[SPOILERs] PBEM 19 Lurker Thread (No players!)

[Gaspar]

This is why making a map is such an unforgiving process. There are, potentially *SO* many different things that could be missed when attempting to balance. The only way to ensure they are totally balanced is for identical land... in which case the players will complain that it's boring and predictable.

SS is even counting riverside tiles now. You had no chance Gaspar if they're being that picky. It's more stupid because, as pointed out, he's probably the best player in the game anyway so this just serves to help when evening it out.

Every single player moans about their start and gets jealous of that of their neighbours. I genuinely think that if you had given them each other's starts at the beginning of the game, they'd still moan. Don't let it get to you mate and hopefully you make more maps in the future.

Appreciate the kind words, Kyan. I really don't mind most of the bitching, I believe it to be the solemn right of the player to bitch about the map - lord knows I've done my share in my games. I just think Seven has gone a bit over the top, were the map *that* unbalanced, surely someone would have caught it. As I said when I whined about the map every other day when we were playing PBEM12, my issue there was that it wasn't given the run of rule by the lurkers.

Anyway, enough about me. I have a pretty thick skin, though I do have a long memory. Unfortunately, as others have said, there's really not enough going on in the game for us to chat about, other than watching Seven trying to herd cats on his own team being pretty amusing.

[Nicolae Carpathia]

I think GES is doing really well, no idea if he can keep it going forever, but he has a a beautiful groundwork. He has a billion financial riverside cottages that should hopefully kick in soon and power him through the medieval/renaissance era. I wish I had anywhere near his numbers in my games.

I like his arms dealing attitude to diplomacy amusing, as is his fawning attitude towards RL7, but it probably won't hurt him.

[Gaspar]

I feel bad for MNG, I really think people don't understand GLH. On a map with a lot of islands and OB for international IC-TRs, is unbelievably strong. On a map with very few islands, none of which have been settled, like this, its a nice boost, but not omg game over. There have been more games here where the team that built GLH lost than won. He screwed himself a bit with that Avignon plant, but I agree with his line of thinking wholeheartedly that people should be pointed at SS and GES, rather than him. Especially Commodore, I think GES's plant was more aggressive than MNGs, personally. Don't get me wrong, they were both aggressive, and MNGs was stupid, GESs was informed by power.

[Nicolae Carpathia]

Well played, Commodore. All your war objectives completed without any losses, and still capable of counterbalancing RL7/GES. Instead of the east bloc developing in peace as the west devolves into war, there's potentially some real competition. Commodore's demonumbers are still tragic though, but I guess he needs fewer population to generate the same beakers.

Also, Commodore's trade routes are going be worth squat for a good 50 turns until the war penalty fades off.

[Gaspar]

I still stand by RL7 winning the game, though there's a pretty clear difference between Seven playing the turns, Lewwyn playing the turns and Ranamar playing the turns. No offense to those guys, Seven's just a really good player. While GES has played pretty darned well as a builder, and definitely should win one of those "Most Improved" badges for the growth as a player he got from working with Krill and Darrell in 17, I think he's a little too cautious, and since I think RL7 are pretty much going to take out MNG wholesale, I don't think that he can get in front enough to beat 2 blobs.

Also illustrative as to why I don't think GLH is broken if you add in the metagame, MNG had a nice little start but became a global pariah and fell into a distant 3rd. Nonetheless, I think the map has done what I had hoped and created conflict from all sides.

[Nicolae Carpathia]

If I were in SS's shoes, I'd see if I could move the knight stack 33. The current maps are ancient, back in the days of warrior scouting, I wouldn't expect the forest 1 of Paris to remain forever. Moving the knights 33 would let you fork Tours.

[Nicolae Carpathia]

I wonder if GES or Com have ever considered getting some W2 axes and razing their opponent's border city? Just move them while unpromoted, you could even put workers on that same tile and explain you want to cover your worker as they're chopping/roading. GES can buy some from RL7.

[novice]

Tough break for Yuris, good instincts by GES, who 6 pop whipped his capital to steal Taj from Yuris. Makes a pretty big difference for the other players' efforts to catch up with GES.

[Nicolae Carpathia]

And I'm pretty sure GES can work those cottages anyway, I see Alesmith working alot of coast tiles that can be transferred to Stone's Cottages. Yeah, GES is the one to beat, good land and good traits and a good metastrategy.

Also, anyone taking odds on whether or not RL7's war will work?

[oledavy]

I think they'll succeed in taking/razing Rouen and Orleans. I don't think the drive to Paris will work though. What will be interesting is how much force Commodore commits to the attack.