Tuidjy

Join Date 08/2010

+80

Playthrough: .981, Resoln with custom leader, 8 ridiculous AIs, large map [Stopped at Turn 64]

This is the fifth in my series of play-throughs.

The first two used powerful heroes and blitzkrieg to win on Ridiculous in .913 and Insane in .915 By turns 100 and 89, respectively, all five Empire AIs had been destroyed.

The third one was the beginning of an attempt to beat .952 on Insane without ever being the aggressor, i.e. let the AI develop until it felt it was strong enough to attack the player. It ended around turn 60, because Beta 5 was around the corner.

The fourth attempt was on Ridiculous in .98 and meant to explore trained troops. The house rules prohibited using champions inside enemy dominion. It ended around turn 90 because .981 came out. By then, two Empires were defeated without losing any units, and I was ready to start training second tier troops.

This fifth playthrough has two purposes: to test how Resoln handles the hit point reduction, and to show that the "Wealthy" trait is very powerful. Because it will only last until the nest version is released, it will not be in character.

I think the best wait to follow this is to wait for my notes on a finished game period, so I will provide here quick links to every successive update.

Quick links:

The rules: The leader, and the game settings.

Turns 1-33: The initial exploration, and meeting with Pariden and Yithril.

Turns 34-64: Consolidating the borders, pacifying the interior, cleansing the Lombard desert.

Warp-up: A brief word about the sovereign and the champions.

Due to .982 being released, the play through is stopped just short of a war with Pariden

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The rules:

Ridiculous difficulty: Large map, normal pacing, random everything else, 8 ridiculous AIs.

No cheating, but otherwise, every trick in the book.

No restoring except for crashes.

Start position: no restarting.

No house rules. Using super champions is OK.

The race:

Standard: Resoln

The leader:

Name: Kylemol Endensom

Equipment: Rusty short sword

Talents: Clumsy, Brilliant, Hardy, Wealthy

Magic proficiencies: Earth apprentice, Life apprentice

Profession: General

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Turns 1 - 33

An underwhelming starting location

Turn 1: Hired Donya. Settled capital. Lowered taxes, started a logging camp and Civics.
Turn 2: Kylemol killed a cub bear. Kylemol chose Potential I. Donya looted a weathered shield, and gave it to Kylemol.
Turn 3: Donya found a library. Researched Civics, started Knowledge. Rushed the logging camp, started work on the prestigious location.
Turn 4: Kylemol found a pair of leather vambraces. Kylemol started "The fearful merchant" quest.
Turn 5: Donya found a library. Researched knowledge, started Agriculture. Rushed the prestigious location, started a bell tower. Kylemol killed a rock spiderling and got a venom sack, then looted a lucky skullcap.
Turn 6: Donya killed a bear cub. Donya chose Potential I. Kylemol killed a rock spiderling, then looted a rusty helm. Rushed the bell tower, started a study.
Turn 7: Kylemol killed a darkling lurker. Kylemol chose Potential II. Kylemol looted a belt of precognition. Dnoya looted "Defense for Fools" and read it.

Kylemol and Donya have split and are looking around

Turn 8: Kylemol got attacked by a wildling hermit, and won with 4 hps remaining, then looted a pair of leather greaves. Kylemol spotted Naressa. Rushed the study, started a pioneer.
Turn 9: Researched Argiculture, started Administration. Rushed the pioneer, started a garden. Killemol found another lucky skullcap. Donya killed a wildling archer and looted a leather cuirass.
Turn 10: Kylemol started "The Alchemist's Offer" quest. Hired Naressa. Naressa gave her leather cuirass to Kylemol, Kylemol gave her a lucky scullcap and the venom sack. Naressa started "The Heirloom" and "The Slavers" quest. Donya discovered two settleable places: one really poor one, guarded by wildlings, and a good one, guarded by two forest drakes. Rushed the garden in Capital, started a merchant.
Turn 11: Donya found a library.

