Re: EA Game \"A Blessing in Disguise\"
 

You can check here to make sure it got it (in addition to the receipt emailed):

http://www.llamaserver.net/gameinfo.cgi?game=Blessing

Re: EA Game \"A Blessing in Disguise\"
 

Ha! The "misguided warmongering followers of Ulm" needs to visit the game thread more often, and we can attest to the fact that the "peaceful, innocent winged folk of Caelum" sitting atop their mountain have cracked more than teeth. Two legs and and an eye to be exact http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/wink.gif
The Ulmish people are a tranquil lot, in fact we have a meditative mantra. It goes a little something like this.
Crush your enemies, see them driven before you, and to hear the lamentations of their women!

Re: EA Game \"A Blessing in Disguise\"
 

Not sure if hEad has let you know Hadrian_II, but he is having to rush off for a while for personal reasons, so won't be able to carry on playing this game. Might be worth looking for a sub for him or setting him AI (I can do that for you), depending on how good his position is.

Re: EA Game \"A Blessing in Disguise\"
 

I got a PM from him, as he is bordering me, and i had always the intent to conquer him, i will conquer marveni now, and i suppose other neighbours might want to do the same, so the sub should know how to fight a war or might get frustrated.

Re: EA Game \"A Blessing in Disguise\"
 

Hrm, looks like Ulm is going to surround our mountainous home. Aww, I had hoped to have more than one nation try to conquer the home province. ; )

(Just a note: I may be developing a rep--among those that look over past posts--of destroying territories foes invade when losing. No one in this game has lied or misled me in the least, violating my own particular code of honour, so I have no reason to used scorched earth here; I lost, fair and square. The home province was 200-tax-patrolled to fund my initial expansion at the start, but it is still at around 26k pop, and has 3 Growth. I'm taxing it normally now; I'm going to make it as hard as I can, but by the time it's cracked, the egg should be juicy indeed!)

Have fun with the game, everyone, and may the best nation win!

--IndyPendant.

Re: EA Game \"A Blessing in Disguise\"
 

Sorry to dissapoint, Tien Chi picked a fight that I'm gonna finish.

Re: EA Game \"A Blessing in Disguise\"
 

Actually 200 tax patrolling your home province even if you are losing is a good idea as you can simultaneously defend your production center and make a profit. As long as one doesn't pillage and destroy the castle on top of that, I don't think that can be considered scorched earth.

I have never played early age Caelum but those eagle kings look like they have the potential to destroy entire armies depending on how far up the research tree you are, so I doubt all is lost.

Re: EA Game \"A Blessing in Disguise\"
 

It looks like Marverni is going to stale again, since hEad has officially left the game. Can we please either have them set to AI, or else turn off the timer while we search for a sub. No one's going to want to jump in and take over a nation that is both being invaded and has repeatedly staled.

Re: EA Game \"A Blessing in Disguise\"
 

Yomi has been completely defeated. My turmoil/luck scales yielded a rich crop of brigands and "one fifth of the population as left for greener pastures" events. Got some goodies as well, that I was completely unable to put to good use.

Have given Ulm a healthy leg up if nothing else ....

Re: EA Game \"A Blessing in Disguise\"
 

Set Marverni to AI. No one takes beaten nations. We are wasting time.

Re: EA Game \"A Blessing in Disguise\"
 

ok, marveni should go ai before the next turn hosts.

Re: EA Game \"A Blessing in Disguise\"
 

Question to all players, but especially host:

Do we allow use of shortlisted bug "Cast battlefield enchantment and retreat mage"? This makes enchantment last until all troops are gone. Some combinations of enchantment are unbeatable.

I am asking because it was just used on me in other game, which I am quitting. I would like to know exact interpretation of rules in this game.

Two scenarios:

1. Two units on field. One has "Staff of Storms", casts "Wrathful Skies", and retreats. Other stays and fight.

2. Two units on field. One casts "Mist of Deception" and retreats. Other has "Staff of Storms", casts "Wrathful Skies", and retreats.

Do we allow either? My preference is:

"No" on 1, "No" on 2.

Re: EA Game \"A Blessing in Disguise\"
 

My impression is that both of these are known bugs, and that therefore exploiting them is cheating unless agreed-upon house rules specifically dictate otherwise.

