[SPOILERS - PBEM17] Kyan Does Dallas. The Orange Sensation.

[oledavy]

Which program do you use for those wonderful overview maps?

I just use paintbrush, because I'm technologically inept like that

Although, if someone would be willing to show me how to do some of those sexy pieced together screenshot unit overviews at some point, I would be really grateful. Could use that skill in PB6.

[Bobchillingworth]

The ones which show the composition of several different stacks in one picture? They're simple to make, I've done them in paint.



First take a screencap of the theatre of operations. Save it.


Take another screencap of the same area, but with your mouse over one of the stacks you wish to include (so the box showing what's in the stack appears in the image). Save this picture too.


Then in paint use the select tool to just grab the relevant stack information box from the second picture, copy it, paste it into the first one, move it wherever you want it. Add a border using the line option if you feel so inclined (I prefer bright colors and medium thickness- hold down "shift" while drawing to make sure the lines are straight).


Repeat the second and third steps as necessary until all unit boxes have been added to the original first image.

[pindicator]

The ones which show the composition of several different stacks in one picture? They're simple to make, I've done them in paint.



First take a screencap of the theatre of operations. Save it.


Take another screencap of the same area, but with your mouse over one of the stacks you wish to include (so the box showing what's in the stack appears in the image). Save this picture too.


Then in paint use the select tool to just grab the relevant stack information box from the second picture, copy it, paste it into the first one, move it wherever you want it. Add a border using the line option if you feel so inclined (I prefer bright colors and medium thickness- hold down "shift" while drawing to make sure the lines are straight).


Repeat the second and third steps as necessary until all unit boxes have been added to the original first image.

Yeah, this is how i've done it too. I think for some of the more complicate dones in pbem23 i took something like a dozen screenshots of the same battlefield, each highlighting a different stack.

[Serdoa]

I checked the game options, and unless I missed something, the cheesy AP victory is not banned.

Shoot is ready to put this game out of its misery, and I'm pretty sure he would vote for me. Between the two of us, we can vote me religious leader.

I really am at a loss of what to do, to be honest. I have always considered the AP victory option to be cheesy and underhanded, and feel like it would be an unfitting ending to a really good game. It would mean I more or less rob Darrell/NoSpace of their victory. But despite it all, I want to win.

So, this is an occasion where I would really welcome lurker input. What should I do? Also, if the AP victory really is banned as it should be, could someone inform me of it? It would resolve this debate pretty quickly.

A little late for me to chime in about this I guess, but as everyone seemed to tell you "Go for it" I at least wanted to give another opinion. You mention that Shoot is ready to put this game out of its misery and for me that sounds that he simply votes for you just to end it ... and quite honestly, in that case I think you two should rather concede to Darrell and NoSpace.

[oledavy]

Random thoughts, in no particular order:

- I wonder if Shoot voted for me? The activity in his thread has me wondering what's being said.

- Darrell can now build stealth destroyers, for whatever that's worth. I have always considered stealth destroyers to be less useful than normal destroyers; and that you're best building up a large stockpile of normal destroyers before researching stealth.

- In WB tests of paratroopers, I discovered they can't have moved before parachuting. This makes a surprise attack like the one I had in mind for Edessa nearly impossible.

If the AP vote fails, I have a back-up plan....or sorts....

Draft of an email I'm considering sending to Darrell:

Hey Darrell,

I rejected the idea of trying to talk my way out of this situation for quite some time, but ultimately decided I would be a fool to not explore every possibility at this point.

So, let's be frank. I will be dead in another twenty turns or so, I can't keep this up forever. What then though? I presume you and NoSpace will resume your space race in peace, pausing only to kill Shoot if he decides to make a run for victory. How sure do you feel about winning it?

My note-keeping indicates that you've lost more units in this war than the Indians, and have had three of your cities razed to boot. Surely not enough to destroy your chances, but enough to damage them. I will also continue to be annoying every ten turns with the AP until I am dead or you burn the palace. I'll be calling for a religious victory every chance I get and enlisting Shoot if I must to spread Judaism, he has the shrine anyway.