The problem with mercenaries is being explained to some slavers

Turn 12: Kylemol and Naressa found the slavers, hired Daxus, and freed the farmgirl. Kylemol chose the Path of the Warrior. Kylemol gave the rusty helm to Daxus. Rushed the pioneer, and started a merchant.
Turn 13: The Capital grew into a town. Kylemol cleared a bandit camp by himself, then rejoined Naressa, Daxus, and the farmgirl. Donya killed a darkling lurker, and looted a lucky skullcap.
Turn 14: Researched Agriculture, started Mining. Kylemol escorted the farmgirl home, and received a serrated greatsword. Donya killed a darkling warrior and looted a recall scroll.
Turn 15: Finished builing the merchant, started a monument.
Turn 16: Settled the city of Factory I on a 2/5 tile near some wild horses. Rushed the logging camp in Factory I and started a bell tower. Kylemol, Naressa, and Daxus killed the sand golem for "The Alchemist's Offer" quest. Kylemol chose Potential III. Naressa chose the path of the Mage.
Turn 17: Kylemol, Naressa, and Daxus cleared the butcherman's lair, and found a battleaxe. Kylemol kept it, and gave Daxus his shield.

The picturesque and creatively named city of Factory I

Turn 18: Donya got attacked by wolves, and barely survived. She chose Death Disciple. Donya looted "The Art of the Fist", read it, then entered Factory I so she could heal. Rushed the bell tower in Factory I and started a tower of dominion. Kylemol, Naressa, and Daxus cleared the workshop, and received a kite shield as a reward.
Turn 19: Met Pariden. Naressa and Daxus split from Kylemol and looted a rusty shield. Kylemol cleared a bandit camp, chose Apprentice Swordsman, and looted another pair of leather greaves.
Turn 20: Kylemol killed a darkling lurker, looted "The Art of the Fist" and read it.
Turn 21: Donya killed some wolves. Kylemol killed some wolves and looted an enchanted backpack. Daxus and Naressa brought the sand golem dust to the Alchemist, and received an ophidian. Daxus left the group, and headed towards a group of pioneers that had been trying to explore North, but encountered mite armies.
Turn 22: Finished building a town hall in Capital. The expanding influence revitalized some rather good settling spots to the North. Kylemol found an enchanted collar. Rushed the pioneers in Capital, and started developing an Air shard.

Kylemol's Empire

Turn 23: Donya was attacked by a bear cub, and chose the path of the Assassin. Donya looted and read "Growing a thicker skin". The pioneers settled the city of Stables near some wild horses North of Capital.
Turn 24: Researched "Mining" and started "Trading". Finished the tower of Dominion in Factory I and started a workshop. Daxus killed some mites. Kylemol found "Against Az-Adoras", read it, and chose "Trainer I". Donya killed some wolves.
Turn 25: Capital finished developing the Air shard, and started a workshop. Daxus killed some mites. Naressa found an enchanted backpack. Kylemol killed some ruffians, looted "Art of the Fist" and read it.
Turn 26: Daxus was attacked by some mites, and chose "Earth Mage". The "Enchanted hammers" was replaced by "Set in Stone". Donya started "The voices of the shard" quest. Kylemol started "Rats in the Ruins". Naressa found "The Codex of Hosten" but saves it for Donya. Naressa cleared the ruins of rats. Rushed the Earth shard in Stables, and started a workshop. Rushed the workshop in Capital, and started developing a prestigious location.
Turn 27: Factory I finished the workshop, and started a garden. Kylemol killed some ruffians. Daxus looted a troll charm and a pair of rusty greaves.
Turn 28: Capital finished the workshop, and started a grocer. Rushed the development of the Water shard in Stables, and started a workshop. Naressa gathered all the elementals bound to developed shards, and killed a black widow. She chose "Fire Disciple". Daxus finally killed the last group of mites, and his pioneers North through a pass. He met some Yithril scouts, and spotted some fertile land.
Turn 29: Rushed the garden in Factory I and started building a stable for the wild horses. Kylemol found "From tents to thrones" and read it. 20xp became 41. Donya killed some wolves and looted a pair of leather boots. She spotted Queen Procipinee leading some pioneers toward a rather nice fertile patch. Naressa looted a scroll of "Despair". Daxus progress North was checked by the Yithril scouts.

