HA! I finished it!

[Boggit]

Finished a Dominions 4 game against the AI playing Early Age C'tis.

Finished a Dominions 4 game against the AI playing Early Age Tien C'hien.

About half way through a game as Sauromatia.

Finished a game as Early Age Sauromatia.

So what now? Man and Machaka are a challenge. If you want something completely different - but overpowering if you survive to late game - try R'lyeh the C'thulu cultists.

[Shelldrake]

Just won a conquest victory as the Kulan in Fallen Enchantress Legendary Heroes. Challenging setting on medium map with 5 opponents. 

[Martok]

Well done, sir.  :) 

[airboy]

Finished a Dominions 4 game against the AI playing Early Age C'tis.

Finished a Dominions 4 game against the AI playing Early Age Tien C'hien.

About half way through a game as Sauromatia.

Finished a game as Early Age Sauromatia.

So what now? Man and Machaka are a challenge. If you want something completely different - but overpowering if you survive to late game - try R'lyeh the C'thulu cultists.

I'm playing EA Archosphale.  I tried Machaka and cannot figure that one into a winning strategy.  I won't play the nations that rely on Blood Sacrifice - killing people to power magic bothers me to the point that I won't administer a fantasy empire that relies on it.  I may try a "Flame On" campaign with Agartha next.

[JasonPratt]

I finally figured out how to beat a game of Pre-Civilization Stone Age yesterday, and did it twice just to make sure the first time wasn't a fluke.

...

.......

...I am not proud of this fact.  :P

[MetalDog]

So...you know the feeling you get when you FINALLY finish that hard fought grind of a game...victorious and top of the heap?  You are satisfied in a way that little else makes you feel like?  Do you?  Well, that's not this.  I lost in twelve turns the first time I tried Age of Wonders new 1.5 build.  With no DLC.  What a loser :(

[Sir Slash]

It helps me to think of a first play ass-kick by a game as just a reconnaissance in force. To be followed by the main assault. Unless I get my ass-kick again, then I consider that as a feint to get the game overconfident and the third try as the real thing. I have many overconfident, well-feinted and reconned games in my inventory.

[MetalDog]

Slash, that's an outSTANDing way to look at things!  I concur!  The ground ahead is reconnoitered and the main assault is ready.  ATTAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Martok]

So how/why was it that you lost so quickly, MD?  Has the AI been improved that much with the 1.5 update, and/or has the mechanics made it that much more difficult?  (I've not played AoW3 in a month or two now. :-[ ) 

It helps me to think of a first play ass-kick by a game as just a reconnaissance in force. To be followed by the main assault. Unless I get my ass-kick again, then I consider that as a feint to get the game overconfident and the third try as the real thing. I have many overconfident, well-feinted and reconned games in my inventory.

Heh.  This is often my take on strategy games (that I initially suck at) as well.  :P 

[Tuna]

Think I won my first two games of AOW III, but my latest, which I haven't touched in awhile, all the cities were revolting (and it wasn't plain to see why).

I have not played since the update.

[MetalDog]

To answer Martok:

Firing up the game for the first time in several months, I realized, I had been playing on Easy.  I immediately bumped up one level and chose a map with above and below and five players including me.  I wanted to play Orcs and I played most of my previous games as a Warlord so, that's what I chose this time.

I decided to play all the tactical battles, as that is a feature I love in Sovereignty, but, didn't care for the first time through with AoW.  The very first battle I fought, on my first turn, I lost my leader.  No other units, but, me.  My next tactical battle, I lost two out of four units.  I built two Scouts and then put in an order for two buildings, one to increase production and the next to increase population.  After they were done, I ordered three more units, all one turn builds each.

I set about exploring the map with my remaining troops.  I found a neutral city, did their quest, and had them vassal to me.  I had a fair bit explored and was waiting to be able to annex them while waiting for my new troops to be built.  I had left an Orc knight regenerating in my capitol when I got an enemy in my boundaries warning.  I didn't think anything of it.  They don't attack cities usually.  And then they did.  The battle odds screen told me that even on auto resolve, I was going to lose.  So, I chose manual and, well...lost.  They took my capitol.  At that point, I just gave up.

Now, the tact battles may have been that difficult previously.  I don't know because I didn't play them.  And there was certainly a large amount of hubris involved instead of going slowly, but, that's how I operate.  Once I get done mowing the lawn tonight, I will come back in and give it another try.

[Sir Slash]

CMFI Conrath's Counterattack Campaign battle #3, managed a win in this real Bear of a scenario. I had nearly given up after my nearsighted FO couldn't call in mortars any closer than to blow dirt on the American AT guns blocking my advance and crawling my infantry forward on their bellies one unit at a time didn't work. The campaign briefing say you can lose one battle and continue with the campaign and so I was going to just take a knee on this one but WallysWorld inspired me to try again. Eight or nine turns of inching 5 panzers forward with area fire on the AT's finally turned the tide and once the AT's were all gone, and my tanks could advance, the "Lets get the Hell outta here"'s began. Grabbed the objectives and a Total Victory for the loss of 6 dead and 11 wounded against 111 American casualties including 50 KIA's. Half way through this excellent campaign.

[MetalDog]

I seem to have a fondness for Persia.  The last three games I won on Monarch were all Persia.  Twice with Cyrus, once with Darius.  And they were three different types, Domination, Cultural and Conquest.  And I had never seen the short films for any of those wins.  YAY ME!

[Sir Slash]

Yay indeed. Congrats on the triple win MD.

[JasonPratt]

Far Cry 3 -- done. Whew.

Now pondering whether I can sneak in FC3:Blood Dragon before Arkham Knight releases...