Help, read all the faqs, playing demo, dont know how to PLAY...

[Gavinfox]

This game is REALLY REALLY hard and is REALLY REALLY under-documented...

I have been trying to read all of the faq's, I have been trying to figure out this game myself, and I have been trying all I can with the demo... but I still dont really know how to play this game!! Could someone perhaps walk me through, in excrutiating detail, _ONE_ of the "main" strategies? Something that would work in the Demo, and help me, you know, win? Something that is working towards a greater sense of having a plan? I dont really know stuff like how to use units, much anything about magic, what sorts of things I should be trying to do at any given moment... please? Ive read stuff about you guys being able to play against a whole lot of AI's on impossible, and I'm struggling along on easy trying to figure out the mechanics. Why after a week, I just now figured out the "gold for defense" thing... I am really having a lot of trouble, and every existing faq or strategy guide seems to just suck... could someone help? I just need one thorough strategy, for one race, one sort of god, broken down for what i should be trying to do (in all areas) at any given turn...

[Gandalf Parker]

http://www.maladjustite.com/dom2_walkthru.html

Will that do or did you have specific questions?

[Gavinfox]

Uhm... Like I said, I've read all the faq's. including that one. that's the one I *started* with...

What I need is an in-depth strategy guide for what SORTS of things I should be going for at any given turn in order to win, with one specific god and one specific civ, including things like research, spellcasting, searching for magic sites, army setup, building and fort setup, etc. etc.

That isnt a very in-depth faq. it gives you more questions than answers. there has to be one simple way to win, for at least one narrow civ and god thats agreed on as a very workable strategy? something that tells me what i should be trying to achieve at any given moment?

[Endoperez]

Well, as in the demo you are limited both in time and in the amount of magic you can get your hands on...
High scales, especially those that give results immediately. Growth/Death is slow. Temperature is best left at the national preference (remember that it might not be 0!). Luck... depends. Production is probably nice as you will get more units and small income boost.

Take a strong, cheap pretender, like Wyrm. Take Order +3, Production +3, temperature depending on race, growth +1 if you need supplies (Jotunheim), else 0. Either best castle that is fast to build or one that provides most bonuses, that is Wizard's Tower/ Fortified City. If your race does not need many resources, consider 80 pt Castle and building more of them.

Consider Drain and Growth. Drain will slower your research, but demo will limit that any way. Growth lowers supplies, but other effects are (small reduction in population, small amount of tax loss) almost painless in 40 turns. If you have points (Ulm taking high drain, Jotun/Abysia/Machaka taking temperature scale(s)) give your Wyrm one point in Fire or two points in Water. Fire gives you Fire Shield (Enchantment 1), water Quickness (alteration 2) and Breath of Winter( enchantment 1).

Start game with small-ish map, few computer nation(s), and independents at 5. This will hopefully slow computers down more than you.

Wait for a turn, recrtuiting priest (holy 3 or 4) or mage and units of your choice. Hard to say more without knowing your race. Generally, go for high hitpoints and armor, but look at numbers too. 10 warriors with 10 hits and 13 prot. are better than 2 with 11/18. Research Enchantment if your Wyrm had magics, else you can not as you have no mages.

Host turn.

Look if there are any shortbows, druids/woodmen, militia/light infantry etc. "easy" provinces. Do NOT attack any provinces which have knights and/or longbowmen (always together but you might not see both), bloodhenge druid/dark vines, barbarian or other "hard" provinces.

Choose an easy province. Take your Wyrm. Conquer it. At the same time, consider if your "real" army is ready to try the same. You might lose your Wyrm and/or too many soldiers, but both should be strong enough if you choose your fights carefully.

When you start to have gold flowing in, build second fortress at a suitable province. Remember that the resources of that province are effectively doubled and that the fortress takes its admin-value % of resources from neighbouring provinces.
If you have (preferably cheap) nature mages and atleast 1 gem income:
Research Conjuration 1 for Vine men. Press 'M' and choose Vine Men as monthly ritual. If/when you get to Construction 2, forge Vine Crown and give it to your summoner. You get more vine men this way. If you have mage(s), search for nature sites at forests. Nature sites are most commonly found there.

With death mages, research Enchantment 1 and cast Reanimation. Be careful about priests. If you are Jotunheim, remember that you can get undead GIANTS! C'tis gets undead lizards. Search for sites at provinces that have more Death scale than normal, but remember that computer might have taken some even if you didn't.

