Re: The Artifacts Game - [nation selection]
 

Yeah, I've used Crumble to help capture VPs as well. Its not as big of a problem as your scenario would make it out to be. After all - the defense of these points must have been laughably weak to not be able to defeat even the toughest SC going solo. Where was that player's disintegrators? Life for a Lifes? Even Paralyze w/ spell focus and eye of the void would do the trick.

IMO, the more realistic scenario of:
1) knocking down domes over the VP
2) teleporting in an entire army w/ mage support
3) survive having every other player in the game devastate your force with artillery/assassination spells
4) finally defeating the defenders of the fort

Is fantastically difficult. If you can pull this off, IMO, you deserve to win the game.

Re: The Artifacts Game - [nation selection]
 

Well the problem is you always find this more or less unprotected castles to send such forces. AI players, nearly dead players. Castles without much mages are not rare in end game! Capital mages are often used to fight in field battles instead of being at home and research in end game.

Re: The Artifacts Game - [nation selection]
 

I felt I was as solidly in control of RAND 1 as was possible given the wrapped map and the volume and quality of other players. My hold on things was certainly getting kind of tenuous at the end (especially since I'd staked my chances at that point on a cap-grab), but up until then I'd gotten some huge lucky breaks (shadow seers!) as well as playing a nearly mistake-free game...If I'd not managed to win I think the game would have probably dragged on until near the end of time, since no one else was in anywhere near as strong a position, and once the research was all done it becomes quite easy to gang people from across the entire map.

I also would have had a really bad time of things if any of the caps I'd attacked had been domed...Plus I got most of my VPs the old-fashioned way, killing Mictlan, Tir, Marverni and Ulm myself and winning Pangaea when I beat Ulm, so I only teleported onto 2 caps, total. (well, 3, but shark attack is retarded...) I earned the other 7 capitals, and once I'd gotten that big it was pretty near impossible to hold onto all my provs, there are simply too many borders to defend at that point, and with 15+ nations it's pretty hard to get strong enough to take on the whole world at once.

Re: The Artifacts Game - [nation selection]
 

One observation. It seems that starting positions have been set with no randomizing. I'm not a huge fan of knowing that so and so in in such and such a spot nor of them knowing the same about me.

Mix em up please http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

Re: The Artifacts Game - [nation selection]
 

Not possible, due to the way artifact placement happens.

Re: The Artifacts Game - [nation selection]
 

So is this PBEM like in the OP or is it hosted like QM says? I can find the llamaserver but not the port http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/frown.gif

Re: The Artifacts Game - [nation selection]
 

It is PBEM. You email your pretender in.

Re: The Artifacts Game - [nation selection]
 

Hmm, don't recall saying it was hosted, but if I did sorry for any confusion.

Anyway, llamserver is really easy, but if you have problems here is the FAQ .

Re: The Artifacts Game - [nation selection]
 

Pythium pretender uploaded. All you slackers need to get on the ball. Let's get this game rolling.

Re: The Artifacts Game - [nation selection]
 

Where can i find any info about the server? Or should i email my pretender simply to Ironhawk instead?

Re: The Artifacts Game - [nation selection]
 

You should have all recieved an email from me with instructions. If you didnt, then send me an email right now so I can add you to the list. In short, what you need to do to get your pretender in is to attach your pretender file to an email and send it to:

pretenders[ at ]llamaserver[ dot ]net

with a subject line of:

artifacts

When this is successfully completed, you will recieve a confirmation email from the llamaserver.

Re: The Artifacts Game - [nation selection]
 

Evening is approaching and we still have four players out:

coobe
lolomo
qm
namad

Its time to finish up those pretenders and send them in, guys....

Re: The Artifacts Game - [nation selection]
 

like i said on irc is somebody doesnt show up ill gladly take the place

Re: The Artifacts Game - [nation selection]
 

Pretender sent in, Mictlan is ready to rock and roll!

Re: The Artifacts Game - [nation selection]
 

Rock and die, more like. Have at you, Mictlan.

