New Player questions - Page 2

vfb · #1 June 14th, 2009, 04:56 AM

You could try Conj-1 for a black servant prophet, Enchant-3 for skelly spam, Thau-1 if needed for curse, Thau-4 for panic/terror/communion-paralyze if elephants are a threat, Evo-2 for site searching, then Const-4 for research skulls, Const-8 for the chalice and Conj-9 for tartarians.

RegnorVex · #2 June 14th, 2009, 01:02 PM

Construction seems to be on everyone's list. I guess magic items are considered crucial additions. Gonna have to experiment with that a bit. Thanks for the suggestions.

chrispedersen · #3 June 14th, 2009, 04:30 PM

1. Dragar had it right on the affliction chance.
2. I would absolutely not go construction first with ctis. Rather consider vfb's excellent advice. Your mages are all death aspected - so research schools that use that.

conj for black servent, dark knowledge.
Enchantment (iirc) for skelly spam).
Darkness should be a major goal sometime thereafter.

RegnorVex · #4 June 20th, 2009, 08:28 PM

More questions. I'm curious what kind of routines you vets play. The efficiency junkie and RTS player in me wants me to be recruiting a commander and maximum units every turn, but this detracts from other goals. So I'm wondering: do you guys find yourself always growing armies, or do you ever reach some kind of equilibrium point where you leave your armies relatively static (until reinforcements are needed) and start devoting assets to other goals? Will I fall hopelessly behind if I'm not growing my armies every turn?

I'm experimenting with Death magic, and I find that some of the cool spells cause destruction to most units while sparing undead units. I'm summoning undead commanders and lots of undead fighting units with the idea that I will focus on researching skills that wipe out all but undead. Of course, this strategy will be diminished by another nation with lots of undead, but in that case I can change my commanders' orders to focus on other spells. And anyway I'm just learning my way around.

I'd love some input on these ideas and my question above.

Thanks,

capnq · #5 June 20th, 2009, 09:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RegnorVex

More questions. I'm curious what kind of routines you vets play. The efficiency junkie and RTS player in me wants me to be recruiting a commander and maximum units every turn, but this detracts from other goals. So I'm wondering: do you guys find yourself always growing armies, or do you ever reach some kind of equilibrium point where you leave your armies relatively static (until reinforcements are needed) and start devoting assets to other goals? Will I fall hopelessly behind if I'm not growing my armies every turn?

In solo games of Dom3, efficiently isn't as critical, because the AI nations aren't nearly as strong opponents as you'll face in multiplayer. One of the strengths of the game design is that there isn't one "best" route to victory. Solo games are especially good for experimenting with strategies that you aren't ready to commit to against human opponents.

RegnorVex · #6 June 20th, 2009, 08:48 PM

Oh, another thing. I've been summoning black servants to act as scouts and I noticed that vfb suggested I summon one as my prophet. Right now I have one of my main generals as a prophet since he's always on the road and I like the idea of spreading my dominion, but I can see now that I rarely have the opportunity for him to preach, he's always fighting. Is that why it's better to put some utility player into service as a prophet, like the Black Servant?

chrispedersen · #7 June 20th, 2009, 08:57 PM

prophetizing an undead is the easiest way to get someone that can reanimate dead.

chrispedersen · #8 June 20th, 2009, 09:03 PM

as for growing units all the time... no. toward the mid game Sc's play an increasing role.

research is at least as important as armies. Also, think about it.. if you make only armies.. assume your prod capacity is x.

Make a fort, and your production may be 2x, 3x 4x.... So obviously you have to balance all kinds of production.

thejeff · #9 June 20th, 2009, 10:19 PM

You will definitely meet SCs in MP. Play around with them a bit in SP. You'll find that they can often completely dominate the AI. Then try using them in MP and watch your army killers get casually killed by clever spell use or anti-SC thugs.

Attack Large Monsters is for them, or elephants or anything else big and ugly.

Dragar · #10 June 21st, 2009, 10:32 PM

Armies certainly decline in importance over time, and become used mainly as shields for your important mages, thugs and SCs. It isn't just that they are less able to hurt SCs, they become very susceptible to large area spells, in particular battlefield enchantments like master enslave, undead mastery, fire storm, earthquake, etc.

Not that there is no place for armies later in the game, especially combined with powerful buffs like weapons of sharpness, fog warriors, mass flight, etc. They certainly remain useful for sieging and defending castles, and for patrolling. They just won't be your main offensive weapon.

The trade-off between recruiting and using for other purposes is part of the skill of the game, and there are no set rules, it is all situational. One conflict I have problems with is research mages - being competitive in research is critical, but at the same time the more mages you have sitting at home poring over books and the fewer you have on the battlefield. A key advantage the defender has in Dom3 is ability to keep his mages researching most of the time, while an attacker must commit them to the field for an aggressive campaign, which also makes them more exposed to remote attacks and assassinations.

In terms of having a focused undead army utilise spells that don't hurt them - unless you are ermor keep is as an option but don't rely on it. Someone expecting that can plan for it and hit you with very effective anti-undead spells. If you've been relying on large undead armies with foul vapours and rigor mortis to take out the enemy, it won't take too much to build a few poison resistant or even undead thugs (such as bane lords), or to set up a communion casting powerful anti-undead spells like Solar Brilliance or Wither Bones. Or they'll wait until you are well into enemy territory and cast Purgatory and wait for all of your chaff to burn.

Make sure if you have one or two armies operating on that premise that you also have something else capable of handling the counters. Flexibility and surprise are key in MP.