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Complex & Unpolished

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 0 / 0
Date: November 15, 2006
Author: Amazon User

First let me say that I've been playing this game for 3 months now. This is a turn based fantasy strategy game loosly similar to Master of Magic. It is quite complex and a little klunky. It feels like it was made in some guys garauge. You start off by choosing to play a specific race of beings. The game gives you very little information about these races and almost nothing about thier strengths and weaknessess. Some races like the ambient temperature to be hot, others cold. Each race has different army troops which can vary widely in thier abilities from race to race. You have to figure them out through trial and error. After choosing a race, you then have to design a "pretender God" (i.e. you). The game gives you a bunch of different choices in body types and initial stats but doesn't let you design a mage completely from scratch. This is kind of lame. Why not just give everything a point value and let you take what you want? Once you have designed your mage, you are sent back to the beginning. Why? It can be quite confusing and makes you think you hit a glitch in the game. Then you have to "create a new game" You are told to pick which players will be in the game and are given a list of the different races available. If you don't know anything about the game, it's time for trial and error again. So you pick an assortment but don't forget to include the race that you just picked earlier (you). Here is one of the problems with this game. It is unbalanced. There are about 15 different races that you can pick. These races can't be modified except for their leader (the pretender god). Some of them are much stronger than others. Some of them are laughable in their simplicity. It's like the programmers put all of their effort into about 6 of the races and then just made up a bunch of garbage races to make it look like there were lots of choices. Now that you have chosen who your opponents will be, you have to choose a map to play on. There are about 4 real choices here; 2 small and 2 medium. There are a couple of huge maps but if you try to play a game on them, you will get a few hours into the game and the game will freeze/crash. You cannot randomly generate a map. You apparently can make your own map using the editor but I haven't tried that. Each map is "reccomended" for a certain number of players but remember that you have already chosen the number of players so the order of the setup just limits your choices if you follow the "reccomendation". After you have chosen a map, you are once again returned to the beggining. You then have to "continue a game in progress" You see, you started your game and then left (by finishing the setup) so you have to go back to the game you just designed before you can even play the first turn. Klunky. Once you start playing the game, you will find that each turn is autosaved and you may not save the game manually or go back to an earlier save. You are stuck with playing the game as is. It is especially frustrating when you are more than 6 hours into a game and it freezes. Try to reload and you will probably find yourself in the same position. I have played games where I was obviously dominating and lost because the computer got to the last victory province that it needed to win the game.
With all that said, I am still enjoying this game. I have muddled through with much trial and error and have discovered strategies that I like. If you do decide to buy this game, visit the Forums and read about some of the different strategies and the FAQ section. This game could have been much better but it is playable and it is fun.

Not the best

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 2 / 15
Date: July 28, 2005
Author: Amazon User

I expected more from this game. It is not as interesting as one would have liked. For instance the game is too hands off, too high level. There is little control over the game. The terrain, and character you play determines a lot of what happens and there is not much need for skill, or ingenuity in the game play. Which kind of dumbs down the game play and makes the player a kind of slave to the game.

Ok game, terrible support

2 Rating: 2, Useful: 4 / 14
Date: April 30, 2004
Author: Amazon User

Dominions II, while lovingly designed and balanced, due to its amateurish graphics, plays like a spreadsheet. The game itself is good enough to rise above this, however the tech support is abysmal. When the most recent patch was released, I was unable to apply it. When I contacted the developers for assistance, they were obtuse and unhelpful, eventually simply referring me to the message boards to get help from other players, refusing to even tell me if my problem was common, or unique. I love the idea of supporting small development houses, however, this one is small because they seem to think small.

Excellent strategy game

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 2 / 2
Date: January 19, 2006
Author: Amazon User

There aren't many games now-a-days that can get me interested enough to play regularly, but Dominions 2 is one that definitely does.

It's a multiplayer, multi-platform (Mac, Windows, Linux), turn-based strategy game. There is a tun of different strategies to go with, many nations, magic items, spells, different units. Excellent game for a hardcore strategy person.

The only drawback is the interface. It's certainly not perfect and takes a bit to get used to. But there is lots of documentation online to help with that kind of stuff.

I'd highly recommend this game to anyone who likes a good multiplayer turn-based strategy. It's the best I've ever played (and I've played quite a few)

Best in Genre

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 3 / 4
Date: July 22, 2004
Author: Amazon User

I believe this is the best game in the genre. It's gotten more play out of me than Master of Magic, Heroes of Might and Magic, Age of Wonders, Warlords, Disciples, Civilization, Alpha Centauri, Master of Orion, Space Empires, or Stars. Once of the other posters says they have bad support, but that's not been my experience. I've found their continued support and patches to be as good or better than any of the afore mentioned titles -- not bad for a 2 man team.

There is an amazing amount of variety in factions and would-be-gods you can play, and best of all it is for the most part solidly based upon Mythology -- far superior to the typically D&D derivative fantasy. Multiplayer is fantastic.

It is a complex game however, and not to everyone's tastes. Definitely check out the demo first. Beware though, it's addictive stuff!

Also check out the fan made maps on their website as well, some of which are quite pretty. If you're stuck getting started, try the excellent Walkthrough by Bruce Geryk, also linked from their site.

Finally, Depth over Glitz.

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 4 / 6
Date: July 22, 2004
Author: Amazon User

Dominions 2 is a very special game that possesses enourmous appeal to a certain type of person but might not be made for everybody. The game has a difficult learning curve and it can be hard to find documentation on the game if your just starting. But under its 1980's graphics and daunting complexity lies a complete diamond. If there's anyone out there hoping for a faithful successor to Master of Magic, this game comes far closer than any other game i have played. There is a dizzying complexity of spells, units, economic effects, and playing styles. In response to the person who said the tech support is nonexistent i would have to disagree. He was most likely referred to the message board because the Developers regularly post on it and monitor it for posts on glitches and bugs, also this game has an extremely knowledeable and helpful community who are more than willing to help you get through the initial learning pains. If your looking for a game with depth and originality as opposed to graphical glitz, this is your game. If you decide to join the community, you'll find me there for a long time to come, and you'll find dominions on my computer for a very long time indeed.

this is a STRATEGY game!

