[Dom3]Yet another EA game

DSMatticus · Post by **DSMatticus** » Fri May 04, 2012 4:22 am

I think you're seriously underestimating the size of these water provinces. The number of water provinces is very few and each is very large; almost all of them are probably adjacent to someone's capital. Not that I particularly care too much how the seas get divided.

Ancient History · Post by **Ancient History** » Mon May 07, 2012 2:01 pm

<sigh> Hello, Caelum.

Drago0661 · Post by **Drago0661** » Tue May 08, 2012 5:28 am

[SBa]
Greetings Ryleh,

Are you willing to barter for province 1?

[/SBa]

DSMatticus · Post by **DSMatticus** » Tue May 08, 2012 7:15 am

I think I've got something to say to almost everyone this turn.

First off, to everyone: Sauromatia is looking for water and earth gems. We'd be willing to trade 10-20 gems of air, astral, death, and nature, but we're also selling death, nature, and water gear (basically, anything you'd expect from w2,d4,n3,b2 and most of the combinations thereof).

Secondly, to Abysia: We seem to have found eachother's borders over the shattered remains of Kailasa. It is our current intention to leave you to your war, and in so doing we hope you will venture no further north (we will take 97, 100, and 101, assuming 101 is currently empty. We can't see it).

Thirdly, to Lanka: Sauromatia is planning to take the Sea of Carassos this turn, as it is the second water province adjacent to my capital. We understand that it is also adjacent to your capital, though, and we'd like to avoid causing any friction. If you have any concerns, please let us know and we can discuss terms.

Fourthly, to R'lyeh: Sauromatia has sympathy for your (profound) plight. As we mentioned, we're on the market for water and earth, gems you natively receive. We'd be more than happy to assist your expansion efforts in anyway in exchange for such gems, at more charitable rates than usual given your unfortunate position. Gold is also on the table, if you're desperate enough to sell gems for gold.

Might as well say something to the other two players while I'm at it.

Fifthly, to Caelum: You're a much more comfortable neighbor when your capital is 8 hops away. We're rather enjoying the peace, and we hope it will last this time. Also, we'd rather appreciate it if your aquatic expansion did not enter 17; it is adjacent to our capital, and the only owners we consider acceptable are R'lyeh or ourselves.

And finally, to Kailasa: ouch. Sorry about all the burning and pain that happened to you. We'd send you a get well soon card, but some very ill-tempered men have moved into your house and refuse to forward our letters.

Ancient History · Post by **Ancient History** » Tue May 08, 2012 9:31 am

Drago0661 wrote:[SBa]
Greetings Ryleh,

Are you willing to barter for province 1?

[/SBa]

I think we've made our position fairly clear.

Drago0661 · Post by **Drago0661** » Tue May 08, 2012 10:37 am

DSMatticus wrote: Fifthly, to Caelum: You're a much more comfortable neighbor when your capital is 8 hops away. We're rather enjoying the peace, and we hope it will last this time. Also, we'd rather appreciate it if your aquatic expansion did not enter 17; it is adjacent to our capital, and the only owners we consider acceptable are R'lyeh or ourselves.

[SBa]
We of Caelum are also enjoying peace, and would like to say that we are only interested in securing province 1 which is adjacent to our capital, and have no interest in expanding further into aquatic provinces.

[/SBa]

Ancient History wrote: I think we've made our position fairly clear.

[SBa]
I take that as a no then. Pity.

Then I should warn you. Any attempt to take province 1 will be seen as a declaration of war against Caelum.

We hope that it shouldn't come to that.

[/SBa]

K · Post by K » Thu May 10, 2012 7:14 pm

Looking for Dwarven Hammers. Will pay 20 Fire or Nature.

DSMatticus · Post by **DSMatticus** » Thu May 10, 2012 8:12 pm

Sauromatia has a very limited supply of dwarven hammers, but we'd rather have water, death, or somewhat contradictorily: more earth. Though nature isn't a total waste, and last resort we might be able to work something out.

That offer extends to everyone, but we don't have a lot of them. We could sell maybe one a season for the next few seasons.

