The 2011 Dominions 3 Thread

[Scribble]

And what's the next game? How about Middle Era for a change? I've got this idea for another spectacularly ineffective Pan build bouncing around in my head.

I think there is a small middle era game starting up over at the broken forum if you want to get something going right away. Personally I will not join a new game before the summer, going to be away a lot. Will probably be looking for a new game after that and when Sleipnir is starting to look close to finished.

By the way, could you move the Sleipnir deadline this turn? It's looking increasingly likely that I will not be able to complete my move before I go away this weekend, so not going to be able to do my turn before Sunday.

[tenuki]

Thanks, and done.

[Dave Perkins]

That was a blast to read, dfs.

[ron_debry]

There is no resistance to banefire - but it tends to miss a lot.

[dfs]

Personally I will not join a new game before the summer, going to be away a lot. Will probably be looking for a new game after that and when Sleipnir is starting to look close to finished.

I don't know what folks were thinking in Sleipnir.

With the end of spring lion I will be starting Crooked Trunk.

Crooked Trunk will be a CBM Middle Era Game of 6-8 players.
Each player will submit one or two nations to the pool.
It is player's choice if they submit one or two.

Nations will then be selected from the pool with players having won games at QT3 selecting last.

I have not selected a map and expect to do so once I know where we land on the 6-8 players list.

I would like to select nations asap with the intent of starting the actual game around July 16th.

Diplomacy by E-mail/pm and the forum are to be encouraged.

I expect Crooked Trunk to run at a slightly more relaxed pace than Spring Lion, but if you find yourself regularly staling in other games or if you have real life commitments that will take you away for weeks at a time in August/September then please consider waiting for (or starting) another game.

The next seven posters declaring that they are in, give me a nation (or two) and the number of wins they have in QT3 games (or an approximation) will be in the game. If we get 12 folks interested I'll follow the Hugin/Munin model and start two games of 6.

DP is absolutely correct. 3 capitols is the likely victory conditions. This will not be a 150 turn slogfest.

dfs - Van, Pythia - Two games in Great Atlantic's tournament for my only wins.
Dave Perkins Machaka, Eriu - Newbs and Sharks
pyrhic - Caelum, R'lyeh - No
Nate - Agartha, Shinuyama - No
Austen - Ulm - No
Evil Steve - Jotun, Man - No
Tenuki - Abysia, Pan - Spring Lion
Maerlande - Bandar - No

[Dave Perkins]

I would like to play, but only if the victory condition is 3 capitals controlled. I've won one game (Newbies & Sharks) recently, although there may be a victory or two in the dim, early 2000s past. Also, I love the map we're using for Munin. I'll put in Machaka and Eriu.

[pyrhic]

I'd be in.

Winless. I'll select Caelum, and (if you are considering water) R'lyeh. If not, i'll just stick with Caelum.

[Nate]

I should say no, but I'm not going to.

I'll throw in Agartha and Shinuyama.

Also never won a game.

[Austen]

I'm in.. Submitting Vanheim and Ulm.

[Evil Steve]

me! me! um.....

Jotun....and...for Perkins....Man

stevil

ps no victories ever

[tenuki]

I don't know what folks were thinking in Sleipnir.

Are.

With the end of spring lion I will be starting Crooked Trunk.

Awesome name. Reminds me of my first car crash.

Abuse Ya, Pan -- Spring Lion

[pyrhic]

GG Dave, I'm going to lose this one despite leading in every category. Given more time, I think I'd win, but time is something I dont have and I dont think i can craft another way to interfere with you taking the victory objective.

There's about 20 'If only' statements that could have seen me, you, Nate or anyone end up on top. What an awesome game!

You havent won yet, and I'll see what I can do, but I have no more mobile troops and I'm running out of precious artifacts.....

Some notes on that last battle: I was hoping the game would treat the ark(or flying ship, or whatever its called) as magic movement, but didnt know and didnt have time to test it. Also, that heat from hell just sucked - I think it just made the climate even more enjoyable :)

[Nate]

How are you doing nation assignment/choice, dfs?

[Dave Perkins]

GG Dave, I'm going to lose this one despite leading in every category. Given more time, I think I'd win, but time is something I dont have and I dont think i can craft another way to interfere with you taking the victory objective.

Every category except "ability to send sparkle horses across the seas"!

This has been an awesome game. Just about everyone has had a legitimate shot at winning. Diplomacy mattered. Only a few very powerful spells and artifacts entered play. Conventional armies still reign. And a super exciting finish where multiple nations were one turn from victory, only to be denied!

[Nate]

Every category except "ability to send sparkle horses across the seas"!

This has been an awesome game. Just about everyone has had a legitimate shot at winning. BACKSTABBERY mattered.

I edited your post to reflect what you actually meant.

[Dave Perkins]

That too. :) If I win thanks to my first backstab in 10 years of playing, it will have been worth it.

[Nate]

I think there is a small middle era game starting up over at the broken forum if you want to get something going right away.

Super small so far.

[dfs]

How are you doing nation assignment/choice, dfs?

"Nations will then be selected from the pool with players having won games at QT3 selecting last."

Players will choose from the pool.
I'll set up order of choice by # of wins and then random assignment within those groups.

[tenuki]

Super small so far.

I could bow out of Crooked Trunk and join the Broken Forum game instead if that's somehow more convenient for people.

[Kelan]

I could bow out of Crooked Trunk and join the Broken Forum game instead if that's somehow more convenient for people.

