Endgame

[MaxWilson]

In Master of Magic, I used to enjoy the endgame immensely, which was the point at which I was on top and winning and enjoying finishing exploring all the nodes and conquering the last bits of my opponent's empires. In Dom3, curiously, I find that I rarely play a game through all the way to the endgame. I usually don't research or use 9th level spells in more than one or two research paths, and I especially don't siege and occupy all the enemy forts. Frequently I don't even go to war with all remaining opponents, I just look at the map and realize that I'm bigger than all the other nations put together, start a new game, and never come back to the game I'm winning. Consequently, I have little understanding of the Dom3 endgame even against the AI.

The one thing I have noticed is that PD becomes more useful in the endgame because it's easier to buy 50 PD for a mage cadre than to move troops to the front. (Partly that's because I use the BI mod so it's hard to build troops outside of castles.)

So, any SP players out there, how do you play endgames? Grinding war of attrition with your vast armies and mage cadres? Teleporting squads of SCs guarded by Siege Golems? Build lots of temples and push for dominion kills?

-Max

[Zeldor]

I didn't play SP for a long time, but I was using old tested Russian tactics - huge masses and do not care about losses. Put nature's bounty + riches from beneath up. Spam forts. And move forward on whole front, use couple-hundred or thousand big armies and as big ones province behind and march, march forward. Send armies behind constantly to fill any holes that can appear [or astral travel them].

[Edratman]

I also don't finish games. Can't remember the last game I finished, probably been a year or more.

The problem for me is the time I spend doing a turn near the end. I'll sneak 2 hours in at the end of the night and only get 2 turns in. So I start a new game, let the last one languish on the save game list for a couple of months (because I'm going to go back and finish it), then delete all of them and start the cycle again.

I switched to easy research a few months ago, just so I can use more high level spells. I also find the AI is much tougher on that research level.

[MaxWilson]

Really? I've been thinking about easy research for the same reason, but I was reluctant because it felt like changing "the rules" for the sake of my own convenience. If it helps the AI I can justify it on those grounds.

-Max

[thejeff]

I'm pretty much in the same boat. I've started playing smaller games. No more than 6-7 opponents. That tends to keep the turns a playable length and keeps most of the game where the AI is still vaguely competent.

I still don't finish most of them.

Started playing with victory conditions too, but I find that annoying. Either I'm already bored with it or they kick in while I'm still having fun.

[Wrana]

I've also began to change victory conditions (use VPs, to be exact). Though it actually allows to skip what is usually called lategame.
I think the reason is twofold: first, the MoM had a quite beautiful ending, together with point systems which allowed to mark how good your performance was this time; second, it contained some interesting quirks possible to use in lategame only (artifact creation, Spell of Mastery), together with some targets which you could take only at this levels (strong nodes & dungeons). Also, it had initial restrictions in research which could be partially lifted in endgame.

[sansanjuan]

arrg! foolishly repeat posted.

[sansanjuan]

ditto!

[sansanjuan]

ahhh... good old MoM.

In SP I play medium or small maps and try to amass and outfit a couple dozen Thug/SCs. Not too much micro-mgt then. Castle seiging is a pain then though. Usually sit a couple on top and let the rest blast on. I usually learn some pretty good SC vs. chaff lessons.

Played Ea-Neif SP last night. Amazing what the big boys can do with breath of winter, reinvig,quickness and frost brands standing shoulder to shoulder. The only time I would lose one was when I forgot to script one and the tag-team would split up at battle start. The back one ,unscripted, casting leeching darkness till he fell on his giant @ss , with the front one being swarmed on four sides instead of three and no stacked chill.

-SSJ

[Renojustin]

The AI cannot remotely compete on Easy research. You have to use Hard research to give them a longer window where there huge chaff armies are effective. Which is why you put them all on at least Mighty and Aggressive.