[no players] Lurker Thread

[Gaspar]

Don't get the impression I dislike NS7 or want them to lose, quite the contrary really. For lurking purposes the game is spicier though if the conclusion seems less foregone.

And I largely agree that the skirmishes not involving the leader benefit the leader. Yuri in particular has really missed the Byzantium boat - I don't care what NS7 have researched, Cataphracts give anything pre-rifles a whole heaping load of trouble - that's the whole point. Sending his horsies any which way but that is a mistake. Especially considering he can see mackoti and NS7 are at war already.

[Ceiliazul]

I don't think this game is especially interesting

Mackoti is getting ready to pee in NS7's personal sandbox. still uninteresting? :neenernee

[oledavy]

Mackoti is getting ready to pee in NS7's personal sandbox. still uninteresting? :neenernee

Game was definitely uninteresting for a long time, mostly just watching NS7 out-micro everyone else. Now it gets a lot more interesting. I just wish we got better reporting from so we could get a complete picture of all the bloodshed that's about to go down.

[Gaspar]

Mackoti is getting ready to pee in NS7's personal sandbox. still uninteresting? :neenernee

I still think this game ends in a NS7 rout, but I confess I'll be interested to see mackoti's attack. I just think NS7 will beat it off.

[Ceiliazul]

Game was definitely uninteresting for a long time, mostly just watching NS7 out-micro everyone else. Now it gets a lot more interesting. I just wish we got better reporting from so we could get a complete picture of all the bloodshed that's about to go down.

Well, from what you've said and from his responses in his thread... it sounds like he's a whole lot more interested than he was 15 turns ago.

Davy, you broke the story about Mack's impending rage. Would Mack feel comfortable to chat with you (cuz you're presumably talking about 25 often) and letting you post updates for us?

...or is that over the lurker-line?

[Gaspar]

Davy, you broke the story about Mack's impending rage. Would Mack feel comfortable to chat with you (cuz you're presumably talking about 25 often) and letting you post updates for us?

...or is that over the lurker-line?

Dave would have to feel cozy to make sure he didn't accidentally spoil mackoti. I've been in that situation before and it requires heavy restraint.

I'd enjoy some of Dave's reporting on the bloodbath should it occur, however.

[oledavy]

Dave would have to feel cozy to make sure he didn't accidentally spoil mackoti. I've been in that situation before and it requires heavy restraint.

You're telling me Mack will write long walls of text regarding PBEM23 or PBEM24 and all I can say is: "Can't comment, global lurker."

Davy, you broke the story about Mack's impending rage. Would Mack feel comfortable to chat with you (cuz you're presumably talking about 25 often) and letting you post updates for us?

I'd enjoy some of Dave's reporting on the bloodbath should it occur, however.

I think we should first wait to see if Mack accepts the impending NS7 peace offer (which I feel dead sure he won't). If he doesn't, I'll hit him up over chat and see what he thinks. If he's open to it, we can come up with some sort of arrangement where he plays the save, saves it before ending turn and sends it to me, then chat about what he his plans.

It's not like I have to study for finals or anything

Joking aside, I wouldn't mind reporting on a war between Mack & NS7, should be rather climatic and fun to watch.

[kjn]

Now things are about to devolve into chaos, and I had to work out how the players are located to each other. I get it to:

Sian - YNL - NS7 - Mackoti - Luddite - Fierce - back to Sian

The phony NS7-Mackoti war is about to turn hot, Sian has declared on Fierce, Luddite is about to declare on Fierce, YNL is considering attacking Sian.

NS7 is planning on maces and catapults. No iron yet - wonder if they will settle on the island iron? Notable military techs missing: monarchy, feudalism, engineering, HBR.

YNL has cataphracts.

Mackoti has knights.

Luddite has HAs.

Sian hasn't updated his thread, but according to NS7 he's using swords and cats in his invasion.

Fierce is just backwards.

Interesting times indeed, especially since the wars will be so asymmetric. I think the Mackoti-NS7 war will be a slew of razed/burning cities (galleon strikes versus an inland knight campaign). In the battle over Fierce I think the big winners will be Luddite and YNL - I'm impressed by Pindicator's logistical planning, and Sian has absolutely no counter to YNL's cataphracts, and his forces are badly out of position.

