Gandalf's bl_peaked blitz

[Saint_Dude]

I think it is time that we establish a thread for the bl_peaked blitz. The competition in this blitz has been exceptional. While there have been a number of significant exchanges, at turn 56 the game feels as evenly matched as turn 1 (I am desperately hoping that C'tis is starting to crack a bit but it could just be wishful thinking).

I would very much like to know who is playing C'tis and Jotun so that I can commend them on their play. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/cool.gif

[lch]

I'd just like to suggest that you change the thread icon because I'm calling dibs on that one. /threads/images/Graemlins/Envy.gif

[Saint_Dude]

np

[solo]

I am playing Jotunheim and also commend my opponents for really excellent play so far.

I have picked up some good ideas while playing in this one. Thanks.

I'm just wondering why you two didn't finish me off when you combined against me earlier in the game.

[Saint_Dude]

In hind sight, we should have taken Jotun out when we had the chance.

C'tis and Shinuyama never had an actual alliance or NAP, it is just that we saw Jotun as the early threat and decided it would be best to leave each other alone during the early rounds. When it looked like C'tis was gaining disproportionately, I made the regrettable decision to take on both nations simultaneously.

It now looks like C'tis and Shinuyama have degraded each other just enough for Jotun to come sweeping in for the victory. Darn! This last round of globals is just brutal.

[Stelteck]

Hi.

I'am c'tis and i found this thread !!!

It was a very difficult game as we were only 3. 3 is very instable to play, 4 is far better.

I started to attack Jothum with shinuyama (not very motivated, shinuyama i think ^^) then this last evil god declare war on me and i had to fallback, fortunately with an intact army.

Then 40 turns of terrible war between me and the evil japanese demons...

The basic troops of shinuyama are terrible. (Armored heavy longbow archer, argg....) My unit are crappy relative to them. I had to used the last bit of power of my mighty magic sauromancer and of my deadly dominion to hold them.

I first lost my main summoned army (giants tugs and swamp guards) then had to adapt.
I was not used of this nation, as it is one of my first dominion 3 games. (I used to played dominion 2, but chtiss changed a bit, where is my serpent dancer !!!!!)

I managed to hold its terrible heavy archer troops using hundreads of battlesummoned undeads under the shadow of darkness, and i managed to block shinuyama's super undead and démon warrior with drain life....
I use also a lot my immortal pretenders and some wraith lords..

But, i'am currently cracking, yes... My capital is under siege and the force of evil will soon dominate the world.....^^

Stelteck.

[Saint_Dude]

Just for clarification: "giants tugs" = giant toads. And C'tis had agregated enough of them to be a significant problem. Those things did quite a bit of damage and swallowed several of my elite comanders before I was able to dispatch them with flaming arrows.

Of course the main reason that C'tis has been such a tough nut to crack in this game has been the insane number of marshmasters. C'tis took a fortress from Jotun in the early going, and then built another fortress soon after. For much of the early game, C'tis maintained a 3-to-1 fortress advantage over the other 2 nations and used that advantage to spam marshmasters. Going into battle against an army backed up by 40 marshmasters and several indie astral mages is nasty work. Not that 40 marshmasters are all that C'tis has had to work with. I swear they have recruited well over 100 of them at turn 70.

Lately though, it has been the combination of the miasma and the Burden of Time global that have really been chewing the Shinuyama units. It is looking more and more like an inevitable Jotun victory. But Shinuyama will not go down without a fight. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/wink.gif

[Stelteck]

Yep my heavy marshmasters attacks works quite well,
but they do not have a lots of hitpoints and their looses were heavy.

You perhaps do not realize it but spells like Fire from afhar...( 10+ fire arrow coming from the sky) decimated them....

i know i'am not supposed to tell you this as the game is not other yet but i'am really on the rope. ^^

Stelteck.

[Saint_Dude]

Dai Oni rock! If I had another dozen or so, I could take over the world! http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

[solo]

My first game bumping into them! I need to figure out a better counter to them pretty soon!