K · Post by K » Fri May 11, 2012 11:29 pm

Who wants to go to war with Caelum?

They've attacked me with some piss-poor thugs made out of tissue paper and should be an easy conquest.

DSMatticus · Post by **DSMatticus** » Sat May 12, 2012 12:44 am

I don't think R'lyeh's in a position for war, so 'who' in this case sounds a lot like Sauromatia. Damnit, I was enjoying peace for a change, but if the whole world starts going crazy you're going to force my hand.

DSMatticus · Post by **DSMatticus** » Sun May 20, 2012 5:57 pm

Err, shit. That was not supposed to happen. I had changed my mind.

@Abysia, while I admit to having toyed with the idea of taking Bogger Wold and Kailasa for sometime, I didn't actually mean to do it this turn. But apparently I did not change my orders to properly reflect my decision, and now my army is in your territory. Regardless, now that it's happened I might as well roll with it: here's what I almost said yesterday. I'll just say it now instead.

Kailasa's capital still goes unclaimed, and the huge number of gems that's wasting makes us very unhappy. We're going to take Bogger Wold and Kailasa and then leave the rest of the world to its war. Abysia and Caelum are welcome to take that as a sign of aggression, but I would suggest focusing your attention elsewhere. As for Bogger Wold, the province is not a lucrative one. We'll throw 500 gold your way for the trouble, if you can agree to let it slide.

koz · Post by **koz** » Sun May 20, 2012 10:02 pm

If you have the military power to take them, take them. I've got bigger issues than this at the moment, so I'm not gonna fight you for them. You can keep your gold - I don't need it right now.

K · Post by K » Mon May 21, 2012 6:54 am

I kind of hate this game. I take out Abysia by outfighting them and instead of getting my reward of their provinces, all I get is a fight with a fresh Caelum and all thier stuff goes to Sauromatia.

Wrap-around maps suck.

koz · Post by **koz** » Mon May 21, 2012 7:10 am

I kinda fail to see the issue. You have conquered another nation's capital (something which I had failed to do before I drew heat from you, I may add), and you're whining about, of all things, wraparound maps? Seriously, if you hate being bashed on for being the power faction in the current game, which you are, or by being the one who actually succeeded at taking a national capital away from its original owner, why play Lanka? Or heck, why go after me? I have a lategame made of shit and spittle - taking Sauromantia or Caelum out of game would have made heaps more sense than trying to go after me. What the hell - do you really need my fire gem income?

DSMatticus · Post by **DSMatticus** » Mon May 21, 2012 8:03 am

Mister_Sinister wrote:You have conquered another nation's capital

How the hell did I miss that?! Was this recent, or am I just blind?

K wrote:Wrap-around maps suck.

I usually don't care much for them, but this is more a problem of 'having more than one neighbor.' In this case, that neighbor is also Caelum, which is just an annoyance unto itself.

K wrote:getting my reward of their provinces, all I get is a fight with a fresh Caelum and all thier stuff goes to Sauromatia.

Currently, 'all of their stuff' is Boggerwold and Kailasa. That may change, but right now, that's the plan.

But really, did you expect Caelum (or even me?) to sit by and let you become as large as they are, except with three times as many capitals (Kailasa, Abysia, Lanka)? There was really no way that was ever going to happen, and expecting that it would was unreasonably optimistic of you. People are playing to win, and that means not letting you eat the combined territories of two other entire nations. Really, you should have been asking me to join you!
1) With two powerful factions beating up Abysia, Caelum would have been much less likely to risk getting involved. Not to mention, the respective gains for each of us would have been smaller, and therefore less threatening individually.
2) If Caelum did get involved, I would have been larger in provinces, gems, and research; he probably would have targeted me, not you.
3) There was no way you were getting Kailasa anyway, unless you took it before/along with Abysia's capital. Expecting the world to twiddle its thumbs while you take a year to gobble up two beheaded nation? Are you insane?