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 5 / 7
Date: July 23, 2004
Author: Amazon User

I emphasize strategy. What you will not find are fancy graphics, studio sound, arcade action, cheats, or a killer strategy that will win every time. This game is wonderfully balanced with 17 nations (another in the works), 1100 units, 400 spells, 400 magic sites, 250 magic items, and much more. But the neat thing is that they give you what you need to play in YOUR style. Berserker, defensive, researcher, swarmer, sneak, diplomatic, whatever. Instead of feeling like you are learning the strategies that the developer had in mind for you to learn, you can actually develop your OWN tactics and surprises. There are people who have played it over a year and still come up with new things to try. (and yes, its one of those games which will ACTUALLY survive on your machine for a year)

An playable multiplayer turn based strategy game

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 7 / 11
Date: July 23, 2004
Author: Amazon User

Difficult to learn and an awkward user interface - besides that, this is the best turn-based strategy game I ever played!

It is ideal for Offline-Multiplayer (Serverbased or via PBEM), since all players take their turns simultaneously, which allows PBEM games to be finished within reasonable time. Highly customizable. OS independent.

Disappointed by WalordsIV, I am now very happy to finally have found a cute, playable, turn-based fantasy strategy game.

A turn based strategy game in a fantasy setting with no limits

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 4 / 4
Date: December 01, 2005
Author: Amazon User

If you have always wanted a turn based strategy game in a fantasy setting with no limits then Dominions II is really the only option out there. Its not perferct but its darn good.

The story, if you can really call it that, is that the world of Dominions once had one god. One day he just wasn't there all of a sudden and everybody and their brother decided to try and apply for his job. All of these "pretender gods" have to kill off all the other gods and put their religions out of commision in order to take over the world and become a true god. To start up a new game of Dominions II you need to choose from one of the 17 different empires and then pick your pretender god from dozens of different avatars. You can play as darn near anything you can imagine from the ordinary, like the arch-mage, to the outrageously exotic, like the fountain of blood. Every pretender god has strengths and weaknesses and some may be adept at only one or two paths of magic while others may learn many with ease. You also pick a castle and set up your own "dominion" which is the effect your god has on his followers as his religion spreads across the world.

But that isn't all, you still haven't actually started a game yet. Next you have to create the game by picking from one of nearly a dozen huge maps and setting all of the game settings such as victory conditions and the difficulty of neutral provinces. And lets not forget, you also choose which of the 17 empires will be playing and if they will be human or AI players.

The game itself is huge and has very few limits. Your empires unique units may be built in any province in which you have built a castle but every proince in the game also has its own units that may be built there to inculde many that none of the empires usually have access to. Plus units may be equiped with different armor and weapons and as such there may well be hundreds of unique units in the game with maybe even thousands of different equipment varaitions. Like the pretender gods, units come in a huge array from simple, like the light infantry, to the wild, like werewoles and vampires. Combine that with the fact that there are hundreds of spells in the game to research, hundreds of magic items to forge and find, and random events almost every turn, no two games will ever end the same way and the game has nearly unlimited replyability.

Combat is a bit unsual. All units, in order to move around the map or attack, have to be assigned to a commander. Commanders are built in the same way you recruit normal units but they can only lead so many men. However, you can assign units under a commander to as many squads as you like and each squad as well as the commander himself can be issued a specific order such as casting spells, using ranged weapons or attacking certain foes on the battle field. The downside of all this is that you have to set up all of this before hand during your turn. Combat occours in between turns and you have no control over the battle. Its entirely up to your units to follow the plan you laid out for them.For better or worse this system is certainly original.

But some things about the game really bother me. My biggest complaint with the game has to be the computer AI. Its not thats its too stupid or too smart. Its actually a bit like the terminator, it allways seems to know where you are and sends wave after wave of seemingly endless foes after you. It can't be reasoned with, it can't be bargined with and it won't stop until one of you is dead. With no diplomacy options and units like spys, assassins and scouts being extremely rare and expensive most games aginst the AI just deteroiate into massive rushing attacks with huge armies killing each other over and over with gods throwing spells at each other turn after turn.

Another problem with the game is the manual which is huge but contains no information that isn't easily available in the game. Its the same problem Evil Genius had, the manual is awful and all the hints that should hae been in the manual are hidden in the games loading screens. I hope you can read fast. The grapics obviously aren't exactly on par with Half Life 2 or Doom 3 but they work, however I've got to take issue with the music and sound which is downright AWFUL. You better get used to hearing the same three music tracks over and over.

Over all, Dominions II is by far the best turn based fantasy game I've ever played. Room for improvement is obviously here but this game should keep you occupied for a long time.

Try for yourself.

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 7 / 7
Date: July 23, 2004
Author: Amazon User

Dominions 2 is a fantastic leap into TBS on an Epic scale. Huge Gods battling for supremacy by any means possible. Genocide, reckless magic, and disregard for humanity to be the last god of the panthenon.

A steep learning curve, especially for perfectionists it provides you with a simulation of fantasty combat as opposed to actual historical combat.

Low end graphics are balanced with the fact there are so many of them along with additional abilities.

A must for those who love 4X and TBS games. Not for everyone and documentation that does not do the game justice, it is hard to get into, but if you can get past the "I'm LOSING and I don't know why!" feeling, you will be well worth it.

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