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[USEC_OFFICER]

It's in actual squares. Which can be arranged rather disjointedly, instead of radiating out evenly from the centre of the effect.

[Cruxador]

When a spell gives an AoE, is it in actual squares? Or is it like AP (two points for orthogonal, three for diagonal.)?

Total number of squares, and squares past the first are just randomly attached to one face or other of already placed squares. There aren't shaped templates, and if you throw big blasts at your front lines you're likely to get your own dudes caught in it.

[Kagus]

And if you throw a big blast into enemy lines, you're likely to hit every single square except the ones they're actually standing on...

That's happened a few more times than necessary.

[Jilladilla]

And if you throw a big blast into enemy lines, you're likely to hit every single square except the ones they're actually standing on...

That's happened a few more times than necessary.

And the one square that does have dudes on it are your dudes....
(I know your pain...)

[feelotraveller]

What independents are worth recruiting?  (Or perhaps which are strong candidates for thinking about recruiting...?)

I played a little dom3 in the past and a smidgeon of dom4 at a friends place some time ago but just got the game myself.  Playing single player for now.  Generally I've never bothered with indies, apart from a few generic commanders mainly for carting reinforcements around (and some jade amazons once upon a time back in dom3...) but I just got an early province in the ring around my capital that has Crystal Sorceresses and Pegasi.  Now I plan to build a temple for the Sorceresses (they can bless my sacreds later and command my human troops meantime) but what about the Pegasi, are they worth it?  Since it might matter I'm EA Tien Chi so I've got map move 3 flying ceremonial masters which makes them look somewhat more appealing.  Thoughts?

But more generally what are the independent troops (and mages too, I guess) that you usually -as opposed to situationally- recruit.  I'm thinking here of generically useful ones rather than those that fit niches in case of specialised strategies.

[Frumple]

Longbows are pretty much always great. Commander wise, if your economy can handle it it's pretty much never a bad idea to hire more casters, even piddly N1s or whatever. They can always do some light battlemagery, if nothing else.

Scout provinces are always wonderful, since you can use them to produce scouts without needing to eat up castle time. Priest provinces are a good thing to keep an eye on if you've got anyone leaning undead hordes or heavy dom push. Iirc you can occasionally get elephants and do neat things with them if you can handle the morale issues.

I'm... forgetting a lot, but my bladder is also trying to kill me so I'll leave that there and let other people with a better memory chime in, ehehe.

[E. Albright]

Zotz, Raptors, Pale One militia, Horse Tribe/Horse Brother, any archers if they're not resource-heavy and I don't have good national ones (especially crossbows and longbows), lizards, ichtyids with nets, jade/garnet/onyx Amazons as lineholding chaff, bakemono/atavi as concealable bulwarks/raider reinforcements, assorted aquatics if I don't have better and need to get wet (especially Shark Tribe), etc. But it's ALL circumstantial; all of the above are offering specific skills that my national troops may instead offer, depending on the nation...

[Frumple]

Though mind, even if there is national overlap, being able to supplement your numbers without having to spend castle time can be nice.

... do slingers still make oddly effective castle breakers?

[E. Albright]

They're not awful. Low gcost/rcost, normal strength.

[PrimusRibbus]

But more generally what are the independent troops (and mages too, I guess) that you usually -as opposed to situationally- recruit.  I'm thinking here of generically useful ones rather than those that fit niches in case of specialised strategies.

If you don't have scouts basically everywhere ASAP in an MP game, you're going to be at a major disadvantage. So pump indie scouts all day.

[feelotraveller]

Zotz, Raptors, Pale One militia, Horse Tribe/Horse Brother, any archers if they're not resource-heavy and I don't have good national ones (especially crossbows and longbows), lizards, ichtyids with nets, jade/garnet/onyx Amazons as lineholding chaff, bakemono/atavi as concealable bulwarks/raider reinforcements, assorted aquatics if I don't have better and need to get wet (especially Shark Tribe), etc. But it's ALL circumstantial; all of the above are offering specific skills that my national troops may instead offer, depending on the nation...

Thankyou, that's a great help.   The Pale Ones just as siegers?  Also not sure about the lizards they just seem to die too easy...

More generally, not really looking for archers in my current game but noted.  And indie Scouts, of course!  (Why did I not mention that?)

[USEC_OFFICER]

The lizards are pretty brutal in combat. Tridents are great weapons in general and having an innate bite is nothing to sneeze at either. Being attacked multiple times per round carries a stacking -2 def penalty, which does add up. Of course the lizards are squishy, but some buffs will fix that up right away. Still a good idea to keep them as flankers though. Plus, you know, you can hire Lizard Shamans in the same province. And those guys are great even at 110 gold. N1S1H1 opens up a lot of opportunities, especially if you have Astral mages of your own for communions.

The Pale Ones are just as siegers, yeah. No Eat and a siege bonus are nothing to sneeze at. They're also pretty strong and relatively cheap, if I remember, which just makes them even better. Of course they can't fight for their lives so they aren't much good after the walls are breached...

[E. Albright]

...also above-average strength and amphibious. Pale One militia have the best ratio of siege power to gold cost of any unit in the game...

It's also might be worth mentioning that there are a few very uncommon indy poptypes people can go years without ever seeing, but I think if you find yourself e.g. a vaettir-troll province (which I've done... twice?) you'll not need it pointed out that trolls can be useful (if pricey). Oh. And the new-ish Bone Tribe indies aren't bad either. Strong berserkers with medium polearms and javelins? Yeah, I think I can overlook them being undisciplined...

[Neonivek]

I have to say the Water races are odd

In that they are a lot less hindered by land then the land races are hindered by water (The game doesn't have the "Poor Amphibian" trait for good at water, bad at land)

Which I guess they desperately need... Though it is odd that their dominion leader can be stuck underwater

[Shadowlord]

As long as you can make amulets of the fish, there should be no problem getting aquatic gods, mages, and commanders onto land.