“Clash of Clans” meets “Sid Meier’s Civilization” in Nexon and Big Huge Game’s new mobile city builder, “DomiNations.” At a glance, the game could easily be dismissed as another “Clash of Clans” clone, but further gameplay proves that “DomiNation” is no petty copy. The game provides players with a more in-depth take on the genre with features that sets apart players' nations from each other.

Upon playing the game, players will start off at the most basic point in humanity’s existence, the Stone Age. As the players progress, they will begin to build an empire to their own liking. They will go through several other ages until they reach a more modern city with the Industrial Age.

Perhaps the strongpoint of “DomiNations” is that there are many ways the player and his empire can succeed. He could reach the top ranks using the warfare superiority of the Roman Empire, or he could also become the best, through becoming a more productive nation under the Chinese Empire. The player could even win through peace with the Japanese Empire. Players can basically choose a Nation that would suit their liking. For example, if the player does not have much time on his hands, then he could opt for the Japanese Empire so he doesn’t have to worry about attacks regularly.

“DomiNations” will not solely rely on microtransactions and frequent account check-ups. Instead, the game will also require proper planning and critical thinking of the player, as each offensive and defensive encounter will require a solid strategy. Players should be careful on attacking aggressively as Roman Empires tend to have more defenders than the others.

8 Nations, 8 ways to play

Since the inclusion of Korea in the latest patch update, “DomiNations” has a total of eight nations to choose from upon entering the Medieval Age. The other Nations include Britain, China, Germany, Rome, France, Japan and Greece.

The different Nations not only differ aesthetically, but they also differ on how they could affect the player further on in the game. Choosing China would grant the player an additional worker which means he could be more productive with upgrading and harvesting resources. Choosing Japan on the other hand would give the players a 25% increase in Peace Treaties, which means that he would be invincible to attackers a whole lot longer than the usual. But of course, each Nation has its own set of pros and cons so no Nation is overpowered than the rest.

Each Nation could also provide players with unique units that the player could use when attacking others. Some units are geared towards destroying heavily fortified Nations, while some are focused on attacking backup troops from defending enemies.

“DomiNations” players are given a solo campaign in which they could attack AI made bases. Aside from that, they could also opt to attack the Nations of other players to gain more sources.

The player could opt to change his Nation with the “Revolution,” option which can be received later in the game. Basically, the player could change Nations to keep up with what he needs.

Troops and buildings from the history books

Another feature of “DomiNations” lets players use architectural structures to aid in their development. The players could choose from a variety of “Wonders” throughout the game. Each architecture, of course, grants a different bonus from the rest. The Wonders include an array of structures seen in real life including the Statue of Liberty, Angkor Wat, the Eiffel Tower and Versailles.

Aside from the historical structures, players are also aided with Generals during their battles. The Generals found in the game are based on historical figures including Cleopatra and Nobunaga Oda.

Accompanying them through battles are units that differ from Nation to Nation. Despite being a mobile game, Nexon’s attention to historical detail makes it all the better. For instance, Roman Spearmen sport the same leather armor and spear as seen in the history books, while Japanese Bushi are clad in Samurai outfits complete with katanas.

“Clash of Clans” similarities

It’s obvious that “DomiNations” is highly inspired by the style of “Clash of Clans,” but Nexon did a good job in ensuring there’s a big difference between the two. But it still has similar features to “Clash of Clans,” one of which is the highly valued gem mechanic of CoC.

“DomiNations” takes crowns as the sought-after currency. Like other freemium titles, its in-game currency could be used to speed up upgrade times and fill up resource storages. What’s good about it is that crowns can be obtained through accomplishing simple tasks like producing troops or winning five multiplayer battles. These tasks are different from the achievements as they are easier to do, but yield a smaller amount of crowns.

“DomiNations” also includes an Alliance system which is similar to the Clan mechanic of CoC. Basically, CoC fans can get the hang of “DomiNations” easily. However, “DomiNations” is yet to include an Alliance war mechanic in the game, but developer Nexon is reportedly working on it for future updates.

Players should be aware that “DomiNations” is just starting up, so there could be some bugs along the way. The game launched back in April, but is only gaining popularity as of late. But they shouldn’t be too wary of the game as Nexon and Big Huge Games is keen on fixing any issues as quickly as possible, so “DomiNations” is still worth the try.

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