Any mod suggestions for a returning player

[General_Jah]

Hey guys,

I played dom3 when it first came out and have been kicking around the idea of getting back into it for SP.

I wanted to ask the community if there are any suggestions on mods for balance and gameplay enhancement you could recommend?

thanks!

[Soyweiser]

CBM is a good bet, the later versions tend to be a bit agressive in what they remove and change.

(Hammers and gemgens have been removed, which is great for SP, as the AI never masses these).

Later versions also add a lot of end game monsters.

[JonBrave]

Here seems a good place to revive this old chestnut: which, if any, mods make the game any more interesting SP, please?

I realize that the AI is "challenged" (rather than "challenging"!) no matter what, and I also realize that CBM is the greatest thing since sliced bread for MP, but is it/any mod any more suitable for SP? Or might I just as well stick with vanilla for my next (given that I shall only ever play SP in This Universe)?

[Gandalf Parker]

I play almost entirely SP and have for years.
I was burned out on MP before the game was even released.
I prefer more More MORE type mods for SP.

SingleAge (makes all nations of all 3 eras available at the same time)
Mytheology and Immortal Pretenders and Nova Deus (more gods)
Worthy Heroes and Epic Heroes (more heroes)
CPCS (more spells)
the Magic Sites mod (more sites)
Elemental End Game and End Game Mod (more bigger monsters)
And then maybe fill the nation slots from 73-95 with modded nations.

And then run the map thru the SemiRand program so that the AI is smarter and there are surprise sites to find.
And then create random alliances between the AIs
AND THEN MAYBE RUN IT THRU THE CHAOS PROGRAM MUHAhahahahahaa!
(Total random insanity, take nothing for granted)

Other than that there are game settings which tend to improve the AIs.
And there are maps which are designed to improve the AIs

If you want to try SemiRand, or Chaos, or an old CBM then you can try one of the always open games on my system. The ones with AIs can be played solo.
Or one of my downloadable maps that have been run thru the programs.

www.Dom3Minions.com

Gandalf Parker

[JonBrave]

@GP,

(The original question aside for one moment...)

There's one thing I don't understand: not intending to diminish your efforts/copyright in any way, but why do I want/need to play against your server on-line? (As I understand it, that's what your SP server requires(?)) Is there any point from my POV having to play turns on-line?

[thejeff]

The various versions of the BetterIndependents mod.
They raise the cost of many of the less useful independents (either in gold or resources) to the point where the AI won't by them. This means you'll face AI armies with more better national troops and less random chaff.

[Gandalf Parker]

Originally Posted by JonBrave

@GP,

(The original question aside for one moment...)

There's one thing I don't understand: not intending to diminish your efforts/copyright in any way, but why do I want/need to play against your server on-line? (As I understand it, that's what your SP server requires(?)) Is there any point from my POV having to play turns on-line?

You dont have to. They are offered for quick friends games or IRC blitzes.

But some of them generate a map then run it thru a 3rd party program to add surprises.

The vsAI game allies all of the AIs against the human player (the AIs will not attack each other).

The SRAND runs the map thru SemiRand to plant surprise provinces. Like the Faerun map but changing each time. (I dont have the AI boosted gods included yet but its available if you run it yourself for solo play)

The CHAOS games are run thru a program which scrambles everything about as much as is possible without using a mod. Your starting army can be different, and have starting equipment. Every province can be wildly different. The AIs are allied. And there are two Independent AIs which can even make the white flags a surprise. Castles, temples, and labs can be found anywhere. And finally the things you run into are a surprise because the separation from god/leader/infantry is out. You might run into a slinger leading captains and bodyguarded by monoliths.

Also there are 3 maps downloadable from my server which are re-randomized daily. They use maps that came with the game and add a new map to your select list for the variant.

Partial_anos is a "Partial Independent" map based on the Parganos map. The "No Independents" maps are supposed to make the AI much better by forcing it to use national units instead of spending all its gold on cheap independents in every province. I prefer only partially no-independent so the PI map leave 1 in 10 provinces with recruitables. Still helps the AI and cuts down on MicroManagement. The problem is that you can learn where the good recruits are so the map needs to be re-randomized often which I offer.

Aran_Dom is the Aran map run thru the SemiRand program. Surprise provinces are scattered on the map. But again, its learnable so I offer a new version done daily.

And finally the Poke in the Eye map is the Eye map which has been chaoticized. It gets rerun daily also so once you feel you are learning where everything is just download it again to get a different version

So yeah, it all CAN be done off server. But its a pain for people who just want to try it out so I offer online games already setup, or downloadable maps, so people can try them without the headaches. But you dont have to do it that way. In fact, if you get totally hooked on one I would prefer that you dont. After trying it out Id rather you run it yourself unless its MP play.

[JonBrave]

Originally Posted by Gandalf Parker

So yeah, it all CAN be done off server. But its a pain for people who just want to try it out so I offer online games already setup, or downloadable maps, so people can try them without the headaches. But you dont have to do it that way. In fact, if you get totally hooked on one I would prefer that you dont. After trying it out Id rather you run it yourself unless its MP play.

I sort of understand a bit better than earlier! Wow, so you're saying in effect the stuff you do is technically doable just on local PC, and if we really likely we can run it locally anyway. Thanks!

[Valerius]

Another mod you may enjoy is Assimilation, which lets you recruit some of an opponent's units when you capture their capitol.

[rdonj]

I think the best mods for SP are Amos mods... in the hands of the AI. Not all of his mods are exactly overpowered if used by the AI though even still, but things like hellgate or the theran empire would make for unusually exciting sp games if under AI control. My suggestion would be to combine better independents with mod nations that have a lot of power in their recruitment roster, and if necessary make preset gods for them as well if they need blesses or something.