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Great depth, wonderful small-production game.

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 29 / 30
Date: December 19, 2006
Author: Amazon User

The Dominion series is a turn-based multi-player fantasy strategy "god" game. The technology is not new (it's a few steps-up from text only) but the sheer depth of this game has to be seen to be believed. If you are a fan of turn based strategy or fantasy, you owe it to yourself to check this game out by downloading the free (and very capable) demo at Sharpnel Games website. Illwinter is obviously most interested in putting out a product that gives players options . . . thousands of options . . . and a compelling reason to play a game again and again and again. Appropriate comparisons for this game include any of the old turn-based map strategies, Master of Magic and the Total War series.

The mechanics of game play are basic. The bulk of play is executed by issuing orders to "hero" units. These heros can be military commanders, mages, priests, scouts, assassins, or even your pretender-god. You can also build armies to assign to your units. After all orders are issued and build queues are filled, you process the turn results (this is when battles are fought) and repeat.

Sounds simple but there are dozens of different hero types, each with a couple score attributes, a few magic item slots, the possibility of magic and other unique abilities, and even different potential order options (assassination, preaching and casting spells are not available to just anyone!) Add to this hundreds of spells, magic items, unit abilities and units, and you begin to see the possibilities.

Combat is unique in this game because you script your starting tactics and battlefield positions beforehand and then let the computer duke it out between forces. The net effect is you can determine how you will start your battle . . . but after that the tide of war determines how it ends (frighteningly similar to actual war in the ancient world.)

Victory conditions can vary as with almost a dozen other game options so it is hard to say what your ultimate goal is. Crushing the other pretender gods can't hurt!

The game background draws heavily from history, mythology and fantasy. Units range from grecian hoplites to hindu-influenced monkies to lovecraftian deep ones to clasic undead to the physical forms of the Pretender Gods themselves (dragons, demi-gods, mages and . . . weirder) Notably absent are the "normal" fantasy races . . . if you are looking for tolkienesque elves you'd better keep looking.

Just to help you wade through this mire of options, Illwinter has included a 300 page game manual. Not only is this a normal manual but it includes tidbits like quick-lookup tables and even a smattering of "standard" play strategies (which are a great starting point when you have this wide of a set of choices.)

Quick list of pros and cons:

Cons:
Graphics and audio (sprite based grahics, surprisingly good music but not much of it, "Cute" sound effects)
some potentially objectionable themes (human sacrifice, demons, raising the dead, magic, claiming godhood)
overwhelming array of options (you'll probably spend more time designing your pretender-god than actually playing the first few games.)
Price (not cheap)
No downloadable game.

Pros:
Options, options, options make for great replayability (which offsets some of the bite in the price)
Spectacular "atmosphere" on top of some very inventive background.
Simple enough to play right away even with the variety of options.
Simple system requirements.
Broad range of OS's.
Dedicated and global multi-player base.
Wonderful demo to try . . . and get hooked on.

So give it a go, you have nothing to lose and a whole lot of exploring ahead of you!

More is good

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 3 / 3
Date: August 12, 2007
Author: Amazon User

Dominions 2 was one of my favorite games, so I was glad to finally get this sequel. It's still a fantastic experience, full of depth that goes beyond any game (except perhaps rogue-likes, such as Zangband). There are over 1500 units, according to the manual, and that seems about right. Tons of spells and magic items and nations. For those who have not played the series, the learning curve is a bit steep. Find an online guide or walkthru to help you out. Once acclimated, be prepared for an incredible game.

The only reason I didn't give this a full 5 stars overall is that it doesn't seem different enough from 2 to justify the price. There ARE more nations and spells and units, but much of it is recycled from the previous game. The graphics are very similar (and very bad...but you get over it). The gameplay is almost the exact same. If you played a particular nation in 2, it will play VERY similarly in three. That makes it hard to give this game an unqualified recommendation. However, if you do not own Dominions 2, this game is definitely worth the price. I wish more games were made with this level of detail.

Not for the weak of heart ...

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 1 / 1
Date: September 27, 2007
Author: Amazon User

Boasting a 300+ page manual, dozens of races, hundreds of magic items (the most powerful of which are unique per game) and over 600+ spells ... dominions is a statistical rich and highly detailed turn based strategy game.