None of this (including the Lanka v Abysia declaration) is really all that surprising. I'm only surprised that Caelum didn't join in to take part of Abysia and we went back to cold war status with each of us slightly larger. I guess he thought Abysia would make a more useful ally, but sadly Abysia never really had a chance to get off the ground.

koz · Post by **koz** » Mon May 21, 2012 8:12 am

DSM: I was referring to my own. If you didn't see that, you truly are blind. The fact that my god is trapped in the middle of a hostile army doesn't help.

DSMatticus · Post by **DSMatticus** » Mon May 21, 2012 8:16 am

Mister_Sinister wrote:DSM: I was referring to my own. If you didn't see that, you truly are blind. The fact that my god is trapped in the middle of a hostile army doesn't help.

That's exactly what I was referring to. I am apparently blind. I mean, I knew he was sieging it, I just didn't notice when he'd finished taking the fort. I'm guessing it was a long time ago, and I'm an idiot.

K · Post by K » Mon May 21, 2012 12:40 pm

To answer the first question, "yes, I did need Abysia's fire income."

My nation started on an island that was half the size of everyone else's, was boxed in by three other nations with no place to expand, and also happens to not produce several of the gem types that my nation uses.

I needed "any income at all" if I was going to make it to the late game.

I mean, for fuck's sake, there are still unconquered indies at this point in the game on several people's home islands and people decided to go to war with other nations to take their stuff instead. This whole game has been a mess from both a tactical and strategic level.

Even after cutting the head off Abysia, I'm still grossly behind in provinces and gem income with any leading nation. Owning a single nation's capital is worth some gems and the pleasure of killing their SC god every once in a while, and that's all.

Honestly, this game sucks. I fully expect to cripple Caelum and then see either Ry'leh or Sauromatia win the game after having done nothing all game.

Korwin · Post by **Korwin** » Mon May 21, 2012 12:49 pm

K wrote:I fully expect to cripple Caelum and then see either Ry'leh or Sauromatia win the game after having done nothing all game.

Isnt this the best way to win a game?
Keep in the background, let the others wage the costly wars. Pick the surviving bits up. Profit.

Ancient History · Post by **Ancient History** » Mon May 21, 2012 1:02 pm

If R'lyeh wins the game it will only be because the entire world decided to take their balls and go home. Seriously, I can't even hold a monopoly on the seas at this point - I've got two indie ocean provinces, Caelum and Sauromatia both have provinces packed full of fucking shamblers, and my income is just now coming out of the toilet a little. I could probably cripple Caelum enough for the rest of the world to gang-rape them, but it would take everything I've got to this point and I wouldn't even put money on that.

koz · Post by **koz** » Mon May 21, 2012 7:59 pm

I reiterate that going after me seems like an odd choice, given that I can't survive the lategame at all. Being concerned about Caelum or Sauromantia makes far more sense, and invading them could have been done just as readily.

As far as invading another player - I'm fucking Abysia. If I don't fall on someone like an avalanche as early as possible, I'm super fucked.

Korwin · Post by **Korwin** » Mon May 21, 2012 8:21 pm

Mister_Sinister wrote: As far as invading another player - I'm fucking Abysia. If I don't fall on someone like an avalanche as early as possible, I'm super fucked.

What? Are you telling me Blood is not viable in the Late Game?
(Disclaimer: Not shure what mages EA Abysia has, so maybe EA Abysia has no viable Blood Economy?)

koz · Post by **koz** » Mon May 21, 2012 8:27 pm

Korwin wrote:
Mister_Sinister wrote: As far as invading another player - I'm fucking Abysia. If I don't fall on someone like an avalanche as early as possible, I'm super fucked.
What? Are you telling me Blood is not viable in the Late Game?
(Disclaimer: Not shure what mages EA Abysia has, so maybe EA Abysia has no viable Blood Economy?)

You've clearly never played EA Abysia. My only viable bloodhunter is a cap-only B2, which competes directly in every way with my Anointed of Rhuax, who has to double as my best researcher and my best battle mage and my only diversity mage. This means that bloodhunting and me don't do very well. Abysia has crippling diversity issues, and to make matters worse, your awesome troops are only an advantage in the early game.

