Age of Wonders 3 SG 2: I Can't Believe It's Not 1UPT!

[Bobchillingworth]

Yeah, you're in if you want! Kind of regretting setting that Seals victory condition now, didn't realize it would shorten the game so much. Going to have to reduce turns to sets of 5 starting at T41 for sure.


After this I'd really like to try out a PBEM, now that it's clear RB has at least a small AoW 3 following

[Lewwyn]

Just saw this! I've got like 200 hours in AoW, so I'm curious how you guys play. Will catch up when I have some time.

You can still join as we have yet to play a second set.

I can play in August. I won't have time before then though. Finals + summer camp + travelling.

[Lewwyn]

After this I'd really like to try out a PBEM, now that it's clear RB has at least a small AoW 3 following

I actually have been playing for about a year. Two of my college friends play and we coop MP together when I'm stateside. (Too hard when I'm in China to do it concurrent.) But I haven't tried PBEM with them.

[Bobchillingworth]

Okay, sounds good. I figure we'll do this SG and perhaps another with current team, and then ideally by August be ready to run an exhibition PBEM.

[MJW (ya that one)]

Well I've noticed that you increased the peaceful victory conditions. No one is ever going to win a beacon victory now and seals victory won't put us on the clock so much. We can get away with one more set of ten turns.

Have you moved yet, QB? I've opened the save and now suspect that the AI used the trick of attacking with a fast unit so more should show up next turn. You show move the unmoved units closer to the area because of this.

Edit: There's an inn nearby you may want to use after the battles.

[Bobchillingworth]

I'll defer to your greater experience- about how long will the AI take to win a seals victory, within the parameters of our game? I'll keep us at sets of 10 if it'll be 100+ turns.

[MJW (ya that one)]

I'll defer to your greater experience- about how long will the AI take to win a seals victory, within the parameters of our game? I'll keep us at sets of 10 if it'll be 100+ turns.

It will take 70-120 turns which is a guess. I don't use seals often so I don't have a lot of experience. A lot also depends if we get an uber ai that can hold multiple seals. The best case is that they take until ~turn 45 and no one gets more than one seal which will be 115 turns (the charges stop growing when the leader dies so I can add a little to get 120) and it goes down from there.

Edit: My final answer is a little over 100 turns but that's just a guess.

[Brian Shanahan]

Our leader:




The skull mask says "evil", but the enormous neckbeard means fun!

Run for the hills, it's a were-Care Bear! I'll be watching this with baited breath.

[Quagma Blast]

After getting distracted by the start of SGDQ on Sunday and 'Merica Fuck Yeah Day on Monday, I managed to play my turns:

Turn 30 End:

I moved closer to Giant Town in preparation for an attack.

Turn 31:

An army moved into Giant Town, Corpse Looting got disjuncted by Maxy the Theocrat.

I attack Giant Town, Tyrobour White Metal (the Dwarf Theocrat) gets focus-fired down on the second turn; no other losses, and I stole a Forge Priest.

I put research on Resurrect Hero and start recasting Corpse Looting. The new Settler starts moving toward the pictured area south of Giant Town. I'm not sure where, exactly, I want it to go.

The scouting crows get attacked and die; Maxy moves an army in from the west. Huul Sekh makes a builder.

Turn 32:

I concentrate the western garrisons in a single city, which gets a rushed wooden walls. The other starts building a walls with no rush.

I continue building garrison units and move army out of Giant Town so I can attack on my terms.

Turn 33:

Baldy keeps building up in the city outside of Giant Town. Maxy moves his army back into the ocean.

Eastern armies start moving downwards towards the location of the prospective new city.

Turn 34:

Maxy tries to delete Iron Grip, fails. I reinforce it. Baldy moves troops away from the northeast outpost, brings a very small force to Asher (northernmost town)

Eastern armies clear the Well of Souls.

Turn 35:

Baldy takes Asher, but only has two heroes in it. My armies aren't quite close enough to retake it, though I try building roads onto their current locations.

Turn 36:

Settler gets eaten by an independant army from out of the fog. Well, that's goal 1 failed... Resurrect Hero is done researching; I start casting it and set research to Produce Bard. An event gives us a pile of money and I start building another settler.

Attack Asher, kill Baldy himself and another hero, both in there chilling with nobody else. All the heroes get a level up! I'm not really sure what I ought to take.

The two eastern cities have full garrisons now, so I make a Shrine.

Turn 37:

Giant Town gets taken again. Start moving my armies back east... Maxy seems to have left so the southwest garrison starts moving to the front.

Turn 38:

An independant army lead by a Bone Dragon attacks Lugar in the southwest; only one unit of the garrison remains and get eaten. I wheel some armies around to strike back, others get into position to attack Giant Town.

Ressurect Hero finishes casting. Welcome back, Tyrobour.

Research is set on Produce Assassin in hopes of getting Produce Succubus going and rolling with an army of mind-controlled units.

Turn 39:
Maxy completes Paragon (get a level IV unit which gets a permanent bonus) and Imperial Residence (permanent bonus to casting points), and disjuncts Treasure Raiding.

Faron Sekh now having 100 hammers/turn, I set it to making units.

Giant Town is retaken with no losses. Dwarf Firstborn, unfortunately, are immune to mind control.

I am honestly uncertain whether we have enough to retake Lugar. I could attack it now, but don't want to risk squandering two full armies. I'll leave it to the next person in the rotation.

Turn 40:
Race Governance level up! Options: Fire Temples cost less gold (but the same amount of hammers) and give more research, vs. Sphinxes have better vision and stronger attacks. I am not sure what is better; since Fire Temples are a prerequisite for Sphinxes anyhow, I'm inclined towards Economic but I'll leave this choice to someone who knows the game better.

I move on to attack Dahata, no losses. They have a Warbreed which I manage to mind control. Tyrobur gets a level and I give him Healing.


FOR THE NEXT PERSON:

Before you end turn, there are two armies near Faron Sekh in range of Lugar to the southwest, and more if you leave behind the Mystic, Sun Guard, and Forge Priest in Romelia's army near the throne. You can probably retake the city, but I'm wary of trying it myself.

Almost all the heroes have levelups available.

The next level of racial governance is available.

[Quagma Blast]

And now, a SELF ASSESSMENT:

My big problem here was indecisiveness. After taking Giant Town the first time, either continuing on to Dahata or clearing the south in full force would have been good ideas, but the halfhearted attempt hold Giant Town and guard the settler south-ish of it just ended in disaster.

Our position is pretty close to where it was when I started the turnset, though with an extra two or three full armies of units, which in relative terms means we are probably doing much worse.