Advice for completing a main quest?

[nonplussed_by_space_dolphins]

Soooo.

Just completed my third run of the game,
(
1st - easiest, vaulters, giant map, won by science
2nd - easy, cultists, small map, lost when the AI killed all the minor factions
3rd - easy, dragons, small map, won by diplomacy
)
and I'm wondering what I should be prioritizing to complete the main quest. So far, it's never been possible, actually, for me to finish it. First match, I don't recall why; second, required more minor factions than existed (anymore); third, required taking the capital of a nation waaaaay ahead of me, military-wise.

Should I be looking up what any particular species will have in their quest before starting?
Should I be more well-rounded as a nation (I nearly lost game three due to being well-rounded/not specialized enough)?

I'm decently sure I understand all the game mechanics, save maybe trade routes (I... think I usually have them?). I've read the intro guides. Any advice?

[nonplussed_by_space_dolphins]

Two more questions:

- are some species harder to play than others? I got the impression with the cultists that I almost wasn't supposed to be using them at my level; it was not an easy run.
- I've had some battles where the team I'm fighting has a tower-symbol reinforcement and an additional few hundred HP per unit, but I've never had this on my own team, even when fighting on home turf... How do I get this bonus or avoid it in others?

[Sir Crashalot]

Yes some races are easier to play than others, Cultists are actually one of the easier races once you figure out how to best play them but not recommended for a newcommer.

The hp bonus is from fortifications and will only appear on defenders if you attack a city or they attack one of yours. The siege option will reduce this fortification bonus each turn.

As for the main quests, they vary from race to race but are only actually (really) required if you wish to win a wonder victory. They offer nice rewards though so are worth pursuing whenever you are able but not to the point of neglecting everything else.

[Moon]

I'm going for a wonder victory as the cultists - I reached the final stage without trouble.
Main quest line as the cultists seems to be one of the easier ones.


But, the wonder itself requires 40 mithrite and 40 hyperium!

I can't produce those myself efficiently because I cannot expand as cultists, and only 1 of the other players actually produces them and at a very slow rate.

I bought everything I could find and now I'm sitting at 15 mithrite and 39 hyperium... 2 of the opponents have meanwhile almost reached science victory.
Is there some way as cultists to acquire these resources more reliably?

[Nasarog]

Convert villages in a region that has those resources.

[nonplussed_by_space_dolphins]

@Moon: You seem to be aware of all the methods I know of.

Increasingly, I think there are just going to be major objectives that arise and aren't possible. It'd be nice if that was something automatically selected - the game could estimate how possible a given task is and choose an alternate if it's not reasonable for the current state of the world. But it seems like that's not the case, given the things I've encountered as well (two main quests showstopped so far by clearly non-possible goals).

Edit: A thought, maybe as cultists, choosing a large-sized map makes for less silly roadblocks. I ran out of minor factions, and that was the end of that; the AI killed a bunch. More map = less chance of being screwed outright?

[Nasarog]

Originally posted by nonplussed_by_space_dolphins:

@Moon: You seem to be aware of all the methods I know of.


Edit: A thought, maybe as cultists, choosing a large-sized map makes for less silly roadblocks. I ran out of minor factions, and that was the end of that; the AI killed a bunch. More map = less chance of being screwed outright?

When the AI kills them, you can bring them back... just costs more influence is all.

[TheDeadDude]

I've never had any trouble completing any of the factions main quest. The main quests requires that you be ahead in military and science, so naturally thats what you should be focusing if thats your main goal.

[nonplussed_by_space_dolphins]

@Nasarog

Can you? If you're the cultists, you can't expand, so you can't rebuild them... is what I thought. That would be a game changer.

and @DeadDude

"The main quests requires that you be ahead in military and science"
That's actually helpful, what I was looking for kinda. :)

[Nasarog]

Originally posted by nonplussed_by_space_dolphins:

@Nasarog

Can you? If you're the cultists, you can't expand, so you can't rebuild them... is what I thought. That would be a game changer.