A band of heroes, respectively levels 7,8,4 and 5

Turn 30: Donya started the "Allies" quest. Naressa found a pair of leather greaves and an amulet of Frost. Daxus killed some mites. Kylemol waited for a bit so that the Young crow demon could catch up with him.
Turn 31: Stables finished the workshop, and started a bell tower. Kylemol killed the Kingdom hero Myrella and a troll. He chose "Lethal I". Donya cleared the bandit camp. Naressa started the "Alchemy" quest.
Turn 32: Researched "Trading", and started "Training". Capital finished the grocer, and started the Merchantcross Bazaar. Factory I finished the stable, and started a study. Kylemol looted "Against Az-Adoras" and read it. Donya finished the "Allies" quest and chose "Dodge I". Naressa found a pair of leather boots.

A dangerous spot, but well worth it

Turn 33: Stables finished the bell tower and started building stables for the wild horses. Donya and her archers killed a bear cub. The settlers founded the city of Crystal Grove near a black widow and a troll. Daxus killed the black widow. Crystal Grove started a logging camp.

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Good job, btw:
Lets play: spot the visual bug in the post above

Sincerely
~ Kongdej

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This looks like a good time to declare initial exploration over. I have encountered other nations to the North and South. To the West is an arid desert and to the East are two Wildlands I cannot quite identify. Time for some comments, I guess.

1. I do not like playing without Master Scouts. I have never cared about the invisibility to monsters, I find it completely unrealistic. But the terrain penalties are frustrating, because there is really no way to negate them. In Beta 3 there were compasses. I have not seen these in months. I just hate coming next to a bear lair, and then needing six months to kill a cub and search the bushes.

I'd like to see the return of compasses, and the introduction of hero traits that negate terrain penalties, with an upgrade that negates it for the led troops. I could not care less about the herbs that make monsters not attack you. I want them to attack me, it saves moves.

2. Quest difficulties are very much out of whack. The Slavers is a tier III quest, but the fight was very manageable once I bribed Daxus. With a tank (Kylemol), a damage dealer (Daxus) and a range poisoner (Naressa), I barely got hurt. And the reward was the serrated sword, which is an end game weapon that I have used when soloing the Master Quest.

For comparison, the butcherman's lair is for a tier I quest, and I attacked it when everyone had leveled, and when equipment had been traded around. By the end of the fight, both fighters were running, and the archer was retreating while shooting at the slowed down enemies. If any of my guys had gone down, it would have been a party wipe, as the butchermen heal on kills.

3. The 3hps per kill for Resoln sounds like a joke, but is not. They worked very well to keep my solo sovereign fighting turn after turn, once he got a two handed weapon.

4. Wealthy is extremely effective even without a minmaxed race. By turn 20, it lets you have two-three cities instead of one, and that without compromising long term development.

5. The RNG is doing it again. I had five quests in a 3x3 square, but by turn 25 I did not have a single shard. I have gotten a ton of lucky skullcaps and scrolls of Despair (which I am saving for taking cities once I am high level)

6. And of course, it goes without saying that heroes are the way to go. I have taxes at zero, my heroes are financing a crash build/research program, but the troops I could build would be completely useless at this time. And with +1hp per level, they would not be good for much, either.

I think that the Resoln penalty makes troops useless. Heroes can deal with it, troops can't.

7. When I do not stay in character, the play through is boring to write, and I bet it's boring to read. So if anyone is still reading, thanks!

I just hope that my strategy is very clear, and that people who want to learn how I open my games can learn from this. There are many people who have trouble getting anywhere in the first 50 turns, I hope to be able to refer them here.

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"I think that the Resoln penalty makes troops useless. Heroes can deal with it, troops can't."

This is what I have found too. Your champions are getting more kills, and taking less damage, so the 3 hp gain is useful. Soldiers rarely get enough kills to make getting those 3hp balance out only getting 1hp per level.

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Gaunathor

Join Date 04/2006

+170

The problem with the 3 HP per kill is, that it grants units only 3 HP no matter the troop-size. If it were 3 HP per unit-member, it could work.