But I've also seen a compromise position: it's ok for a mage to cast a spell like that and then have the last of his or her scripted commands (i.e. the main command after the five commander scripts) be retreat, because it can never be verified whether a mid-battle retreat is due to a script or to a morale check.

In any case, using this exploit should be considered in Very Bad Taste. And we are nothing if not tasteful gods...

Re: EA Game \"A Blessing in Disguise\"
 

The peaceloving winged folk of Caelum would like to announce that we have returned to the game! We have liberated our territories from the successful counterattack of the misguided warmongering followers of Ulm! We will now proceed to demonstrate to the followers of Ulm the error of their ways! We will now...

*looks left, at the 200+ army about to invade* *looks right, at the horrible visage of the looming Prince of Death*

Oh sh-- ; )

Re: EA Game \"A Blessing in Disguise\"
 

Hee. Aww. Good game, Ulm. Things *might* have been different if you hadn't had such *perfect* timing as to attack my 68-PD home province with your SC just as all my leaders that could hurt it left to attack your provinces...

...but then again, it might not. *shrug* My capital's now besieged and I have almost nothing left to fight with, so going A.I. Have fun, everyone!

The AAR has a couple of silly moments in it, so I'll quickly whip one up here. If I stomp on anyone's toes, revealing something I shouldn't, please accept my apologies. Shouldn't happen, though.

So at the game start, I'm doing initial exploration, and bump into Yomi and Fomoria. Grand; Yomi I might be able to handle, but they're far from ideal for my crappy crap-crap armies and trampling elephants; Fomoria is just about the worst nation Caelum could possibly have for an early neighbour. I offer NAPs to each of them; Yomi accepts, Fomoria...attacks me. With blessed giant troops.

Uh oh.

I'm reasonably certain I can't defeat him, so I do what I can to hurt him, by calling public attention to the location of his capital and the fact that he and I are now in a war. Then I *do* hold him back--possibly because he encountered the scale bug and I did not, I'm not sure. But my public post may not have had the results I intended...

Imagine, if you will, foxes and wolves carefully slipping through fields of high grass. Suddenly, they hear the snarls and yelps of fighting, off in the distance. They look at each other--who could have been so unwise as to advertise their position, and their weakness, so loudly?--and begin to prowl towards the sound. With a fight of that severity, even the winner might just be weakened by his wounds...

Strangely enough...everyone suddenly flocks to the provinces I had indicated, while I'm driving Fomoria away. Oops. Still, I'm far from certain even now that I can besiege his capital, so when Vanheim offered to do it for me, I basically smiled, shook his hand, and patted him on the back as he passed through my territories to get there.

And found the rest of my neighbours: Yomi, Fomoria, Vanheim, Arcosephale, and Ulm. Oh gods, not exactly an ideal selection for Caelum. Still, Ulm is probably the one that needs taking down the most--being the most powerful at the time--and who knows? Maybe my tramplers can do it.

So I secure NAPs with everyone else, and attack Ulm. Driving deep into his territories--I think, at peak, I had conquered 8 or 9 of his provinces--only to bump into his capital.

Imagine, if you will, a small regiment of soldiers deep inside enemy territory. Their morale is high, for they have met little resistance thus far. They break out accross some plains to spy a castle in the distance...and guarding that castle, over three hundred enemy soldiers formed in strict battle line. The regiment leader starts screaming into his radio for reinforcements, only to hear it squawk about another army of almost two hundred Ulmites threatening the other regiment somewhere off to the east, and an Ulmite Prince of Death that has conquered the capital and is besieging the home castle! The regiment wilts in near-despair, and they can feel the grins on the Ulmites faces...as their counterattack begins.

Driven steadily and surely back, I retreat to my capital. For the second time this game. Twice now I have been driven back to my home province; my chances of winning this game are now completely kaput. Still, I can have some fun by fortifying the home province and seeing how long it takes for someone to crack the egg.

Then I have a brilliant idea: I note that Ulm is nowhere near me, and divide my army into four parts to attack four of my home province's neighbours. It works like a charm--with one small hitch. The Prince of Death makes another appearance that very turn, attacking my capital just when I led my armies out of it. Aw, no. No! He's left me alone until then, why now, of all turns?!? One turn earlier, they'd have been waiting for him. One turn later, they'd have been back and patrolling again.