Yup. You can. It's much more expensive, but you can and should be doing that. You can also mix the forces in your villages... I constantly transplant various minors to make better militia/armies in my villages.

[nonplussed_by_space_dolphins]

I know I could probably find this info somewhere so sorry for asking, but how? If the minor factions don't show up on the city's build list, do you... bring units to them?

[TheDeadDude]

Well i can't really help you outside of basic info, there are so many little things in this game that makes such a huge difference it's not even funny.

Examples

1. Empire plans
2. Heroes & Governing heroes
3. Strategic & Luxury resources
4. Quests & Ruins
5. Minor factions & assimilation bonuses
6. Retrofitting units and smart tactical combat decisions

I can't really go over all this in one post but there are tons of guides including my own that has some info on things other than just focusing how to play ardent mages.

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=382685441

Edit added this
http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=376629473&insideModal=1

[nonplussed_by_space_dolphins]

I did read that, but it is pretty specialized, and with the exception of (6), I did figure out intelligent approaches to most of those in my first game. Did not realize at all about the retrofitting until game 3.

I will likely play my next game as the Ardent Mages though. :)

Thanks.

[Nasarog]

Originally posted by nonplussed_by_space_dolphins:

I know I could probably find this info somewhere so sorry for asking, but how? If the minor factions don't show up on the city's build list, do you... bring units to them?

Hold on, I am missing something. You can convert lots of minor factions. The cultists have an additional thing they can do besides parlay, bribe, and attack. They can convert.

Pacification happens through either combat, bribe or a parlay action that results in a quest.

You can assimilate up to 3 factions with the right tech, but that's not the same as converting. The Cultists can also convert minors through the use of diplomatic points.

[nonplussed_by_space_dolphins]

I mean in the case that the faction base is destroyed, but outside your single province or zone of influence. At that point there's nothing to convert or parlay, and rebuilding seems to require being in control of the same territory.

[Sir Crashalot]

If a Cultist converts a destroyed village it will be automatically rebuilt but will cost more influence.

A larger map would make the game easier because it would give you more time to get set up and get some important techs researched.

Getting Diplomatic Manses ASAP will make the game much easier, just get peace with whoever you can as soon as you can and they will not attack your villages. Then you are free to wander through their territory and convert villages there, even if the other faction owns them (costs more though).

You can sell excess village units to the Mercenary Market if you are in need of a dust boost at any time.

Do the first few faction quests until you get the talisman that gives a nice boost to all Cultist units.

Kazanji are a great faction to assimilate because of the Influence boost and their Daemon units can be very powerful when equipped. Together with a bunch of Nameless Guards and a Drider for healing you will have a decent army stack.

Research the tech that gives you a research stockpile and get the stockpile upgrades as soon as you are able.

If a faction declares war on you then just hit them with your built army and take their cities which will give you a bunch of research and industry stockpiles.
Once you have stockpiles you will be able to use one of each every turn, do not try to use more than one because the second will not count and will be wasted. Industry and food stockpiles can be used once per city per turn but as you have only one city this wont mean much so every turn just use one of each unless not needed (if you have nothing to build for instance).
If you havent researched any stockpile upgrades you will only get 25 points per pile which isn't much help. With Unskilled Labour you will get 175 points per stockpile which is much more helpful and with Organised Labour this becomes 875 per stockpile which helps a lot around Midgame (era 4).

If your war starts going badly just try to peace them again to give yourself time to recover.
If your stockpiles start getting low then just go harvest some more cities. :)

The combination of diplomacy, stockpiles and selling village units to the mercenary market makes for quite a cheesy game though starting next to the Necrophages can be a pain. :p

You can also research the privateer tech and use your village units to attack factions you are not at war with but you will have to bring them into your territory first to do this and as you cannot equip them they will be a bit weak.

Edit: Converted villages will only give you strategic resources if you have researched the required harvesting techs.