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

[Aezeal]

Hey JK, nice to have your feedback too , it's been quite a task to get it this far but if you don't mind a bit below average graphs and nations with not (yet) as much background as most dominions races the gameplay should be decent.

Making spaceform for nearly every troops is quite annoying but just giving some troops space helmets was the only thing I could really think of.. and it's not as hard as giving them a whole new sprite (sprites are hard for me )

I heard the linux comment before and I'm trying to correct it somewhat but when I heard a few nations and most base weapons I use where already done... can't even promiss new nations won't ahve it since on my system it doesn't give errors so I won't notice it. I'll look into the orc tank hero since I tend to borrow my sprites of the internet and then adapt them I've had some start with a alpha channel which makes them not recognized as the black which needs to be transparant, but just as pure black.

I'd love it if I could get a spacy back ground !!! would increase the feel for space a 100 times..

About the seaprovince.. when others started this idea they started it about seashapes etc.. when I actually made a nation I noticed it isn't playable though. Several reasons:
- Movement with spaceships should be fast, not limited to 1 prov/turn.. though considering how large space is between planets and that on the maps they should be considered as "zoomed" in that wouldn't be the largest province.
- Biggest issue was this: spaceage dominions is not only about being in space, it's also about having more ranged weapons (though I try to include as many excuses for melee weapons since the combat system isn't nearly as much fun with only ranged weapons since it was not made for that.)
anyway as you know sea provinces and ranged combat are an exceptionally bad combination.

all in all forest use as space isn't that much of a problem except that I can't make ships that need to stay in space and all troops can walk into space and they will unless I make spaceform for them to discourage it. (which ranges from just having lowerstats to being in a freighter not being able to do anything.)

Ow and fate, darkwind is right that suggestion to use death was from Amos mod (I've tried not to change to much in his mod) he wanted pop to decrease under insect rule which is why he thought to thematic, I think he's already replaced it with a sort of deathdominions now that command is added to our modding arsenal.

anyway sailing could've been nice but if I want to create hyperspace lanes I can just link provinces which are distant.

On assasination: I've not played much with assassins much so I might just have underestimated it... it's not been THAT much of a problem yet so I'm leaving it for now.
On spacemines: yeah selfdestruct doesn't seem to do what I want, I've not encountered much mines myself though can some one tell me if they do actually attack or that they just don't hit them selves?

Rdonj: spaceeels are meant to be problematic as indies they shoudl I was hoping for them to be some sort of indie anti thug.
And as a summons for R'lyeh I think they will be devastating when equipped (I'll see if I can get there in our game )

[Aezeal]

JK, you are my hero

I'll put them in the map right away when the next patch comes out and see what happens
I guess I can just use any file to set as the skybox .tga and then just add that and the the #batmap "empty" command to a province?
Or will I actually need to use - #skybox "myskybox.tga" - and then I will get a background you've put in the next patch too

Rdonj will do the same for our new bigger map. (I think )

I think this will mean I'll wait for the next patch with our MP game since this will make it so much better.

[Johan K]

Originally Posted by Aezeal

I guess I can just use any file to set as the skybox .tga and then just add that and the the #batmap "empty" command to a province?

That's correct. A normal 512*512 tga or rgb image will do.

[Aezeal]

PS I'll look into the orc hero thing (didn't remember he had a different tank sprite any more) once I have access to my old comp again with the files and the game on it.. the compenents for my new comp included a defect 4850x2 videocard so I'm using my old card now. (needed to test the rest of the system) If it takes to long I'll put it back in the old one but for now I'm enjoying my newer faster system.

[Fate]

Ok, some further thoughts.

The Orcs are VERY powerful. If you can get 1 province to 7+ dom and put just a few heroes in it you can get a full army every turn. On top of that the Orcish blasters are very powerful. Significant numbers of Orcish Shooters can take down just about anything. IDK about the summons, but just the basic orcs can really tear stuff up.

I still think the Common Wealth is underpowered. All their better belee troops are missing the all powerful shield. Also, their shield does nothing against the Neoclidean lasers (they get chopped down mercilessly). The only advantage to the Common Wealth is the ease with which they can defend territories. The turrets output ~20 AP rounds a turn, so two of them are normally sufficient to defend against most armies (with a little PD to catch enemy fire). Offensively I was helpless until I got Falling Frost, and even then I had to sacrifice swarms of my Teachers just to get close enough to cast it.

This could also all be a reflection of Neoclidia, which I think is very powerful. The recruitables are good, especially anything with a laser. A group of 20 heavy lasers can take down anything, including space worms. The tramplers are useless because of the speed with which chaff is destroyed in this game and the generally large enemies (especially the indies). I think their cheapest militia unit having mindblast is a little overpowered. Unless you really swarm them or attack with very high MR units you are dead, because they can mindblast entire armies into oblivion.

Then Neoclidia has powerful summons. I generally find the ranged more powerful for the above reason (if you get 40+ mindblasters there is really nothing the enemy can do). I was a bit confused at the way the summons ramped up. Because the higher level summons give you better Old Ones AND more Old Ones/gem there is really no reason to ever cast the lower level spells after that. Of course, some of the higher ones require more paths, but that logic doesn't apply to the lowest level versions which are easily researched and each makes the preceding version completely obsolete.