Re: The Artifacts Game - [nation selection]
 

Only coobe left out now...

Re: The Artifacts Game - [nation selection]
 

DryaUnda, CBM was used to create pretenders and are you sure you use a human form?

Re: The Artifacts Game - [nation selection]
 

All right, all pretenders are in and I believe the first turn is generating. Game On!

Good luck to all!

Re: The Artifacts Game - [nation selection]
 

Turn's out and Dryaunda's pretender is undoubtedly borked due to not having the CBM mod turned on...guess we'll need a restart?

Glad it came up too, since the only way to have an illegal pretender in CBM is to be using one of the banned chassis types. (Multi-path clops, PoD and Moloch are the only pretenders that are more expensive than base for Arco, I believe)

Re: The Artifacts Game - [nation selection]
 

Uhhh... Am I missing something? I see no posts form DryaUnda about his choice for a pretender. Are you guys talking to him via PM or something?

Ohhhhhh - did you load the turn and see an error or something?

Re: The Artifacts Game - [nation selection]
 

Yep there is a cheating message in the first turn:
"Arco has a god that is too powerfull..."

Re: The Artifacts Game - [nation selection]
 

So, are we restarting?- Are we required to resend pretenders?

Re: The Artifacts Game - [nation selection]
 

We are restarting, yes. I've talked it over with llamabeast and he has informed me that it shouldnt be neccessary to resend any pretenders. I'll keep you all updated on how things develop. Assuming DryaUnda responds quickly we could be going again soon.

I would like to take a moment to reiterate to everyone tho the restriction on pretenders for this game. Only human pretenders are allowed (10pt new path cost, 20hp max). If anyone else mistakenly chose a pretender which does not conform to this, now is the time to tell me so that we can put a valid pretender in for you.


If any player is found to have a non-human pretender once the game starts they will most likely be ejected from the game.

Re: The Artifacts Game - [nation selection]
 

Sorry about that. Pretender redesigned and submitted.

Re: The Artifacts Game - [nation selection]
 

Thanks to DryaUnda's quick response, the game is back on track again. He also saved himself 10 lashes! http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/wink.gif

Game ON!

Re: The Artifacts Game - [nation selection]
 

Good news, my pretender works!

Now to figure out how to make the most of my three adjacent provinces, two of which are wasteland.

Re: The Artifacts Game - [nation selection]
 

BTW, I wanted to post a very important reminder about the first turn:

CHANGE SHAPE ON ALL YOUR MONKIES IMMEDIATELY

In case you didnt play a test game, all the monkeys are engineered to die on turn 2. Get your artifacts and items off them immediately. The Change Shape command will automatically remove all items (including cursed items).

Re: The Artifacts Game - [nation selection]
 

edit: nevermind

Re: The Artifacts Game - [nation selection]
 

Restart Successful http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

And just to make sure nobody forget:
Take all items from your apes into the treasury (via 'change shape' or manually). They are aquatic and will all drown after the first turn. Still worn items will be destroyed!

edit: to slow http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/frown.gif

Re: The Artifacts Game - [nation selection]
 

Thank you for the reminder. I would have surely forgotten to do this w/o it.

Re: The Artifacts Game - [nation selection]
 

If you move your Monkeys into a water prov, will they still die? I want to keep my monkeys.

Re: The Artifacts Game - [nation selection]
 

You can't move them. And in any case the water is full of indies that would almost instantly kill them.

Re: The Artifacts Game - [nation selection]
 

Some of us can make our OWN winged monkeys.

Re: The Artifacts Game - [nation selection]
 

I know, I know. The monkies are awesome http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif Unfortunately they are quite sure to die. But dont think of it as death, think of it like they are returning to the mystical realm from which they came. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/wink.gif

Game On
 

On to matters of the game: as you can all see the deadline for this first turn is longer than normal. This is to give people a chance to get thier acts together and react to the game starting. After the first turn, the schedule will be as posted at the top of the thread, 1 turn a day.

