Age of Wonders 2

[Urban Ranger]

I bought the game awhile ago. I am now very disappointed. They took most of the good features and toss them away. Sure, there are some improvements, such as tweaking the balance of units. But it now sucks.

[Sarxis]

Yeah, I got it too when it first came out (to try something different), but its not a 'great' game.

[Skanky Burns]

I didn't get the game. Joy fills me.

[DrSpike]

I acquired the game. I played it for 2 days.....didn't grab me at all.

[Urban Ranger]

Acquired eh? Lucky person

[DrSpike]

Well I am glad I didn't buy it straight away, since I wouldn't have played it for any more than the 5 or 6 hours I did.

[Traianvs]

that's what I thought about AoW2 as well, but after a while I started liking it again...

I played AoW1 like hell, and they have indeed made a lot of changes, I noticed that too, but they balanced out the game better.. In AoW1 I could win a map in 5 turns, just because I had a powerful hero with wall climbing, and some other nifty skills, so I just walked straight at the enemy wizard and killed him with ease because he wasn't that strong yet, that's not possible anymore, which is a good thing...


After some time I started AoW1 again, and damn the gameplay was slow, the map layout looked boring, and well, I just uninstalled it and started AoW2 again...

[Urban Ranger]

Originally posted by Trajanus
I played AoW1 like hell, and they have indeed made a lot of changes, I noticed that too, but they balanced out the game better.. In AoW1 I could win a map in 5 turns, just because I had a powerful hero with wall climbing, and some other nifty skills, so I just walked straight at the enemy wizard and killed him with ease because he wasn't that strong yet, that's not possible anymore, which is a good thing...

I don't think you could find his wizard in 5 turns. Besides, they always started with a bunch of guards.

Anyway, what I hated most was all the time I spent on researching spells and skills was for naught. Absolutely insane. When I started the third scenario I had nothing - none of my spells, skills, and my heroes.

I much, much prefer it if they limit it to something like "no more than 2 new skills for the wizard and 4 levels for heroes per scenario," something like that. I can't stand it when the continuity is all gone.

Even if I can't use Fire spells in a water sphere, I should still have the common ones (Alter Node, Dispel Magic, Magic Servant, etc.). That ticked me off too.

It's stupid enough that I have almost no power at all until I build a wizard's tower, which means I have to wait at least 30 turns or so. BTW how the hack can you get through the third scenario? Both of my enemies attacked me almost right away and my ally just sat on his big fat butt. He got things like Eagle Riders and Leprechuans and he didn't attack with these?

[strategy]

The rule for almost all of the scenarios is: Hit them HARD and FAST. The AI is completely incapable of matching a sufficiently aggressive player. The problem with the game is that even if you're completely gung-ho and just plow your way through the opposition to the enemy, your first hero can be built up so much by the time you finish the first mission of every sphere that you can practically just use him alone (+ maybe a few escort knights or other nice lvl 3 units) to just go for the wizards in the next two missions. If you explore all of the special places to pick up items (as I do), then s/he will certainly be at least lvl 16-20 before the end of the first mission. Just make sure to plow their skill into defence (important to get this up quick) and offense when you have the chance. Once they're at 16-17, the rest of the way to 20 can usually be added by items + enchantments.

@ Trajanus
In AoW1 I could win a map in 5 turns, just because I had a powerful hero with wall climbing...

Except for the first mission in every sphere (where you only get a lvl1 hero), this is still no problem in AOW2.

@ Urban Ranger
It's stupid enough that I have almost no power at all until I build a wizard's tower

Don't waste time building - go and take one. (It's only a very few missions were you can not fairly easily capture a wizard tower in the beginning). The scenarios seem designed this way.

@ Urban Ranger
Both of my enemies attacked me almost right away and my...

Grab a lot of cities early and take the fight to them. Build walls and defend with 2 Rogues + 2 Ballista/Catapult/Cannon (whichever you can build). That combination will hold fairly large armies at bay (when the gate go down, the rogues can defend the gap for 3-5 turns, usually allowing the ballistas to finish off the enemy). If you feel unsafe, build a few slingers to back up the Rogues (or more Rogues - they're fairly cheap). Rogues are by far the best Halfling unit (not the most powerful - but very versatile).

The very best defense combination (my favorite at least - use whenever possible) is 2 Swashbucklers + 2 cannons; with walls up, they can turn away almost any 8-unit army without too many wall crawlers or fliers.

A small tip: Build the Shrine of Magic to try and get the Spirit of Magic quests. And then cross your fingers that you get the Air Elemental spell (or build more shrines until he gives you a new quest). The Air Elemental is one of the best if not the best unit in the game (Flying - means that half the units in the game can't attack it unless it attacks them, good stats and it has lightning strike - good chance to stun when it hits). If you're lucky (close to 25% chance) you will get it on your first quest.

[Urban Ranger]

Originally posted by strategy
@Urban Ranger
It's stupid enough that I have almost no power at all until I build a wizard's tower

Don't waste time building - go and take one. (It's only a very few missions were you can not fairly easily capture a wizard tower in the beginning). The scenarios seem designed this way.

How? In the third scenario I start with nothing but the wizard, who happens to know zilch. I could attack a goblin settlement with the hobbits and move the wizard over to the island to get the town. But the closest town with a wizard tower is walled with a whole bunch of defenders. I just can't build enough troops to mount an offensive before they get to me. I need at least barracks, because all the basic units are worthless, except for Glade Runners (good scouts) and Snowscrappers (nice ranged attack).

Originally posted by strategy
Both of my enemies attacked me almost right away and my...

Grab a lot of cities early and take the fight to them.

Can't. No troops.

