Re: New Game - MA Microless
 

I really haven't been holding things up! We've been moving at a relaxed pace and all of sudden everyone's turns are complete in 12 hours. I'll get right to work on my turn. :)

Re: New Game - MA Microless
 

Starting late tomorrow I'll be on my way to Gen Con. While in Indianapolis I should have opportunities to submit my turns and respond to diplomatic missives. Though I can't make any guarantees. Also, it will be hardest for me to submit my turn from Tuesday Night to Wednesday Night as I should be in transit for most of the time. Just a heads up.

Re: New Game - MA Microless
 

Hey, guys...

I'm moving tomorrow so I might not be able to do my turn in time.
Probably I already have internet over there but if not I need an postponement.

Re: New Game - MA Microless
 

Okay, while no one has actually asked me to increase the hosting timer, I'm going to make the executive decision to increase it anyway as I am pretty much having to extend the hosting timer every turn anyway to accommodate all parties. So the game will be officially adopting a 48 hour timer as of now.

Re: New Game - MA Microless
 

Vanheim would like to thank Bogus & Co. for their generous donation of equipment.* They are welcome to visit again anytime!

*Recovered 12 of 14 items, which is definitely a record for me.

Re: New Game - MA Microless
 

So you will be the only person in the game that has gear. Must be nice

Re: New Game - MA Microless
 

I don't know if I'm the only one (others may have also dealt with Bogus or gotten items through random events) - but I'm the only one foolish enough to advertise it. ;)

Re: New Game - MA Microless
 

For anyone who hasn't noticed yet - changing all items to unforgeable levels means that you can't get items *even from random events*, because the way random events distribute items is basically a random roll on a given level of construction. Since there are no random events that give the unique unforgeable items, it is in fact very likely that you are the only person with any magic items at all :)

And for anyone else who hasn't noticed yet... wow, I think this could be the first game ever where the ogres are in strong contention for winning.

Re: New Game - MA Microless
 

That's right! I completely forgot about that. Remember the map work you did on Threefort? In that game I set all non-unique items to level 0 and people got messages about finding an item and it never appeared in their lab. Squirrelloid realized it was probably going by level and since the game didn't find anything at levels 2/4/6 they never received an item (I assume sometimes random events give level 0 items so in those cases I suppose it would have worked).

In that case ghoul is right and it must be nice indeed to have that equipment. :p Though technically the Ogres have the best item since they have the champion's helmet.


The Ogres have done well, and I think are well suited for these settings, but I feel this game is very much up for grabs.

I really find this an interesting experiment. I automatically find myself thinking, "ok, I'll use that gear to accomplish x" and then realize that won't work. :)

Re: New Game - MA Microless
 

What? You wanted to knock down that fort wall so you started researching construction to build wall shakers and then realized two turns later that you can't actually build items so you just wasted two turns of research? I can't imagine that happening :)

Oh, I certainly wasn't saying that the ogres had the game in the bag. Just that, you know, for once they're actually a top three nation ;) There's certainly a number of strong nations around.

Re: New Game - MA Microless
 

Lol, no it's the path boosters that get me. I keep finding myself thinking "I'll give mage x path booster y and then they can cast z." Happened again this turn.

As far as Constr. goes, I look at it like all those empty levels are an extra cost because weapons of sharpness is just that good. :p

Re: New Game - MA Microless
 

In the event there's a Microless 2 what about seeding indie provinces with items using elmokki's Scavengenator program? So there are a finite number of magic items - rare artifacts of an earlier, more magically powerful, age and only given to the top mages and SCs as opposed to every two bit thug walking around with a frost brand. :p

Plus, early wars would be chaotic with commanders having random equipment to slug it out. And there's an additional incentive to focus your pretender build on early expansion to get as many items as possible.

Re: New Game - MA Microless
 

To the nations of Ermor, and to those looking in on the battle for Machaka's Capitol, I have to ask but one question.

Are you not entertained?

Re: New Game - MA Microless
 

On a more serious note. I want to thank you all for a pleasant gaming experience. I can't claim to have been too involved in the politics of this particular game. My interactions with you all have been, sadly, minimal.

For those who don't know, I picked a fight with Ermor. A fight I have certainly did not win in the slightest. Through the help of Jontunhiem I have been beaten me back to my capitol. My situation has been grim for some time now. Knowing this for a dozen rounds now, I've decided to continue my fight regardless of this minor detail.

The defense of Machaka this last turn has been the high point in my campaign. That said, I'm afraid my doom is at hand and I wanted to wish the other nations luck and fortune. May your deaths be glorious and may you witness the beauty of conflict at its peak of tragedy.

Re: New Game - MA Microless
 

I was until you killed my scout. They're not easy to come by with no indies, you know. :(


Yeah, if you launch an attack and the attacked party manages to win then you just say "well done". :) But I did want to say nice job continuing to fight despite the outcome being virtually certain.

Btw, I thought the Ogres' start location was bad but yours is just horrible.

Re: New Game - MA Microless
 

It has been fun, AoE - looking forward to playing with you again in future games :-)

And yes, i have been entertained!

I was a bit undecided about whether to stay neutral in the war, to tip in with Machaka (you), or to ally with Ermor. In the end, Ermor was a lot more diplomatically active than you which made me think he'd be a better long term ally, so that was my reason for choosing him over you. Or i like purple more than orange. One of the two, I can't actually remember which.

Re: New Game - MA Microless
 

AoE - Ermor could have lived without that battle going so poorly :P It is going to make things much more painful than might be explicitly desired.

