Nation design

[Singularity24601]

The nations of Dominions 3 are comprehensively developed, with designs, of Greek, Roman, Byzantine, Irish, British, Germanic, Celtic, French, Scythian/Amazonian, Chinese, Mongolian, African, Central/South American, Scandinavian, Indian, Japanese, Inuit, Elemental, Lovecraftian and Hebrew (if "Gath" is completed) themes, spanning most of the globe. However, I feel that a missing area of major thematic distinction is the Middle East.

Here is a rough proposal that I am developing (some themes that belong in the middle east are currently in Arcoscephale, Caelum, etc):

Early Era: Mesopotamia (Sumerian, Babylonian, etc)
Magic: Epic of Gilgamesh, Shedu, Lammasu, Sirrush
Military: Chariots, cavalry, slingers, archers, spearmen

Middle Era: Achaemenid-Sassanid Persia
Magic: Zoroastrianism, 1001 Arabian Nights, Genies, Spenta
Military: Cardaces, sparabara, Immortals, cataphracti, clibanarii, horse archers, elephants, camels, nomads

Late Era: Caliphate/Sultanate Arabia
Magic: Theocracy, Holy War, Genies
Military: Horse archers, cavalry, fedayeen, futuwa, janissaries, sipahi, dervishes, camels

Another major uncovered area I believe is the North American plain.

Other ideas:

Early Era: "Egypt" - chariots, maces, archers little armor, death worship, sphinx > defeated by Arcoscephale
Early Era: "Carthage" - sacred band infantry, sacred band cavalry, blood sacrifice (possibly Roman propaganda, but we are designing from myth, not history) > defeated arch-rival of early Ermor
(Early Era: Muspelheim or Muspel Giants as nation-specific summons)

Further Lovecraftian mythos nations:

Carcosa (Lost City of Carcosa + Lake Hali)
Magic: rival of R'lyeh, Void Lord
Military: Slaves, water creatures, cultists, byakhee (amphibious + high movement flying), byakhee riders

Early Era: Yoth, Time of the Serpent People - a great subterranean civilisation...
Middle Era: K'n-yan, ??? - ...mysteriously vanished and replaced by humans...
Late Era: K'n-yan, Reawakening of N'kai - ...who in turn are later enslaved by the cause of Yoth's downfall

[Nerfix]

I had, or rather have, an idea for N'kai nation for late era, a subterranean R'lyeh ruled by Formless Spawn of sorts pulsing forth from depths of earth. I think I tossed some mind controlling spore creatures, oozes and shoggoths into the mix to complete the alien jelly goodnes.

They'd have buckwild crazy human cultists, even more insane cultists who are infected with Rot of N'Kai, start off Diseased bu turn into rotten jelly monsters with magic skill when they die. Shoggoths could change between a humanoid shape that looks like a big tarry shambler with glowind orbs poking around that can use magic skills or a big pile of jelly that can't use magic but has great combat prowress.

I still have the plans somewhere.

A ME nation would be lovely. Perhaps a pre-crusade Arabic/Muslim nation with high civilization, astronomy and alchemy for ME and a during-crusades Arabic/Muslim nation for LE with theocracy and all that. Perhaps with Turkish flavour. Fantasy Ottomans would be fantastic.

[Endoperez]

C'tis is Egypt, and have 2 of your 4 (chariots and Death cult).
Ermor is Rome.
Arcoscephale is Greece/Macedonia.

Sauromatia is near C'tis and Arcoscephale, and close enough to Ermor to become Pythium, and I think it's been said that they were inspired by some nation living somewhere near the Black Sea that I didn't recognize.



The project ideas are interesting, even though I don't think Middle-East of Dom world is as sparsely represented as you think.

[Sandman]

Re 'Carthage' - how about a Late Era version?

Rathgar: An seafaring empire destroyed by Ermor, with the capital being burned to the ground. The dark magic which cursed Ermor has also affected Rathgar, and the burning dead now seek revenge.

