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[Borodin]

Originally Posted by Oskatat

interesting, i did similar things and the time spend on building roads went down when the engineers were given the order as a group, instead of in succession. Just remember to have them all highlighted at the same time. engineers that have spent their movement dont help.

Just checked that, and I think you're correct. The command has to be given to more than one engineer at the same time, otherwise, the time doesn't shorten.

also, main attraction of draconians is that, if you build a city wall, one unit can hold the city against any land only units

We'll have to agree to disagree on this one. The main advantage of a Draconian I find is its movement ignoring all water. At least using the latest patch on Dragonsword, land-based units who can ignore a city's walls will run through it even if you have a Draconian present. The invaders will eventually leave, but you'll lose a building or two in the process. This also applies to the Dark Elves' invisible unit (name escapes me at the moment). I've had cities invaded as often as six times, but city itself was never lost thanks to an invisible unit. On the other hand, building improvements was nonsense.

[Oskatat]

i'm aware of this weakness to units that igonore walls, it is also a weakness against enemies that ignore invisibility and flying. However, if you have to choose:

lose some fame and an improvement and some population,

or lose the city, including improvements and lose a lot more fame
and have to build a new city

or employ a garrison that will defend against any attack made on it

[Scatty]

Originally Posted by Prokonsul Piotrus

Btw, here's an amusing strategy: drain life / ghouls on troll units; if you are lucky, you'll get a regenerating, no-upkeep undead unit. Mmmm.... uber zombies.

It's far less effort to cast Black Channels on a troll unit, transforming it into an upkeep-free, undead unit. Just dispel the Channels afterwards. Why waste valuable and limited casting skill during a combat to get one or two undead trolls instead of keeping the troll city you're invading after you conquer it?
The undead trolls are great city unrest suppressors btw., as you can fill your cities with undead trolls for no upkeep whatsoever, and they're great defenders too (shamans, halberdiers and war trolls).

[Borodin]

Originally Posted by Oskatat

i'm aware of this weakness to units that igonore walls, it is also a weakness against enemies that ignore invisibility and flying. However, if you have to choose:

lose some fame and an improvement and some population,

or lose the city, including improvements and lose a lot more fame
and have to build a new city

or employ a garrison that will defend against any attack made on it

I guess in the final analysis it feels like pure cheese to me, just taking advantage of a flaw in the design code. And I don't like to do that. I prefer winning against the AI fairly.

Of course, it might be said in response to that, "Well, wouldn't the AI lose if it tried to attack a Draconian or city with land forces, in any case?" To which I can only reply, "Yeah, but if that AI were being rebuilt today, it would certainly take that into account, and not attack a Draconian city unless it had flying units in the invasion force."

[Oskatat]

then i'd say, wouldnt a draconian population be able to fly off anyway? no population losses

anyway, all the strategies for winning, so far, can be seen as design flaws, since they usually focus on making a single unit, or just a few, unstopable, unlike games today, which would require you to bring a mix of different units around.
In the end, a flying race that is better at keeping cities by carting off population and property while letting the monsters rampage a bit and then comming back doesnt sound too weird

[Borodin]

Originally Posted by Oskatat

then i'd say, wouldnt a draconian population be able to fly off anyway? no population losses

All I could see in my mind's eye was a bunch of attackers looking up in disgust at the sky as an entire city lifts off and jets east.

anyway, all the strategies for winning, so far, can be seen as design flaws, since they usually focus on making a single unit, or just a few, unstopable, unlike games today, which would require you to bring a mix of different units around.

To me, it's not that the flaw exists in the design of the unit, but in the AI that simply isn't programmed with a rule to respond to the unit's presence. I can click on a city and see what's in it. Logically, the AI should have that advance knowledge, too, and be able to prepare with an appropriate counter (Dispel, a summons that can see invisible creatures, etc). For all I know, this may have been on the drawing boards, and just never got finished by the design team. Shame, really. I'll be curious to see how Elemental handles such issues as the game revs up with a lot more development in months to come. Wardell does good AI.

[Oskatat]

actually, i think the draconians need this "design flaw". Their firebreath isnt that great, they dont recruit any wonderfull units, yes they gain mana with population.... their only benefit is flying, mostly. I'd rather cast fly on 9 warlocks and blast my enemy with doombolt. Ofcourse that doesnt help against paladins since they are pretty much immune to that, and if they have fly and invulnerability.... well, i hope you get my point. Anyway, the flying defence is only usefull when you play some of the easier settings and earlier in the game. Later on your enemy, even if its a random, WILL bring flying, gaze or breath weapons and those have the regular results. Defending against a couple of air elementals, when you counted on winning by being airial, is tough. Other side of the coin no? its not a win-all strategy what i mentioned, just a minor boon

[wardencz]

Oh, this game brings back memories from my childhood =), not that I haven't been playing it last week =). Simply a great game, that u can play aswell nowadays.
My personal favourite was Great Wyrm with regeneration on it =) or death knights, from the casual units, Hammerhands with adamantine weapons are quite unstoppable.
Gosh, such a nostalgy overcomes me while talking 'bout this game, I'm feeling like when I played it for the first time as a kid.

[another_guest]

It's currently on sale on GOG (see the link "buy it" here on Abandonia) for a little over $4

MoM unofficial patch
1.40h

AI now actually can and does use the ships for military transport! The downside is, I had to increase all transport capacity to 8 to overcome this complicated bug. But the AI ship invasions are working now.
Beware... and enjoy!

http://www.mediafire.com/download.php?x3nzvpjcr5ng4cf

Version 1.40h
-----------------------
AI ships
- AI transporting inability fixed (no stopping of full boats) + boats have full decks (AI ships leaving with capacity at least 6 units on board)
- all transporting capacity had to be put to 8 units
- triremes mvt 2, floating islands mvt 4, galleys mvt 6
- Wind mastery +100 %, bonus
- no Wind mastery penalty for others (due to AI inability to deal with 1-mvt triremes
- forbidden AI ships creation in cities with lakes-with-river terrain

bugfixes
- max 3 vortex fix of previous bug
- wraithform correct MPs over water

other
- removed insane extra gold AI game diff bonuses - city building upkeep
- removed insane extra gold AI game diff bonuses - army upkeep

AI
- AI magic spirits bigger summon probability in later game
- reversed alternate setllers targetting (undecisiveness of AI settlers)
- reviewed the AI ships bulding decision
- more stress on AI objective in AI city building
- impass tower problem solved for AI settlers