RB Pitboss #2 - Postgame Discussion Thread

[Amelia]

Erm... Sullla >< Well, your reports are fun to read as usual, but again, there's some sign of arrogance in there that makes the lurkers angry, not that I am seeing as this is the postgame, but comments like

Well good luck, my friend: we knew what units Dantski had, and we were not intimidated. If he were to come attack with his motley collection of axes, he was going to be in for a serious ass-whooping.

do sometimes get people angry. Now, it was definitely true, but isn't there a better way to get the message across? Well, in a way that doesn't get everyone else angry?

Sorry if i'm overstepping my limits, but i just thought that i'll put that up.

[Adlain]

I don't see what is wrong with saying that - its just the truth without it's sugar coating.

[Cyneheard]

but comments like

Well good luck, my friend: we knew what units Dantski had, and we were not intimidated. If he were to come attack with his motley collection of axes, he was going to be in for a serious ass-whooping.

do sometimes get people angry. Now, it was definitely true, but isn't there a better way to get the message across? Well, in a way that doesn't get everyone else angry?

Sorry if i'm overstepping my limits, but i just thought that i'll put that up.

I don't think this is a particularly egregious case of that: It's not saying that Dantski's play is very y, just that Dantski couldn't attack him. There's a big difference between "we're in much better shape than Dantski" and "Jowy's play at [insert example here] is one of the worst we've ever seen" (although the one that comes to mind there was Speaker dissecting the Thebes build, which was an awful play because Speaker's criticism was spot-on).

[Amelia]

Well, it is the truth, and maybe i took a wrong example >< but i guess some people might find it offensive (which was the reason why the lurker thread suddenly erupted). Anyway, just putting out my perspective here >< sorry if it's off-topic.

[Sullla]

I checked that passage, and I don't think it's all that offensive. Written in context, it was saying something along the lines of "Dantski's been acting really unfriendly lately, and we're not afraid of his military, so if he wants to attack he can come get an ass whooping." The target isn't Dantski personally, but rather his unintimidating military. Of course I could go back and rewrite the thing, but that is how we felt at the time, and some colorful writing helps to make the reports more interesting. Now if I had written, "Dantski is a goddamn noob, LOL" I'd be inclined to agree with you. (I know there were some comments to that effect in our spoiler thread, which is unfortunate, but you have to keep in mind how bitter and personal the whole game had become by the end. The Jowy and athlete threads weren't exactly temples of purity either.)

http://www.garath.net/Sullla/Civ4/RBPB2-5.html

Hey, look what else we have here. Another website page to read. This one is looooooooong, so have fun.

[Darkmantle]

Nevertheless, we remained at war with four other powers, had lost a city, and taken a brutal military pounding. Dantski's reversal notwithstanding, our diplomatic situation remained isolated and dire. We had to do SOMETHING or else these four teams would just come back later for a second round. If they kept us locked in war while they continued to expand and tech upwards, our chances of winning the game were almost nil. This war was far from over, and far from won.

You should find some of the lurker comments around this time. Several people called the game for India when Dantski pulled out of the attack.

[MJW (ya that one)]

You should find some of the lurker comments around this time. Several people called the game for India when Dantski pulled out of the attack.

As in Spulla will win the game; not just saying likely win it.

Whosit's forgetting is the move of the game. However, it clearly was not the worst move. It is easy to forget about the ROP if you don't use it! It is also unnatural to have your units magically teleport out, you suddenly lose control of your units; so it is easy to forget. (Someone who ROP-raped in Civ3 would not make that error ever because they would remember to always cancel broders before declaring war.)

I think A4L's spilting his stacks aganist Slaze was much worse. Dantski signing peace and not attacking Nakor was also much worse.

[Selrahc]

You should find some of the lurker comments around this time. Several people called the game for India when Dantski pulled out of the attack.

Well, he is trying to keep some kind of narrative structure. Which means keeping the suspense going as long as possible.

[Sullla]

The Dantski reversal/Whosit mis-move did *NOT* win our team the game. Just because some of the lurkers were calling the game for us didn't make it so. At that point in time, we had exactly 5 cities, no friends of any consequence, at war with four different nations, and enemies on all sides. The readers who were calling the game for us were guilty of the same thing Speaker and I argued against, judging the players involved by their reputations. If you removed all individuals and were asked to pick the favorites blindly on Turn 110, Rome and Ottomans would have been the definite frontrunners. The fact that both made mistakes later on doesn't change this fact.

[darrelljs]

The readers who were calling the game for us were guilty of the same thing Speaker and I argued against, judging the players involved by their reputations.

I disagree...by this point in the game we had much more than prior reputation to go on.

Darrell