In a way, I think YNL could reach the top spot by hitting NS7, but I think their chosen course can make for a real late-game fight between them.

[oledavy]

Sian hasn't updated his thread, but according to NS7 he's using swords and cats in his invasion.

I think he was in the process of upgrading those swords to maces when Luddicator spotted the stack, though, someone would need to check me on that.

Fierce is just backwards.

Yeah I really feel sorry for Fierce here. This was a bad first game for him to jump into, as he's just so out of his depth playing against the likes of Novice and SevenSpirits.

Interesting times indeed, especially since the wars will be so asymmetric. I think the Mackoti-NS7 war will be a slew of razed/burning cities (galleon strikes versus an inland knight campaign).

With the Egyptian Fleet about to die, unless NS7 shuffle their eastern fleet over to the west quickly; Mack will not be under any immediate threat to his cities and it will free up more crossbows for the front. Looking over things, I imagine he'll have a lot of success at first and be able to blitz into the Egyptian Core, but that the war will eventually stalemate as NS7 get their defenses online.

Keep in mind I'm talking from an omniscient viewpoint here - as I might have done the same thing were I in NS7's shoes - but it's noteworthy how badly they bungled their dealings with Mackoti.

[COLOR="DeepSkyBlue"]they (NS7) just played the game wrong
they should have just left me alone to do my stuff
they had more land and the mids
I never considered going against them
I did see this game like a competition betwwen us
but....
no univeristies planning
just 3 pop whips for knigs
he he[/COLOR]
lol
[COLOR="DeepSkyBlue"]They got alamed and got construction this turn
it took me a while to be ok with the thought that Luddite
will win the game
not my fault
NS7 fault[/COLOR]
fwiw, Pindicator is a pretty nice guy
[COLOR="DeepSkyBlue"]I could crush them with what I have now
and that was the paln in the beginning
plan
they pink-dotted me
so they were my enemies
but NS7
...
well they had they fun pillaging my nets[/COLOR]

Mack still holds a serious grudge against Luddite for PB4. If left to his own devices, he would have accepted a NS7 victory, and either sandboxed in peace or gone to war with Luddicator. As it is, their opportunistic war to derail Mack's economy made a mortal enemy, and not prioritizing military techs when fighting a war is about to come back to bite them.

To fulfill my penchant for trying to find a picture for every occasion:

NS7:

:hwar1:

Mackoti:




I really cannot understand why YNL are not going after NS7. Forgoing a 2v1 vs. the runaway when you have cataphracts and they don't even have engineering; for a spices, fish and marble is not worth it, imho. Sure NS7 have galleons, but you have cataphracts!

Lastly, one more note from the save:





This slipped my radar earlier, but Mack was able to settle both of the neighboring treasure islands. His neighbors in those directions are Fierce and Yuris. Fierce is no huge surprise and Yuris settled the one to the north. So am I right that Fierce and Luddicator are the ones who ended up wthout a treasure island?

Treasure Island Distribution

NS7: 2
Mackoti: 2
YNL: 1
Sian: 1

[kjn]

I think he was in the process of upgrading those swords to maces when Luddicator spotted the stack, though, someone would need to check me on that.

I checked Luddicator's thread briefly, but saw no such mention there. However, you're correct about the maces. Seven had a brief note about Sian doing upgrades to maces on the border. Shows I did the right call with trying to do a summary of the buildup.

With the Egyptian Fleet about to die, unless NS7 shuffle their eastern fleet over to the west quickly; Mack will not be under any immediate threat to his cities and it will free up more crossbows for the front. Looking over things, I imagine he'll have a lot of success at first and be able to blitz into the Egyptian Core, but that the war will eventually stalemate as NS7 get their defenses online.

Well, assuming that Mackoti's trap will work is too early right now. Also, from what I can tell of the map, the Egyptian core is quite a fair distance in for Mackoti (YNL is much better positioned there, I think). I believe Dione is the only city that can be seriously threatened on the first turn of the war, and Mackoti's iron is also easily threatened, being right on the border and on the coast.

Keep in mind I'm talking from an omniscient viewpoint here - as I might have done the same thing were I in NS7's shoes - but it's noteworthy how badly they bungled their dealings with Mackoti.

Agreed. Especially in comparison to how they've handled their relations with YNL.