The troops consist of fire-immune (and not cold-immune) undead. Their national undead are less numerous and powerful than Ermor's longdeads, but have a wider variety of weapons available. They have skeletal slingers and (non-banefire) archers, as well as sailing commanders. Their elite units (the burning dead) have fire-shields. Their lesser undead include humanoid beings of ash and smoke.

The undead mages use death and fire (might be too similar to Desert Tombs).

Others:

An 'Inca' nation with strong astral/blood mages and powerful priests. Very good with horrors.

A late-era African nation (Machaka?) with a strong line in domesticated animals - zebra cavalry, armoured war rhinos, enormously powerful war elephants. The 'trampling' nation, in other words.

[B0rsuk]

Slavic nation is missing and I'm going to mod it myself once the game arrives.


It would also be sweet to have 100% nomadic nation(s). Say, three different peoples having in common only religion and trade. Some highlights:
- very poor capitol without magic sites, just fortified camp etc.
- poor forts
- no capitol only units
- great site searchers to compensate for lack of initial sites
- lots of stealth, survival, pillage abilities
- great adaptability, independence on capitol. Able to migrate underwater with some air/water mages.
- no immobile pretenders, period.

[Endoperez]

Interesting idea, but I'm not sure if it would work.

Capital WITHOUT magic sites wouldn't work. However, giving them sites that give just gems would work. They could even be normal indy sites. Forgotten temple, etc. Only 1 gem/type, and of gemtypes they can't find any easy use for. 1 Death gem/turn doesn't do much when all your Death comes from randoms, as an example. It would let you cast Dark Knowledge, I quess, but what'd you do with THOSE death gems, then?

No capital-only units, and very good national units and mages.

Perhaps lots of random magic. 100% true randoms, even, and/or one or two 10% randoms.

Their castles on all terrains are very cheap. Perhaps take the cheapest overall fort, and they build it everywhere. Also, if possible, BOTH halved lab and halved temple prices.


VERY poor PD. If possible, negative castle defense on all units.

[Nerfix]

You know, they could be given a gem-producing non-combat unit ala Ark of the Covenant that has gem production equivalent to a site, but can be killed (even if that wouldn't be easy...) but is useless in combat. Or perhaps not useless, perhaps it could have some Holy magic, perhaps even Holy 3.

Now that would certainly be interesting!

EDIT: For clarification, they would start with the unit but they couldn't build any more of it. Lose it and...well, you're in trouble. Or at leasy you've lost a significant asset.

[Folket]

I would say Arcoscephale is Greece/Macedonia/Mesopotamia.

[B0rsuk]

Nerfix said:
You know, they could be given a gem-producing non-combat unit ala Ark of the Covenant that has gem production equivalent to a site, but can be killed (even if that wouldn't be easy...) but is useless in combat.

Great idea, if possible.

VERY poor PD. If possible, negative castle defense on all units.

Makes sense. 1 Light Infantry / PD level would suck enough. The ones with bow and no light lance.

Their castles on all terrains are very cheap. Perhaps take the cheapest overall fort, and they build it everywhere. Also, if possible, BOTH halved lab and halved temple prices.

This, however, is dangerous. It smells too much of Dominions2 watchtower spam. Could make Nomad provinces curiously hard to conquer, which isn't very nomadic. If only forts without defence (just admin value and supplies) were possible !
Interesting idea: with new spell modding commands, it should be possible to mod Three Red Seconds into something different, and make Nomad castle spam limited by something other than gold.

Still, I have a LOT to read (Nomad peoples) if it's going to get anywhere. Thanks for ideas. I read a lot about slavic tribes and I'm still unsure how to make their ordinary national units feel special.

[Endoperez]

Cheaper Labs and Temples, at least, would be interesting ideas. Cheap castles might be too good, that's true.

I like the idea of them starting with a gem-generator. They could have national pretender gods that generate more gems useful for them, too.