What it lacks in graphics and UI, it makes up for in the plethora of strategy decisions. The AI is ok, but where the game really shines is multiplayer (which can be done hot-seat, LAN, TCP-IP or play by email (PBEM)). The design team consists of a grand total of 2 people, so it really has an independent game look about it. However, the gameplay/fun-factor is off the charts if you like this game genre.

The game starts with you creating the deity of your race. Deity creation is on of the most important (and fun) parts of the game. Once you have your deity, you start the game ... building your army up to start your conquest. You'll recruit priests and build temples to spread your religion, smiting down the heathens who thwart your mission. Some deities (in the realm of dom3 players they call these super combatants) become like amazing heroes once armed with powerful spells unlocked by magic research in your libraries and spell reagents your explorers uncover (magic gems). Combat is handled by you macroing your orders ... the game engine handles battles of thousands of armies in a matter of seconds. You can watch the battle replay at any time during the turn which they occur to afford you the ability to tweak your orders.

If you love games like Nobunaga's Ambition (with a hard-core fantasy twist) or Master of Magic you really should give the demo a whirl. Just be sure to print out the tutorial as the demo download page says (use your favorite search engine to track down a copy of the demo).

If these guys would ever add a third/fourth designer to spruce up the user interface and replace the sprite graphics (or sell their IP to some large design house) ... this game would go mainstream and easily surpass Heroes of Might and Magic ... but for now, this diamond in the rough is still very much a fun time-waster.

cheers.

Unbelievable Depth, Incredible Soul, MP via Email is a Blast!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 1 / 1
Date: November 10, 2007
Author: Amazon User

I hesitated on buying this game for a while. The interface seemed a little klonky, the graphics are not great to say the least, and the price is steep. Yet everything I heard made it sound like the kind of game I have been looking for...so I had a coupon to bring the price below $50 and went for it.

Beware, if this is your type of game (turn-based, epic fantasy war) then this game will suck you in like no other. Especially fun is the community and ability to play MP games via email and through servers. You can create a pretender diety ranging from an ancient witch, to a mighty titan, to a mysterious statue. You will recruit heroes, forge magic items, scout exotic lands, find magical sites, assassinate enemy commanders, raise gigantic armies, research spells that can cast the land in darkness, siege fortresses and on and on...It has an epic feel and reminds me of the excellent Mazalan Book of the Fallen series.

So that is it. I love the game.

UPDATE August 2008

Almost a year and I am still playing Dom 3. The forums are very active and helpful and the multi-player games are a blast. There is so much to learn and so many tactics and counter-tactics that the game continues to captivate me unlike anything I have ever played. IMHO it is the best game of all time. Nothing else compares in terms depth, strategy, fun, humor and learning. The closest game to Dom 3 in terms of fun and longevity is MOO2.

Peerless Strategy

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 1 / 1
Date: February 15, 2008
Author: Amazon User

Most software companies fall far short of the mark that Shrapnel Games hits with this title. With only a team of 2 people, they have produced a highly complex and diverse strategy game that has immense replay value. This is not a glossy high profile title with 3D graphics and real time online play, but despite that it is one of the best games I have played in my life.

the deepest, most replayable strategy game on our planet

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 1 / 1
Date: March 11, 2008
Author: Amazon User

Dominions 3 is an an amazingly deep game, there is nothing like it at all on the shelves of your local software store. If you at all enjoy strategy games, you are doing yourself a disservice by not owning this game. Personally, I place it alongside such legendary titles as: the Total War titles, the Civilization series, and Alpha Centauri. It's that good.

In an era of sleek overproduced software titles, software companies have largely failed to deliver a title which rewards patience and a thirst for depth in a fantasy game setting. This is an exception. It's certainly a throwback, and possesses what I feel is a great retro and authentic game feel. With playable nations based on real-world myth and legend, this game can teach as well as an entertain. With around 20 nations per age, and 3 ages, there are somewhere on the order of 60 different nations to play. A staggering number, considering that the differences actually *do* make a very big difference in game play, I'm not talking about most games having 'different' units which simply dittle the graphics but basically fulfil the same role. You get actual replayability here, moreso than any game I've ever played before.

Fair warning: the sound and graphics of this game are clunky when considered against modern standards, and the AI is a bit predictable (of course) but it more than makes up for it in almost every single other aspect of game design and game play. This is a game that after you play it, you want to quit your job and become a game designer.