Regarding the writing: I read worse books in my life, so don't worry about it.

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Not to mention the only hero with Wraith blood is Kylemol, and he is Hardy as well, lessening the effect of the bloodline trait. Wraith blood won't effect his gameplay until the units come out, which will likely never need happen with the weapons, heroes and reward units he's picking up.

The only troops I forsee being moderately useful in this playthrough are mages and archers that he never expects to take damage.

I really enjoy your other AARs Tuidjy with all their story, but I actually prefer this format for game balance notes. Comprehensive and information dense.

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Quoting Tuidjy,

reply 5

7. When I do not stay in character, the play through is boring to write, and I bet it's boring to read. So if anyone is still reading, thanks!

I feel you, I was thinking "this must be boring to write" when I read it, but I still think its interesting to see how you play, since you are so good at describing the details!.
Meaby you don't need to write it turn for turn though, but more like describe what happened over a 5-turn limit (ish). Might make it abit less boring to write, that said feel free to put in in-character writing all you want if you feel its more amusing to write like that

Sincerely
~ Kongdej

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Turns 34-??

Turn 34: Crystal grove rushed the logging camp and started a bell tower. Daxus killed a troll. Donya found a telescope and a scroll of "Strength".
Turn 35: Researched "Training" and started "Mounted warfare". Factory I finished the study and started training a pioneer. Daxus found "Defense for Fools" and read it. Naressa finally completed "Rats in the Ruins" and received 400 gold coins. Donya found a sharp dagger. Donya sold all her skins to a Pariden store, and bought a "Tome of the wind".
Turn 36: Donya found a library. Researched "Mounted warfare" and started "Construction". Kylemol found a scroll of "Despair". Rushed the bell tower in Crystal Grove, and started developing a crystal crag. Rushed the stable in Stables, and started another stable. Daxus bought a horse.
Turn 37: Daxus found a pair of leather boots and "Growing a thicker skin", which he read.
Turn 38: Factory I finished the pioneer and started upgrading the stables to a ranch. Stables finished the stables and started upgrading them to a ranch. Kylemol destroyed an army of air shrills and chose "Tactician". Then he looted a Tear of Cyndrum. Donya killed a black widow. Daxus found a belt of speed and a library. Naressa found a scroll of "Strength".

Verga has sacrificed everything for military might

Turn 39: Naressa was attacked by Water shrills, and only won by using a lot of mana. She chose "Knowledge", and looted a scroll of "Despair". Daxus found a pair of leather vambraces, yet another rusty helm and an amulet of the eagle. He got a good look at Yithril's capital, and noticed that Verga had a single city, full of troops, and slowly building even more.
Turn 40: Grystal Grove finished the crystal quarry and started a workshop. Kylemol killed a troll. Daxus killed a banished ogre, and looted a scroll of "Despair". Both Kylemol and Daxus discovered great spots for settling.
Turn 41: Factory I finished the ranch and started developing a fire shard. Donya found a library. Researched "Construction", started "Leatherworking". Daxus killed some mites. Kylemol looted "The Codex of Hosten" and saved it for Donya.
Turn 42: Gilden contacted us. Stables finished the ranch and started training a pioneer. Kylemol killed an air shrill. Naressa purchased a warhorse. Daxus found a library. Donya killed a banished ogre.

I really hate this traffic, but there's nothing I can do about it

Turn 43: Researched "Leatherworking", started "Weaponry". Kylemol killed an army of air shrills and chose "Quick". Donya looted a pair of leather greaves. Naressa killed Joffrey, got an Athican leather cuirass, and headed toward Kylemol so that she could give him the warhorse. After receiving a "Burning Blade", Daxus killed an army of stalkers and looted a scroll of "Despair". Factory I finished the fire altar and started training pioneers, because there were a lot of Pariden pioneers going East.
Turn 44: Crystal Grove finished the workshop, and started training a pioneer. Kylemol looted a rune tabled, and used it.
Turn 45: Kraxis contacted us. Stables finished traning a pioneer and went on to the next one. The pioneer headed towards the fertile spot discovered by Kylemol. Kylemol found a Skath egg, and had it hatched. Daxus killed a cave bear, and chose "Apprentice Swordsman". Signed technology treaties with Gilden and Kraxis.
Turn 46: Factory I finished training a pioneer and went on to the next one. The pioneer started East, trying to see where all the pariden pioneers were going. Donya killed a bear cub and chose "Apprentice Swordsman".

