what is your milleage

[Pocus]

Just saw poor Mictlan having his castle stormed by Ulm (680 units). The Ulmish army was composed of woodmen, milicia, light infantries, and a core of 50 Ulm national units.

Something ought really to be done to correct this, it is starting to be annoying. I want to fight Ulm, not a horde of half washed woodmen!


correction, the battle ended after 10 mn (real time), with the routing of Ulm. Roughly 75 units killed by his own archers, then the remainded failed to hit the Mictlan Stone God (with Mist form), and as they starved, everybody fled. Ulm fielded in fact only a single mage, a single Commander of Ulm, and a 30 guardians, the rest being a useless rabble.
Not very optimized

[ November 01, 2003, 20:27: Message edited by: Pocus ]

[Aristoteles]

Originally posted by Pocus:
Just saw poor Mictlan having his castle stormed by Ulm (680 units). The Ulmish army was composed of woodmen, milicia, light infantries, and a core of 50 Ulm national units.

Something ought really to be done to correct this, it is starting to be annoying. I want to fight Ulm, not a horde of half washed woodmen!


correction, the battle ended after 10 mn (real time), with the routing of Ulm. Roughly 75 units killed by his own archers, then the remainded failed to hit the Mictlan Stone God (with Mist form), and as they starved, everybody fled. Ulm fielded in fact only a single mage, a single Commander of Ulm, and a 30 guardians, the rest being a useless rabble.
Not very optimized

Sad....This AI needs some huge update.

Pocus you were with Mictlan? Or how did you seen that battle?

[ November 01, 2003, 21:33: Message edited by: Aristoteles ]

[PvK]

You guys are too good. On turn 20, I had maybe 370 gold income and about a dozen provinces, and was about to get steamrollered by Marignon. No wonder you guys think the AI is lame.

PvK

[apoger]

PvK, like many newer players you haven't gotten the hang of some of the games efficiencies. Once you are on track things get much easier.

Try making a super combatant pretender (everyone else will in such a magic rich enviornment).

For a simple way to learn try;

A Manticore
astral - 6
earth - 1

Research alteration - 3, enchantment - 3

Place the Manticore in the rear.
Orders to cast: Body Ethereal, Astral Shield, Ironskin, Personal Luck, Astral Weapon.
Then attack rearmost.

Send it in alone, you don't want to rout when your army loses a morale check.

Get it rings that protect versus elements if you are attacking a cold or heat nation. Get a ring of tamed lightning if attacking an air nation.

This simple configuration will cut through 95% of conventional armies like a hot knife through butter. Use it to gobble up provinces and abuse the computer AI.

It's not invincible. But will handle a whole lot of trouble.

This will put you on the path towards understanding the potency of super combatants.

[Pocus]

Alex, I'm trying very hard to not play super combatting pretenders (I took a rainbow mage in the report I posted).

Alas, I know that you are quite right, its so easy to take one and start to take provinces from turn 1.

I dont know for sure how MP will play, but I have a strong and bad feeling.

I think the fix which could change the problem is a major increase in cost of all combat pretenders. The Natajara stayed at 0 for example. Thus Arco will mostly play Nata. I would goes as far to rise his cost to 150, and doing the same to many HP-heavy pretenders.
Then perhaps people would try something else.

[MStavros]

The ONLY way to fix this supercombattant abuse, if the pretenders cannot move out from their home province.
Yes, that should work. I cannot think about anything else to solve this problem.

[Pocus]

you are 'solving' the pretender issue by killing a valid strategy in the game, valid in the sense that with a correct tweak, it would remains balanced and interesting.

I would prefer a more positive change, which still allows this strategy, but toned down.

And Last but not least, you are not changing the issue dealing with super commanders (Devils, Golems), etc. In fact you are worsening it because players unable to recruit these wont even have their pretender to counter the threat.

[apoger]

In Dom I the balance to super combatants was mages. Unfortunately mages had the stuffing beat out of them in Dom II. More expensive, plus many spells that were used for super combatants are much weaker.

I liked this system. Players should have MORE options, not less. If there is an issue, put in a counter rather than removing the issue.

I can think of many ways to do it, but the question is IW willing to make changes?

[MStavros]

I don't agree. Anyways I've made a topic about this, reply there if you want.