[NO PLAYERS] PBEM 7 Map Making & Lurkers

[oledavy]

I think it does actually raise the question of what should players’ goals be once they don’t think they can win.

I feel like they should try to just survive. Hold onto what they have, effectively go into AI defense mode. 

No though, with respect to Suboptimal's earlier comments in this thread (which I think are well founded), Japper007 shouldn't have been allowed to play in this game. He was clearly a cut below the other 'vets.' Him playing, or really any time a significantly less skilled player joins in a more competitive game, it does everyone a disservice. 

The presence of such players is immediately imbalancing, and the skilled players who start next to them are most likely to win. Players might fear the skill disparity but don't want to be impolite or secretly hope they win the lottery and start next to the player. Either way, it commits everyone to a 4-8 month game that was effectively decided at the start. The skilled players dumpster all over the unskilled player in their threads, as do the lurkers. Meanwhile, the unskilled player falls farther and farther behind, stops posting because they realize they're losing, consequently gets no feedback, and when they're eliminated, gets to read all the discouraging comments. This doesn't promote player improvement, it promotes them leaving the site or desperately trying to play as many games as possible to try to win one and regain some credibility as a player. 

For a player like Japper007, he should really be pushed towards games with other first time PBEM players so that he has a chance, or at the very least, doesn't get styled on by hardened MP veterans. 

There's also the issue, that I believe partially stems from this, that Japper007 has rapidly become one of those players who signs up for 2-4 games at a time, isn't focused on any of them and consequently doesn't play any of them very well. The over commitment means he doesn't post much which translates into not much ability to improve. Based on his recent rash of sign ups, I don't think he's trying to improve or truly understands why he fared so poorly here, in PBEM4, and in PBEM5 - he thinks its bad luck and is just rolling the dice repeatedly to try and get a better draw. 

At any rate, I feel bad for Japper007 and I feel really bad for Cornflakes.

[MJW (ya that one)]

If I were Sullla I would city-gift Milano to use the Colossuem more (I think that's allowed because you are allowed to gift once).

RB allows reloading of misclicks so Sullla is okay here.

[RFS-81]

But if you reload, wouldn't you get different results from combats? (I don't know if sullla had any combats before reloading.)

[MJW (ya that one)]

But if you reload, wouldn't you get different results from combats? (I don't know if sullla had any combats before reloading.)

I think the game keeps the random seed so he should be fine. Sullla whined about getting bad combat roles. I'm sure if he did better he would just reload again and waste the scientist.

[Trasson]

Sullla:

* The Venetian Arsenal is a separate question...That would require roughly 22 turns to knock out 550 production and put the wonder finishing date around Turn 125. This is all highly subjective but I'll use that as a rough estimate.

CMF:

So there's the timeline: VA by t114, then knights and crossbows help Woden face Rome, and we try to win the game.

There's going to be some real bad news coming down the pipeline for Rome in a couple of weeks.

[red_baron]

Having read Sullla's detailed PBEM reports for both Civ IV and VI I would be surprised if he remains unfocused on the VA and loses it to Woden & CMF. Anyways, it would be very good play from them and would keep the game interesting for the rest of us 

[oledavy]

Sullla has Singaboy with 80 fpt China and Theocracy in his back pocket, I don't think losing VA is going to be a major blow to their chances to win 

[Ichabod]

I think Archduke + EmpK are being a bit too passive. Signing DoF with Sullla + Singaboy is not a good idea. ArchEmp are number 2/3 in the game, so the number 1 team would never attack them. This way, they just nullify all the leverage of putting pressure on the number 1 team. Anf or what? To avoid an attack that would never come.

What's the point of developing your cities if the team next door will have double your numbers?

This is no jab at ArchEmp, but more a statement about how liberal people are with giving DoF. Games change very fast and locking yourself into 30 turns of peace is seldom beneficial, unless you are the number one already.

[SadGit]

Thats a nice picture CMF has of Sullas boat sailing by. When matched with Sullas comment on a single archer, perhaps scouting, and then the picture shows the might of the English army hiding in the jungle. This might be a very fun showdown if they ever get around to declaring a war.

[MJW (ya that one)]

If CMF / Woden can take get a few cities and defend Nan Modal the game isn't over as they will get the VA and Archduke/EMP-K will help at list a little.