A game Dominion players(and modders) might enjoy

[Omnirizon]

before I mention the game...

is it OK to mention another game in these forums?

it is one that I think would appeal to the tastes and sensibilities of Dom players. It is indie, still in beta, and has a HUGE modding community (as much if not more than here).

So, is it ok?
For what its worth, i'm sure Dom3 would come up in their forums, leading to increased attention for both titles. Plus I'd really love to see some Dom3 flavour mods on this game; and I haven't the time or the expertise to do it. (my true intentions are out http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/biggrin.gif )

[Velusion]

Jeez ... now you got me all curious...

Yes it's ok... I've seen other games talked about around here.

[Omnirizon]

Mount & Blade

It is a medieval historical simulation. It is free-form and non-linear. Setting is a land of warring kingdoms. You are an adventurer, you can quest around by yourself, or ally with a kingdom, hire a band of men, equip them, there's horses, bows, swords, mercenaries, HUGE battles, and all the trappings of historically inspired fictional medieval setting. It is addictive as hell. From what I understand, it too is simply a duo (husband and wife) designing the whole thing. A great thing to play while waiting for the next turn file in the mail.

Lots of mods exist to add to the game, some adding fantasy races and magic, others adding new worlds, new states, storylines, and wars. Some adding tweaked mechanics, or new weapons, mercenaries. It would be great to see a mod add a Dom3 inspired world of warring kingdoms and races. For the immortality... there is already a mod where the goal of the game is to become a god.

The game is still beta, but is released and for sale. google Mount & Blade and check it out.

[Endoperez]

Actually, I thought you'd bring up Dwarf Fortress.


Any way, I bought Mount & Blade it a long while ago. It's fun for a while, but there isn't any incentive besides fighting as of yet, and I got bored of too much of it. I haven't played it for several versions now, though.

Also, it is a medieval FPS done right, not a strategy game. It's got some really innovative ideas, like horse archery, which is awesome. Horses, lances etc in general are very well done, and melee is way above common fare even though I personally don't think it's quite up to the same level.


M&B forums used to organize few Dominions games, and some of the long-timers came here from over there.

[Dedas]

M&B is ok, but as Endoperez says it gets boring after a while.
Dwarf Fortress on the other hand... well, need I say more?

[Omnirizon]

something about charging groups of bandits, trampling them with my horse, or galloping by and smashing their heads with a warhammer. Taking them prisoner and selling them into slavery...

Just doesn't get old.

And the horse archery is top notch. The feeling when you stick that arrow in the guy while your both charging, and he falls of his horse and gets dragged along a bit.

I don't know what kind of changes they've made since you quit, but there is plenty to do for me. The environment is active, you can see towns being raided by one nation, jump in and help out or try and defend (if you dare attack 100+ man raiding parties.)

Strategy surely isn't what the game is all about, but you do have strategical effect on the environment with your actions; and I think some Mods put a little more focus on taking part in strategical movements.

[Omnirizon]

Dwarf Fortress...

Brings back memories of playing urogue at my buddy's dad's computer when I was just a pup, or nethack even; but with an ASCII simcity aspect... and more.

I'll have to check it out.

[Omnirizon]

Ah!!!

Tarn Adams made DF.
I used to play Liberal Crime Squad, also by Adams.

[Dedas]

He he, Dwarf Fortress is the most awesome game on the net in my opinion. Somehow it reaches out and touches the very core of my gaming soul in a way that not many games have done before. X-Com 1&2 and Civ1&2 comes to mind. So in my opinion it is truly "beyond quality". http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif
The weird thing is that it is totally free and still only in early Alpha!

