Grand Strategy Noob plays Dominions 5

[Isiloon]

if you make a new game I'd like to join, I'll play some trash nation since I have more experience. I've wanted to make Bandar Log work for a while now.

 

[sqeecoo]

Yeah, that could be a decent idea, noobs and more experienced people playing shitty nations or those they have no experience with.

 

[Zibniyat]

Indeed, shitty nations such as Caelum, or whatever is OP right now. Don't fall for it OP, they all have an agenda!

 

[coldcrow]

It is pretty self-explanatory that high mobility nations are really strong in the hands of an experienced player. Anyone somewhat experienced in MP play of almost any strategy game knows that proper raiding and alpha strikes win. In any case I am up for such a game, too. There could aslo be some moral code of not being too focused on the win for the seasoned players. In fact, such a game could be quite enjoyable.

 

[BING XI LAO]

I don't mind which approach the experienced players choose - getting stomped is fine way to learn.

 

[Isiloon]

I'd say we the "experienced players" approve each others' choices, or share pretender builds in advance.

 

[Johannes]

you need 5 temples to raise max dom by 1, at dom 4, you will need 30 temples - which is not a realistic amount to build in a game, unless the map is much bigger than normal.

You will spend a large part of your income, preaching away enemy dominion and surviving, and you'd be better off taking points off of scales and putting into dominion - otherwise whatever you get from the scales, will be vastly outweighed by how much resources you'd need to allocate to dom spreading.

"Need" 30 temples - for what? You don't need to reach domstrength 10 to win a game. I wouldn't be surprised if I've won more games starting with domstrength 4 than you have won total.

 

[Raghar]

you need 5 temples to raise max dom by 1, at dom 4, you will need 30 temples - which is not a realistic amount to build in a game, unless the map is much bigger than normal.

You will spend a large part of your income, preaching away enemy dominion and surviving, and you'd be better off taking points off of scales and putting into dominion - otherwise whatever you get from the scales, will be vastly outweighed by how much resources you'd need to allocate to dom spreading.

With my current singleplayer Acro Dom4, I started with 4, and I still manage to be non conquered, non dom killed. Of course now I build everywhere because Lemuria became one of strongest countries, and is massacring everyone. Currently is sending 1500 big stacks on my opponents, so things are not that bad. Yet.

In dom 3 it was bad, but they stopped to be stupid in dom 4 and it's not simple roll dice one higher has massive advantage anymore.

 

[Isiloon]

I didnt mean you need 10 to win, I misspoke and implied you did unintentionally.

With low dom, in large games where you have long wars and long living arrangements, dom is more important. In small, faster games it's less important.

 

[BING XI LAO]

If I scry someone's province, will they know?

 

[Isiloon]

nope, even if they do - it's not a hostile action so it isn't something that would break a NAP.

Spying, scouting and non-destructive information gathering is not NAP violations

 

[Galdred]

I am embarking on a disciple game (4 teams of 3, early Ages, floating Archipelagos).
What combinations work well for that?
We planned to go cold, but with pretender picks, it is hard to guarantee 3 that go together?
One player plan to take Vanheim, another Ulm[pretender]. I was thinking about hellheim. Would Niefelheim work with the other 2 nations being only Cold 1?

 

[HeatEXTEND]

People used to push their scales all the way to 3 even on light preference races for the extra points (not the case anymore I believe? it's been a while) and the "it's even worse for them". Not sure how that'd work out in 5 but I wouldn't think it's a dealbreaker. I have played almost no 5 so feel free to ignore this

 

[Dayyālu]

I am embarking on a disciple game (4 teams of 3, early Ages, floating Archipelagos).

Province par player? Stock 12-15? What's the situation for connections?

What combinations work well for that?

Depends on opponents and map. Stock Pretender planning is the usual BlessMonsters (rainbow for light blesses or Awake for cheese) or SC God or scales. Depending on the map and opponents.

We planned to go cold, but with pretender picks, it is hard to guarantee 3 that go together?
One player plan to take Vanheim, another Ulm[pretender]. I was thinking about hellheim. Would Niefelheim work with the other 2 nations being only Cold 1?

Vans are quintessential elves, so light Thug bless/Air Spam. Niel is giants. Vanheim and Ulm can both enjoy a good murderbless for Vanhere and Little Conans, but they aren't exactly cheap. Niel can work, and the Heat/Cold difference matters mostly for economical impact.

I mean, you can for sure build a bless that works for all of them, and Niel/Vans probably work together better than Niel/Ulm.


Paging sqeecoo and Grimwulf for real experts about Icy Nations With Annoying Gameplay.

 

[Infinitum]

I am embarking on a disciple game (4 teams of 3, early Ages, floating Archipelagos).
What combinations work well for that?
We planned to go cold, but with pretender picks, it is hard to guarantee 3 that go together?
One player plan to take Vanheim, another Ulm[pretender]. I was thinking about hellheim. Would Niefelheim work with the other 2 nations being only Cold 1?

What you want is for the two disciples to have similar climate preferences, the pretender being 3 steps removed from then and then enjoy your heavily subsidized 120 design points. Ulm is a pretty weak nation mind; little useable battlemagic sans random E2's and N2 off the cap only, and no sacreds/summons to make up for it. It has decent troops, but decent troops generally isn't enough in multiplayer.

