So since Dom 3 is being discussed

[Username17]

Every Amazon has medium armor, high combat skills, a strength of 9, and a bullshit weapon (spear). For this, they cost more than a normal warrior. If you are opposed by enemies who themselves have weak armor like Pangaeans or R'lyehans, then they are very good. If you are being opposed by enemies who themselves have good armor like Ashdod or Man they pretty much suck. As to whether they are worth building, they are expensive in gold and cheap in resources for the kind of talent you get, so they are pretty neat for nations that went Order/Sloth and pretty crap for nations that went the other way. Then each flavor of Amazon comes with slightly overpriced high-skill sacred cavalry. If you have a big bless and were looking for over-priced sacred cavalry, you will touch yourself. And otherwise, it's pretty ho-hum.

In addition to that, every pack of Amazons has a priestess who has a chance of knowing a piece of Sorcery and a Sorceress who has an elemental pick and a sorcery pick and a chance for an extra Sorcery. Crystals have Astral for the Sorcery and Air for the Element, Jade do Nature and Water, Ruby(?) do Blood and Fire, and the ones you got do Death and Earth.

And finally, every Amazon fiddles with this a little bit. The Amazons you are looking at have a level 2 priestess and slightly heavier medium armor. And the cavalry rides around on Bone Horses and causes Fear.

-Username17

[Zinegata]

I was under the impression that most indie troops are pretty bad for hiring, with the exception of the caster commanders (i.e. Sorceresses) because they give you another place to build researchers from.

That said...

http://dom3.servegame.com/wiki/Grey_Knight

Wow. I didn't realize these guys even existed as part of the indie troop lineup. Ethereal and stealthy with very good morale. Shame about the cost though.

[Username17]

Grey Knights are not part of your normal balanced breakfast at all. They come from The Grey Tower, a magic site so rare that I have never found it. The Grey Tower is more useful for the fact that you get Shadow Seers, who cost 180 gold and have Astral 3. Some of the stuff that you get out of magic sites is pretty exciting. Like Minotaurs or Troglodytes or whatever.

Amongst the indie troopers, they are all slightly worse or slightly more expensive (or both) when compared to comparable national units. However, if you don't get comparable units in your particular national lineup, they can be quite valuable. Man gets better longbowmen than the indie longbowmen, but longbows are pretty damn good, and people who are not Man would generally be pretty fucking happy to get longbows into their army. Hoburg Crossbowmen are just very very good for the money whether you are playing Hoburg or not. While most nations will end up using small amounts of indie heavy infantry as arrow catchers or indie archers as force padding, most of the "regular" human troops are sufficiently unexciting as to be avoided when possible. The weirder stuff finds its way into armies more often. And Amazons, with halfway decent combat skills and armor to go with low strength and relatively high cost is a perfectly reasonable thing to want to build for many armies.

-Username17

[Zinegata]

Still, color me impressed by how the game has secret factions hidden away in Magic Sites. A unique commander, mage, and troop type all from one site. Nice.

[Korwin]

One note that took me a while to figure out: When you save the pretenders you want to use in a PBEM game, the 2H files you need to send to whoever is hosting are created in the following folder: "/dominions3/savedgames/newlords"

Cant find those folders...
fucking Vista. Is that a hidden folder? How do I unhide those in Vista?



Edit:
For the record, in my dominions3 folder there are those sub-folders:

• battlemaps
• doc
• maps
• rawsound
• tutdata

[Avoraciopoctules]

One note that took me a while to figure out: When you save the pretenders you want to use in a PBEM game, the 2H files you need to send to whoever is hosting are created in the following folder: "/dominions3/savedgames/newlords"

Cant find those folders...
fucking Vista. Is that a hidden folder? How do I unhide those in Vista?

You probably have 2 dominions3 folders, each of which holds different stuff.
Try this:

Computer / OS (C:) / Users / [your name] / AppData / Local / VirtualStore / Program Files (x86) / dominions3 / savedgames

-----------------------------

Also, does anyone remember the name of the site that lets you recruit Moon Mages and Stalkers? I'm considering making a custom map at some point, and if I do I would like to specifically place some sites. That was a pretty awesome one, and it would excuse a cabal of mages protecting the province.