*watches 68 PD go poof in the blink of a PoD's eye, and sighs*

A few turns later, yet another 250-unit army defeats the meagre PD I have been able to replace, as well as the armies I had patrolling the province.

Caelum has fallen.

Re: EA Game \"A Blessing in Disguise\"
 

[img]/threads/images/Graemlins/Balloons.gif[/img]!!! Lands for sale !!![img]/threads/images/Graemlins/Balloons.gif[/img]

http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/eek.gif The Atlantian Real Estate Ltd. is proudly offering 3 of the best provinces known to this world for sale:

1. The beautiful mediterrean island of Elvis (254). A pearl of an island with untouched nature and undiscovered magical sites awaits its new owner. This wonderful piece of land has despite its wild charm surprisingly good connections to the biggest cities of the known world.
For 300 gold you could own your own personal Elvis.

2. Sea of Rond (186) is a fish-rich part of the ocean. With its still intact coral reefs it is a dream of all scuba-divers and amphibious creatures. (Hint to Yomi: Lots of whales looking to be "researched" http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/wink.gif ) This province is well worth its 500 gold.

3. Lucky Lake (139). You had bad luck in this cruel world? Do yourself a favor: Buy the province Lucky Lake, known for its water that has magical powers to prevent unrest and diseases. It's a, if not THE, place of pilgrimage because a young triton maiden has the one and only true god seen wandering through this province. For 500 gold this place of holy wonders could be yours.

If you're interested, send a messanger to our new firm headquaters.

Grandfather Seaflowers, CEO [img]/threads/images/Graemlins/Teddy.gif[/img]

Re: New EA Game Looking for Players
 

Remember that thread from a few months back about how EA Oceania's knights of the deep are absurdly overpowered. The late Mr Pennies and his moldering hordes of allegedly mind-blasting horror would like you all to know that knights of the deep are absurdly overpowered. Not that any of you have to worry about that, since they're underwater and you're not. But I am. And it sucks.

On a related note, y'all might want to go ahead and fortify your coasty bits. Team Oceania will soon be the undisputed lord of the sea . All my disputants is deceased.

Re: New EA Game Looking for Players
 

A warning to all dealing with Atlantis. Oceania claims all lands currently held by Atlantian Real Estate Ltd. Any transactions with Atlantis will not be honored. We declare war on any nation that seeks to puchase Atlantian real estate. We extend the same warning to any deals with Rlyeh, as Atlantis has similarly sold property claimed by Oceania to Rlyeh.


As a side note, Rlyeh crossed a 2 province land bridge with his pretender and an army to attack us without any warning, and battling us in our dominion even, and 4 provinces away from his nearest reinforcing castle.

For those students of underwater strategy, Oceania would like to direct attention to the second megagame Evermore, where MA Atlantis ruled the sea defeating all underwater opponents, including the absurdly overpowered knights of the deep.

Re: EA Game \"A Blessing in Disguise\"
 

Hehe I must say I did have a bit of luck there and throughout the entire conflict with Caelum and Yomi.

The "timing" was meant to correspond with an attempt to surround the capitol and fear rout most of the army there. Prince of Death had taken a beating the last time he tried to solo the province and was regaining strength in high dominion and rearming with better magic items. I didn't think he would necessarily win and if in trouble retreat to an open province, but as you have written he got lucky and only faced provincial defense.

When Caelum started the invasion I was in a bind because if I was to meet that threat it would leave my southwestern flank exposed. Thinking other nations might be involved I park an army nearby Yomi and offer gold, gems, items or land to stay neutral or agree to a NAP. He refused because there were no independent provinces left and proceeds to attack the next turn. I lose some land to Yomi, Mictlan attacks and takes a province, and Caelum keeps marching toward the my capital.

I go into turtle mode since most of my army is pinned down defending key provinces. I finish building a fort in one area freeing up those defenders and get a random event creating another in a wasteland near Caelum. I love maxed luck scale http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

Ulm goes on the counterattack. Caelum retreats to the capital pinning down his army. I then flank Yomi from his south through Caelum's former territory. This breaks a stalemate forcing Yomi to attack a well defended position.