As for combinations, it depends a bit on what the other teams are but due to how stats and targeting works combat is dominated by buffed elite troops (and sometimes thugs, but those tend to have hardcounters). That tends to translate into recruit anywhere/summonable quality sacreds and digustingly big blesses.

 

[Agesilaus]

I hate how the game turns into micro-hell slog fest by mid-late game. Still, need to get back into the game and try out the latest patches/nations, haven't played since the end of last year apparently.

The true path to victory is to create an intelligent gelatinous cube hero

 

[Riddler]

I hate how the game turns into micro-hell slog fest by mid-late game. Still, need to get back into the game and try out the latest patches/nations, haven't played since the end of last year apparently.

The true path to victory is to create an intelligent gelatinous cube hero

Not really a problem if you PBEM though.

 

[Galdred]

I hate how the game turns into micro-hell slog fest by mid-late game. Still, need to get back into the game and try out the latest patches/nations, haven't played since the end of last year apparently.

The true path to victory is to create an intelligent gelatinous cube hero

Not really a problem if you PBEM though.

My problem with PBEM is usually more sperging about the game while waiting for my turn, then starting another one because the wait is too long, then another one...
I had 25 ongoing games of Through the Age at one point until I decided it was time to stop.

 

[Agesilaus]

I don't like play by email, not willing to do it anymore for dominions. It is possible to implement a good turn based multiplayer system - see slitherines' field of glory series - but I doubt it will ever happen here.

 

[Galdred]

So; I was thinking that having Cold 1 disciples + heat 2 immobile pretender with cold 1 scale would be optimal (or any combo that gives a 3 heat diff). Given that the pretender would also be immobile, giving him holy 3 units could help (to claim thrones if anything else).

We were thinking about going: Ulm + Vanheil as disciples + whatever else matches the above as pretender.
I would have liked to go Niefelheim, but it would be hard to find a bless that works with the other non giant nations.
Is that reasonable?

What would work best for the pretender? Imprisoned scale machine? Awake bless bot? Or something in between?
Should he specialize in an area or be rainbow (rainbow also gives lots of small blesses, and would work with a non awake pretender, but isn't it a bit wasted to have a rainbow dormant pretender?)?

 

[Malakal]

What age, EA? (since Niefelheim).

Ulm plus thug nations is good due to cheaper gear but you don't want a heavy bless for that, that pretty much leaves dormant or imprisoned scales. I favor dormant since you can get a lot of leverage out of a pretenders in early fights.

 

[Infinitum]

The disciples wake up in half the time compared to the pretender, so probably dormant rainbow if going with vans. You'll need to figure how to beat doomblesses though; Vanheres will manage vs most anything even with ligh blesses but Ulm won't. If Hinnom isn't taken I'd go with that; Melquarts and Elves both do well with all resists + blood surge (Avoid Rephaite Warriors). Forest/Mountainwalk are also highly useful on capital-dependent thug nations as turns spent in transit are turns wasted. All resists isn't a bad bless for Niefel Jarls/Skratti mind (so long as you don't want to expand with Niefel Giants).

 

[Malakal]

Fairly sure Ulm can easily chop giants up, what with their sacreds being conans and dual wield extravaganza. Elves too, probably, gold for gold its hard to beat Ulm.

Of course depends what kind of doom bless we are discussing, I find magic weapons to be EXTREMELY good for sacreds. Not only does it negate potential ethereal mega bless but also murders fire, air elementals, ghosts, mistform, ethereal thugs.

A classic team composition can also include Pangea. Excellent sacreds, neutral temp scales and big pretender pick.

 

[Galdred]

We have picked (EA) Ulm, Helheim and will probably pick Ermor last.
I will play Helheim because norse.
Ermor will probably be the pretender.
How usable is this old guide on Helheim?

http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/showthread.php?t=41801

It's all I found on top of the usual compilation here http://dominionsmods.com/index.php?showtopic=3364

Ulm is proposing Defense*2+protection (hard skin) for bless.

 

[Malakal]

Helheim is absolutely the most elf nation that can possibly elf, thugs and sacred cav is all it has. Absolute trash research and non cap mages are only good for thugging. As such they want a focus on a solid bless to elf someone fast before their elf becomes obsolete. Taking scales for Helheim is just asking for a disaster. Helheim troops are a joke, avoid recruiting them.

Ulm us a scales nation with good forging so at least it somewhat works together with thugs. Won't be able to leverage a bless very well tho. Very solid troops.

Ermor is also scales and is based on slow mage stacks and communion. At least it has sacred cav tho. A better fit would be Pan or even Sauro, Sauro also has sacred cav but can thug some of their commanders. OK troops.

I am fairly sure dormant is the only possible option for disciples so I recommend that, get two strong disciples to use to kill someone fast or expand your pathetic diversity with a rainbow, I like immortal rainbows but the change to soul slay makes them somewhat worse.

Elf like the following blesses: twist fate, quickness (unfortunately way too expensive), ethereal (same as before also magic weapons is very common as a bless), awe (another layer of defence on top of defence and glamour). Thugs like regen and reinvig or fortitude. Extra 5 prot isnt very good overall.

I'd recommend regen plus fortitude statue of fertility with tanked cold and whatever scales you want or statue of war with awe and fortitude. Helheim non cap thugs can not self temper flesh or liquid body. Ulm pretender can do regen awe p cheap on idol of Men.