[Username17]

Also, does anyone remember the name of the site that lets you recruit Moon Mages and Stalkers? I'm considering making a custom map at some point, and if I do I would like to specifically place some sites. That was a pretty awesome one, and it would excuse a cabal of mages protecting the province.

You are thinking of The Hidden Kingdom of Eludia. It gives Moon Mages and Stalkers.

Other good ones include The Blood Keep, which is filled with the batshit crazy Blood Guards; and The Black Tower, which makes Circle Masters and Conjurers. And there is also stuff like the Castle Arcanus that gives you Wizards and War Mages, but that doesn't seem like a specific nation per se.

-Username17

[cthulhu]

One note that took me a while to figure out: When you save the pretenders you want to use in a PBEM game, the 2H files you need to send to whoever is hosting are created in the following folder: "/dominions3/savedgames/newlords"

Cant find those folders...
fucking Vista. Is that a hidden folder? How do I unhide those in Vista?



Edit:
For the record, in my dominions3 folder there are those sub-folders:

• battlemaps
• doc
• maps
• rawsound
• tutdata

There will be a button on that window labelled 'compatibility files'

Press that button and what you want will be shown to you!

The problem is that no-one listened to MS when they said 'don't run everything as administrator' so when they made that practice hard, stuff doesn't work as well.

[Avoraciopoctules]

Updated to the next game month. Since Ermor apparently had a bad turn, I tried mailing them 100 gold out of the small stockpile I was putting together in case I decided I wanted elephants. We'll see if my command of the message system was adequate. Shame that you can't review your sent messages.

http://www.mediafire.com/?gr7y3w0kb2gpdcl

[name_here]

Apparently Lobo Guards cannot match shamblers one-to-one, even when normal slaves are standing around in the background pretending to be busy.

Turn was pretty short, but the disastrous 30 unrest event at the start has pretty much faded. I might be able to spend money on something other than mages.

[Username17]

Just a heads up: if someone hires mercenaries and loses them in battle, you probably should not reimburse them for that.

-Username17

[Korwin]

One note that took me a while to figure out: When you save the pretenders you want to use in a PBEM game, the 2H files you need to send to whoever is hosting are created in the following folder: "/dominions3/savedgames/newlords"

Cant find those folders...
fucking Vista. Is that a hidden folder? How do I unhide those in Vista?

You probably have 2 dominions3 folders, each of which holds different stuff.
Try this:

Computer / OS (C:) / Users / [your name] / AppData / Local / VirtualStore / Program Files (x86) / dominions3 / savedgames

Thanks (+ the folder was hidden. But it was a huge help finding it, after I managed to unhide the folders...)

[cthulhu]

Just a heads up: if someone hires mercenaries and loses them in battle, you probably should not reimburse them for that.

-Username17

Yeah, that was a major fuck up.

Btw, the money has been returned

[cthulhu]

Btw if anyone wants to play any blitz matches via IP or whatever, I'm keen to get some practice in.

[Korwin]

I'm interested (now that I found where my pretender is saved), but... IP? And Blitz?

Should we be in the same time zone for that? (MET for me).
I could play in ~ 4-5 hours.

[cthulhu]

I'm in Australia, so this weekend is better (+10 GMT)

Add me on an instant messaging application.

blitz means a 'fast game' on a small map (i.e. something we could finish in one session, or atleast make significant progress in one session)

by IP I meant 'connect to a dominions server' function - I think I can host a dominions server and failing that other people appear to offer them.

[Avoraciopoctules]

Next turn:

http://www.mediafire.com/?lvx2b7n73mxbiq2

[Username17]

Turn's in.

-Username17

[Avoraciopoctules]

Turns 4 and 5:

This message always annoys me. 2 elements at 4 in this search, and nothing found. It's why I like playing rainbow pretenders and setting the site frequency as high as others will allow.



My luck scale is starting to pay off. A few free N gems will balance out my primarily astral income. I may try saving up and empowering either a priestess or my pretender so I can forge boosters.



But there are nicer random events. Like the one at the bottom here. We aren't playing with Worthy Heroes, but a free commander is still potentially quite nice. And since I think they are upkeep-free, there's no real drawback.