Ulm goes on the counterattack. Captures Yomi's capital and remaining provinces. That army is now free to march on Caelum. After much wailing and gnashing of teeth along with about a hundred ulmish casualties in the final assault, Caelum was felled.

Re: EA Game \"A Blessing in Disguise\"
 

We, the trustworthy Atlantian Real Estate Ltd., assure all future landowners that the provinces for sale are native property of our company.
Lucky Lake is a border province of Atlantis itself. Sea of rond only two provinces away. The island of Elvis was bought by our company from Mictlan.

Or did I misunderstand your message, dear Lord of Oceania? Is your message here a buying offer in the rustical tongue your vassals speak and you want to be sure, that no other nation snitches the lands you'd like?
So we glady agree to your offer and await your paying of 1300 gold. It's a pleasure to deal with you.

(Though we're sure he gave his best, please send next time a messanger with the ability to express himself properly. It sounded so rude to our ears.)

Grandfather Seaflowers, CEO [img]/threads/images/Graemlins/Teddy.gif[/img]

Re: EA Game \"A Blessing in Disguise\"
 

What Oceania calls an unprovoked attack I call "attempting to come to Atlantis' aid." And unless Atlantis' claim that Oceania asserted sovereignty over all the sea is false (and Oceania's behavior suggests it's not) then my attack was not unprovoked. If you tell someone else you're going to kill me, you've still said you're going to kill me...

Crossing the land bridge was something I had to do early in the game because my start position was a 3 province lake and had nothing to do with him.

It wasn't so much the dominion that killed me, but the fact that R'lyeh is worthless if the mind attacks don't take, and Oceania's sacreds seem designed to counter just those kinds of attacks, even without the s bless. Add the s bless to it, and it's ludicrous.

Re: EA Game \"A Blessing in Disguise\"
 

C'tis declares war on the evil alliance of Rlyeh and Vanheim!

Onward lizard soldiers! Now is the time for action, while our blood is hot from the summer sun!

Sssla

Re: EA Game \"A Blessing in Disguise\"
 

I'm in an alliance?

Re: EA Game \"A Blessing in Disguise\"
 

I don't *feel* like I'm in an alliance.

Re: EA Game \"A Blessing in Disguise\"
 

Your diplomat claimed friendly relations with Van, before he hinted threats to us of mindless hordes and teleporting enslavers. C'tis does not take lightly to such badgery!

If you have caused Van and C'tis to be entwined in war by sowing confusion in our puny lizard brains, so be it! There is glory in battle, and too many soldiers is a drain on public finances.

C'tis

Re: EA Game \"A Blessing in Disguise\"
 

Winter is coming. Your lizards, fat and slow from the summer, will freeze while my war hardened Vans tear them apart and feast on their dead bones.

Re: EA Game \"A Blessing in Disguise\"
 

Oh come now. We R'lyehanians can't order breakfast without mentioning our mindless hordes.

In any case, it *is* a little gauche to declare war on us immediately after my posts about Oceania decimating us. My mindless hordes, they are all theoretical now.

Why didn'tcha just say that you've decided to kick us because we're down. There's no shame in that...but pretending this is a war...oh come now. My mindless hordes, they are as puzzled as they are theoretical.

Re: EA Game \"A Blessing in Disguise\"
 

Does not the crocodile seek to snatch the prey that is already broken? We would not have presumed to insult the great minds of Rlyeh by stating the obvious, but of course, your screaming death throes were exactly what prompted us to invade your lands.

Vanheim, we would be happy to give you our dead warrior's bones as scraps to your poor troops. Meat for the living requires death, and we are not squeamish! We expect great battles, and there will be few hungry among those of us who survive.

C'tis

Re: EA Game \"A Blessing in Disguise\"
 

[img]/threads/images/Graemlins/Balloons.gif[/img] We proudly announce that Oceania bought our two sea provinces. So only the island of Elvis is still to be claimed! Interested buyers please send a messanger to us. [img]/threads/images/Graemlins/Balloons.gif[/img]

Thanks Lord of Oceania for your interest. We gladly accept the gift, the frost brand sword, your prophet brought to our estate agent, but would like to remind you that the full price of 1000 gold hasn't been paid yet. Please send us the money next month. Thanks.

