Superheroes dominating Dominions 3 ?

Saeter · #1 February 21st, 2007, 11:07 AM

Hi,

I played Dominions 2 quite much. Both agains AI and multiplayer. It was a great game and so is Dominions 3 probably.

But one problem was that once you got to a certain point, some superhero characters/gods with the right items could dominate the game totally. Large armies would too often become completely useless. I wouldn't mind this happening occationally. But it was very commom in Dominions 2.

Is Dominions 3 the same or has this balance been improved?

Belcarl · #2 February 21st, 2007, 11:14 AM

The balance has been improved. The life drain ability has been reduced, and is harder to get with items.

The thing that may be unbalanced in Dom3 is some nations bless strats, where a 9/9 bless with sacred units is pretty hard to beat early in game. This has been heatly discussed though, and I don't remember if a consensus was ever reached on this forum.

Gandalf Parker · #3 February 21st, 2007, 12:39 PM

Certain problems occur with certain game setups (map size, winning conditions, etc) but it must be balanced since we dont get an agreement on what they are. The SC thing is a late-game problem but it does balance the Micromanagment complaint. And there is always the "too much magic, too much summons" late-game complaint. Of course all of those balance the early-game complaint that the game is too much about elite units and swarming.

Usually, choosing different game setup parameters will allow you to avoid any of those that you feel is getting to be an old complaint.

NTJedi · #4 February 21st, 2007, 10:36 PM

Quote:

Saeter said:
But one problem was that once you got to a certain point, some superhero characters/gods with the right items could dominate the game totally. Large armies would too often become completely useless. I wouldn't mind this happening occationally. But it was very commom in Dominions 2.

Is Dominions 3 the same or has this balance been improved?

Yes the SCs when properly equipped or spell_buffed suffer other disadvantages such as being more vunerable to cold, lightning or poison. This allows human players to have more options in taking down SCs.
The AI opponents still don't build their own SCs... maybe in Dominions_8 this will be available. Perhaps by Dominions_4 the AI will know how specific items should not be equipped by specific units... such as an assassins heart on a commander/mage without stealth.

Velusion · #5 February 22nd, 2007, 03:36 AM

Quote:

Gandalf Parker said:
Certain problems occur with certain game setups (map size, winning conditions, etc) but it must be balanced since we dont get an agreement on what they are.

I read this and my head x-plode.

EDIT: Awesome avatar Saeter

Ezco · #6 February 22nd, 2007, 08:16 AM

Because it's easier to supply and make larger armies I think Dom 3 is much better balanced than Dom 2. Still some superhero characters/gods with the right items can dominate the game totally. But I think its not a problem and I have never seen an totally useless large army in Dom 3.

Saeter · #7 February 22nd, 2007, 10:36 AM

Thanks for the replies. I do like that SCs can sometimes be very powerful. But glad to hear that it seems more balanced now. Of course perfect balance is not possible and probably not desirable either.

Going to the store...

Gandalf Parker · #8 February 22nd, 2007, 02:35 PM

[quote]
Velusion said:

Quote:

Gandalf Parker said:
Certain problems occur with certain game setups (map size, winning conditions, etc) but it must be balanced since we dont get an agreement on what they are.

I read this and my head x-plode.

Its just that if there was only one "game is way overpowered in this area" complaint then it would be important to fix it. But if there are half a dozen of them, then it seems there there is a balance of sorts.

Velusion · #9 February 22nd, 2007, 03:01 PM

Quote:

Gandalf Parker said:
Its just that if there was only one "game is way overpowered in this area" complaint then it would be important to fix it. But if there are half a dozen of them, then it seems there there is a balance of sorts.

So the more complaints there are the less important the problem is?

You are still making my head x-plode.

Gandalf Parker · #10 February 22nd, 2007, 05:53 PM

No I just think that there cant really be a balance killer unless there is agreement on it. Multiple balance killers tend to cancel each other out. SuperCombatants cant be an end-game killer if too mch magic/summons is also an end-game killer since the two would seem to be tactics for use against the other. When discussions swing that direction then it tends to come out "oh I meant for small map blitz games" or some other limiting situation.