Best Game Ever!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 2 / 7
Date: October 09, 2007
Author: Amazon User

Dominions 3 was delivered promptly and is great condition. I highly recommend this seller and this game.

Buy this game

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 0 / 0
Date: September 11, 2007
Author: Amazon User

The other reviewers did a pretty good job of addressing it but left out a bit that I would like to address.

1) Yes, the graphics are poor. This is a strategy game, though--this isn't a big deal at all.

2) The one real downside to the game is too much micromanagement. If it weren't for this I would have given it 5 stars.

too much to talk about!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 0 / 0
Date: July 17, 2008
Author: Amazon User

If you love deep strategy more than flashy graphics and sounds then at LEAST try the demo.

Years after its release, its still going strong. The developers have
regularly released patches which are more like upgrades than they are patch. Whole new nations, spells, equipment keep getting added. And thats not counting what the players do as more and more modding commands get added with each patch.

But what made me think of coming here and posting was this comment I made in the Dom3 forum...

[quote]
Thanks for pointing the "winners list" out. That makes me feel better. Anytime a discussion pops up here where various experts proclaim some nations worth or worthlessness I get concerned. But luckily, it tends to actually average out that no matter how strong the opinions are that fly around, the saving grace is that they dont seem to agree with each other. :)

I am still amazed at how rare that is. Ive been gaming for decades. I can remember many many games where 1 month to 1 year was just about the whole life of the game because some ultimate strategy was developed and posted. Or great games that I found out about too late because by the time I got there the expert players had their tactics so down perfect that you couldnt last long enough in a game to learn the game.

Call me a fanboi if you want but any game that can keep me trying new
things and finding new useful tactics years after its release is well
worth it.
[/quote]

I thought that maybe other people here might remember having such an
experience in games. :)

Some things not pointed out by others:
Its Windows AND Mac and Linux all on the one disc. Its excellent as an internet host server for multiplaying. And its very laptop friendly (not full desktop machine needed to run it). You can load it on your windows desktop or mac laptop AND on your linux server to use one as player and one as server without needing another serial. Legally! And this is very web friendly if you run a server and want to host games.

The command switches is PAGES long if you are into such things. For fancy desktop icons that set the game parameters or automating things with scripts. For an old server person like me thats a game unto itself.

The support forum at the publishers site is FANTASTIC. And there is an IRC (direct chat) room.

In final, Ive paid this much for many games that lasted a month on my machine. This is one of the 5 games that refuse to die even after years of playing it. If you are into deep strategy and coming up with weird tactics or you love religio-historical-mythology-fantasy then at LEAST get the demo

Primitive But Awesome

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 0 / 0
Date: August 27, 2008
Author: Amazon User

Dominions 3 is the latest gem in the Shrapnel Games fantasy strategy franchise. It's a terrific example of gameplay overcoming graphics.

The premise is simple. You create a fresh-faced new god as your character that leads an army of warriors and monsters to spread your "dominion" throughout th land while your enemies do the same. Each turn, you build temples and castles, move and raise armies, and fight it out over territory against your rival gods. Researching spells, fortifying your territories, upgrading and outfitting your commanders, and spying on rivals are also activites to occupy your time.

The nuances are what makes this game so good. Your god template has a number of variable attributes that can change how you play the game drastically. The range of spells available to you, the preference of territory, the armies willing to swear fealty, and even the mobility and appearance of your avatar has an effect on what you do. Maps can be randomly generated or customized by importing any 2D graphic and drawing territory lines on top of it. (Fight in Middle-Earth! Battle it out it Faerun! Divvy up the lands of Narnia!) Artifacts can be found that help to kit out your generals and confer battle-winning attributes to them.

Since the game is based on taking turns, multiplayer is a great way to play the game. Play by email and user servers are supported avenues for multiplayer. Going against other humans is a blast as the added variable of diplomacy makes the game that much more addicting.

The only fly in the ointment is a big one. Huge, in fact. The graphics look absolutley atrocious. In an age of 22" LCD monitors, the static low resolution sprite based graphics of Dominions 3 are a real letdown. (This coming from someone used to playing 2D wargames all the time.) Ugly doesn't even cover how bad this game can look while in play. Unfortunatley, this is going to be a big problem for a lot of people.

If you can get past the graphics, Dominions 3 offers some of the finest strategy gaming around.

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