Donya bails the Empire out

Turn 47: Stables grew into a town. Capital finished the Merchantcross Bazaar, and started building a cleric. The treasury emptied, but Donya made it to a Pariden shop, and sold her loot. Kylemol and Naressa met and traded equipment. Kylemol got the warhorse and the Athican cuirass, Naressa got all the loot. Then Kylemol headed South to explore the Wildernesses, while Naressa undertook to escort an unit of pioneers.
Turn 48: Stables finished the pioneer and started a monument. Crystal Grove finished the pioneer and started a cleric. Donya killed an air shrill army and looted a Doom hammer.
Turn 49: Factory I finished a pioneer, and started a grocer. Daxus found an ice warg cloak and started "The Troop of the Wind" quest. A pioneer unit discovered a Pariden city East of Factory I.
Turn 50: Researched "Weaponry", started "Education". A burning wraith got killed by a forest drake. Stables finished the monument, and started developing a fire shard. Capital finishes the cleric, and started working on a lumber yard. Daxus killed an ogre and a black widow. Kylemol entered the Lombard Desert, killed an army of najas, chose "Fast", and looted an amulet of Haste.

The elemental and the skath nearly didn't make it. It would have not mattered.

Turn 51: Kylemol got attacked by an army of wildlings. He then killed a naja, an air elemental's army, and a bunch of air shrills. He chose "Skilled Swordsman". Donya found a scroll of Oratory. Naressa killed some mites, which allowed her pioneers to settle the city of Manufactorium near some clay pits. Manufactorium received "Enchanted hammers" and "Set in Stone" and started developing the clay pits. Another pioneer identified the wilderness Southeast of Factory I as the Asag. Daxus looted and read "Growing a thicker skin".

In one turn, Donya gets three levels

Turn 52: Donya got attacked by a forest drake, and chose "Potential II" and "Strong". She then bought a warhorse, read the Tome of the Wind, cast "Evade" on herself, destroyed a troll army, and chose "Vital Strike II". Crystal Grove finished the cleric and started a study. Stables finished the fire altar, and started developing an iron deposit. Kylemol destroyed an army of shrills and an army of wildlings. Nerassa looted two sharp daggers, then killed some mites. She also identified the wildlands East of Manufactorium as the Warlord's prison. The city of Verga's Doom was settled North of Crystal Grove, and very close to Ahilga. Verga's Doom received "Enchanted hammers" and "Set in Stone" and started a logging camp. Daxus killed a bear cub.
Turn 53: Factory I finished the grocer, and started developing a clay pit. Donya killed a forest drake, chose "Dodge II", looted a reinforced chain shirt, and killed the dark wizard from "The voice of the shard" quest. Kylemol found a library. Researched "Education", started "Cooperation". Daxus looted a skullcap, and noticed a very nice fertile patch. Yithril pioneers were already near, so Verga's Doom got a pioneer on top of the queue and rushed him.
Turn 54: Capital finished the lumber yard, and started upgrading an air altar. Stables finished the iron mine, and started a grocer. Manufactorium finished the cray quarry, and started a logging camp. Kylemol looted a monks' robe and killed an air shrill. Donya completed "The voice of the shard" quest. Daxus looted a hunter's axe.
Turn 55: Factory I finished the clay pit, and started developing the air shard from the quest. Crystal Grove finished the study, and started developing a clay pit. Verga's Doom finished the logging camp, rushed a pioneer, and started a workshop. Kylemol killed a sand golem, and looted a hate stone and a scroll of "Air elemental". Donya found a telescope.
Turn 56: Manufactorium finished the logging camp and started a workshop. Verga's Doom rushed the workshop and started a monument. Kylemol destroyed a wildling army. Naressa found a spectral plate cuirass, Donya killed some bandits and looted a rusty shield.