I also thought Neoclidia had no need whatsoever for the (admittedly very nice) space ships, because most their normal units (and certainly their best units) can go into space anyway. I would probably suggest making the standard troops significantly weaker in space, and maybe even weakening the Old Ones in space, both to restrict Neoclidia a bit more and to force them to use the battle stations.


And a small bug on the map, province 38 is connected to 25 (a planet on the far right to the center of jupiter). I found this out just in time to take advantage of it, :P

Still a very entertaining Mod, thanks guys!

[Darkwind]

@Fate: Yay! Someone's using Neoclidia! Now on to the post itself...

Originally Posted by Fate

All their better belee[I think that should be melee] troops are missing the all powerful shield.

Though, Neoclidian troops don't really have shields either. I guess Neoclidia makes up for it with range.

This could also all be a reflection of Neoclidia, which I think is very powerful. The recruitables are good, especially anything with a laser. A group of 20 heavy lasers can take down anything, including space worms.

Looking at the Heavy Lasers, 12 bonus attack, 1 bonus defense, and 18 AP damage is admittedly a lot. Toned down now (lower range, -1 defense versus 1 defense, 3 vs 12 attack). What was I thinking, for only 9 resources?

The tramplers are useless because of the speed with which chaff is destroyed in this game and the generally large enemies (especially the indies).

I can live with Shoggoths being a niche unit. Against something like the Orcs, though, who don't field many large units (only a ton of human-sized ones), they can be powerful, I imagine.

I think their cheapest militia unit having mindblast is a little overpowered. Unless you really swarm them or attack with very high MR units you are dead, because they can mindblast entire armies into oblivion.

Maybe you're just being faced by a really bad AI? The Yithians are fragile. As in, really fragile. If the enemy can get a group of fliers, the Yithians will scatter like dust in the wind due to low morale and sheer fragility. Thus, Yithians are worth nothing against Dragons (or Dragons played competently, which is I suppose too much to ask of the AI). You don't need to fly in and do melee, either--anything with a ranged attack could do. The Orcs could crush the Yithians under sheer weight of numbers, too--who cares if they're melee?! It''s 10-1 odds! In summary, I think Yithian Cultists suck completely but just for you (you're the one with the experience in Yithians, after all; I never touched them) I'll increase them to 40 gold, keeping them with twice as many resources as the Illithids.

Then Neoclidia has powerful summons. I generally find the ranged more powerful for the above reason (if you get 40+ mindblasters there is really nothing the enemy can do).

I meant for the summons to be powerful, honestly. The later ones, at least. And yeah, Old Ones are kind of powerful. I'm rethinking the Fear on them, really. I can't really argue about the mindblaster stuff there, though I used Old Ones as shock troops (the fear is a killer).

I was a bit confused at the way the summons ramped up. Because the higher level summons give you better Old Ones AND more Old Ones/gem there is really no reason to ever cast the lower level spells after that. Of course, some of the higher ones require more paths, but that logic doesn't apply to the lowest level versions which are easily researched and each makes the preceding version completely obsolete.

The individual Summon (Lesser) Old One spells were meant to be there for the impatient people. I wouldn't use them myself, honestly. I think the Summon A Ton Of Lesser Old Ones spell is useful, though, because every other Awakener can do it. Though, there's not much need to make Awakeners now, since Scholars have become the primary researchers. So, err, yeah. Never mind. Though, the weaker Elder Awakeners can do it too. So the Summon A Ton Of Lesser Old Ones IS still useful!

Also, have you tried the highest-level spells? If not, you really should. They definitely don't invalidate the other spells; they're on a whole different level from them.

I also thought Neoclidia had no need whatsoever for the (admittedly very nice) space ships, because most their normal units (and certainly their best units) can go into space anyway. I would probably suggest making the standard troops significantly weaker in space, and maybe even weakening the Old Ones in space, both to restrict Neoclidia a bit more and to force them to use the battle stations.

That's certainly true. In fact, you've helped me realize something--Deep Ones would pine for the Deep that they are One with out in space, no? I think I'll just decrease the number of Old Ones summoned, though. They are a bit too powerful.

Still a very entertaining Mod, thanks guys!

No problem! If I may say so, it's not hard to entertain with Lovecraft as an inspiration.

And for your enjoyment, Neoclidia taking into account the account I've been given.

[Aezeal]

wow different views for different provinces NICE I'll start looking for some nice backgrounds. PS will larger images just resize to fit or will additional pixels just not be seen?

Fate: I've toned done Orc armour in the latest version but ifyou already have that I might need to do more... giving the basic Shooters a bit weaker gun might be it since you get so many of them. Anyway if you can get that much commanders that easily then I'll just increase their cost and upkeep
I might do this before our test game.

[Johan K]

Larger images will be resized, but they really should be a power of two sized (512,1024,...) and not too large as they are rendered as a single texture.

[Aezeal]

Well the recruitable assassin isn't really meant to be able to take out spacestations or space-eels really.. he's just a recruitable commander, scout basically... He should be able to take some mages of most nations though. If you kit him out with a few cheap items he'll be even better. (pendant of luck and something regerating?)

[Aezeal]

Darkwind, once I incorporate the mod in dom 3K you'll have to update it in that file yourself (since I'm not about to copy all your changes ) do you think I should put it in there already or do you want it to remain stand alone a while longer.