In this case, I get a decent thug. It probably can't take out provinces by itself (trample gives fatigue), but geared out, it should be fairly formidable. I'm tempted to forge it a level-0 shield right away, but since I'm going for construction anyway and have recruitable healers, I'll wait and try adding it to my existing expansion forces.



I'm moving my pretender so I can search again.



Next turn. I can see R'lyeh. From the score graphs, I'm guessing they have an awake SC, probably a kraken.

EDIT: Anyone have advice for gearing out Asterios? Is a shield worth it given his low defense?

[name_here]

The double shield trick is always nice. Also, Charcoal and Vine shields, as well as shields of gleaming gold, are never a bad choice. Give him a set of reinvig boots. Also, armor with a special effect will serve him much better than plain blacksteel, because of the funny way protection works.

[Avoraciopoctules]

It would be pretty funny exploding enemy infantry with the "useless kick" attack you get with 2 shields, I must admit.

For reference, I have Fire and Earth on my major crafter, then Astral (fairly high), Nature, and a few elemental randoms on my national mages. I'm hoping to get level 2 items and 15 earth gems for a hammer around the same time, but it is likely that I will need to alchemize pearls.

Some interesting items off the level 2 list that I can likely craft (a few might require a bit of Nature empowerment):

http://dom3.servegame.com/wiki/Main_Gauche_of_Parrying
http://dom3.servegame.com/wiki/Pendant_of_Luck
http://dom3.servegame.com/wiki/Boots_of_Giant_Strength
http://dom3.servegame.com/wiki/Fire_Plate
http://dom3.servegame.com/wiki/Hammer_of_the_Mountains
http://dom3.servegame.com/wiki/Star_of_Heroes
http://dom3.servegame.com/wiki/Bracers_of_Protection
http://dom3.servegame.com/wiki/Eye_Shield
http://dom3.servegame.com/wiki/Dragon_Helmet
http://dom3.servegame.com/wiki/Birch_Boots

This is something that gives a bunch of unarmed attacks. With a high-STR type like this guy, that could be quite powerful. Never tried them before.
http://dom3.servegame.com/wiki/Gloves_of_the_Gladiator

-------------

Is it worth killing off my existing prophet so I can transfer the role to my thug for +2 attack, reinvigoration, and HP boosts (this: http://dom3.servegame.com/wiki/Shroud_o ... ttle_Saint is nice, but with my tiny bless, it likely isn't worth crafting)? Does Holy Avenger damage attackers every time you get attacked, or just when you die?

-------------

Oh! You know what would be really useful?
http://dom3.servegame.com/wiki/Horror_Helmet
This gives a fear aura. Sadly, I got no death magic. Perhaps it is time to get mercantile.

[name_here]

Handy tip: you see all those weapons that only give one attack with no AoE? They're pretty much shit unless they have some handy rider and you've got no intention of killing fools in hand to hand, or you've got quickness, or you're reasonably certain you're up against an enemy SC.

Until you hit construction 4, go with bracers, pendant of luck, birch boots, maybe the Gauche, some low-encumberance armor, and maybe the shield.

EDIT: Horror Helmets: Always good on supercombatants. Once you get to construction 4, also include this guy: http://dom3.servegame.com/wiki/Charcoal_Shield

[Orca]

Is it worth killing off my existing prophet so I can transfer the role to my thug for +2 attack, reinvigoration, and HP boosts (this: http://dom3.servegame.com/wiki/Shroud_o ... ttle_Saint is nice, but with my tiny bless, it likely isn't worth crafting)? Does Holy Avenger damage attackers every time you get attacked, or just when you die?

I'd say don't kill off a prophet for relatively minor bonuses to a thug. Especially since it takes some time for the old prophet's power to dissipate. I thought Holy Avenger attacks when you get damaged, but I could be wrong.

The trampling boots at Construction 4 will be useful for Asterios. Aside from the Pendant of Luck and some sort of weapon, Construction 2 isn't a big deal for him right now from the look of it.

[Avoraciopoctules]

Do trampling boots on someone who is already a trampler make them better at it?

[name_here]

I think boots of the behemoth (construction 2, incidentally) may also increase size, in which case the answer is yes.