Your most magic-less game

[MKDELTA]

DrPraetorious said:
I don't think that any of this helps hard-research games. I think it helps games in which you're trying to play dominions without using pretenders, blesses or magic.

I'm not really trying to play Dominions that way. It's just that I have been with the series since Dom 1 and now I think it's time for me to try some more unorthodox settings with the game. I've found some magic impaired games fun because at least in SP (don't know about MP, I don't really have patience for MP) it seems to make magic feel more significant. Since it's harder to get it, I can apreciate that Lightning Bolt, Bane Lord, Falling Fires, good items etc more. It's really just a psychological thing. I also use Indies 9 because it slows things down a bit. You'll also have to prioritize things more. I'm perfectly fine with blesses myself, it's one of the greatest things added into Dominions since it made the game and it's nations feel less generic. Maybe some of the most powerful blesseable units as of now could be summonables a la Lanka/Bandar/Mictlan/etc. Since I play SP, I go for thematic pretenders anyway, even though I often go for good blesses (F9, W9/N6 and so on), but I find the concept of a god with F9 W9 a bit too schizophernic for my tastes - not to mention when it's a god leading a norse nation. Which I don't play, because no matter how powerful Vanheim I find the norse themes pretty boring. Same with Pythium and Arco. Greeks & Romans are boring, in my opinion. I'm looking things at from a SP perspective because if I'd play MP I would find the minmaxing bothersome. Perhaps the rules you suggested would be good for MP.

A dormant SC can stop a blessed rush on a decent sized map. He shows up on turn 12 and he can appear with equipment.

This would have to be throughly tested. With slowed down research the essential buffs and items could be more difficult to get. A horde of quickened fire-weaponed glamour cavalry could be tough nut to crack, though I suppose you could do it with an SC by turn 12-14. Actualy, it could be fun to try to find an "optimal" designs for this. Dormant-hard research anti-bless SC designs.

At very-hard research, const 2 costs, what, 260 RP? That's easily achievable by turn 12 by Pythium (for example.)

Maybe the level 2 itself. Going from 0 to 1 in s 100 RP with very difficult research. Hmm. Well, maybe the level 2 could be 160 RP. I'm not 100% sure how the multiplier goes. It's certainly less problematic for Pythium and other magic heavy nations than say, oh, hmm, Fomoria.

The difference here is that you can't take a prince of death and have him leap on your opponent's face on turn 3 .

That's true. Also, I think, with somewhat slowed pace of game (can't get those killer spells so fast, though blessables and such remain) bad sclaes could be potentialy more detrimental.

[Sombre]

Inspired by this thread I started a SP very hard research game playing as LA Ulm. I set all the players up myself then turned them AI. It's been pretty interesting so far. Looking forward to getting some magic that will allow me to stave off the 4 AIs attacking me.

[DrPraetorious]

EDIT: Oops, I was assuming const 4 instead of const 2.

This is what Pythium can get on a dormant PoD with earth magic when he shows himself. The gem cost is huge, but - you're Pythium, you've got the gems:

* Fire Plate
- Between the plate and your high prot, the fire blessing can't hurt you.
* Ice Sword x 2
- Not ideal, but you depend on fear to make people run away.
* Horror Helmet (alchemized from 20 pearls if need be)
- even blessed high morale troops run from a PoD in this thing.
* Boots of Giant Strength or Behemonth
- Require alchemy and a turn of god time, may not even be worth the trouble.
* Ring of Tamed Lightning
* Pendant of Luck

In his own dominion, this guy runs through jaguar warriors, blessed van, all that jazz like a hot-knife-through-butter.

Raiding is still a huge issue - but you're Pythium. Time is on your side. And a few good guesses with the Prince can cut down on the enemy's supply of van very quickly.

[Shovah32]

Wouldn't a basic shield(or even two, although ice swords give nice defence) be better on the Prince with boots of the behemoth?

[vfb]

An eye shield works really well. I used the behemoth boots and an eye shield in Perpetuality on a PoD against huge hordes of Midgard shapeshifters. If it's a turn 12 pythium build though, that may not be an option. I think that's why DrP went with the 2 swords.

But I'd put an anti-missile ammy on the PoD instead of the lightning ring, unless you've found an air nation on your border.

[DrPraetorious]

I'm assuming Vanheim or MA Mictlan - therefore lightning bolts are a major concern. A bless rush from Marignon would obviously be better countered with the missile amulet - I'm not sure what you'd do against an Ermorian longdead cavalry rush. They disregard your awe which gets ugly very fast.

I believe that, even against Glamour troops, you are actually better off with the ice swords and boots of strength than with shields and boots of the behemoth. For one thing, you are only size 4, and you don't actually inflict much trample damage.

[vfb]

Vans could be ugly too. Min morale of 14 when blessed to counter the awe, plus a lance charge could hurt lots. If they've got an H2 for sermon of courage, it'll be even worse.

I ran into an indy barbarian province with an Awe pretender, thinking sweet thoughts of joy since they'll never be able to smack me, and for some reason they were commanded by an H2 indy priest spamming sermons, instead of the regular barb leaders. Got killed.

Edit Had a look at a Mictlan game I'm in too. In friendly dom, my jaguars warriors had 17 morale after bless, 19 after a sermon of courage. I don't think Awe's going to do much against that.