Kylemol's Empire

Turn 57: Kylemol was attacked by a wildling army, and chose "Discipline". Crystal Grove grew into a conclave. Capital finished the air shrine, and started developing a crystal crag. Factory I finished the air altar and started a school. Donya destroyed a plaguestalker army. Daxus destroyed a water shrill army, looted "Against Az-Adoras" and read it. Verga's Doom rushed a stable for the nearby outpost. An unit of pioneers hurried north and settled the city of North Creek, in the hopes to cut Verga from expanding. North Creek received "Enchanted hammers" and "Set in Stone" and started a workshop. Kylemol found a library, then destroyed an air elemental army and a sand golem. Naressa destroyed a water shrill army and looted a whetstone.
Turn 58: Stables finished the grocer, and started a town hall. Crystal grove finished the clay quarry, and started developing an Earth shard. Manufactorium finished the workshop, and started a bell tower. Verga's Doom finished the workshop, and started a monument. Daxus started "the fearful merchant" quest, joined with an young crow demon, defeated the darklings in the workshop, received 50 metal loads, and chose "Discipline". Kylemol found a Druss blade and killed some wildlings.
Turn 59: Met Magnar and Golden. Daxus was attacked by an army of ophidians and got 30 crystals. Capital finished the crystal quarry and started a school. Donya killed an air shrill and a naja and chose "Dodge III". Naressa killed a troll and chose "Death Disciple". Kylemol found a library and killed a sand golem.
Turn 60: Researched "Cooperation", started "Economics". Factory I finished the school and started a monument. Crystal Grove finished the clay quarry and started a sage. Manufactorium finished the bell tower, and started developing an Earth shard. Verga's Doom finished the monument and started a bell tower. Kylemol found another tear of Cyndrum. Naressa found an emerald skullcap. Daxus escorted a noblewoman home, and was paid 300 gold. Donya saved an inn besieged by a hungry ogre.

Donya to the rescue

Turn 61: Lord Markin built the Hosten Library. Verga's Doom rushed the bell tower, and started developing a clay pit. North Creek finished the logging camp, and started a bell tower. Cast "Tremor" on a haunter who seemed poised to attack Factory I. Donya used her recall scroll to intercept an army of ophidians and a slag that had seemed headed to Verga's Doom. She chose "Potential III" and "Adventurer's Boon". Capital rushed the school, and started developing a prestigious location. Crystal grove rushed the sage, and started a lumber yard. Manufactorium rushed the Earth altar, and started a cleric. The Panca archers and someof the useless elementals killed some wolves that came from Gilden to threaten an outpost near Crystal Grove. Kylemol found yet another belt of prerecognition, killed some shrills and wildlings, and chose "Lethal III".
Turn 62: Factory I finished the monument, and started upgrading the Air altar. Stables finished the town hall, and started a guarden. North Creek rushed the logging camp, and started a bell tower. Manufactoruim rushed the cleric, and started developing a Death shard. Kylemol found a strong healing poition, and a library, and then realized that he was surrounded by hills and would not be able to get away from Torax. His party split, so that only one of the three would be targeted. Donya and Daxus joined their parties, and headed South to deal with the haunter's army, and maybe to check Pariden's expansion past our cities. On the way there, they took out some wolves, some skaths and the Kingdom champion Naddi Arena. Daxus chose "Lethal I". Donya found an amulet of the flames.

Kylemol is very fast. Torax is very slow. The outcome is very clear

Turn 63: Kylemol got attacked by Torax. After he got a "Slow" to stick, the fight was trivial. Verga's Doom received the trophy. Capital finished the monument and started developing an iron mine. Verga's Doom finished the bell tower, and started developing a death shard. Manufactorium rushed the Death altar, and queued in two pioneers for the Lombardian desert. Naressa found a "Codex of Hosten" for a total of three.
Turn 64: Manufactorium got attacked by a mire skath. The local shard elementals were there and killed it. North Creek finished the bell tower and started a monument. Verga's Doom rushed the Death altar and started upgrading the Ait altar. Manufactorum rushed a pioneer and moved on to the next one. Crystal Grove rushed the lumber yard, and started a mason. Factory I rushed the air shrine, and started a well. Donya and Daxus destroyed the haunter's army.