[Stelteck]

I found the bug : AI cast raise dead even if there is no corpse in the bug list ^^

Baaaa..
But i saved my castle and your dai oni are CURSED !!!

(I also have an immortal wraith lord blind, mute and feebleminded... immortal yes ^^)
It died once a turn for 10 turns ^^

Stelteck.

[solo]

Oooooops!!!

It will be many moons before I decide to send my Pretender on such a silly mission again!

It was too late to change my turn orders when I remembered that Dark Knight's are scripted to "kill commander" and that my guy and all his wonderful globals became a siting duck!

Things were just starting to look good, and now poof, I've done my opponents a huge favor that will probably cost me the game!

[Saint_Dude]

I am so glad the green guy walked into a meat grinder.

It was a constant battle keeping the game in balance with all the globals flying around.

It is still anyones game though. All three nations have been rocked pretty hard in this one. The eventual winner will stagger to victory Rocky style.

[Saint_Dude]

Argh!

Solo: Did you watch the battle replay of our latest battle? It is totally different from the reported stats and actual result. I much prefer the battle replay.

In fact, I have been experiencing a host of strange behaviors in this game, some of which have been just crippling. Don't know how much longer I can hold out if this continues.

I may have to switch to AI and let you two work it out. Otherwise, I am not sure this game will ever end.

[solo]

Yes, I did watch the battle and I agree that the results did not match the replay much at all.

I have seen this sort of thing happen before in Dom II, but could never see any reason for it then, either. It must be some sort of bug that has persisted into Dominions 3.

I'm also seeing other things that don't make sense, too, and was almost ready to quit the game when I lost my Pretender and most of my provinces.

With C'tis starting to make a comeback, it does look like this game might go on forever! Although I'm also getting tired of this game, I've really enjoyed the competition so far with two execellent opponents. I've also enjoyed the quick pace we've been able to sustain.

Maybe we should call it a 3-way draw and start another game?

[Saint_Dude]

Agreed. I am feeling the same way.

Very interesting game, but I don't think I have the patience to go around in circles for another 50+ turns. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/wink.gif

[Saint_Dude]

Looks like you guys decided to continue duking it out. Anyone getting the upper hand yet? I am curious to see how this one turns out.

BTW are the Dai Oni still formidable with the AI controling them?

[Stelteck]

I just discovered your last reply.

Yes it seems that i my be able to defend, but have no hope to win at long terme.

I agree to close the game if you want.

Stelteck.

[solo]

Unless you really want to continue with it, go ahead and PM Gandalf to let him know that the game is over.

[Saint_Dude]

I went AI 20 turns or so ago, so I don't know how the game has been progressing. Was anyone gaining any ground?

Did the Jotun ever encounter C'tis' immortal horde?

[Gandalf Parker]

Special Offer
For any blitz which has gone on for so long (such as over 100 turns) I will offer the following. IF you decide to close the game then I am willing to zip it up and email it along with the master password to anyone who is interested.

That way you can continue playing it on your machine. This will not let you see peoples passwords by the way. But it will let you enter as any nation which is not yet turned to AI. And you could change the others to AI and play as one of the human-player nations if you are interested in seeing where it might go.

PM me an email address if you are interested (after the game closes)

Gandalf Parker

[solo]

Saint_Dude,

Without you around directing things for the Jomon we were able to eliminate them a turn or two ago. Once I finally researched to the Blood spell Life for Life, your SC's finally met their match and were easy to pick off.

I took over most of the provinces on the map and had one major battle with 12 immortals who were killed and returned to their home castle. However, they are starting to spread out again at the moment reclaiming several provinces. Even so, I think it's just a matter of time until the Jotun are in position to take the C'tis home castle, after which the immortals will have nowhere to go.

Gandalf,

I have had enough, so it depends on whether Stelteck would like to take you up on your kind offer. Probabaly not too many of your blitzes last this long!