A newbie asks...

[LDiCesare]

PD values vary vastly per nation. A 20 PD is not a bad idea for Abysia, but it's certainly a very bad idea for Machaka for instance.

[Redeyes]

Often PDs can be actively detiremental, if the weaker troops in the PD causes your elite troops or thugs to rout.

[Gandalf Parker]

Originally Posted by JonBrave

Gandalf, do you ever sleep? Are you ever not here?

That used to be true, but then they stopped paying me.

Now its more like 1-2 days on, and 2-4 days off depending on health.

[JonBrave]

A morale question (I think), if I may...

Is there any benefit for troops to be near their commander in battle? Maybe morale? Otherwise, can I set up, say, some members way up top-left and other members way down bottom-right and their commander elsewhere, and it makes no difference?

On a related note, I noticed Redeyes saying weak PD could cause elite troops to rout. So I'm guessing routing troops cause others to undergo/fail morale checks?

(P.S. What did I just read about "squads of less than 4 members having to undergo special morale checks"?)

[thejeff]

No benefit to troops being near their commanders.

A commander with the Standard ability gives morale bonuses to troops near him, but it doesn't matter if they're in a squad he commands or not. Just if they're in the Standards AoE.

Large amounts of weak PD dying/routing can hit the 75% limit causing the whole army to rout automatically. Except berserkers, etc.
From the manual, 50% overall casualties causes morale checks every turn from then on.

Normally a squad only checks morale if they take "heavy losses", a squad under 5 members check morale if they take any damage.

[JonBrave]

A very quick question: I am about to start my third game. I thought I'd go for "Dawn of Dominions", and pick an "average" difficulty nation.

Is the intention from the description that I have to click through to create 11 AI opponents (1 for each nation) and then I play the 12th nation I select (I'll have to write down the names of the "average" ones to remember )? Is that what the map is intended for? (Thought it would be pre-saved like that if that was the idea, a bit confused)

Thanks...

(Oh, and BTW, does that "star-symbol" against only that one game signify anything?)

[thejeff]

Just pick your nation, then add 11 random AI opponents. It'll pick the right ones. (At least it has for me.) When you go to select nations you'll see that all the others are grayed out.

I believe that's why it has the star.

[JonBrave]

Oooohhh, good idea, thank you! I shall do that. So the map is indeed intended for 12 players, I wouldn't have realised that if I hadn't read the description!

Umm, any recommendation for which of the four "average" nations I should try? Have played my first two games with human-type units and fire magic, looking for a change (but I don't want to go near blood yet)...

[JonBrave]

A few more questions/observsations (all SP):

1. I don't really see the point of forging much? The majority of my commanders happily don't have any orders: I don't want them killed for the troop rout, so I'm not going to fight with them. The occasionaly definsive thing, but that's it.
2. As I understand it, each fort takes from adjacent land; if my forts overlap I am actually losing a bit? So I don't build many forts.
3. In current game, I think I am beating AI because of the PD I build as I go. What is the maximum PD the AI ("normal") would build? Should I limit myself to same cap?

[krpeters]

Originally Posted by JonBrave

As I understand it, each fort takes from adjacent land; if my forts overlap I am actually losing a bit? So I don't build many forts.

Each fort uses 100% of the production of the province it is in, and some percent of surrounding provinces. If an adjacent province shows a production of zero, surrounding forts have fully used it. Otherwise, there's still benefit to building a fort there, even though it is a sub-optimal use of gold.