[SPOILERS] 2metraninja plays PB46

[2metraninja]

So, here we are again. New game, new map, quite a few new people around. Let's see what the game brings. I am not comfortable, nor familiar with all the changes in the mod, but since there ate no normal BTS games around anymore, I will have to learn on the run.

[Hollybombay]

Any updates?

[Coin]

How are things going? Would be nice to see your empire and read your thoughts on the game.

[2metraninja]

Hey there, thanks for the interest unknown friend. Not much is gong on in this game for me. I am again in 6 games and barely can play my turns, especially in turnsplits.

Here is my question about turnsplits and wars. We made a deal with Dark Savant to declare war on Superdeath in exchange for 20 gpt. I did not even knew such diplomatic agreement is possible. What are my obligations from this besides the obvious - to declare war. Am I obliged to push and fight hard as if fighting my own war? As I barely see 1 city of Superdeath? And how long I am suppesed to keep at war? Is there any normal ammount of time it is expected from me to be in a state of war - like 10 turns or something? Or I can keep at war as long as I want to receive the gpt? It is not being coward or something, actually even only being in war helps Dark Sacant as we have closed borders with SD, no trade for him, he have to keep garrisons in back cities, etc, etc.

[Mardoc]

I did not even knew such diplomatic agreement is possible. What are my obligations from this besides the obvious - to declare war. Am I obliged to push and fight hard as if fighting my own war? As I barely see 1 city of Superdeath? And how long I am suppesed to keep at war? Is there any normal ammount of time it is expected from me to be in a state of war - like 10 turns or something? Or I can keep at war as long as I want to receive the gpt? It is not being coward or something, actually even only being in war helps Dark Sacant as we have closed borders with SD, no trade for him, he have to keep garrisons in back cities, etc, etc.

Honestly, I'm pretty sure this is the first game at Realms Beyond with that functionality working and so we don't have any traditions yet.  What example do you want to set?

(I know, not much help )

[The Black Sword]

 Is there any normal ammount of time it is expected from me to be in a state of war - like 10 turns or something?

I think this version of the mod doesn't allow you to agree peace for at least 10t after a war declaration.

[2metraninja]

Well, it's over. I felt I need to write something as someone would surely wonder "What on heck 2metra did in this game?" and he would be right.

As always, I found myself in too many pitbosses. Part it is my fault for wanting to participate, part it is that games nowadays take too long from announcing to actual start, so at the time it might had looked like a good idea to sign up for one more game, but at the time it actually starts things may look quite different. There were 3 games like this and surprisingly they all started after all. Added to my other 3-4 games and that became a lot.

I will not hide I almost never felt I am in the right spot in any of my games I played at RB and this have some reasons. I partly (and secretly) hate the way these games are played, the practicness (if there is such word) and lack of human interaction, at least from my perspective. Most likely it is big part my own fault for not having time to actually write my thoughts in my threat and have interactions with the lurkers. Anyway. So for this game I asked 2 of my best online friends - Mack and Ot4e to play along with me to make it interesting and fun for myself - I would never forget the ISDG2012 with Mack by my side and the Viking game with Ot4e. Such an extraordinary and unique games for me.

Mack agreed and all was looking great, I was excited about a new game to share with such a great civver and great friend of mine, looking for endless hours of chats - both civ and life in general. But then we had a small argument about placement of our - I think it was the third - city, where Mack wanted a bit more conservative and on the safer side placement, where I was optimistic about Borsche not going to fight an ancient war and mess with our plans, because imho this is a no-no, and I wanted the best (imho) placement. Turned out Mack was right that Borsche might screw our (and his own as I see it) game and indeed attacked this city. We had a little bad luck and he actually took it with his last unit and razed it. This was turning point in the game for us. I think Mack got insulted I did not listened to him and disappointed from the course the game was taking and the perspectives after having such setback and enemy on our border and withdrew from the game.

