What's the deal with Dominions 3?

[mikeck]

All of a sudden everyone (especially at wargamer) seems to be playing Dominions 3...what's the big deal? What I mean is, is there something about this game that makes it different? Did a new mod or something come out? Wiki says its 2006 so why is everyone playing all of a sudden?

I'm looking to pick up and learn a new game and I love complexity so I'm curious if this is it. I know it's fantasy based but how deep is it?

[son_of_montfort]

It is an incredibly deep fantasy empire building game with a gigantic number of factions, ability to summon creatures and cast spells, and create (pre-made) artifacts. The downsides are the low-tech graphics and the brain-dead AI. But even with the brain-dead AI you can have a lot of fun and then go on to MP.

One of the strengths of Dom 3 are the insane number of creatures, army units, Gods, summoned spirits, undead, and underwater denizens that you can put in your army. They all have various different stats and special skills or abilities that differentiate one another. Even though you don't control battles directly, setting up the order of the army and their general actions, while thinking about unit composition and combined powers is hugely fun. So, like real battles, many are won in the planning stage before the actual battle (although any plan can go awry).

For example, let's say you have a huge group of naked barbarians that are fast, strong, do a lot of damage with an ax, but have no armor whatsoever. You are facing an enemy with strong archers and slow, armored swordsmen - so your barbarians will get shredded by arrows and not have the armor to go toe-to-toe with the swordsmen. Your God/wizard has air magic, so you set him to cast a ward to block arrows - one problem down. You might then hire a druid you found in a nearby special forest grove special site you found a few turns before and put him in your army to cast Stoneskin or Barkskin - which give immunities to hits and raise armor. Now you have fast barbarians who can close the distance without getting skewered, then bash the swordsmen with their superior attack while surviving the swordsmen's blades.

The game is full of this sort of thing - Giant ice giants that will melt if they fight in the desert (so they need some protection from heat); weak-but-able-to-fly birdmen that can cross the battlefield instantly but are as durable as paper; mind-stealing giant fish that can't go on land without the proper spell or item. Dealing with the strengths and limitations of your faction makes the game really. And every faction as three sub-factions broken by eras, so it takes you forever to play all of them!

[undercovergeek]

+ 100


and its always been £60 with a further 20-30 to import it to the UK - now its on Desura for £18.99 for digital download

edit:- are you really really new? as in too new to join the MP game?

[Nefaro]

All of a sudden everyone (especially at wargamer) seems to be playing Dominions 3...what's the big deal? What I mean is, is there something about this game that makes it different? Did a new mod or something come out? Wiki says its 2006 so why is everyone playing all of a sudden?

I'm looking to pick up and learn a new game and I love complexity so I'm curious if this is it. I know it's fantasy based but how deep is it?

Ilwinter (the devs) finally expanded distribution to other retailers, and lowered the price a good deal.   While I probably would've picked it up long ago, at the 50-60 dollar Shrapnel Games price if I had known it was so jam-packed with awesome-ry, it's now a much more palatable $30 at Gamersgate and Desura.

I hadn't really been exposed to Ilwinter's fantasy strategy designs until I grabbed Conquest of Elysium 3 not too long ago, for ten bucks.  Even though COE3 has a quite simple system (unlike Dominions 3), it's very easy to fall in love with the huge plethora of mythical units & backgrounds of the many nations.  It made me run (not walk) to purchase Dom3 and it has been an immensely deep learning experience.  There are soooo many units & strategies in Dom 3 due to the massive amount of "stuff" in it. 

These are the kinds of quantities of "stuff" we often want to see in games that have potential, but a large majority of them just don't deliver enough:

There are more than 60 different nations, 1500 different units, 600 spells and 300 magic items in the game.

And these aren't just possible random combinations created in a generator.  Those numbers may not look like much compared to the promo numbers that some ARPGs put out, regarding their random item generators, but these are each hand-crafted and not just some random mix of a handful of values.  Each of the units are based on literature and mythological creatures from history, and the 50 or so playable nations each have their own historical & mythological counterpart(s).  Not only was there a huge amount of time put into all the game content, there are many different strategies (and counter-strategies) available in the game.

The AI will give you a challenge while you're learning the game, but it reportedly gets too predictable/exploitable after you know what you're doing.  Cool thing is.. this game takes awhile to dig into the nooks & crannies to figure it all out (which is probably what I enjoy doing most - exploring the system & trying things out).  I've been playing Dom3 for a couple months now (?) and I still don't have it all down, nor have I played even 1/4 of the nations available (and they're all unique with their own units & strengths).  The 'new car smell' lasts quite awhile on this thing!  8)

[Nefaro]

edit:- are you really really new? as in too new to join the MP game?

Are you guys having trouble filling the "long game"?

[mikeck]

I've never been very interested in fantasy tbs to be honest but might try one out. Should I try dominion 3 first or something like Fallen Enchantress?

[LongBlade]

I've never been very interested in fantasy tbs to be honest but might try one out. Should I try dominion 3 first or something like Fallen Enchantress?

Dominions 3 has really low production values. The graphics are really bad, but the gameplay makes up for it. Depending on your need for visual polish, it may or may not be the best starter game.

[Huw the Poo]

It depends on your skill.  Dom3 is incredibly deep and I personally would not recommend it for newcomers to the genre.  However if you're an old hand you'll have no problems.  Fallen Enchantress would be a good starting point for someone with little experience, or Age of Wonder: Shadow Magic.

[undercovergeek]

edit:- are you really really new? as in too new to join the MP game?

Are you guys having trouble filling the "long game"?

lol no, were on 10, its enough - i just wouldnt want miceck to buy it now for instance and then in 3 days time say 'this is AWESOME where do i find MP?'

[Nefaro]

edit:- are you really really new? as in too new to join the MP game?

Are you guys having trouble filling the "long game"?

lol no, were on 10, its enough - i just wouldnt want miceck to buy it now for instance and then in 3 days time say 'this is AWESOME where do i find MP?'

Ahhh.  Well.. if you guys need more warm bodies in the 2-day game, I offered.  Otherwise, I'll wait for a later one to start.

[undercovergeek]

2 day is still open if you want in - Yskonyn is away for a few days - it doesnt kick off til his return

[Nefaro]

2 day is still open if you want in - Yskonyn is away for a few days - it doesnt kick off til his return

Cool.  I'll query you in the thread then.  ;D

[Huw the Poo]

Yay, another victim!  Nice one, Nef!

[son_of_montfort]

It depends on your skill.  Dom3 is incredibly deep and I personally would not recommend it for newcomers to the genre.  However if you're an old hand you'll have no problems.  Fallen Enchantress would be a good starting point for someone with little experience, or Age of Wonder: Shadow Magic.

This. Dom 3 is the "grognard wargame" of Fantasy TBS. It isn't War in the Pacific, but it can get close. Best to do what Huw suggests and start with a bit of lighter fare. Fallen Enchantress has yet to "grab" me, but I can see some potential there.

[mikeck]

Well, I'm new to this particular genre but having learns Aurora and WiP I don't have a problem with complexity. Graphics are important I guess...in the way that I love CK2 graphics or AGEOD maps...it doesn't have to be Total war