OT - Dominions: Preists, Prophets & Pretenders

PvK · #1 September 11th, 2003, 05:48 AM

Actually there are quite a few rather neat local "facilities", but instead of building them, you have to find them. It's harder than in looks (or maybe I need to study the rules a bit more, but), often magical sites don't get found by one character, but will be found by another, and it's a trade-off whether to send various characters to various locations looking for magic sites or not. You can also develop "infrastructure" with magic and units, by building up different kinds of magical armies that don't need food, or food-creation devices, or by building magic items which create magical resources constantly, or spells which do the same thing.

Edit: There are also ritual spells which create infrastructure like magic forges or various other improvements for your dominion, and items like magic forging hammers which help produce magic items, etc etc etc... tons of stuff to develop.

I too played AOW a bit, but wasn't particularly impressed or hooked. It's ok, but the AI seemed like a pushover unless it had a big head start, the armies were small, the characters were the D&D-esque super-hierarchical levels of toughness (bleh), research was unvaried and resources and research were too linearly additive. Too many gamey rehash elements. Dominions is at least a hundred times more appealing to my own tastes.

Are there any other sites about the sequel, or a way to fix that link? It wasn't working for me.

PvK

[ September 11, 2003, 04:56: Message edited by: PvK ]

Alneyan · #2 September 11th, 2003, 11:05 AM

Yes, the basic principe behind these sites is that a few are automatically discovered (very few though) while most of them need a character having one or two books in a given school of Magic. Some other sites requires no less than three or even four books, making them much harder to discover. The frequency of these sites can be changed at the beginning of the game. It is a very good idea IMO.

I didn't know about the spells and items you mentioned in your post. I guess I will have to play again Dominions, this game is so rich that it is very hard to know everything.

I wish I could buy the full Version, even if the demo offers more content than any other demo in history or so. If anyone is interested by a summary of Dominions, I could cut and paste one I wrote on another forum a few months ago.

As for AOW, the aspect of the game is much better than its gameplay, which is quite annoying obviously. I love to watch AOW or to listen to the musics, but when it comes to actually playing the game...

I could not find the interest of this game in PBEM, but maybe that's just me. (While Dominions has been designed with PBEM in mind)

PvK, strange that the link isn't working. Here is the link to the Progress Page: http://www.illwinter.com/dom2progress.html (The beginning of the page isn't in English though, but the history is)
And a few screenshots: http://www.illwinter.com/dom2/dom2preview.html

These links are from the official site so they *should* be working fine.

johan osterman · #3 September 11th, 2003, 03:20 PM

Hello I am semi involved in the development of dom 2. Dom 2 will be published by shrapnelgames, in a matter of weeks if everything works out. The gameplay will be very similar, but with more polished user interace graphics etc, there will also be several new features. But if you did not like the gameplay in dom chances are you will not like it in dom 2 either. There will for example not be more buildings to build. Nor will the control of the tactical battles be significantly changed. If you liked dom 1 on the other hand, chances are you will like dom 2 even better, just dont expect a whole new sort of gameplay.

MythicalMino · #4 September 11th, 2003, 03:48 PM

Johan, this is probably one of the best things to happen to you guys, getting Shrapnel to publish it....I have dealt with Shrapnel in buying Space Empires 4 Gold, and I had no problem with them....perhaps you can get an official forum here too?

Dominions is possibly one of my favorite games ever, and I don't even have the full Version yet...just bought it (I emailed you about it, at least I think it was you that answered)...

Age of Wonders Shadow Magic was a good "concept"...but gameplay just was not interesting to me....it really lacked something...but, with Dominions....all I can say is wow...incredible gameplay....

johan osterman · #5 September 11th, 2003, 03:57 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by cpbeller:
Johan, this is probably one of the best things to happen to you guys, getting Shrapnel to publish it....I have dealt with Shrapnel in buying Space Empires 4 Gold, and I had no problem with them....perhaps you can get an official forum here too?

Dominions is possibly one of my favorite games ever, and I don't even have the full Version yet...just bought it (I emailed you about it, at least I think it was you that answered)...

Age of Wonders Shadow Magic was a good "concept"...but gameplay just was not interesting to me....it really lacked something...but, with Dominions....all I can say is wow...incredible gameplay....

Actually that was Johan Karlsson, the programmer. I just write the occasional description or try to pester JK or Kristoffer into using my ideas, or try to talk them out of using any ideas of their own I dont like.

Pocus · #6 September 11th, 2003, 04:37 PM

As I'm a dominions I junkie, if you have any question about it, I will do my best to answer you.

some points which need clarifications (dominions I) :

- battles are very fine tunable, contrary to the affirmation of one of the forumer. Each leader can have a script, and each of the formation he commands can also have a script (hold and attack, fire at archers, attack the rear, etc.)

- it is true that there is few buildings in dominions, but frankly you are not playing civilization either. On the other hands you will get more than 500 different magical sites (which must be searched by a mage to be found on the map), more than 5 hundreds differents creatures, several hundreds spells, which are , believe me, more varied and combo-able than in AOW 2.

So wait some weeks for doms II, and grab the demo. If you are strategy gamers, there is a good chance that you will get hooked. I had shown the game so far to 12 friends or so. 11 bought the game or are still playing with the demo.

the Last one is a MMORPG junkie, so he is apart of others

Nerfix · #7 September 11th, 2003, 04:46 PM

Regarding Dominions II, i have a list of new and changed stuff in Dominions II:

-More spells, units and nations
-National themes:customise your nation!
-Unique Blood summons
-National overview:Less micromanagement
-Tax scales redesigned
-Bless effect dependant on pretender's starting magic
-Rainbow mages cheaper in desing points
-Resereach pool

...and now for the direct-market-terrorism:
Visit www.dominionsx.tk and Dominions X Boards
(the Boards are more stable now)

-Nerfix