Learning by failing - Game in Progress Thread - Dominions 3: The Awakening

Game is in progress.

Hi everybody. I registered here at desura.com in order to try out Dominions multiplayer. I hope I am allowed to post threads like this.
In Dom3 I am an extreme noob - I barely understand the mechanics and I am often overwhelmed by this monstrous game. I am however also in love with it and would love to try a multiplayer game. preferably with Fellow noobs.

The main purpose of this first game would be learning the actual game. I imagine we can use this thread to discuss the game as it plays along and hopefully learn from it. I am mainly hoping for other new players, but an experienced player or two would be welcome, especially if they recognize the learning nature of the game and try to use their experience and superior knowledge as an asset for the game, rather than brutalizing the noobs.

General Game Information
Name of the Game - LearnByFail
Network or PBEM - PBEM
Hosting Schedule - 28 hours, then increasing as needed.
Number of Players - smallish 9-10
Skill level - extreme beginners, 1-2 experience players are welcome, especially if they would like to provide a mentor-role for the beginners.
Expected Commitment Level - Please don't join if you are going to quit if it does not go well for you initially.
Game Settings
age: To be decided. I hear the MA is the most balanced, but I am open to discussion
"All settings default" except: renaming allowed

Map - to be decided, I suggest we discuss this when we know how many players are in the game. I have no knowledge of the unofficial dom3 maps

Mods -Victory Conditions -
Diplomacy - encouraged, Roleplaying is discouraged as I envision this to be a learning game
General Rules -
- this is a friendly, noobish learning game. Join in if you want to learn this game, do not join to test your newest überstrategy on clueless newbies
Disallowed Exploits
I am not even sure what exploits exist, but I don't think they serve any point in a learning game

players and positions:
admin: Me (but will be happy to pawn it over to someone experienced)
Vice Admin

-Player List
1. Gustavberner - midgaard
2. Lukasr Bogarus Not joined,
3. Mongler: LA Arco joined
4. Tewey - Tien Chi joined
5. Tygaros LA Ulm joined
6. Ogrims LA caelum joined
7. short.alastair (experienced) Jonum
8. CyrusReij. LA atlantis joined
9. gallop La Man joined
10. Nerdzul LA Mictlan joind
also I have no clue why the forum insist on bolding the majority of the post...
I will pm the players who haven't chosen a nation tomorrow and see if they are stil lin.

Edited by: Gustavberner

I personally prefer LA, but everyone has their own choices. There's a list of exploits, but most of them don't matter either.
Depending on what age I might join, also Don't panic this is my first MP game if i join
I think the list in on the wiki.

Edited by: lukasr

Im good at failing by now, so im in!
Have a few games under my belt, most of them as a sub.
I would say i understand the game mechanics by now, but i seem to lack the "umff" to reach the intermediate lvl.
MA is especially disastrous for me...

I will choose a nation last, let the even less experiences players choose first.

Cheers,
Oga

I'd like to join. I'm just starting my first MP game over at Groghead forums but I think I'll have time to play 2 games simultaneously. Age doesn't really matter to me but I prefer MA or LA.

I'd like to join this game. I'd suggest using the conceptual balance mod 1.94 (CBM) though, as far as I have seen, most of the MP games are played with this, so I think if we are learning this game it'd be a good idea to learn it with this mod.

I would like to join this game. I would also prefer to use the CBM mod. Age doesn't matter.

I am a relatively experienced player in that I have played a handful of MP, but all of those are 5+ years ago. As Ogaburan stated, I'll pick last (and weak!) if it is ok for me to play.

The only exploits I know of are copying bogus's orders after charming his guys, and filling someone's treasury with slave collars.

Big suggestion: Right now you have a hosting schedule under commitment. Once a week is a very, very slow hosting schedule- the standard they list is 28 hours->52 as people need more time. Once a week would see this game end sometime around October. 2014, assuming it lasts the 80 or so turns that is normal, and games rarely host much faster than turns are due. Since this isnt competitive, staleing a few times isnt as big of a deal, and as an admin you can delay as needed.

Suggestions:

Suggest at least 15 provinces/player so people get to fiddle around a little first.

CBM is a good idea, but if you havent played with it before, check it out. It changes several things so that your usual strategy might not be as strong. I just learned that playing it for the first time in SP.

Maybe pump up sites a little bit to give people more gems to play with.

Edited by: short.alastair

Also down for playing a 100% newbie game, any Age.

Here is a good list of exploits that should be banned.

Edited by: tewey

Wauv, thanks for the responses.
this could be fun.

Several things to adress
I suggest we adopt Teweys link of exploits and I will edit into the OP
@short.alistair
I realise that I have messed up hosting schedule and commitment level and will clarify.
Also regarding hosting schedule you may be right that once a week is too slow, but with holidays coming up I fear that we may lose people to vacations, weekend trips. I for one is going to be off the net a couple of times in july, but I happy to accept 28 hour, then 48, and I will provide advance warning (or miss a turn) when I go abroad. I also think your remarks on CBM and province/players make sense. I wonder if you would like to be co-admin, you are clearly the most experienced. As for pumping sites, I am not sure. I think I prefer the game to "handle" naturally.
Also
If I understand CBM correctly it is a balance-mod and it improves several underpowered nations and Pretenders. I suggest we run with it.

