Okay, had the game since the first day it came out.  I've graduated from "totally clueless newb" who really couldn't do anything except sit there and scratch his head while the game played, to simply "newb" who can go out, capture flags, have a little fun, but still get totally crushed by anyone who isn't a newb.  I even have trouble against an easy AI, although I can eventually win against it.

My problem the first day was that I literally didn't know what to do AT ALL.  My problems now are a little different.  I guess I don't know ideas or strats for how to build out a demigod, and perhaps my biggest problem is that when I start dying instantaneously upon contact with another demigod, I don't know why it is happening, or what to do about it.  I don't know what he has done to level his demigod in such a way to kill me instantly, and I don't know how I can build myself out to either do the same to him, defend against it, or counter it.

I've pretty much played all the demigods.  I've been slaughtered by rooks, oaks, and unclean beasts.  I've also had my ass handed to me by erebus.  Ironically enough, there was a lot of talk about torchbearer being really strong, but I haven't been slaughtered by him yet.

The pattern is usually the same.  I usually start out on equal, or even better footing.  Meaning I can hold my own or push back other demigods (even have the edge in killing them early), and I also get the edge in capturing flags or what not.  But at some point events turn (mid-game?) and I start getting slaughtered the second I come into contact with another demigod.  Sometimes I notice that they have managed to level a lot higher than me in a short period of time, but most of the time that isn't the case - they are simply way stronger than me due to whatever build they are using.

I've tried different approaches.  I'll say to myself "ahh, I need more hit points and armor" so I'll try to to flesh that out, but it doesn't work.  Or I'll say "ahh, gotta get more mana, gotta up the damage from my spells" but that doesn't work.  I'll say "ahh, gotta try to up the dps of my autoattack" but that doesn't work.  I've said "gotta keep more flags than him, while he wastes his time fighting creeps" but that doesn't work.  I've said the opposite, i.e. "I'll level and fight creeps and let him waste time taking flags" but that doesn't work.  I've said "gotta stick a lot of credits upping the citadel" but that doesn't work.  I've done the opposite saying "gotta spend more money on my demigod" but that doesn't work.  This last game I said "ahh, gotta try one of these fancy-shmancy expensive artifacts" and saved and bought one of those for the first time, but that didn't work.

I'm guessing I don't know general strats for how to build out my demigod, nor do I know what the other guys are doing to be so tough.  I also don't know the various "general strats" for the game to select from, whether that be demigod focus, citadel focus (I'm just speculating on the existence of such general strats), etc.

Another thing I'll throw out there is that when I try to build out one particular thing (say, spell damage and mana), my other things such as survivability or dps suffer tremendously.  Now, I not only accept that, I expect it.  The problem is, the same sort of phenomenon doesn't seem to affect my opponents, LOL.  I mean, they seem to have everything - toughness, spell immunity, high dps, yadda yadda.

Anyway, if anyone can throw something at me, I'm listening.  Thanks.