Surrounded by Evil

[KonisForce]

Hi all -

Just downloaded FfH2 a bit ago, and I'm starting my first real game with it. I've played a couple to get the feel for some different things (including a bee-line to Infernal just to try it out) and am now playing with the Luchiurp.

It's a huge map, a few continents, lots of Civs, and I managed to start as the lone Good civ in the middle of all six (count 'em), 6 evil ones. Shaeim, dark elves, Embers, the works. Is this normal? Or rather, does it purely randomize how many good/evil/neutral civs show up on a map? Because everyone hates me, and the Shaeim hate me extra (I lack grace? Like, I can't dance?) and even though I found Runes of Kilmorph and am spreading it, there's still no real way we'll all be friends and get along. And even if I manage to find some Good civs, I have little hope that they'll all build up fleets and come to my rescue.

 

[Rex rgis of Ter]

The Sheaim leader, Os Gabella has a negative diplomacy towards all men leaders. It is completly random as to civ spawning. Looks like your really unlucky! I would beeline Order and spread it to as many civs as possible, as well as preparing to summon Basium, as Hyborem is sure to be summoned. Order is your best bet, as it won't change the evil to neutral, but good.

 

[KonisForce]

Sounds like Order indeed. Either that or just start churning out golems and pray to the earthmother.

The other big issue is that I'm relatively well-defended with only 2-front in terms of landmass, ONCE, that is, I can get rid of the clan. But of course once I declare war on them, no one will like me. Because they're all one big happy dysfunctional evil family (on Thanksgiving no less) and pleased with each other.

It's good to know that it's a random occurence and every game isn't Custer the Dwarf's Last Stand . . .

 

[xienwolf]

You are Luichirp, so it is always an option to found AV and join them in Evil. Then clean up when it comes to Armaggeddon.

 

[merciary]

In a game like that it's probably the best option. They are one of the best for domination after the the counter is high. When it hits 70 as long you've got the Rune's holy city you can build the Mirthil Golem (I don't think you have to be Rune's just have the holy city) as long as you've got a decent amount of Earth and Enchantment mana (you should) it's one of the most powerful units in the game.

 

[vorshlumpf]

Sounds like a beautiful game you've got going there. Congrats.

 

[Copper Golem]

Good and challanging game! Surrounded by Good is the same thing. Good in FFH2 is rather brute too.

 

[KonisForce]

Yah, it should be fun. I've got a literary/story bent anyway, so I'm tempted to roleplay it and have them be the militant-for-good force in that part of the world. Maybe take some cities and try give them to Bannor, or just try get good trade deals out of the other good folks.

Any good suggestions for spell spheres to counter all these guys? I haven't quite gotten the mana/nodes/spells stuff under my belt yet. I'll go with some earth, of course, for the elementals and because of the palace bonus.

 

[Grey Fox]

If you wanna be friends in that situation, go evil!

 

[wilboman]

More fun to be the good guy fighting a running battle. And, as many have said, Luichurp do really well in evil-heavy games, due to being less susceptible to Armageddon effects (and getting that yummy mithril golem).

 

[Nikis-Knight]

Any good suggestions for spell spheres to counter all these guys? I haven't quite gotten the mana/nodes/spells stuff under my belt yet. I'll go with some earth, of course, for the elementals and because of the palace bonus.

I'll go out on a limb and say life will come in handy, sanctify and destroy undead. You won't need ressurection, however, so don't learn it if you last to archmages.

 

[Grey Fox]

In my current game as the Khazad I was also surrounded by evils. To my north there was Svartalfar and Sidar, but they both died to the summoner barbarian. My north are now covered in barbarian cities, and one of them Acheron's city. Orthus and a crew of orcs attacked me from this area after a while, but I managed to survive his attack. Calabim to my south. Eventually enclosed by my territory, they only had 3 cities, but their capital of them had that dragon bones special improvement so their research was pretty strong.

When I founded RoK and quickly built the shrine, the religion spread to everyone on the continent. So the evils turned neutral, but that didn't stop everyone from siding with their old alignments. After a while, Mahala and Alexis joined forces and attacked the Amurites, under Valedia the Even's control. Keelyn is fighting Luchiurp somewhere, I guess to the northeast, and Malakim is also at war with the Doviello.

With Calabims forces elsewhere, I take the opportunity to seize their territory. I launch an invasion lead by Bambur, some Iron wielding axeman and some Trebuchets.

Around this time I agreed to a war with Mahala to help Valledia out, and consequently I talked Capria into joining the war too, since she is blocked into her own corner on the other side of her, forcing Mahala to fight a 3 front war. My plan quickly became to build up Capria's forces and make her a strong ally, cause I don't want all of their cities to myself. Maybe even a permanent ally since I have that option enabled.

The war is now going well, Calabim has been conquered and the Doviello cities are falling one by one. The largest battle so far are just taking place, between my army with Bambur in the lead, 3 Trebuchets and 3 high leveled Axemen, vs something like 8 catapults and 6 Axemen. My forces are located in a forest with rivers between the armies, and my trebuchets have already weakened their forces, with some of them taken down by my axes.

Now I'm just waiting on their move. But all in all, this game is already decided so I might start a new game on a higher difficulty.

 

[onedreamer]

I find it easier to screw the AI when there are so many civs of one alignement rather than the other. Because they will inevitably change alignement due to religions and they will work not as well as if they maintained their original alignement due to obvious design choices. I suggest you always pick your opponent Civs and create a more interesting balance (you can pick the Civ with random leader).

 

[GoodGame]

Overall I don't find ethic allignment to really ruin the game, though you'd think it should. It works kind of like the new religions, so the modifers take some turns before they accumulate to extreme. You can easily provoke good relations through gifts acquired by good relations, though do expect that the nearest civ that is least responsive to your diplo efforts will become your first conquest target.

Switching to neutral will give you a less negative mod as well (-2), enough to develop at least one friend you can convert along with you. If you really aspire to be good again, just don't convert all of their cities to neutral, just more than they happen to have at evil.