Since then I was sore and irritated and swore to myself this will not go unpunished. All my plans for settling, playing, etc was off. Not only I lost my third city and front, but I had to remake all my settling and settle sub-optimal cities. Such setback so early cannot be really overcome, especially when I saw Rusten was my other neighbor. I know the guy and he is great player, so for me the perspective maximum was to turtle and look dangerous enough to live to the end of the game without any excitement. And eventually when Rusten attacks me on one side, Borsche to use the moment and hit me one more time. This was not going to happen. And I was balming it all on Borsche. His suffocating CRE culture and him naming the city he built where my front was "Sopresata" or something similar, which I translated/deciphered to myself as something which is meant to opress me and to add insult to the wound, was not helping me in planning and playing for the brighter future. So I decided to plant enough cities and build enough army to go and punish him and not care much for anything else. I went for chariots initially, but things were moving slower than I was wanting and actually chariots became obsolete by the time I had enough of them. I did mass axes/spears and catapults instead, and I was neglecting almost everything else just to get the mass of units I needed to raze that Sopresata city which was like a thorn im my eyes and eventually break the game for Borsche by razing few more cities and then let it be whatever is to come (as it turned out it was Rusten's knights)

>>Fast forward. I was feeling Rusten's attack was coming so I had to move on Borsche. But since it was punishing action, I had no strategy at all and I did not made my tactics good enough. I went in and I knew he had some HAs stack, so I was well prepared with a lot of spears. Also I saw his LBs in his east front 40% hill city and I had like 20 chariots and I was lazy (crazy) enough to not make simulation or rely on my gut feeling that those were not enough to take it, but I used one online calculator which one of the German guys made - it is called Vodka and usually it is very good. But this time either I entered something wrong or maybe I just dont know how to use it to 100% of it's abilities, but the calculator said 3 times I have 100% win. So I had no time to check in simulation and overcome my gut feelings and went to attack. Of course I failed the attack. Sigh. I still went towards my main goal with my main army - the center front city - the so-much-hated Sopresata. In the process I defended from Borsche's HAs attack well and he was left with his LBs sitting like sitting ducks in Sopresata. I razed the city and my main goal was achieved. Was expecting to feel good and revenged, but actually felt stupid after all this time, but this is what it is. Next I tried to take the other 2 front cities, but in the West I had not prepared well and in the East had some bad luck and I was lacking just 2-3 hitters to mop up Borsche's last badly wounded defenders and I sorely missed my wasted 20 chariots, but sigh... He reinforced somehow next turn with 2-3 fresh units and also Rusten launched his attack.

I decided not to act like a total dick and leave Borsche alone, sign peace and go to face Rusten. I did what I could to slow and hurt Rusten in his advancement, but the resistance was futile and foreknown final outcome.

In the spirit of this sad and revengeful (for me) game, I hope Rusten sweeps through the reduced Borsche's army and actually bring him the doom he set upon us both since the beginning of the game by razing this city. Sorry man, it is not personal, I never knew you nor I remember playing with you in previous games, it is just that in my book going for early war without actually killing the guy is considered a dick move and a bad play and I believe it had to be punished. And I am a man of my firm beliefs :D

Otherwise, I tested the new feature - to have some diplomatic option to ask other player to declare war to a third party and fought some semi-cold war with Superdeath, for which I got paid 20 gpt by Dark Savant, but I did not just took the money as I've could done, I actually had built some fleet and sent some troops to threaten his back and force him to build ships too, to keep units in his island, and actually sunk some 2 ships and maybe killed some units, so I was not a bad mercenary and I think I had set some good example in this new to the community feature :D Of course I also used this ongoing war to justify my ever growing powergraph and not make Borsche way too much suspicious about it and I think it worked to some degree as he was not really prepared to defend adequately.

All in all, I might had not been very nice or reasonable guy in this game, but this is a possibility which everyone should take in to account when playing with humans.

Guys, thanks for the game once again and sorry for not being more responsive in the thread.

[Katinka]

Many thanks for this update! Shame your game went sideways early on, it's understandable that it affects one's morale. :/

[2metraninja]

Previously when adressing civvers in forums I always used to say "guys and gals", but after not seeing a single active on the forums female civver since a lot of time, ironically I just went to the shorter "guys" this time :D

I think we know each-other and played in few games with Hitru from the spanish APT league.

[Katinka]

Previously when adressing civvers in forums I always used to say "guys and gals", but after not seeing a single active on the forums female civver since a lot of time, ironically I just went to the shorter "guys" this time :D

I think we know each-other and played in few games with Hitru from the spanish APT league.

Haha, I don't mind. ^^

Spanish APT league? No, I'm quite sure that's someone else you're thinking about.