Hello. I am just curious if anyone else seems to be able to win games on the most difficult settings rather easily; be it through manipulating tactical battles and other exploits due to the poor technical condition of the game or even attempting to play without utilizing these. I read these forums alot and encounter alot of people talking about end game and the like but to be honest I have never made it past what seems to be early-mid game because by that time I simply steamroll the incompetent AI. I have never even built a boat, nor have I teched past about 7th lvl on most of the tech trees, and I have won every game I have played (atleast 20 now) aside from the first two or three when I was first learning. I usually simply recruit 2 allies, make one a spell caster and one melee, with my Sovereign being a hybrid, and by the time I get chain lightning and have padded armor/decent weapons (10+ dmg) the challenge is completely nonexistent. I do not even need an army to win, just my Sovereign and 2 recruits (sometimes only one recruit). Not to mention that all I need to do to win any battle having 2 or more spell casters on my side against the AI is initiate combat and unload as many spells as I can on the first turn. I am in love with this game even in its unfinished state, however I cannot bring myself to play a game that is so simplistic, mechanical, and easy. One of my favorite things about Civ, for example, is that I have yet to win a large game at the three last levels of AI difficulty. Also, there is simply nothing that can be exploited to the extent of this game. That is what keeps me playing. If the difficulty does not change and the AI does not atleast seem like they are trying to win somehow, I unfortunately do not see how I can keep interested in what would otherwise be, and what should be, a fantastical game to rival Civ.
Does anyone else share this feeling with me?
There was no AI to speak of during most of the public betas. Which since there also wasn't most of the game systems finalized yet either, isn't surprising. You can't build a good AI when the game rules are still being defined.
Well, there is some strategy. It's just that a lot of features are broken, unbalanced or not working as intended.
I'm not sure if you ever take a peek at the Mod forums, but there is a "bug fix" mod that fixes a lot of stuff inthe game, namely that shards effectively INCREASE your spell damage in tactical combat. I'm totally getting it ASAP. Although, patch 1.06 MIGHT just pop into existance tonight. So who knows what will be fixed.
Cheers,
V.
Even with shards, that doesn't add that much strategy. Ok, I can build a Shard. Now you learn those magic spells pertaining to it's element. Cool, maybe you have to choose between learning a fire move for your fire shard, or getting a more tactical spell that isn't fire. That's a little depth, but that's it. And that should all ready be in the game. How on Earth can you mess up the Shards working in a magic game REVOLVING AROUND THEM?!? Everywhere else there is pretty much little to no strategy. Combat is currently a huge joke. Magic is awful. The stat system sucks. Building is an absolute joke(build everything possible until city level 4 then maybe have to make a harder choice or two). The only thing I kinda of like is how research works and how you can switch your studies on the fly.
I realize this is an extremely negative post, but I seriously believe this game lacks depth.
If you play passively, the AI will not win the game. It is far more likely that they will kill themselves through sovereign suicide. I don't think the AI really attempts to win so much as sits around waiting for the player to conquer it. I've played experimental games to turn 800 and higher, and the AI still doesn't mount a real offensive, doesn't attempt the master quest, doesn't try to cast the master spell, or really does anything other than pester me to declare war on X or marry its daughter every turn.
Go look at the relation screens. Most of the time they have not even met that faction.... Another bug to fix(be it an error in the faction screen or them being assholes to people they don't know exist)
Thanks for the replies. I have found that playing on less difficult modes actually increases the difficulty, however the AI is still incompetent to the point and the game-play predictable to the point that it matters little. I either summon or build mace armies, but most the time the AI is so incapable of even putting on their armor without somehow killing themselves that I just walk through their cities with my Sovereign and 2 heroes and completely wipe out all of their forces. It is even funnier when they simply declare war on me and I auto-calculate victory once they cross my border. The ultimate problem is that when a game becomes a simple mechanical exercise it loses all its replay value. I feel as if this game has far too much potential to be in this state. I know that this is being worked on, however I cannot help but give my opinions and hope that they are considered. So, other issues I have which make it far too easy/repetitive:
1) I get the same quests/notable locations every time. The midnight stones, the potion, the witch, the escort, the spider lair with the armor, et. al... My question is; WHY? Even games of the 90's, like Lords of Magic, had a much more dynamic dungeon crawl system than this game. I literally do the same thing every game. You may say that is my choice to continue to do these things, however I would say that the point of a strategy game is to exploit your environment and other specific/general circumstances to the fullest as your opponents *should* do the same: to not do this completely takes away the thrill of strategy. You should always make the best choices possible to win and to 'pretend' to do otherwise simply makes the game lose its luster.
2) Building is far too mechanical. I literally build the same thing in every city, with the only real choices I have being based on the already determined resource allocation of the city itself. Even if you may say that their is the potential to better micromanage my cities, I would once again respond with a simple question: that is wonderful, however why am I able to continue to dominate the entire game without doing so? If I did this in Civ. I would not make it past the Prince difficulty.
3) Sovereigns lack depth. Units lack depth. Unit creation and equipment is wonderful, I enjoy it immensely. The problem is that, after game 5 or so, it was pretty much standardized; i.e., I in no situation am forced to consider what type of units I should build in a relative sense, only in an absolute. There is no situational or circumstantial influence on what units I build. Sovereign and 2 heroes (1 melee and 1 caster) until Big Mace Guys with horses/wargs = game over. Game is usually over before the Big Mace Guys to begin with.
I will add more and perhaps some constructive suggestions as well soon. I really wish that this game turns into what it should be. I will not lie, I have huge nostalgia for Lords of Magic. This is perhaps partly why I am devastated to see this game which has the potential to far surpass LoM in every way not do so. LoM itself may have been easy after a small learning curve - scratch the may, it was - however in no instance was it possible to win the game before turn 100 and in no instance did it have a generic world feel to it; as in getting the SAME dungeons;SAME quests:SAME ITEMS;SAME ENCOUNTERS....EVERY GAME. I could not parade around with my Sovereign without an army with him and expect to live, let alone take over the entire damn world.
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