The #1 Difference New Players Must Know For MP

[JimMorrison]

Originally Posted by Ironhawk

I understand what you are trying to get at, but its not true.

Playing in MP forces everyone to be efficient, not uniform. The CBM mod (the most popular MP mod by far) is a brilliant example of this - it doesnt force players into specific units or tactics but tries to make every unit in the game viable. MP games force players to constantly innovate against each others strategies and as a result there is a constant churn of new units and spells as players try to exploit them in new ways to outwit thier enemies.

In fact, this is the #1 similarity, arising from a difference, in SP and MP. That is, in SP you will try and do many different things simply because at a certain threshold, they all work against the AI. In SP you will try and do many different things because if you stick to 1 trick, you will tend to lose.

[Ironhawk]

I think you mean MP in your last sentence there Jim

[JimMorrison]

[quote=JimMorrison;673669]

Originally Posted by Ironhawk

I understand what you are trying to get at, but its not true.

Playing in MP forces everyone to be efficient, not uniform. The CBM mod (the most popular MP mod by far) is a brilliant example of this - it doesnt force players into specific units or tactics but tries to make every unit in the game viable. MP games force players to constantly innovate against each others strategies and as a result there is a constant churn of new units and spells as players try to exploit them in new ways to outwit thier enemies.

In fact, this is the #1 similarity, arising from a difference, in SP and MP. That is, in SP you will try and do many different things simply because at a certain threshold, they all work against the AI. In MP you will try and do many different things because if you stick to 1 trick, you will tend to lose.

I dunno what you're talking about. <3

[VedalkenBear]

Originally Posted by Ironhawk

I understand what you are trying to get at, but its not true.

Playing in MP forces everyone to be efficient, not uniform. The CBM mod (the most popular MP mod by far) is a brilliant example of this - it doesnt force players into specific units or tactics but tries to make every unit in the game viable. MP games force players to constantly innovate against each others strategies and as a result there is a constant churn of new units and spells as players try to exploit them in new ways to outwit thier enemies.

I think you overthought my statement. My point is that you cannot think of 'what would be fun to play', but rather 'what would win me the game the fastest'. I completely agree that efficiency is important and not uniformity; I never said you had to be uniform. What I meant (and perhaps said poorly) is that you will never choose a less efficient means to an end in MP, because no one else does. The optimal strategy in MP is always efficiency, because there is (in the end) only one goal in MP: to win.

Now, what efficiency _is_ can (and given strategical concerns, _must_) change over the course of the game. But it is always efficiency. Even with CBM (with which I play all of my games), I am dismayed at the discussion regarding 'useful' Pretenders in MP. Over and over in discussions of MP, I see entire ways of playing the game dismissed as 'useless', and in MP they probably are. But this does a disservice to the game as a whole, for it speaks louder than any words that there is more to the game than simply MP.

My advice to people who wish to play MP is to discard everything you've learned about the game, because MP is a different game.

[vfb]

Originally Posted by VedalkenBear

I think you overthought my statement. My point is that you cannot think of 'what would be fun to play', but rather 'what would win me the game the fastest'.

Maybe if you are a full-time salaried Dom3 player. Not if you are playing for fun though. If you are playing for fun, then you'd better think of 'what would be fun to play', otherwise there's really not much point. Obviously your game plan should at least give your Pretender some chance to ascend, so you can avoid being completely humiliated, which is usually not fun.

I completely agree that efficiency is important and not uniformity; I never said you had to be uniform. What I meant (and perhaps said poorly) is that you will never choose a less efficient means to an end in MP, because no one else does. The optimal strategy in MP is always efficiency, because there is (in the end) only one goal in MP: to win.

The goal of your nation is to win. The goal of you as a player should be to have fun. It's a game.

By the way in the MP Preponderance game I've been sending my astral mages into Strange Houses to summon void creatures. Completely inefficient! All I have to show for it is a couple mages with some summoning skill now, and a Vile Thing to show for my troubles. But it's quite fun. Also I've been messing around in the Forgotten City, and have poured at least 1000 gold into it and not gotten anything back yet. But I've had some funny battles with the horrors within. So 'no one else does' is just not true.

Now get out there and summon some Bog Beasts!

[chrispedersen]

[quote=vfb;673751
By the way in the MP Preponderance game I've been sending my astral mages into Strange Houses to summon void creatures. Completely inefficient! All I have to show for it is a couple mages with some summoning skill now, and a Vile Thing to show for my troubles. But it's quite fun. Also I've been messing around in the Forgotten City, and have poured at least 1000 gold into it and not gotten anything back yet. But I've had some funny battles with the horrors within. So 'no one else does' is just not true.

Now get out there and summon some Bog Beasts![/QUOTE]


How do you pour 1000 gold into a forgotten city? dying?
In another thread they said Forgotten city was broken. I do know that while I never died, I never got anything out of it either... 9 turns in a row.

[fungalreason]

I don't think everyone plays MP Dominions 3 games simply to win. In fact, thinking on the subject made me remember the classic Magic: the Gathering personalities.(http://www.wizards.com/Magic/Magazin...om/daily/mr280). I think many similiarities between Timmy, Johnny, & Spike can be applied to the way players approach MP games.

Timmy - tends to take awake SCs/strong blesses. Deploys strong, powerful units that can be employed in a simple fashion.

Johnny - someone who looks for combinations of spells, or continually finds new uses for uncommon items or spells, etc. Takes over hopeless sub positions just to see what they can do. Perhaps focuses heavily on diplomacy instead of the traditional means of achieving victory.

Spike - Exercises efficiency at all cost, using only the best available units/spells at all times. Every decision is made with a thought to how it will bring them closer to domination over all the other players.

Obviously people are going to be a mix of each category, but most importantly the goals for each are not always winning the game. Timmy might be satisfied winning a single war, or even just seeing their SC wipe out hordes of enemies in a single battle. Johnny may be happy when their specific combination of spells catches an enemy unprepared, or if they pull off a massive sneak-attack. Spike is probably the more like the typical MP player you described, but I doubt it's even the most common. However I suppose you do have to practice some level of efficiency, or you simply won't live long enough to achieve your other goals

[Dedas]

I'm pretty much the Johnny type I believe. Love learning new stuff and trying out different combinations of things - I'm an explorer pretty much. Winning is a kick of course but beating your enemy with a radically different strategy that no one ever thought possible is an even great kick. I don't like playing it safe - safe is boring, safe is everyday life. Guess I need to get out more...

[Trumanator]

Timmy- no idea
Johnny- Baalz, at least as far as finding new uses for underused spells/items
Spike- Sounds a little like Micah

I'm going off what I've seen in the forums, having not played any high level games.

[Darkwind]

I'd call myself a Johnny (though I also love themes I guess, so Vorthos too; for example, I really wish there was a Chronicles LA game so I could play as R'lyeh. There's just something about Lovecraft...). I like trying to figure out how to make underused nations work Not that I'm good, so usually I fail. But hey, I try, and I can have some fun while I'm at it!