[Spoilers] Fun & Games [Lurker Thread]

[Bobchillingworth]

Sorry about my map bitching, Bob.

Null sweat. I don't think you actually complained that much anyway, and I did wittingly toss you all into a map type which is distinctly an acquired taste.

I apologize for constantly referring to the Rainforest script as a "tropical map" in this thread.

[Aurorarcher]

Sorry about my map bitching, Bob.

My take on "mack is a cheater": it's really hard to prove, and the standard for proof is very high. I'd like to hear mackoti's side after the game is over.

Agreed. 

I think the map was quite interesting (and suited my game tactics). The fact that Mack got Poisons so early (was before T70) destroyed all my hopes to win pretty much. The early shades played a big factor in this. Btw Ref, Shades are "only" 17 xp now (lvl 5) but still very hard to get 2 that early with just animals. Now that I wrote this though... mack was last in turn order (no surprise attacks from barbs). I don't want to go any further with this thought because it's questioning the reasons we even play. We play fair and trust others to play fair as well.

[RefSteel]

Btw Ref, Shades are "only" 17 xp now (lvl 5) but still very hard to get 2 that early with just animals.

Oh, wow; is that a change in v13? That makes an enormous difference; probably shaves 10ish turns and 2-3 barbs off the quickest likely time to turn a unit into a shade with a dedicated effort, and even more time with average luck or conservative play or if barbs are scarce, and makes Warrior spam into Shades extremely powerful if barbs are numerous. I think it also makes taking risks against tough animals more worthwhile (if you've created good contingencies for ill luck or just get lucky and don't need them) because your units need to risk fewer ~75% (and/or ~90%) fights after their first couple (harder-to-get) promotions to turn into very early shades (and therefore you're less likely to lose them on the way). I think some of what I said above still basically applies, but it takes many fewer xp to be "just a few xp away from Waning" after animals start showing up.

[Brian Shanahan]

Btw Ref, Shades are "only" 17 xp now (lvl 5) but still very hard to get 2 that early with just animals.

Oh, wow; is that a change in v13?

I thought we were still on version 12, no?

[superjm]

I think I'll go against the grain and say that I quite liked this map. Not that it didn't hurt me a bunch in the long run (the total dearth of nearby health resources was brutal in a way I hadn't expected and really threw a wrench in my empire development in the mid-game) but I liked the fact that health was the limiting factor instead of happiness and also how the masses of jungle provided a natural barrier for any kind of super fast aggression.

Well, unless you're Sidar and get two Shades by T45 then you can pretty much do what you want. Honestly, as soon as I saw the demos when I met mack I figured the game was pretty much over but I'm not the type of person to simply concede a game for just that.