At this point, the homelands are pacified, most neighbors are contained, and a large portion of my military is next to the most troublesome opponent, Pariden. It seems that it is time for a short, victorious war.

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Blind Forest Drake always misses Donya? How much dodge she had?

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joasoze

Join Date 02/2006

+39

I only scanned your text fast, but it seems like you dont focus on the splitting demon from the death shards? Have you tried them?

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Quoting harmonius_,

reply 11

Blind Forest Drake always misses Donya? How much dodge she had?

As of turn 60, she has 53 dodge before she fortifies. When she killed her first drake, once Donya was fortified and the drake blinded, she had 2 more dodge than it had accuracy.

Quoting joasoze,

reply 12

you dont focus on the splitting demon from the death shards? Have you tried them?

I have never tried them. I very seldom play Empires. Every time I've played "Binding" before, it was with a Kingdom. That said, in this game I barely got my first Death shard (I dominion-pushed Yithril for it) and I do not want to waste a shard and 50 mana without a pressing need. I may be wrong.

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Quoting Tuidjy,

reply 13

I do not want to waste a shard and 50 mana without a pressing need. I may be wrong.

You should. It is worth it but you have to baby sit (they are fragile) them while they get their first kills in and power up.

Water shard demons are pretty poor so I corrupt those, but after you have got your fire, air or earth demons from a shard you can corrupt it and rebuild for the death demons too.

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The problem is that I like my evade [Air], nature's cloak[Earth], slow[Water], and burning blade[Fire] spells, and they are powered by shards.

What is it that death demons do that my heroes don't do better? I am not being facetious, I really do not know.

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I don't think death demons are worth every penny and bacon, they are nice since they are a free 9-unit stack after some babysitting, but thats it.

Sincerely
~ K

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mqpiffle

Join Date 10/2010

+44

I still kinda think heroes should get a wage increase as they level. Maybe +.1 or .2 gildar per level?

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Tuidjy, put out a saved game for us all to play. Start a new thread.

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I'll do it if you want, but what's the point? .982 is out, and it will probably play different. I have a few turns I was too sleepy to post on my gaming PC, but I doubt I'll continue. (Spoilers: Torax dies)

I will start a new thread for the new play of course. I'll keep yammering about dodge, wealthy, and I'll be taking heroes for a spin. Frankly, I just find that having examples to back up your points in balance arguments REALLY works. And I love some people make the arguments I want to make by using examples from this thread

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yeah i was talking about a saved game based on .982 for us all to play.

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At this point, I am stopping the play through. I added a few turns to the last section.

It would have been the end of the consolidation/pacification period, and the start of a war of aggression against Pariden. My heroes would have been utterly unstoppable. I'm kind of sorry about not taking them into the fray (I still may do this) so I am going to give them all a brief moment in the spotlight.

Kylemol Endensom is a warrior. He deals damage. He deals a lot of it, very fast, and extremely accurately. He wears very little armor, but with his initiative, he's in and out before the enemy realizes he's been cut. Note that he heals 6 hit points for every kill.

Donya the Dazzler is an assassin. She's extremely hard to hit. She has high dodge to begin with, she can fortify her position, and if that's not enough, she can blind her enemies. When all three come into play, she is untouchable.

Daxus the Mauler is a warrior. Once he starts hitting someone, he usually finishes the job. He is still using his berserker axe, and with his accuracy he often lands 4-5 hits in a row. There aren't many who survive that.

Naressa the Fiery is a mage. She fights less often that the rest, mostly because while she can dish out very respectable damage, she uses a lot of mana in the process. Still, when someone needs to be killed quickly from far away, Soulburn does the job. With her armor and her ability to blind the enemy, she can handle herself at close range as well.

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