How difficult is this game?

Fenris99 · #1 December 18th, 2007, 07:08 PM

I've seen it being sold at a local game store. The premise seems interesting and I'm a big fan of fantasy and of strategy games. But how difficult is it to beat the AI? I don't want to spend 50$ on a game that's going to have me ripping my hair out in frustration...

Thanks in advance for any answers...

Twan · #2 December 18th, 2007, 07:14 PM

Dominions 3 isn't really hard in SP (after 3 or 4 games you'll probably find some strategies always working against AIs then it's just a question of execution and adaptation to your nation).

The learning curve is longer for MP as there are really a lot of usable tactics and counters to know.

Fenris99 · #3 December 18th, 2007, 07:16 PM

Does it have different difficulty levels?
How does it compare to other turn-based strategy games?

Meglobob · #4 December 18th, 2007, 07:23 PM

Quote:

Fenris99 said:
Does it have different difficulty levels?

Yes, Easy, Normal, Difficult, Mighty and Impossible.

The AI can be quite challenging for half a dozen games or more. Especially if you avoid reading spoilers on this board and just discover the game for yourself.

Fenris99 · #5 December 18th, 2007, 07:24 PM

Tempting, very tempting......

Meglobob · #6 December 18th, 2007, 07:28 PM

Quote:

Fenris99 said:How does it compare to other turn-based strategy games?

Personally, its the best fantasy strategy game I have ever played.

I have played it longer than any other game ever, just over a year now. Mainly due to the very active MP community. I must have played 30 - 40 MP games by now.

Its the sheer depth of the game and constant new patches, which introduce new content.

sector24 · #7 December 18th, 2007, 07:29 PM

In addition to the built in difficulty levels you can create the map scenario in such a way that the game is more or less challenging. For instance, a 1v1 against an Impossible AI on a small map is not nearly as difficult as a 1v21 Normal AIs on a small map. And there are all manner of setups in between, plus you can set the AI to offensive or defensive, etc.

Suffice it to say that you can make the game ridiculously easy or quite challenging, even after becoming familiar with the basics.

Twan · #8 December 18th, 2007, 07:32 PM

Yes there are 5 difficulties from easy to impossible (impossible AIs may be really hard to beat, but mostly because they start with lot of bonuses).

edit : and sector24 is right, there are also a lot of ways to make SP challenging once normal maps become too easy

How does it compare ? Hard to say.

I think the dominions AI isn't as good as the really good ones (ie Civilization or Galciv AIs), but far better than the AIs of Paradox games and most indie wargames.

About complexity I would say a dominion SP game against non impossible AIs (if you just use what you need to win = perhaps 5% of the content) isn't more complex than any of these games, but there are then several more layers of deepness once you play against humans (the only games I see with an as big number of combos are card boardgames like Star Chamber).

KissBlade · #9 December 18th, 2007, 08:23 PM

The AI is frustratingly difficult if you limit yourself from abusing it. There's no real middle ground though since if you use anything like good magic scripting, thugs/SC's, PD, you pretty much roll over it. The game becomes incredibly fun when you play online though.

jimkehn · #10 December 18th, 2007, 08:42 PM

Fenris99, I have been computer gaming since the early 1980's, with an old Atari 400. I've had games of all stripes and genres. I have to say this is the one game that has kept my interest the longest. I've had the game about a year, now and on these boards, people are still mentioning aspects of the game I have never seen. With all the nations and eras, I have yet to try ALL of them. There is soooo much to discover and learn. I come from a military simulation (historical) background in gaming, and to be honest, I don't even play those anymore. I can sincerely say that Dominions3 is the ONLY game I play. SP or MP. I still am challenged by the AI. In my SP games I normally will use 8-9 AI nations on medium sized maps. I let the computer randomly choose the nations and I set a few at mighty and difficult. I know there are a lot of much better players than I, but I routinely get my butt kicked at these settings. I can also honestly say that compared to most $40 wargames I own, $100 for Dominions 3 would not be overcharging. (I hope the Devs don't act on that statement) The game just has more lasting value than any other game I have run on to.

Buy it. You won't regret it.