[Agrajag]

When I read the description in the first post I thought "I don't think he means DF, but DF sure fits this description.", and I was thinking about mentioning the awesome DF. But then I see everyone else thought similarly http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif
So yeah, DF is awesome. Probably an important reason why I'm going to fail my next exam http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

[Endoperez]

Dwarf Fortress is awesome. By the way, I've been modding the language files to edit how the words are used. I couldn't do anything about verbs, which are still used in crazy ways, but I've changed the other words so that you're more likely to get "Yellowboat" or "Crystalaxes" than "Syrupsbluenesses" or "Authordiamond". Also, I limited most stupid words out; added adjective-like words to verbs such as flying, swimming, rising; limited nouns to just singular or plural when fitting (blueness instead of bluenesses), limited availability of words in names (no bluenessessyrups the bad grammar, no antwhite, etc; bluesyrup and whiteants can still happen).
I'm on page 115 of 192 and I think I'll add a bucketload of new words after that, but I can bump this thread when I finish it if anyone's interested.

[LDiCesare]

Dwarf Fortress takes getting into it too I suppose. I havent managed to in any case. I have lots of difficulty getting anyhting done in that game. Or, in fact, just getting started.

[Dedas]

Well the learning curve is quite high (in some ways higher than Dominion's). But once you get over it, you will thank yourself. Trust me.

[sector24]

Have any of you guys played Laser Squad Nemesis? It's like the Dominions 3 of squad level combat and has a similar gameplay model (players take turns and they are resolved simultaneously). It's made by the same guy that designed X-COM: UFO Defense (Enemy Unknown). I think Dominions 3, X-COM, LSN are my top 3 favorite games.

[Baalz]

Yeah, LSN rocks. Every now and then I go renew my subscription for awhile. It's definitely right up the ally of anybody who likes Dominions.

[Endoperez]

I tried LSN, but never bought it. The battles took really long time even with relatively few units. X-Com's battle system might not have been perfectly fair, but it was fun and fast.

[Omnirizon]

I loved X-Com(UFO enemy unknown). I played the succeeding UFO series, the title being bought up by another company after X-Com faded away. It just wasnt the same though.

I may take a look at LSN

[Dedas]

Masterpieces: UFO and TFTD
Great: X-Com Apocalypse and LSN
Nothing special: The rest in the series

[Cor2]

I love DF. great game now but i think it will be much better when its done. right now some of the bugs break the game, sad.

Mount and blade still has no roleplaying to it, it bothers me. So I am a 45th level badmother, what is my reward? Just stomping more bad guys. Lame. One last thing, as of the latest version I played the war could not be won. I took every city and castle that was possible to take and nobody seemed to notice.

I do need to check out LSN and liberal crime thingy.

[Agrajag]

I'd say that despite the added complexity in the latest version of DF, it is actually easier to get into, since the basics of the game have become much easier.
If you are having problems with DF, the best place to go to is www.dwarffortresswiki.net (http://www.dwarffortresswiki.net) (I bet you can guess what sort of website that is by yourself http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif). For a beginner, just checking out the "getting started" content should probably be enough, but even experienced players probably consult the wiki all the time, it's an incredibly valuable resource in playing DF.

[Stryke11]

I tried DF awhile back and quit in disgust, getting nowhere.

Then, recently, something caused me to give it another try (I think it was Mike Mayday's graphics pack, give it a search, it changes most of the ASCII to graphical tiles, which made everything better for me). I now cannot stop playing it. It's like a drug addiction. I look at the future features planned and I am amazed.

I don't get it, either, someone needs to explain to me why I am so amazed by those crappy graphics and buggy dwarves. What is it about DF that makes it so addictive? Right now I'm running a huge strip mining operation and smelting ore. Good times!

[Omnirizon]

the answer, my friend, is in what it is not.

That is, more pablum processed out by the corporate machine that took over gaming.

It is fun and addictive because it is built from passion, and not purely greed inspired rationalization.

[otthegreat]

X-Com was before me but I enjoyed LSN for a while, don't really know why I stopped playing. I never thought I would run into so many people who had even heard of DF(apart from on the wiki) what a game! I guess its because people my age seem to eat up the crap made by the "corporate machine".

I'd like to add Civ Alpha Centauri to the great games of old. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/wink.gif

[Saulot]

I have to say I was in the same boat as Stryke11, I've tried DF but couldn't get into the fortress mode. After dying 5 or 6 times on adventure mode to harmless sounding creatures, I figured this was just a game for masochists.