Re: Game On
 

Dangits, it turns out my starting position nerfs the one reason I decided to try Man in this game.

Not that I feel offended or unfairly screwed; I knew my odds and got unlucky. Too bad, Plan A would've been a fun new schtick. Well, on to Plan B, which involves seeing how much mileage I can get out of late-game-oriented artifacts!

Re: Game On
 

Go, go, Percival the Pocket Knight!

Re: Game On
 

I hope the hosting interval isn't too short this weekend. I'm going to be out of town for a little under 72 hours. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif Would hate to stale on turn 2!

Re: Game On
 

Would be ideal if you could find a one turn sub, but I'll delay hosting if we have to.

Re: The Artifacts Game - [nation selection]
 

I have asked Dragar to host for one turn. Hopefully he can. Depending on timing, I may not end up delaying the game much, but hopefully he can sub.

Re: The Artifacts Game - [nation selection]
 

Thanks for finding a sub anti. Let me know if I need to set the llamaserver to e-mail the next turn to him instead.

Re: The Artifacts Game - [nation selection]
 

Midgard reports the first casualties in the Artifacts war as Dreamsong, the Winged Monkey, who along with several friends got into a vat of Midgardian ale, went drunk flying, crashed into some trees, and then fell into and drowned in the same vat of Midgardian ale.

Ask not for whom the bell tolls my brothers, it tolls for thee

Re: The Artifacts Game - [nation selection]
 

Haha, awesome. At the risk of sharing state secrets I have to share this turn. I'm expanding using Nethgul, the Orb of Atlantis and the Sunslayer on my two starting commanders. Turn 1 of this fight on the third turn of the game, Nethgul decides the best thing to do is to blink his 14 hp host 4 squares *in front* of a block of 10 heavy cavalry! Oh crap, crap, that's by far the worst result out of any of my test games. I'm screwed on turn 3! Fortunately I gained the quickness heroic ability and half the cavalry ran right by to go attack my infantry. Nethgul now decides to drop body ethereal while two elementals tie up 3, 1 catches fatal point blank crossbow friendly fire (trying to hit the elementals) and the last horsy missed my ehtereal ***. Nethgul now paralyzes one, enslaves mind another one who helps the water elementals overwhelm the rest. Not a hit on my intrepid explorer....what'd you guys do to earn your hall of fame slots?

Re: The Artifacts Game - [nation selection]
 

My commanders decided to just sit at home and clean all the nice artifacts. Nothing else to report. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

I also did some tests with atlantis (while assumed playing it). The nethgul blink was the cause not to use it on my orb/water bottle strike forces.

Re: The Artifacts Game - [nation selection]
 

My commanders sat at home, looking at all the artifacts, and wondering what the hell they do. After three months of studying them, they decided they were all crap.

Just grow some Hydras, like we always do, was the consensus.

Re: The Artifacts Game - [nation selection]
 

Since we had two stales due to the sudden change to 24 hour host (one was me, so sue me being an admin has it's advantages http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/wink.gif ) I'm briefly rolling back the turn. It will be 24 hours for real after this though.

Re: The Artifacts Game - [nation selection]
 

Rollbacks suck. Try to avoid this in the future please.

Re: The Artifacts Game - [nation selection]
 

This rollbacks are confusing. Is there an automatic host after you and the other missed player (boron) send in the turns?

Re: The Artifacts Game - [nation selection]
 

As I understand it, no one has to do anything, besides me and boron sending in our turns. Then we will be back on a roll.

Anyway, yes, I will try my hardest to avoid rollbacks in the future. However, I figure if I set the new schedule and even I got confused by it, it's not really fair to make boron stale too...

EDIT: I was incorrect, seems everyone must send the same turn they send for the last turn 2.

Re: The Artifacts Game - [nation selection]
 

Well, I just re-sent my turn, since I thought that was what I needed to do. I'm totally confused now. And on such a crucial turn! I hope it works. I've probably screwed myself now.