And I'm glad you had a good time in this game, and have been able to keep a positive attitude :) I hope you've enjoyed this game and the weird settings haven't put you or anyone else off too much. I think machaka actually did fairly well under the circumstances.

That was going to be a very hard battle for ermor to win on its own, as well. A machaka rush before the end of the expansion phase is certainly a ballsy tactic, and not one that Ermor had anticipated. The phoenix pretender turned it into quite the slog as well, with large numbers of troops perishing for every inch of ground taken. You've fought well so far. It's funny that things shifted so quickly between Ermor's greatest triumph (destroying the phoenix god) and its greatest defeat (yeah, this turn, in the capital, with the flaming arrows).

Thank you for fighting on even under the specter of defeat. It's always gratifying to see players fight on until the end, doing their best to inflict pain on their enemies! I'd wish you luck in the coming battles, but I'm afraid I'm a bit biased at this point :P

Re: New Game - MA Microless
 

From the charts at least, it looks like it was Armageddon II - The Rematch in Machaka's capital this turn.

I gather Ermor won, as Machaka has no provinces and basically no army, but wow - that is an impressive drop for the second turn running in the size of the Ermorian legions too.

Anyone want to supply some details? Alas, I did not have a scout to hand to witness the epic battle first hand.

Re: New Game - MA Microless
 

It was pitched battle with me leading off with flaming arrows and some undead spam. I had one trampling behemoth left, and three trolls. I had hoped that my only astral mage would body ethereal most of them, but alas he kept targeting the same solitary troll.

If perhaps I had left the trolls on the sideline, it might have gone even better for me. I also forgot to give the needed nature gem to my mage casting haste upon the elite squad of summoned units. I wanted behemoth + haste, I got undead spam instead. My other units included the hodge-pod of PD in the center and my masses of archers firing from the upper flank.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the field, my opponent set up his communion of thaumaturgs. Honestly, his technique for setting those up needs a little work, but I shouldn't complain since I'm defeated. Arranged in front and to the sides where his masses of longdead cavalry. In the middle was solid line of Ermorian infantry.

The battle begins and for quite a while it became a rousing success on my side. However, the endurance of the communion made the difference. Skelly spam was rampent and when all other units where fallen, they continued the fight on the behalf of Ermor. When my archers were all out of arrows, then the end became emanate. I finally retreated and no land left around would provide safe haven for my broken army.

The battle takes about 5 minutes to see, even with fast forward on, and is quite epic.

Re: New Game - MA Microless
 

Yeah I've been playing the last few turns and I just can't be bothered to work out proper scripting. Sorry about that. My heart just really isn't in it. I don't think I can play dominions MP anymore :P

It pretty much went how AoE described. Flaming arrows made short work of the ermorian legions, not to mention the longdead cav. Though the initial forces did cause some damage, it was mostly the communion that carried the day for ermor, driving off most of machaka's remaining troops and mages. Something like 20 ermorian soldiers survived the battle.

Re: New Game - MA Microless
 

Good game, AreaOfEffect. A bit of a shame you didn't really have much left to contest the fort with, but you did do quite a bit of damage in previous turns. I'm confused though, where did that earth mage assassin go to? I don't recall killing it. Ah well.

Re: New Game - MA Microless
 

It died as a result of holy vengeance. The assassination attempt was a test run for a province gank. I thought him and three body guards would have done a fine job. But alas, base MR became the death of him.

Re: New Game - MA Microless
 

Okay, I will be amazed if the world can survive now :P This is why you can't let a sacrifice nation have time to get set up!

Re: New Game - MA Microless
 

Please postpone hosting by 24 hours. Thanks.

Re: New Game - MA Microless
 

Sorry, I need some more time this turn as well. Please add 6 hours to hosting. Thanks.

Re: New Game - MA Microless
 

Ugh, valerius I did not see that. I checked the thread when I woke up today, but haven't done so since then. I'd have seen a PM!

Re: New Game - MA Microless
 

My fault; I should have made the request earlier but I thought I'd make the deadline. In any case, next time I'll send a PM as well.

Re: New Game - MA Microless
 

We have our first domkill, in Marignon.

I will follow shortly I suspect (maybe two turns, although could be as few as one) - I did build a lot of temples, but GFSnl has quite wisely burnt most of those down :-)

Re: New Game - MA Microless
 

Okay, so I said the game was probably over a couple of turns ago. I haven't really seen anything that made me change my mind. Does anyone have anything resembling a way to cause significant damage to the ogres at this point? I saw their army graph dipped this turn... slightly. But all that extra territory from jotuns/mari just means more temples to sacrifice from and a quicker erosion of the rest of the world's dominion. Does anyone think we have any chance of stopping them? Or are we just delaying the inevitable.

Re: New Game - MA Microless
 

Yeah, I managed to push them off a fort they had laid siege to but I think the main reason I won was that GFSnl for some reason didn't send some of those hordes of vampires along as reinforcements.

Despite that win I am being raided heavily, have an Ogre army approaching my cap from the east and, most importantly, am losing ground in the dom war despite saccing from all forts.

If Maerlande and Korwin think they can turn things around I'm willing to keep playing but I am pretty much in defensive mode at this point.

Re: New Game - MA Microless
 

Okay guys, this game is officially over, victory goes to the ogres who really are just unstoppable at this point.

I look forward to hearing everyone's thoughts about the game and the settings used. Obviously we've already had some of that from maerlande, but if anyone has anything else they'd like to add, AARs, now is the time.