Else, research Evocation for elemental/astral attack spells or Construction for items. Nice items to give to your Wyrm at Construction 2:
1S: Pendant of Luck (50% of hits/arrows/spells negated), 1E: Black Steel helmet, 1D: Horror Helmet, 1N: Horned Helmet, 2A: Amulet of Missile Protection, 1E:Bracers of Protection, 2N: Cat charm.
Constr. 4:
E1: Girdle of Might, S1: Amulet of Antimagic, 3A: Flying Carpet, 2A: Dancing Trident, 2N: Ring of Regeneration/ Amulet of Resilience/ Lycanthropos' Amulet. The Last one only if you have no magics, berserk prevents spellcasting and the L's amulet automagically makes him berserk.

If you are Arcoschepale and your Wyrm gets a nasty battle affliction, use your Priestess to heal it. With other nations, no luck. If you have no magics killing him and calling back might heal some of them, though. If you have, death taxes magics so it is not a good idea.

At some point, either the computer will trash you, you hit the time limit or you will win. You might be the (almost) sure winner when you hit the limit even if you weren't able to finish your opponents. Count them as wins.

[KroolDeath]

Too many variables, even creating your Pretender can be a huge exercise. I don't believe there is a sure fire strategy guide for any single race, and really, what would be the fun in that.

As a relative newbie myself who struggled understanding the demo (which included putting it down for a couple of months because I couldn't even figure out how to research), it took me several tries to figure things out before I began to understand and bought the game (which is well worth it).

I found the best source of information to be these forums, either through the search function or by casual reading.

The forums also sold me on the game when I uncovered the unlimited possibilities that exist and number of variables in the play. I imagine this is a difficult game to master, so I don't think there is a single strategy that can be applied. Even who your neighbors are on Turn 1 may influence which strategy you take.

But then again, I'm just a n00b at this who is playing his first non-demo game against the AI (as Ulm).

Krool

[Gandalf Parker]

play Ulm
play against ctis, man, and pangaea
play the aran map
change the independents setting for the game to 5
hire mercenarys the first turn
do NOT attack anyone on the first turn
on turn 2 use the i buton (info) to see who your neighbors are
do NOT attack anyone that has knights or heavy cavalry

That should get you started. Any questions so far? About why I made those particular suggestions?

[ July 21, 2004, 22:16: Message edited by: Gandalf Parker ]

[Gandalf Parker]

The problem with Dom2 (and the great thing) is that there are no "winning strategys". You can win with any nation. What will decide if you kick tail isnt what nation and strategy. Its finding the nation/pretender/scales that will let you play YOUR STYLE the best. Ulm is armored tanks. Arcosphale is magic. Pangaea is sneak. Jotunheim is defense. Ermor is the mindless swarm. All of those are stereotypes with alot of variation possible but you get the idea.

[Endoperez]

The one I posted is simply a simple strategy balanced towards aggressive early expansion. I tested it myself, it went nicely until I forgot that T'ien C'hi has those awesome infantrymen with Glaives. Something like a halberd, but even worse: 10 (!) damage on the top of the normal strength of ten, and my W2F2 Wyrm with Quickness, Breath of Winter AND Fire Shield was quickly slaughtered. He still has enough magics for Quickness/ Fire Shield. I played Ulm and took Order 3, Productivity 3 and Drain 3, dominion of about 6, 4 opponents on Sundering.

If you lose your pretender, remember that you can still fare well. As in my case: not every Ulm has Sages (? + research bonus) and Sorceresses (2A2S and ? in sorcery).

Also, use mercenaries. 'B'id for them and give few spare coins, even small amounts of gold help them to decide if computer player tries to hire them at the same turn. Don't order them on suicide run before the turn during which they would leave you (1 turn left on bid list).

[Norfleet]

Originally posted by Endoperez:
Don't order them on suicide run before the turn during which they would leave you (1 turn left on bid list).

Don't? You mean *DO*, right? If you're not planning to, or able to, afford to rehire them, you should go ahead and deny them to your opponents as well. Or at least kill them down to the Last commander, as the AI will happily hire an entirely depleted mercenary group consisting of a single commander. Don't forget to give him something nice, like a Bane Venom Charm.

[Endoperez]

Originally posted by Norfleet:

quote:

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Originally posted by Endoperez:
Don't order them on suicide run before the turn during which they would leave you (1 turn left on bid list).

Don't? You mean *DO*, right?

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*Before* the turn they are leaving... I want to get as much as possible from them.