Last night, I tried the graphics pack that was mentioned, and it really improves the situation and turns down the learning curve for the fortress mode. (Though I do have a nagging suspicion that if one plays the game long enough in any mode, you no longer see the sprites/ascii... kind of like how if you play a text mud for years, you no longer see lines of text, but blonde, brunette, etc...) http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

[Dedas]

@otthegreat
Alpha Centauri, how could I miss that one!?

@Saulot
Exactly http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

[Omnirizon]

Alpha Centauri is the reason I flunked out of college on my first try through.

that and all the pot.

and to think that I'm working on a PhD now. how things change.

[Dedas]

Hey, wanna play some net Alpha Centauri with me? http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/firedevil.gif

http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

[cupido2]

Yeah yeah, thanks for pushing me on dwarf fortress. I downloaded it 2 days ago and now all I do all day is tinkering plans for my fortress. Don't know if that makes my boss happy...

[Endoperez]

Have any of you tried starting next to lakes or seas? If you select the sea screen, some of those have habitable land to one side. There are waves in the sea...

[Omnirizon]

Dedas said:
Hey, wanna play some net Alpha Centauri with me? http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/firedevil.gif

http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif



away ye foul tempter!!!

I have enough trouble dealing with Dom3 (and the occasional guilty excursion with DF or MB or whatever else). I don't need anything else distracting me from school.

[otthegreat]

Exactly, I've had to uninstall games lately so I could do relatively unimportant things like homework.

[Dedas]

That's weird, I've had to uninstall homework lately just to do some real hard and healthy gaming.

[Cor2]

otthegreat said:
Exactly, I've had to uninstall games lately so I could do relatively unimportant things like homework.



Same here, I gave up all games but dominion 3 multiplayer so I could pass school. I was a real addict. the withdrawls are intense for the first two weeks.

[otthegreat]

Cor2 said:

Same here, I gave up all games but dominion 3 multiplayer so I could pass school. I was a real addict. the withdrawls are intense for the first two weeks.



Yea, the blank computer screen is sooo tempting. Maybe we can start a support group!

[Saulot]

A man hesitantly stands up and takes a slow, deep breath. He looks around and then his gaze finally returns to the floor and says quietly, "My name is Bob,... and I'm a dominions addict."

"Hi Bob!", a chorus of voices reply.

[Omnirizon]

"I started playing dominions just to relax after work. I thought it was OK and that I could handle it. Soon, I was needing dominions just to make it through the day; I couldn't get up in the morning unless I had a new turn file in my mailbox. And if I didn't get a turn file every few hours or so, I started getting real irritated."

[Stryke11]

Dominions is the ONLY game, and I buy and dl a LOT, that I'm still playing over a year later.

And here's what even makes it weirder...I dabbled with multiplayer a bit, but 99% of the time I single play.

If I were to have to explain it, I would have to say the patches and constant addition, plus the mods & maps (wish there were some more "pretty" maps though, like the map that will never be or whatever from the other thread).

Recently Bogarus just rocked my world. It's the game that keeps on giving. Well worth the $$, and I even bought one for a friend.

I'm playing a PBEM with that friend (you guys are just too good for me, playing MP on here is just an exercise in disaster) and having a blast.

That said, if the updates keep coming, and the modded graphics get better, Dwarf Fortress is likely to last a LONG time as well.

[Lingchih]

You only learn MP by playing MP, Stryke. Jump into the fire.

[Cor2]

yeah, Stryke11, you can kick my *** sometime. I am the equvilent to a medium AI http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/laugh.gif

[Endoperez]

Gandalf Parker said:
WARNING: this game is NOT suitable for students, interns, apprentices, or anyone else who is expected to pass tests on a regular basis. Do not think about Dominions strategys while operating heavy machinery. The demo has built-in protections which should not be bypassed. They are for your health as much as for monetary reasons. Do not begin n the full version without first making arrangments for someone to heck on you daily. If you find that your game has continued for more than 36 hours straight then you should consult a physician immeadiately (Do NOT show him the game!)