Currently it seems EA is out and it is a toss between LA or MA. I am indifferent so I suggest we vote ?

Currently I assume that the following players are in (or at least more than mildly interested):

1. Gustavberner
2. Lukasr (depends on age- is LA the only acceptable age for you or is MA acceptable?
3. Ogaburan
4. Tewey
5. Tygaros
6. Ogrims
7. short.alastair (experienced)
8. CyrusReij

I

If its going to be a once a week scheduled, I wont be joining.
I find the pace to be too slow for me.

Aslo, for learning games... I think a fast pace is in order.
People will make mistakes, and making someone dwell in his demise for weeks on end is harsh.

Gustavberner, not only are you allowed to post threads like this, you (and other new players) are encouraged to do so. I especially like the title of the thread, because the only real way to learn Dominions is by failing as many times as it takes to get things right.

Meaning that reading guides, strategy tips etc is all good and can go a long way toward giving you a running start so that you avoid the most obvious newbie mistakes, but to actually learn, you have to play. And because the game by its nature is a King of the Hill "There Can Only Be One!" multislayer slagfest, most people who play fail (i.e. do not win) more often than not. It's how far you go in a game and how you get there that is a better measure if skill and in Dominions 3 it takes a lot of practice.

So don't apologize for posting this thread and organizing the game. It's all good.

I'm fine with either MA or LA, but I'm voting LA all the way.

Put me in as Ermor if its LA, and T'ien C'hi if its MA.

I have a holiday planned in august, but I should be able to send in turns on a 48/72 hour schedule, just expect the odd delay or stale.
I'd prefer 24-48 hour hosting, but I don't particularly mind either way.

Also pump up magic sites hell yeah : P

Edited by: lukasr

I think MA is kinda boring, so down for LA.

Haven't played CBM before, so I keep getting sad about all the things they nerfed .

Hey I'm down for this game if there's still a slot available. This'll be my first MP game, so I'm definitely a newb. I'm fine with any age , too.

short.alastair wrote: I think MA is kinda boring, so down for LA.

Haven't played CBM before, so I keep getting sad about all the things they nerfed .

There's also a fair bit of things that got buffed.

Heya, I'm a complete noob to multiplayer dominions 3 (I have just some single player experience with vanilla and cbm) and I was wondering if there is still by any chance an open slot for the game.

Hi everybody.
sorry about the delay. When updating the OP I accidentially triggered the spambot. I will update the thread now and hopefully we will have no more snafus.

So, what's your final say on the choice of age? I'd love to start fiddling around with a pretender design.

Im more interested in the final scheduled...

I am thinking MA - it is reputed to be more balanced than LA. (at least that is what this noob hears)
for schedule:
28 hours for start, increasing as needed. Breaks as needed during the holiday season.?

Personally I would like to play either Pythium or Vanaheim, but am I am perfectly willing to play random
I also think we should limit or outright ban the underwater nations. This is newbie game and I think there will be plenty to take into consieration.

but if MA is a dealbreaker for some then I am perfectly good with LA:
So whatever has the least objections.
also one aber dabei: LA Ermor - I have read that they are very very strong, especially against inexperienced players.This is not annoy or derail Luksr, but my limited (forumgained) knowledge seems to indicate that LA Ermor is a very strong opponent that requires handling in a specific way. What does our more experienced players suggest?

Gustavberner wrote: I am thinking MA - it is reputed to be more balanced than LA. (at least that is what this noob hears)
for schedule:
28 hours for start, increasing as needed. Breaks as needed during the holiday season.?

Personally I would like to play either Pythium or Vanaheim, but am I am perfectly willing to play random
I also think we should limit or outright ban the underwater nations. This is newbie game and I think there will be plenty to take into consieration.

but if MA is a dealbreaker for some then I am perfectly good with LA:
So whatever has the least objections.
also one aber dabei: LA Ermor - I have read that they are very very strong, especially against inexperienced players.This is not annoy or derail Luksr, but my limited (forumgained) knowledge seems to indicate that LA Ermor is a very strong opponent that requires handling in a specific way. What does our more experienced players suggest?

I think the problem with LA Ermor is that they can become very powerful if left unchecked. This means most players ganging up on them since they have an annoying dominion too.

I'd say let's go with LA since that seems to be ok for everyone. I'm ok with someone being Ermor but ban them if you like.

Edited by: tewey

Gustav be more assertive, you are running the game.

Its very nice of you to ask people for their opinion.
Yet since you are admining the game choose what "arbitrary" rules will make you feel comfortable and let you have the most fun.
If you want to ban the unconventional LA Armor and Water-Nations, just do it.

You cant please everyone... and if you lose one or two participants due to you choices, no hard feelings.

Ok _ I will assume the mandle of first dictator of the people.
(I am unsure of protocol, me being new to this forum and all)

but lets roll with LA and lets ban water-nations and LA-Ermor. I don't think they are newbie friendly.
If this is too disagreeable to anyone, then now is the time to leave.
I would like to play midgaard
anypne else have preferences?

I think LA Ermor is fine, as long as the person playing it recognizes that Ermor puts such a pressure on the game that it winds up being everyone v. them. Of course, that isnt really appropriate for a newbie game.

I'll wait until people choose until I select from what is left. Actually, just give me a random selection from one of the remaining nations.

Edited by: short.alastair