Dominions 4: Thrones of Ascension

While there are many ways to describe the Dominions series, I believe the synopsis can best be served by the introductory message presented at the start of every game.



In short, the previous supreme being of power has suddenly disappeared, leaving the nations of the world without their God. Enterprising and ambitious individual that you are, you have taken on the mantle of a pretender god seeking to become God (with a capital G), leading a nation of faithful adherents. The problem is: there are pretentious charlatans seeking to become God themselves. This cannot stand, for in the end there will be only one left. Thus, you are to wage holy war against your enemies to ascend to the throne of ultimate godhood. Let the crusading begin, for the path to ascension is paved in blood. Blood and Magic. Blood, magic, and fanatically devoted followers. Or heck, fanatically devoted followers practicing blood magic through the industrial scale sacrifice of virgins to bind the Lords of Hell to your will.

For those new to the Dominions series (and many probably are), it is probably the gold standard of Fantasy 4X/Grand Strategy game, which (as a devoted fan since Dominions 2) doesn’t get nearly the amount of exposure that it should (hamstrung by less flashy/indy graphics, the initial learning hump, and being shackled to the terrible and outdated distribution model espoused by their previous distributor Shrapnel Games up until recently), outside of strategy/wargame game grognards.

Beyond the extremely rich lore that the series has developed over the decade (which will be covered in the following section), the mechanics and particularly magic system provides on of the most complex and deep experiences that you will find. For reference, there are currently over 2000 different units, gods, commanders, mages, summons, and monsters in the base game, over 300 forgeable magic items (and many unique artifacts), and 800 different magic spells.

The game is also extremely moddable, all told; you can change nations, units, commanders, and spells, or add entirely new ones fairly readily. Moreover, for most modding purposes, all you need are a notepad, the modding manual, and maybe Paint (or some other tool to make pixel sprites).

The lore and mythology of the Dominions series is an extremely rich and diverse one. The game derives much of its lore, units, histories, and mythologies from historical mythological systems. For instance, the three eras of T’ien Ch’i’s history present in the game are titled Spring and Autumn, Imperial Bureaucracy, and Barbarian Kings, each clearing corresponding to pivotal periods and tropes in Chinese history. Additionally, the lore, summons, and magic systems are thoroughly embellished with traditional Chinese folklore, and a healthy of Daoist, Confucian, and Buddhist thoughts, and ancestor worship (which is more pronounced in the Early and Late eras). Most nations have similar historical inspiration: Mictlan draws strongly from Mesoamerica, early Irish myths are represented in the Tuatha/Fir Bolg Tir’Na’Nog and Fomoria, Norse myths of the Vanir and Jotun are respectively in the nations of Vanheim/Helheim and Niefelheim, while Ermor and Berytos draw STRONG parallels with Rome and Carthage/Tyr. Hindi myths of Rakshasa, Yakshas, and Nagas are all presented with the monkey nations of Lanka, Kailasa, Bandar Log, and Patala. And so on.



There are of course nations without any direct historical counterpart or mythological elements, and thus draw from eclectic fantasy and mythological elements (Caelum comes to mind, as a race of winged humanoid magocracy living in high mountains located near T’ien Ch’i, though drawing heavily on Zoroastrian elements such as the Yazatas), or nations with heavy Lovecraftian elements (R’lyeh and Atlantis specifically, though LA Atlantis has a distinctly Inuit flavor to it). Nonetheless, without going through all the national lores and timelines, I think it would be safe to say that the lore of Dominions is extremely rich and diverse. This is not including the magical inspirations, from the various elementals, summons, undead, and demons you can summon. And then there are the Horrors and Doom Horrors. And there are also more standard fantasy tropes and homages, like vampires, werewolves, gnomes (whom by the way, shrink people by slapping them [hilarious]), hoburgs (and Frodo Boggit, the Hoburg Champion), dragons (of both western and eastern varieties), and so on.

There are two major timeline elements, from the fall and corruption of Ermor into an empire of the undead after unleashing Death Itself (and the array of nations and splinter provinces opposing it through various means, up to and including making pacts with infernal powers), which repeats itself with the opening of the Soul Gates by the Scelerian thaumaturgs, and the underwater nations, seeing the war between the Triton Kingdoms against the Deep Ones of Atlantis and the Arboleths of R’lyeh the fall of the Star, and the destruction of the deep Basalt Cities of Atlantis and R’lyeh (and its refounding), and the rise of the Starspawn (and spreading madness of the Void).

And there are easter eggs (there is an event that gives you a madman prophet, wielding a trout for a weapon, and the developers DnD party makes appearances in several events, even going so far as invading one of your provinces). It’s the small quirks and labors of love (for instance, Arco’s Heart Companions, whom are Theban Sacred Band analogues, being immune to seduction attempts from the opposite sex) that make it the game that it is.

Turns take place on a 2D Risk-esque map and wargame strategic movement (terrain effects strategic movement, roads can be built in fortress provinces to facilitate movement in forest provinces). Orders are submitted by all nations per turn and resolved simultaneously, while battles are resolved through pre-battle scripting and then through AI (Commanders and Mages get 5 turns of scripting before being given general orders, troops can be given formations and general orders [unless they are undisciplined], and armies are arranged pre-battle). Faith and Dominion is spread by the construction of temples, by preaching from priests and inquisitors (or lowered by heretics), with your dominion’s benefits (and consequences) are designed pre-game (and also modified by Thrones of Ascensions). And you can confer blessings to your nation's sacred units (give them flaming weapons of death and decay).



However, the most important part of the gameplay system is the magic. Ultimately, the path to godhood lies in magic, and boy can you throw down some nasty magic. From binding Demon Lords and undead Titans to literally plunging the world into Darkness (or enslaving entire enemy Armies), the magic you have access to make this a crummy time to live in for the average joe.

