[spoilers] Commodore's 69 Techniques

[scooter]

If this thing ends here it's going to be the biggest cliffhanger ending this site's ever seen.

Yeah lots of games have ended anti-climactically for various reasons, but I can't think of one that was more on the brink than this.

[Commodore]

If this thing ends here it's going to be the biggest cliffhanger ending this site's ever seen.

Yeah lots of games have ended anti-climactically for various reasons, but I can't think of one that was more on the brink than this.

Apparently, the best defense against a dogpile is to just go to the beach for a weekend with crummy wifi.  

Noufraggar's...choice...to hit the Squandered Lands via Magic Science rather than go through my territories was definitely going to result in some frustration on my part. Declaring next to Pin's core means that his logical course of action was going to be the Standard Pitboss 69 Defense (ignore one front to fight with 100% of forces against Commodore). 

This would have actually made declaring hard, because while I'm more than willing to join in a dogpile of Pindicator if it gave me a chance to win, just repeating the usual "die en masse while the dogpile buddy makes all gains" feels like kingmaking and frankly my diplomatic relations with Pin haven't been much worse than with Nowg (he's not as good as demilitarization of borders, but he's been fine).

[scooter]

If this thing ends here it's going to be the biggest cliffhanger ending this site's ever seen.

Yeah lots of games have ended anti-climactically for various reasons, but I can't think of one that was more on the brink than this.

Apparently, the best defense against a dogpile is to just go to the beach for a weekend with crummy wifi.  

Noufraggar's...choice...to hit the Squandered Lands via Magic Science rather than go through my territories was definitely going to result in some frustration on my part. Declaring next to Pin's core means that his logical course of action was going to be the Standard Pitboss 69 Defense (ignore one front to fight with 100% of forces against Commodore). 

This would have actually made declaring hard, because while I'm more than willing to join in a dogpile of Pindicator if it gave me a chance to win, just repeating the usual "die en masse while the dogpile buddy makes all gains" feels like kingmaking and frankly my diplomatic relations with Pin haven't been much worse than with Nowg (he's not as good as demilitarization of borders, but he's been fine).

Seems like the downside of being in the center of the map is you were always invading players cores while others were invading tertiary areas, so I think the heavier defenses for you was mostly bad luck. Most prefer to lop off one arm and fight with the other rather than watch them both get gnawed.

Also, I have a difficult time analyzing Nauf’s invasion choices given that he also chose to abandon a game he had a real chance at winning because of an indisputable ruling he disputed that didn’t really negatively affect his position much at all. I don’t think this game will be remembered for a cliff hanger as much as what is for my money most inexplicable ragequit ever. So much so that I can only guess that non-game reasons are the real driver of all of this.


This comment should probably be in the lurker thread, but I’ll be shocked if this game continues so who cares.

[Qgqqqqq]

Looking back, is there anything about how you played the game you would change?

[Commodore]

Seems like the downside of being in the center of the map is you were always invading players cores while others were invading tertiary areas, so I think the heavier defenses for you was mostly bad luck. Most prefer to lop off one arm and fight with the other rather than watch them both get gnawed.

Yeah, like I said, only really annoyed with Gav's throw. Mostly the Bing issue is that I'd hoped that not one, but two rivals would have been able to split the free Squandered Lands. This was always going to be tricky positioning, of course, like Austria in Diplomacy.

Also, I have a difficult time analyzing Nauf’s invasion choices given that he also chose to abandon a game he had a real chance at winning because of an indisputable ruling he disputed that didn’t really negatively affect his position much at all. I don’t think this game will be remembered for a cliff hanger as much as what is for my money most inexplicable ragequit ever. So much so that I can only guess that non-game reasons are the real driver of all of this.

Yeah, I know nothing and I'm not in a place to speculate, but feels like out-of-game stuff. It's a bummer, I like the guy.

Looking back, is there anything about how you played the game you would change?

Beyond specific tactical blunders? Hard to say. Maybe pressure Bing more early? There was a chance to team with Gav against Pin of course but neighboring Gav is auto-lose in any game. It's an awkward position, probably should have focused harder on the economy side of things.

[Krill]

Ever thought about opting out of fighting around the two inland seas so not focussing on the Pin/Gav/Bing area, and instead looking at piling into nauf?

[Commodore]

Ever thought about opting out of fighting around the two inland seas so not focussing on the Pin/Gav/Bing area, and instead looking at piling into nauf?

I did, several times. Trouble was always that:
A. Any conquests there would have been extremely awkward to hold/reinforce this side of galleons.
B. He was the only neighbor who understood the benefits of mutual disarment/force draw-downs.

[Krill]

Well you poked Bing, and you did consistently fight with Gav for the Goldslager spot, so I don't know if that is entirely true. You managed to do it with Pin though, so I would assert that you had your part to play in "B"

[pindicator]

Apparently, the best defense against a dogpile is to just go to the beach for a weekend with crummy wifi.  

I want to post more thoughts later after getting through this, but first and foremost: this is QotM material

[Tarkeel]

Noufraggar's...choice...to hit the Squandered Lands via Magic Science rather than go through my territories was definitely going to result in some frustration on my part. Declaring next to Pin's core means that his logical course of action was going to be the Standard Pitboss 69 Defense (ignore one front to fight with 100% of forces against Commodore). 

This would have actually made declaring hard, because while I'm more than willing to join in a dogpile of Pindicator if it gave me a chance to win, just repeating the usual "die en masse while the dogpile buddy makes all gains" feels like kingmaking and frankly my diplomatic relations with Pin haven't been much worse than with Nowg (he's not as good as demilitarization of borders, but he's been fine).

Nauf actually talked some about this in his thread: If he went in from that side, he needed you to either go in first, or at the very least break the defensive pact with Pin. As it was, once he declared on Pin you would declare on Nauf, kicking his units out of your lands.