Your Favorite Paths and Races

[Alexander Seil]

I believe it would be rather interesting to see what is the approximate spread of preferred paths and races on this board. Perhaps, in fact, that information might come in handy for modders or game's developers if they would be willing either to satisfy the popular sentiment or instead boost an unpopular race/path. Anyway, get in and vote! http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon12.gif

[Cainehill]

Give me another week and I might vote differently, but for now, I chose the race and major path that has given me my only modicum of success in MP.

The Inquisition Cometh!

[Yossar]

Wow, that's pretty spread out so far.

[Gandalf Parker]

Originally posted by Yossar:
Wow, that's pretty spread out so far. <font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">Thats one of the great things about this game. The different races and paths fit different playing styles.

[archaeolept]

at the moment, Mictlan is in the lead for favorite race

o_O

[ April 02, 2004, 04:34: Message edited by: archaeolept ]

[Alexander Seil]

Amazingly, Ermor and Arcoscephale did not gain any votes yes and Jotunheim is lagging behind http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon12.gif

[Yossar]

Ya, I thought Arco was pretty popular. And it's amazing how well blood is doing. When I voted for it I was the only one for blood out of 11.

[DLC]

looks like my favourite race is in the lead right now http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon12.gif abysia

[JaydedOne]

The balance of these polls results really is impressive. There isn't a major gap from first to Last place in either poll. Yet another indicator that the game balance is by and large excellent.

For what it's worth, my vote is totally R'lyeh (what's not to love, especially for a kid who's been a Lovecraft fan since junior high?) with, unsurprisingly, Astral being my favorite path.

[Teleolurian]

Man/Air for me. Not because they're my 'favorite', just because I'm good at winning with them.

[ywl]

It's surprising that Nature gets such a high ranking. I always thought the subtle and indirect ways to use it will make it unpopular.

Why do you choose Nature?

[Yossar]

I like nature because it's the only way for a nation besides Arco to heal afflictions. Having a few afflictions on your pretender isn't the end of the world, but it is annoying.

I didn't pick Arco or nature as my favorite but they'd both be up there.

[fahdiz]

Originally posted by Yossar:
And it's amazing how well blood is doing. When I voted for it I was the only one for blood out of 11. <font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">It's those damned Ice Devils. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon10.gif

Blood summons are a bLast...so much color and flavor added to the game.

[Taqwus]

Nature is so darn useful -- supply items, healing, decent commander summons (Firbolg for archers / commanders, Lamia Queens for sorcery, Feathered Serpents for astral/nature/holy, Faerie Queen for healing), decent chaff (vine ogres / vine men, which don't require special leadership), Gift of Reason to play with... oh, and Relief, which is just brutal when combined with Communion, or, perhaps, Rigor Mortis. Oh, and nature lets you find sites which get you Witches, which opens up elemental magic. And some may benefit from Mass Protection, so long as they're not near Abysians or other heat-radiators.

Unless you're playing the undead masses, in which case supply / chaff / relief are much more minor concerns, it's very very nice to have.

[Alexander Seil]

I felt obliged to boost the poor Lizzies http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif

[Murph]

I've got to agree with Taqwus about Nature. I find the summoning, good items and healing to be great, and Vine Ogres make good shock troops, and are pretty cheap to summon for their value.

[rabelais]

Healing is very difficult to get in this game, and nature magic is ever so versatile.

Also the bless effect is WONDERFUL, except on Magi.

I like Jade Sorceresses myself, how much do enchantresses cost to recruit?


Rabe the Healing Hyper

Enchantress 180.

[Tricon]

Ah, I hate these things. I love more then two nations. I can't decide which I like more...


Anyway, right NOW my two favorite nations would be Marignon and Ermor.

[Endoperez]

Interesting poll. Have you noticed that the least liked race and magic path go hand-in-hand? I wonder how the third underwater race will mess up things down there, but Atlantis and Water magic seem to be in trouble. Strange, as I view them as the best contenders in the Astral Clam -race there has been discussion around. Their only problem is getting to Constr-6 for those Water bracelets, and after that they can start the clamming.

They also have natural, although rare, access to Dwarven Hammer just as quickly as you can get the mage's (Deep one? the one with two linked randoms) randoms in earth.

[DLC]

sea king actually, which is kinda expensive to recruit... making it very hard to gamble your way to 2 linked earth.

[Endoperez]

Originally posted by DLC:
sea king, actually, which is kinda expensive to recruit... making it very hard to gamble your way to 2 linked earth. <font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">Okay, Sea King.
Sea King is a gamble to get Earth-2, but about 10 will propably do the trick. And Sea Kings can give you have access to every site-searching spell in the game, including Acashic Record if you want to.

Death, Astral, Air and Blood are not very powerful on a Sea King but they have uses. Blood is nice for Ice Devils if you go for blood, Astral and Death can be easily raised to 3 or even 4, and Death also gives you access to Skull Mentors. 2 Air is not very powerful, but if you get even one booster you will be able to forge more of them.

All the other possibilities are very nice, though.

Earth gives access to Fire Ward, Claymen and Earth boots, and Dwarven Hammer after that. This is the best, I think, if you go Clamming.

Water 5 is not very useful in the beginning, but later with the big battlefield spells and Murdering Winter they will be wonderufl complement to your forces.

With Fire, they can cast all the Acid spells, very nice evocations giving Atlantis the damage that pure water spells lack. Besides, Acid can't be resisted.

Nature gives you acces to Bone Melter, very nice spell in many ways. AOE-instakill, what is not to like?

[Graeme Dice]

Originally posted by Endoperez:
Okay, Sea King.
Sea King is a gamble to get Earth-2, but about 10 will propably do the trick. And Sea Kings can give you have access to every site-searching spell in the game, including Acashic Record if you want to.<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">I'm not sure why someone would want an astral 2 sea king instead of just a standard deep seer.

Astral and Death can be easily raised to 3 or even 4, <font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">Death can be easily raised to level 4, astral cannot, since there is only one astral booster available to Atlantis.

[Nagot Gick Fel]

Originally posted by Graeme Dice:
Death can be easily raised to level 4, astral cannot, since there is only one astral booster available to Atlantis. <font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">(1) If you want astral boosters 3 stral-proficient pretenders are available to Atlantis. And with the Sea Kings covering everything I think astral is an obvious candidate as an alternate magic path for the 2 liches as well. So getting Rings of _____ry shouldn't pose a problem. And of course the Seer pretender can easily pick a bit of earth for Astral Coins too. You just have to ask yourself "do I want easy access to astral boosters or not?" when designing your nation.

(2) With all that hype about clam hoarding, I expect a good part of the Atlantis players will default to an Astral 6+ pretender, and will generate a comfortable astral output when they reach Construction 6. Even without an astral pretender these clams will make it easy to empower a mage to astral-3 in time.

(3) I've not seem him in awhile but I think one of the Atlantian heroes comes with Astral 3.

[HotNifeThruButr]

I'm still waiting for my copy of Dominions 2, but from the first demo, I can predict that I'd like Marignon + Fire. On the other hand, there are new races for Ascension Wars, and I'll look forward to playing Tien'Chi, with their composite bow archers and Red Guard... don't ask me why I want to use Red Guard.

I'm voting Marignon

(BTW, first post!)