I’m in. I also prefer to use the mod BBB added, but if the majority will want to use the vanilla game, I’m fine with that too.
@Mysterio, would you please post about the new game in the main AOW3 thread? Without BBB, we’ll have 4 people at most. @Thraeg, are you in?
Yep, I’m in.
I’ll abstain from voting on the balance mod. I’m nowhere near enough of an expert on the game to have an informed opinion on whether it’s an improvement or not.
@BloodyBattleBrain can provide a better info, but it looks to me that the main changes are nerfing mind control and making unit evolution more difficult for some of the units.
I’ve not played this PBEM and have some, but limited, experience with AoW3. Would it be worth me joining? I’d probably be fresh meat but it’d be nice to get back into it.
Last game was my only real game of Age of Wonders. So, you have more experience then I do.
Oh okay, thanks lego! Let’s do this.
Is there a way to arrange the order in a way that makes sense?
So, that we can start from Western Europe, and slowly move East with the order so that it reduces the delay between turns?
I believe the turns are made in the order of joining the game, with the host being #1. I think @Thraeg is in Europe while @Mysterio, @legowarrior, and me are in the US. I have no idea where @geggis is. I suggest to ask @Thraeg to host the game and have the rest of players to join based on the preferred time of playing. I can make a turn at 8 AM or 7 PM with an occasional slip to 10 PM EST. What about you, guys?
I’m in the UK so let me know whether I need to join first or last.
I’m in the US, and can generally play around 11:00 p.m. PST most nights, so I’d guess that I should slot in after most of the rest of you.
This is pretty much where I sit in relation to EST and PST with my playing window highlighted:
https://www.worldtimebuddy.com/?qm=1&lid=14,5,8&h=14&date=2020-2-14&sln=18-24
Let’s list each of our time zones and preferred times to take turns, and I’ll then convert them to EST. That will then determine the join order, assuming the game doesn’t randomize turn order on start.
Mysterio: EST; anytime
@geggis: GMT; 1-6 PM EST
@legowarrior: EST; 7-8 PM EST
@Thraeg: PST; 2 AM EST
@Valambrian: EST; 8-9 PM EST
I am East Coast, for 7 or 8 PM is my best time. That’s 2 AM GMT, I think.
This is going to be great!
Put me down for 2 AM EST then.
Hardly an expert on this mod but the designers are very solid players who know their stuff.
Might have been just one designer?
Anyway, the changes were mostly relatively soft nerfs because in vanilla, all other things being equal amongst players who know what they’re doing, Necromancer has a huge advantage.
Quite a specific set of circumstances (pbem, knowledgeabke players pushing the envelope, map settings play a part too) but being able to resurrect etc is a huge boost.
For my money the core problem (if it can even be called that) is that ayers can pick and choose their fights and play them out tactically, and if you know what you are doing (I don’t really. Google Hiliadan to see what is possible as power play) you can balloon/mushroom very quickly.
Bear in mind this mod is the end result of lots of discussion in the pbem community, and lots of games by people far better than me.
EST; 8-9 PM EST
Seriously, do watch Hiliadan’s videos. I believe he’s one of the authors of the mod.
Makes sense. I’ll vote for keeping the mod then. Nothing jumped out at me as feeling wrong from the last time I played this a few years ago. But if the consensus is to go back to vanilla I’m fine with that too.
So, majority for the mod then?
Also, I didn’t see, does that include city building?