzepi that the interface is clunky.
I'll add that the lack of a strong AI-and moreso, the lack of a programmable AI-is a big downside for me. Even the combat AI isn't that strong.
I know it's not a big deal, and that I can play my own music, but I really wish it were a stronger aspect of the game, since the little we have with the game is tantalizing.
Staring at a more or less blank screen, reading the same 3 or 4 tips each turn, just plain sucks. Again, I know I could go do something else, but I'd rather have something game-related and interesting to look at.
The nations that come with the game, while multitudinous, still downplay the same parts of the world that are typically ignored or downplayed in other games, namely North and South America, Russia, India, Asia, Australia, Oceania, and Africa. Where these areas have nations, they are usually very typical, being based on China, Japan, and a generic African tribe. It's very Sweden-centric, if that can be a word. Being an American, I ofcourse understand the desire, but it's still something I find faulty. The only one that really stands out as different is the one based on India, and that draws heavily from Kipling, who was English.
Forgeable items really should be Age specific. That just makes sense.
There's no graphical reason (although I can understand processing requirements) why units couldn't and shouldn't have more than 2 images. Even if it's optional.
Some of the ways stats are handled seems arbitrary and needlessly generic. Hitpoints, for instance-it would make more sense to me if they were linked to size. Size itself, being of such importance that it has various game mechanics built around it, seems very limited at from 1-6. If hitpoints only went from 1-6, you can probably see how limiting that would be.
Another thing that irks me a bit is how certain aspects of the game are very independent from standard fantasy tropes, while others seem quite generic-eg. we don't have even Tolkien equivalent elves (which are more original than the average fantasy elf), but we do have D&D equivalent dragons (which are-if anything-less original than average).

Now, all of these things I've already addressed, at length, in other posts. Sometimes more than once. So no, I don't think Dominions 3 is perfect. I do think it's a fantastic game, that easily lends itself to being a hobby-and a very inexpensive one, which was the point of the thread.

[HoneyBadger]

Pee also has powerful antibiotic properties, and can protect you from the vicious sting of the jellyfish.