Spoilers - Lurker Discussion Thread (No Players)

[Square Leg]

I find it amusing that Sandover considers his most recent message to Moogle as "friendly." I guess it's friendly in that he decided not to threaten Moogle with outright destruction.

But it looks like he has this in the bag. I was hoping the others would be able to put up a better fight.

Completely agree! I smiled when I read that - I hope moogle doesn't respond favourably so we get to see the next version he promised!

[pocketbeetle]

I think we need a copy, to show proof that Sandover can be kind and magnanimous!

Dear Advisor Moogle,

It appears that we are now neighbours. I know this is not what you wanted, and that you have spent some effort trying to prevent it, but I say it's time to forget our pity disputes that took place thousands of years ago. I extend to you a hand of friendship, seeking to once again establish diplomatic contact between our empires. I'm willing to forget about whatever aid you have given my enemies and let you keep the former German settlement of Samba (I assume you are the one currently controlling it?) if you in turn announce neutrality from here onward.
To be blunt, what I desire of you is that you swear...

a) to not go to war against me while I'm engaged with the Khmers and Romans in the west.
b) to not lend a foreign army passage through your territory.

I find my request to be very reasonable cosidering our past, and trust that your response will be positive. I'm definitly willing to discuss ways for us to cooperate in the future, if you so desire.

Regards,

Pharaoh Sandover of Egypt

Sandover: we're laughing because it's not...the most diplomatic of messages.
And I'm sure you do consider your request to be very reasonable!
I consider my 40 page list to Santa every year very reasonable also, but he never gives me all I want.

[novice]

Yeah, pure gold from Sandover. We should compile a greatest hits list.

Spullla, yes, your diplomacy in PB2 was infinitely better than this - but even Kim Jong Il does a better job than Sandover.

Like Spullla though, Sandover's kicking some serious butt in the gameplay department.

[Bobchillingworth]

Oh Amelia and Moogle, why are you not sending messages to your allies? Timmy isn't because I think he hardly has time in RL to just play his turn as it is. Scooter really doesn't have much that he needs to inform the others about, since he isn't on the frontlines and I think everyone accepts and understands that his main objective is to tech and make sure neither Rome or Celtia falls to Egypt. But Amelia really needs to keep the others informed about her (ill-concieved) plans for an offensive. And while I can understand Moogle's frustration at the lack of war updates and related chatter (I had the same reaction in PB3), communication is a two-way street and it doesn't appear that he has actually done anything to get the others talking.



Thinking about it though, perhaps this is how an alliance in a no teams or tech-trading game should actually operate. Everyone is fighting or preparing to fight the same common enemy, but no one is even making a pretense of acting like they're all cooperating together like they're on a team because... they really aren't one. Rome, Celtia, Ethopia, and Khmer are all relatively cordial with each other, share resources (except stone apparently), and cooperate militarily, but at least half of them are independently pursuing their own victory conditions. While the players likely don't conciously intend it as such, their lack of total coordination helps keep the game from becoming a complete farce as a competition.


Edit: Also, WTF is Sandover doing with those messages?! He would have won the damn game already if he wasn't an unstable sociopath. I would have been happy to let him run over TT and then Moogle if he hadn't randomly decided to declare on me- once I sniffed the betrayal out (pre-timmy war) I was determined to attack him myself once he least expected it, regardless of what tone I struck in correspondence. And now instead of trying to appeal to the sensibilities of a new player with no history or obligations to their alliance in order to break the 4 v 1 up, he sends out threats. It's all hillarious to read, but what possible purpose could it serve besides making everyone want to stop him even more? Sandover has far from won the game- as long as the alliance sticks together and doesn't launch any suicide attacks (which they admitedly likely will), scooter has a fair chance to out-tech him to a victory.

[Bobchillingworth]

But it looks like he has this in the bag. I was hoping the others would be able to put up a better fight.

The failure to take (former) Chillingworth was regretable, but it was always going to be a close battle and I think that timmy got some unlucky rolls toward the end (he told me that two HA failed to even damage the last LB, both at a little over 40% odds). I'm not sure that much else could have been done there; if we had waited longer, Sandover would likely have gotten wise to the attack and stacked the city with another couple of pikes and/or LB.


I honestly blame the entire fiasco on TT... he managed to lose the alliance's most important army through sheer incompetence (not sending out an advance unit to scout before moving the huge stack, really?), and then he decided to give away his empire to the guy who had been bullying him the entire game, in what was probably the most incomprehensibly, pointlessly dickish move ever seen in an RB game outside of the second Athlete-Slaze war. That his stated reason (in email) for the betrayal was that he wanted me to die first so that he wouldn't get "last place" really doesn't help my opinion of him or his play.

[Serdoa]

I'm wondering why everyone seems to only try to get himself into a lead and none of them seems to consider that the others might have the same idea. Scooter doesn't really do much to war against Sandover, Amelia won't do much it seems and SleepingMoogle can't do much (but he also does not want to do much I think - understandably).

They would have been far better off if all 3 of them had really put all their efforts into this war. Then they would have had a chance against Sandover and after that they could all go their own way and still have a chance at winning. Now - with Amelia basically backing out of the war it seems - I do not think that they will really accomplish anything against Sandover. And I do not think that scooter then will be able to pursue any winning condition before Sandover can take him.

[Tatan]

HOLY FUCK


WAIT WHAT?
You mean we're supposed to be fighting with that monster?

[regoarrarr]

In case anyone (like me) couldn't remember whether there actually WAS an island in the middle, there is



(from the map thread)

[Bobchillingworth]

Amelia is so delusional it's hillarious. Unless she really screws up and lets Sandover run her over though, I think scooter might have this game won. Sandover has built a very impressive army, but he still can't use it for anything other than defense and must have enormous expenses, while scooter is happily running away with tech unhindered.

[darrelljs]

Its a pretty decent city, you get all three seafood types for health.

Darrell