Originally posted by strategy
Build walls and defend with 2 Rogues + 2 Ballista/Catapult/Cannon (whichever you can build). That combination will hold fairly large armies at bay (when the gate go down, the rogues can defend the gap for 3-5 turns, usually allowing the ballistas to finish off the enemy). If you feel unsafe, build a few slingers to back up the Rogues (or more Rogues - they're fairly cheap). Rogues are by far the best Halfling unit (not the most powerful - but very versatile).

The very best defense combination (my favorite at least - use whenever possible) is 2 Swashbucklers + 2 cannons; with walls up, they can turn away almost any 8-unit army without too many wall crawlers or fliers.

Unlike Aow 1, now the computer sends multiple stacks after your cities.

Originally posted by strategy
A small tip: Build the Shrine of Magic to try and get the Spirit of Magic quests. And then cross your fingers that you get the Air Elemental spell (or build more shrines until he gives you a new quest). The Air Elemental is one of the best if not the best unit in the game (Flying - means that half the units in the game can't attack it unless it attacks them, good stats and it has lightning strike - good chance to stun when it hits). If you're lucky (close to 25% chance) you will get it on your first quest.

My favourite unit is still the Air Galley, although it seems to have been weakened down.

[Main_Brain]

Mhh never did play the Scenarios..
In MP its Fun though
Nothing sweeter than to mount a three-side attack with your Ally against the Mighty City *drools_of_in_sweet_memories*

[Traianvs]

@ Trajanus
In AoW1 I could win a map in 5 turns, just because I had a powerful hero with wall climbing...

Except for the first mission in every sphere (where you only get a lvl1 hero), this is still no problem in AOW2.

Nope, because unlike AoW1, wizards don't die, whenever the enemy has a city with a wizards tower left, the wizard will respawn there if he gets killed in battle, so you can't finish the mission in just 5 turns as the AI always has at least 2 cities with a wizards tower

I don't think you could find his wizard in 5 turns. Besides, they always started with a bunch of guards.

Oh yes I could, I just invested heavily in movement as well, cast haste, or enchanted roads, so basically I could cross a map in no time... the guards are no problem, my unit was almighty
in the early missions those guards are low level units, in later levels even Karaghs got slaughtered, provided there weren't too many of them


UB, if you don't have enough troops, try summoning boars, spiders, or even frogs, frogs are bad for combat, but they easily capture mills etc, very handy as they can escape into water areas
Unfortunately I can't quite remember which mission you are in...

[Urban Ranger]

Originally posted by Trajanus
UB, if you don't have enough troops, try summoning boars, spiders, or even frogs, frogs are bad for combat, but they easily capture mills etc, very handy as they can escape into water areas
Unfortunately I can't quite remember which mission you are in...

The third one with that idiot Marius or however you spell his name. He has loads of troops but he doesn't attack with those. Two leprechuans! That has to be good for something.

Don't forget I can't cast any spells, I lost all my spells, skills, and heroes!

[strategy]

[@ Trajanus]

Doesn't matter whether the Wizard has 1, 2 or 3 towers... just make a beeline for them and wipe them out. So ok, it may now take 8-9 turns and not 5...

I must admit, I fail to see much practical difference in the difficulty levels between AOW1 & AOW2 - there is a difference in that now the AI can at least attack, which it didn't do in AOW1. Unfortunately, it still retains some critical weaknesses - and particularly against hyper-aggression, though in part this is also bad level design.

[@ Urban Ranger]

Feeling in a friendly mood, I just fired up my old save game, to check the scenario out. I assume it's the Water Initiation scenario.

Suggestions:
Turn 1: Take the halfling village, and send three of the halflings off on the boat. Send the last peasant off exploring toward the ressources. Important: DON'T build anything in the village.
Turn 2: Take the ressources - you can then choose the barracks (if you were building it, then you couldn't choose it). Use your wizard to wipe out the goblins and migrate them. Buy Hullmere.

You now have two options; the defensive & the offensive.

Defensive: You already have lots of troops in Hullmere. Use the barracks on the island to build defense forces (slingers + ballistas) while you build up Hullmere. With the number of slingers you can throw over (2-3 every 4 turns) + the buffer troops (1 Rogue, 1 Pony Rider, 1 Swordsman), I'd be very surprised to see the AI defeat you anytime soon. In the meantime, you should rebuild Waterdown as soon as possible (it's a rich city).

Offensive: Take the troops in Hullmere and march them straight at Williston (I'd take the slinger + swordsman along behind as backup). If you're lucky, you may find the human light cavalry out moonlarking - if you're not, attack anyway - and straight away. 2 halberds + 1 light cavalry are no match for 1 pony rider + 1 rogue + 1 peasant (they can't stay behind the walls due to the rogue).

So Wizard Tower by Turn 5. Most likely, you will get a free ballista (that the AI is building). By Turn 7, you should have taken Albachtar. Now the only thing left is to watch out for any threat from Bogger (depending on your losses at Willingston, and whether you get an early hero, you could try to assault it quickly), get your wizard over to Willingston, and defend your acquisitions. Get Willingston up to Swashbucklers ASAP; they're by far the best defenders in conjunction with artillery. And rebuild Waterdown (I did it by Turn 9).

The AI never understands what hit it - and it won't recover from your "shock start". It will try to counterattack, but if you build and defend wisely, then the AI won't be able to defeat you (Note that the AI will often try to recapture undefended structures rather than attack cities - thereby wasting its time)

Humans are my favorite race: the best (i.e., most useful) lvl 4 unit (Air Galley) + a very good lvl3 unit (Knight) + Swashbucklers. But Air Elementals rule as a summoned unit.

Hope this was of help, and let us know how it goes.

[Urban Ranger]

Originally posted by strategy
Hope this was of help, and let us know how it goes.

I still don't like it when I lose everything every two scenarios. I don't mind losing some spells, but not the common ones. But losing skills?