To Sauromantia: You've left my troops stranded in one province. I want safe passage back to my lands through the province north of Kailasa's capital. All I ask is that you put no PD in there, and then my troops will leave to head home. In return, feel free to take Kailasa's last province - I won't oppose you.

DSMatticus · Post by **DSMatticus** » Mon May 21, 2012 8:34 pm

K wrote: My nation started on an island that was half the size of everyone else's, was boxed in by three other nations with no place to expand, and also happens to not produce several of the gem types that my nation uses.

My first Ashdod game, fully searched territory, zero death sites. So much bullshit. But your home island is actually 1 larger than mine, and 2 larger than the one south of me. Now as for being boxed in, I totally see that; you expanded a liiittle slow relative to Abysia (who was doing a bless/h3 rush), and it looks like he managed to grab the endpoints of all your ports. Which totally screwed you. And @Mister_Sinister, it's also probably why he declared war on you compared to, say, me or Caelum.

K wrote: Even after cutting the head off Abysia, I'm still grossly behind in provinces and gem income with any leading nation.

Actually, I think you're number two in gem income now. Mostly because my magic diversity leaves a decent bit to be desired and I just haven't been terribly lucky.

K wrote:Honestly, this game sucks. I fully expect to cripple Caelum and then see either Ry'leh or Sauromatia win the game after having done nothing all game.

That... sounds like it's to be expected. Not being at war saves you a lot of gems and resources to dedicate to building an advantage. The fact that you had to declare war at all to not be 10 provinces is unfortunate. The goods news is: I'm a total noob and I may not even be able to leverage this advantage into a win. My gem income is also relatively shitty, which is why I'm interested in Kailasa's capital.

All in all, I think Caelum's the most dangerous player. Probably followed by me, then Lanka, though it's probably closer than it should be because K is a skilled player and I am not. R'lyeh could surprise me with uber magicks from the sea, but those early expansion problems had to have hurt.

Anyway! C'mon guys, sometimes you get screwed. It's a competitive multiplayer game. Everyone's decisions here are perfectly understandable, and those decisions are being made to actively screw one another over. This really shouldn't be a source of too much drama. I think R'lyeh's the only one with an excuse to be super-fucking pissed, since there's pretty much nothing he could have done that would have really eased his pain beyond not playing the faction he did or playing a different map than we did. He was dead in the water (hah!) from turn 1.

Korwin wrote: What? Are you telling me Blood is not viable in the Late Game?
(Disclaimer: Not shure what mages EA Abysia has, so maybe EA Abysia has no viable Blood Economy?)

EA Abysia has a total magic diversity of (excluding 10% picks) F4E1S1B2. The entire god damn faction has 8 points of magic diversity. All of their blood is cap only. Sauromatia has 10 total diversity, and 9 of that is all on one caster; the Witchking. They have non-cap warrior sorceresses, 25% of are b1 and viable blood hunters.

EA Abysia is in dire need of:
Non-cap warlock apprentices. Seriously, what the fuck?
A 100% +1 FESB on like, all their casters. Except maybe the annointed, who would just get 100% +1 ESB so they don't occasionally end up with F6.

Korwin · Post by **Korwin** » Mon May 21, 2012 9:10 pm

Mister_Sinister wrote: You've clearly never played EA Abysia.

Correct.

Mister_Sinister wrote: My only viable bloodhunter is a cap-only B2, which competes directly in every way with my Anointed of Rhuax, who has to double as my best researcher and my best battle mage and my only diversity mage.

And most expensive Researcher, you pay 62,9* gold per research point (recruitment cost)
Warlock costs 28 cold per research.
Warlock Apprentice 26,7
Anathema Dragon 46
Anathema Salamander 32
* Magic/Drain Scales change the amount.

This means that bloodhunting and me don't do very well. Abysia has crippling diversity issues, and to make matters worse, your awesome troops are only an advantage in the early game.

And this is the reason to go into blood, to diversify with the unique blood summons. (you might need help from your pretender).

But enough armchair strategy from me.