If one of the games ends up short one person that you guys need to get it off the ground, I could probably be talked into it. Otherwise, going to wait a while and try to be responsible and get more house projects actually done this summer :).

[pyrhic]

Every category except "ability to send sparkle horses across the seas"!

This has been an awesome game. Just about everyone has had a legitimate shot at winning. Diplomacy mattered. Only a few very powerful spells and artifacts entered play. Conventional armies still reign. And a super exciting finish where multiple nations were one turn from victory, only to be denied!

Actually, i think you used sailing masterfully - I'd absolutely discounted its usefulness until seeing how you and Scribble(in Sleipnir a little later) used it.

[Dave Perkins]

Thanks! I think that the map favors it.

[Brooski]

Weird thing happened - I got a turn resend, now it is telling me I have 24 hours before hosting. I guess the resend was the actual new turn? Yikes. I am at work all day and all night
but can do my turn tomorrow afternoon (US Eastern) if we can delay hosting for 12 hours.

[Maerlande]

Wow that was fast. I'd like to join crooked trunk with a choice of.. Bandar and Machaka. I er haven't won any games here. But that's not really a measure.

PS. Would you be willing to go with 3 capitals held for 3 turns adjudicated by an outsider? I've had some crappy experience with the automatic victory conditions in the game ;)

[dfs]

PS. Would you be willing to go with 3 capitals held for 3 turns adjudicated by an outsider? I've had some crappy experience with the automatic victory conditions in the game ;)

I would be willing to listen to you tell me why this is a better victory condition. Not promising that I will agree with you, but I will listen.

FWIW, the game that I was in that was decided by taking capitols was already a very long game and would have surely gone MUCH longer with your rule.

[Maerlande]

I've used it in a dozen or so games. I haven't really noticed that it adds more than the 3 extra turns, but it does change the way players treat taking an opponents capital. They tend to be more deliberate. But most importantly, it allows the opportunity to have the admin decide a game is over rather than the dom3 program. Qt3Anonymous is a prime example. In fact, the hold 3 turns isn't really the important part. It could be hold one turn. What's important is putting back the human into the equation.

It allows the admin and players to decide if a game is over. I'm with you on keeping games fairly short although not all the things I have tried have worked. I tried using cumulative victory points and that was not satisfactory. I normally host 6-8 player games and try to reach conclusion by turn 80 or so.

Even with all that, I would say that 80% of games I've played end by concession. The players basically vote that someone has a clear lead or that it's a stalemate and let's stop. And not using the built in vps helps with this.

Of course, I see nothing wrong with choosing an end point for the game of 80 turns and then putting it to a player vote.

[Nate]

I've used it in a dozen or so games. I haven't really noticed that it adds more than the 3 extra turns, but it does change the way players treat taking an opponents capital. They tend to be more deliberate. But most importantly, it allows the opportunity to have the admin decide a game is over rather than the dom3 program. Qt3Anonymous is a prime example. In fact, the hold 3 turns isn't really the important part. It could be hold one turn. What's important is putting back the human into the equation.

It allows the admin and players to decide if a game is over. I'm with you on keeping games fairly short although not all the things I have tried have worked. I tried using cumulative victory points and that was not satisfactory. I normally host 6-8 player games and try to reach conclusion by turn 80 or so.

Even with all that, I would say that 80% of games I've played end by concession. The players basically vote that someone has a clear lead or that it's a stalemate and let's stop. And not using the built in vps helps with this.

Of course, I see nothing wrong with choosing an end point for the game of 80 turns and then putting it to a player vote.

Voting is so...democratic.

[Nate]

Weird thing happened - I got a turn resend, now it is telling me I have 24 hours before hosting. I guess the resend was the actual new turn? Yikes. I am at work all day and all night
but can do my turn tomorrow afternoon (US Eastern) if we can delay hosting for 12 hours.

I noticed that I didn't get the turn and resent it to myself and everybody else just in case. Sometimes I get too "helpful," but I think in this case it may have worked.

[dfs]

I've used it in a dozen or so games. I haven't really noticed that it adds more than the 3 extra turns, but it does change the way players treat taking an opponents capital. They tend to be more deliberate. But most importantly, it allows the opportunity to have the admin decide a game is over rather than the dom3 program. Qt3Anonymous is a prime example. In fact, the hold 3 turns isn't really the important part. It could be hold one turn. What's important is putting back the human into the equation.

It allows the admin and players to decide if a game is over. I'm with you on keeping games fairly short although not all the things I have tried have worked. I tried using cumulative victory points and that was not satisfactory.

I understand what happened in QT3 anon. I would not actually set up the game with the dom victory condition, but the goal is stated in advance. If all the players wish to continue....then we can do that, but I would want all the players to wish to continue.

I normally host 6-8 player games and try to reach conclusion by turn 80 or so.

You have good taste.

Even with all that, I would say that 80% of games I've played end by concession. The players basically vote that someone has a clear lead or that it's a stalemate and let's stop. And not using the built in vps helps with this.

Of course, I see nothing wrong with choosing an end point for the game of 80 turns and then putting it to a player vote.

Ummm. I'm not a big fan of votes. The problem with player concession is that players often come to the realization that the game is over at different times. As the admin and a player in the same game, I'm not comfortable having victory at my discretion. My experience has been that having a firm, known victory condition keeps interest going.

[Nate]

I'm going to be out of town and most likely in an area with no wifi or cell service for about a week. Would it be possible to put the games I'm in (Hugin, Munin, Sleipnir) on a long timer?

I'll try to get turns in when I can, but service will be intermittent at best.

Badlands!