There are 8 paths of magic (Fire, Air, Water, Earth, Astral, Nature, Death, and Blood), in addition to Holy/Unholy magic (representing religious authority). Mages have various levels and paths, and spells are accessed by research conducted by mages into the 7 Schools of Magic (Conjuration, Alteration, Evocation, Construction, Enchantment, Thaumaturgy, and Blood), with each research level unlocking new spells. The names of the schools give you a general idea what you research for: construction provides more powerful magic items and artifacts, and makes various constructs available. Evocation provides battlefield spells (like fireballs and LIGHTNING BOLTS), and Conjuration summons new units (from forest animals to literal incarnations of the elements). The depth that the magic system cannot be understated; facing an army of beings born of lava? Why not make it Rain.



Again, I have to stress the possibilities that the system gives you. For instance, the endgame Astral Magic Spell, Wish, allows you to wish for almost anything, based on the keywords entered (everything from specific units and items to Armageddon to Death [yes, that kind of death: why you spent all those pearls for that I don’t know, but hey, more power to you; which is also incidentally a wish]).

In short, the gameplay has most everything you could want from a fantasy setting. Do you want to play as the Spanish Inquisition (no one expects that)? Blood sacrificing Aztec analogues? Egyptian lizard-men calling forth hordes of the dead, while opponents with preternatural dread, and despair? Greco-fantasy halfmen attracting unending hordes of crazed, (blood)lusty women? Fking Cthulhu, and the nightmare city of R'lyeh (what is dead may never die~)? Then try out Dominions 4.

Multiplayer is similarly one of the focal features of the game, as opposed to Solo Play. MP is where the depth of the gameplay can truly be appreciated. Largely carried out via PBEM, turns are sent in at player leisure at a fairly brisk pace (24-48/72hrs to submit depending on how long the game has lasted. As of yet, several communities such as SA run their own private servers, while the most popular MP server is the PBEM llamaserver.net.

Diplomacy in multiplayer ranges from the most Machiavellian to the formal (depending on house rules), though trade agreements are considered sacred. Recall, after all, that there can only be one winner of an MP game (unless it’s a Disciple/Team game) and One True God.

The TL community will be hosting in-house MP games on a fairly frequent basis. Recruitment will be announced in this thread, so check often. ^_^

For those new to the Dominions series, there are several recommendations that can be made:
1) Read the manual! It’s an invaluable reference and gameplay tool, and has neat
2) The Tutorial included in the manual will walk you through the basics.
3) In general, I would not recommend the following nations as a learning experience for a new player:

• MA Ermor/Lemuria/LA R’lyeh/Asphodel (these are nations where the nations’ dominion kills population and income, in exchange for freespawn, and for both learning and micro purposes is not very newbie friendly; In the case of Ermor/Lemuria, there are also no recruitable units [all summonables]), and in general does not make for a good learning experience in MP games
  
• Blood nations (Mictlan, first and foremost) are more micro-intensive, though the recent changes to Dom4 make them far less cumbersome.
  
• Heavy Bless Strategy Nations (Mictlan again); while fairly straightforward, it’s difficult to leverage game success into learning for someone new to the series.

4) To learn the game, I would recommend learning the basics of the following nations: Eriu, EA Ermor, MA Jotunheim, and EA Tien Chi (in no particular order). Each of these nations are different, and emphasize different strengths and weaknesses. MA Eriu is an essential to learn basic ponymen thugging, and a good starting point for those interested in thugs and air magic. MA Jotunheim is useful for learning to break into blood, and the use of giant troops/thugs. Meanwhile, EA Ermor and Tien Chi, between the two, generally cover the breadth of the magic system, and the strengths and different playstyles of more human armies.

Dominions can be bought over on Desura and Gamersgate with plans to bring it to Stream in the works (note that buying a Desura or Gamersgate key will be usable on Steam when it comes out there like Dominions 3, though not vice-versa). The manuals can be found on the illwinter site.

There are numerous Dominions communities scattered throughout the web, the largest ones to my knowledge are located in the following areas:
Desura (Official Forums)
Shrapnel Games (the old Dom3 forums)
SomethingAwful.com; you will need to pay and register for access, but this is the largest and most active Dom4 community period)
Dom4Mods, a community primarily consisting of Dominions 4 Vets
Grogheads had a D3 community, though there hasn't been an overall transition to D4 yet and the community appears to be evaporating.
Rock, Paper, Shotgun
Dedicated Steam group for Dominions 4 MP (hosted via a Direct Connect Server)
The /domg/ community on 4chan. This links to their steam group BUT you can find their current general thread here, in /vg/ generals. WARNING: it's 4chan ADDITIONAL NOTE: the 4chan community also has a communal poorfag game key: if you want to try the game out, go over there and say hello. ONLY ONE PERSON can use it in an MP game, however, so be warned.
The Dwarf Fortress forum also has a fairly regular D4 community.
BrokenForum also hosts an active D4 community, and seems to have been set up as an offshoot of the Qt3 podcast.
The Quarter To Three Forum hosts a friendly and active D4 community.
There is also a community on the PI forums, though you will need to be registered/have a PI game registered to view it. This was the old D3 thread.
RPG.net
The Gaming Den has a D4 community, though it seems to be inactive the past few months.

There are also several non-English communities like Punta de Lanza (Spanish)., and there is at least one Russian Dominions community (whither I know not, after multiple moves).

There are also 2 LPs which you can read over (both by the SA community). Both are of Dominions 3, but it should give you an idea what Dominions 4 gameplay is generally like (though there are numerous divergences, changes, and general interface improvements).

Dominions 3: the Elephantine Armies of Mrs. Buttersworth
Doomed to Fail: Let's Play Dominions 3! (Group AARs)
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