Right now, I have a fleet poised to boat Russia, and it would be quite cathartic to burn another one of your cities to the ground. However, I think there is a way we can both get what we want. I no longer have a beef with you: you razed ten of my cities, I razed three of yours. Not even, but as close as I'm gonna get to settling the score. I still owe NoSpace a bit of revenge for destroying my fleet, taking my HE/Moai City, the list goes on. Bottomline: I want revenge, you want to devote minimal time to this game to tech to space in peace. How about a deal we both profit from?

Short Version: We make peace, you gift me your military, and I go kill NoSpace.

More Exact Terms:

- I spare Russia.
- I forestall all future efforts to win through an AP victory.
- You gift me all the military units you can spare; your air force and navy would be a good start.
- I pledge never to use any of your military units against you.
- You keep Alexandria.
- You do not settle any of the city locations you razed.
- We open borders.
- You gift me any spare copies of luxury or health resources that I do not possess.

NoSpace will be too tied up with me to act against you, and if they choose to, you'll have 10t to prepare. Your only serious competition may come from Shoot, who is also just pressing enter at this point and I'm confident you can beat to Space.

Let me know what you think.

Dave

I'm not quite sure about this course of action. In the unlikely event Darrell is crazy enough to accept, it basically would entail me only playing for revenge on NoSpace and ruining their chances at victory. That, to be honest, just leaves a sour taste in my mouth.

[NobleHelium]

I don't think destroyers upgrade to stealth destroyers, so they shouldn't go obsolete.

[Lord Parkin]

- I wonder if Shoot voted for me? The activity in his thread has me wondering what's being said.

Guess we'll see.

- Darrell can now build stealth destroyers, for whatever that's worth. I have always considered stealth destroyers to be less useful than normal destroyers; and that you're best building up a large stockpile of normal destroyers before researching stealth.

Stealth Destroyers have a pretty minor role in the game, but can be useful in a few situations. You're best off keeping them separate from stacks (and often from one another) at all times, and just using them as lone crusaders... pretty much the opposite strategy to any other unit in the game. Also unlike other naval units, Flanking/Drill/Navigation are all decent choices for promotions, with Combat being somewhat less useful than usual.

They're good for scouting territory, since no one else can see them until they build them themselves - you can go in as close to their coast as you want and they can't do anything about it if you've got a tech lead. Though often by this point you'll have a lot of visibility via espionage anyway.

They're also good for picking off random enemy naval units, usually damaged ones or unguarded Transports/Carriers in the backline. Unlike any other naval unit, Stealth Destroyers can just sit in place in the middle of the sea to heal after a battle - so theoretically they should be able to get quite a lot of XP relative to other units, though the game usually doesn't last long enough for that.

On the whole they're usually not worth building in bulk, especially considering their relatively high price and low strength. You're usually better off with Battleships/MC's/Destroyers for the most part. A few scattered Stealth Destroyers don't hurt, though.

I don't think destroyers upgrade to stealth destroyers, so they shouldn't go obsolete.

Yeah, they don't. I think they used to, but that got changed in a patch somewhere.

[oledavy]

Yeah, they don't. I think they used to, but that got changed in a patch somewhere.

Shows you the last time I played Civ4 Sp into the modern era

NH, as always, thanks for pointing out mistake, and thanks to LP for the quick tutorial on using Stealth Destroyers.

Btw, I can't recall, do invisible units like submarines and stealth destroyers become visible to a unit like a battleship when it moves next to them? Or does it have to try to move onto the tile before the enemy warship becomes visible? I want to say it's the latter.

[NobleHelium]

I'm pretty sure the battleship would just move onto the stealth destroyer without attacking it. That's what happens with Nox Noctis units in FFH anyways...

[oledavy]

Revised possible Diplo Message to Darrell:

Hello Darrell,
Look at your empire
Now to mine
Back to your empire
Now back to mine
Sadly, you're embroiled in a war with mine
But if you ended this war, gifted your military to me, and let me kill NoSpace, you could win the game!
Look down
Back up
Where are you?
You're on a spaceship headed to Alpha Centauria
What am I doing?
Back at me
I'm eviscerating NoSpace with that military you gave me
Anything is possible when you make peace with me and instead tech to space

I'm on Alpha Centauri