Mod: Dominions 3000 v0.81 - lots of new indies, new map (using the brand new map commands)

[rdonj]

I don't know how well spider riders fit thematically with dom3k. I am having trouble imagining a spider rider that could charge into a line of ulmish space marines without being shot to pieces. Maybe instead you could use just Black Hunters, and turn them into some kind of super-heavy sacred tank? Maybe you can find a way to make it work though.

Likewise I don't know about making the spider independants into machaka recruitables, they can be useful but it's already pretty easy to recruit them if you want. It wouldn't really help that much to have them as recruitables. Possibly as a cheap summon wouldn't be too bad, but I think if you do it should almost be a different kind of spider that's a bit better than the indies you can recruit.

[Loren]

Originally Posted by Aezeal

there have been a few hours where the solar system map was down.. maybe he's using that other map (which is down now). The solar system map is attached to the first post.

You should just use the dom 3 K mod btw, the dragons are in there and not use the dragons mod next to it (doubt it would make much difference but might)

Yeah--now I see there is another map. I had the only map that downloaded before--Galaxy at War.

[rdonj]

Yeah, the only currently approved map for Dom3k is the Solar System Map. The Galaxy Map was basically the beta map for dom3k, scrapped when aezeal decided to change over to forest spaces instead of water. I am currently working on a second, larger map. Hopefully it will be done within a few days and we will have another galaxy to fight over.

[Aezeal]

yeah my bad Loren, I still had both up and when I needed to add something else (ow the preview for that map rdonj is working on I wanted to deleted galaxy at war but somehow removed to other one I noticed only after I'd asked you to DL the mod, sorry to have wasted a game for you.

Hope it works now.

[Aezeal]

Rdonj if we aim for a short and fast test game it might be nice to set up the MP game now on the old map and then do a quick and nasty game to test it all and then do some changes and try a new game on your map (which might be finished then and tested (also important).

[Aezeal]

I've released 0.76, it's not much changed, only added the arena reward and lowered the ulm farsummon a bit.

I did it mostly since there where multiple 0.75 versions and that would not be a good idea for MP I think, now everyone will have to play with this one

I'm creating a MP thread in the MP forum now.. all regulars in here are welcome sign up. I'll take R'lyeh since it was said to be the weakest nation.

[Loren]

Ok, an observation on the correct map:

My gripes about being pinned by water are gone.

In SP at least I find the dragons unplayable on this map. My victories in a more normal game have always been based on being able to pin his armies with assassins.

Against the races of this map that doesn't work as well and it's moot anyway--the battle is at knife-fighting range, there's no space to use the strategy that works.

I won an early war that Ulm picked but then I was approaching the limits of what my income could support. The game dissolved into being pecked away at by a combination of Jomon and Ry'leh and there was simply nothing to do about it. I could maintain only two fighting forces and that realistically gave me two provinces and a severe negative cashflow. Furthermore, I was always fighting, I couldn't research my way to summons to help, not that I would have had the gems to summon much of anything anyway.

It's possible the dragons might fare better in MP because a low army strength doesn't result in an automatic gang-up like it does against the AI but I still don't like it. This race needs room or it dies.

[rdonj]

The new map should make that a bit better... with 130 provinces and 7 players, that's 18 provinces a player, versus the current 69/7 = 9.8. The current map is definitely crowded for 7 races, it will be very hard to expand much with so few provinces. Just curious, what difficulty were you playing on?

I think for dom3k the bonebiters are actually probably not an optimal choice, you'd probably have better luck with ghost dragons. Fighting in space is probably also a good idea, since most races are weaker in space. Unfortunately jomon is not one of those races, and R'lyeh is a terrible enemy for the dragons to have to fight period, because of mind blasting.

[Aezeal]

Well the MP game now will be relatively short and is mostly to test this sort of thing. R;lyeh is indeed a nasty enemy for every one who uses lower amounts of troops and dragons are one such race. On the otherhand commanders and summons have high MR. Dragons CAN fly and attack rear though so they can bypass the chaff more easily than other nations and just kill the mindblasters faster.

Since there is a lot of flying around all ranged troops need to be supported even more by melee troops else they will be attacked in melee. On the other hand most ranged troops have a better melee ability than most archers and such in the regular game.

[Loren]

Originally Posted by rdonj

The new map should make that a bit better... with 130 provinces and 7 players, that's 18 provinces a player, versus the current 69/7 = 9.8. The current map is definitely crowded for 7 races, it will be very hard to expand much with so few provinces. Just curious, what difficulty were you playing on?

Normal.

The ghosts can't take out many of the more powerful leaders and the ability to control the enemy with the ghosts is essential for the dragons.

I think for dom3k the bonebiters are actually probably not an optimal choice, you'd probably have better luck with ghost dragons. Fighting in space is probably also a good idea, since most races are weaker in space. Unfortunately jomon is not one of those races, and R'lyeh is a terrible enemy for the dragons to have to fight period, because of mind blasting.

I wasn't even using them. They're no longer worth it.