Re: EA Game \"A Blessing in Disguise\"
 

Last month, for the second time in only a few months, the great armies of Pangaea and Lanka clashed. Since the dawn of the era the two nations had been at war, but recently the greatest battles of all took place.

In the first, a sea of Maenads faced off against a wall of hardened palankashas supported by thunderstrikes. Countless Maenads were slaughtered, but one by one the palankashas were brought down, torn asunder by the claws of the wild ones. For a long time it seemed that Lanka might win, but finally the mighty Pangaean Gorgon flew into battle, and eventually the palankashas broke and fled.

At that point Lanka seemed doomed, but somehow another might army was scraped together, even as territory after territory was lost to the Pangaean raiders. All the mages of the Lankan research teams were brought into battle, for a secon massive confrontation. Once again for a long time victory seemed hopeful. The maenads were killed in their hundreds. But ultimately the palankashas were driven from the field once more, and this time almost all the Lankan mages were killed too.

Lanka is doomed, and has been set to AI. We warn all free nations to beware of the Pangaean hordes.

----

I felt pretty much doomed the whole time in this game, since I took over rather than set Lanka to AI when they'd been staling for some time. Despite that I really really enjoyed playing. My war with Pangaea has been constant and vicious. At one point the Lankan armies beat the far larger Pangaean empire right back to their capital, which our allies from Niefelheim then occupied - victory seemed certain. But the maenads broke out, drove off the giants and swarmed back south in such numbers that we were eventually defeated. Well played Pangaea (especially using Destruction and Strength of Giants against me) - it was a fun game.

Re: EA Game \"A Blessing in Disguise\"
 

Thanks for very entertaining game Llamabeast. You gave me a lesson. I'm sure the result of our war would be different if you havn't taken Lanka already broken. But then I would make friends with you. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/image...es/biggrin.gif
I hope to meet you in other games.

Re: EA Game \"A Blessing in Disguise\"
 

I'm having trouble accesing hotmail from the cruise ship I'm currently on. Asking for a 1 day delay in hosting while I try to figure it out. No guarantee I'll be able to get on...maybe I can steal a hotels wireless at our next port of call.

Re: EA Game \"A Blessing in Disguise\"
 

Actually, I would be glad to have that 24h delay too.

Re: EA Game \"A Blessing in Disguise\"
 

hosting is posphoned by 24 hours.

Re: EA Game \"A Blessing in Disguise\"
 

R'lyeh's position is beyond hopeless. I've gone AI.

You'd think the mind-blasting horror from beyond the stars wouldn't be quite so pathetic in practice. So squishy; they all went squish.

Have fun storming the castle, Oceania. Sorry I couldn't put up a more interesting fight against your double blessed freight train.

Everyone else -- I only have positive dominion in my capital, no pretender, and very few priests. You can probably dom kill the AI pretty quick and not worry about those site-searched forts in my little lake.

Re: EA Game \"A Blessing in Disguise\"
 

i just noticed that Revolution was asking for a delay before the host has taken place. So i removed the extension for the next host.

If you need posphonement for this turn too, i can add id again tomorrow.

Re: EA Game \"A Blessing in Disguise\"
 

i received turn 37. arent we supposed to make 36 again?

Re: EA Game \"A Blessing in Disguise\"
 

Tough stale. Ahhh well, at least I got hotmail working again.

Re: EA Game \"A Blessing in Disguise\"
 

I'm taking over for Arco, could the game host please update the email address to blessing_dom.20.dre at neverbox dot com?

Re: EA Game \"A Blessing in Disguise\"
 

Yes, Baalz is taking over for me. Thanks a lot everyone, I had a great time, but I am going back home from consulting in US, and won't be able to play as much if at all.

Good luck...

Re: EA Game \"A Blessing in Disguise\"
 

FYI, Nikolai has brought me up to speed on all diplomatic status and I intend to honor all NAPs and maintain relationships in the spirit they've grown so far. Let Arcoscephales friends remain friends, and our enemies tremble in fear.

Re: EA Game \"A Blessing in Disguise\"
 

Is hunk-a, hunk-a burning love island(254) still on the real estate market? If so Ulm would like to place a bid of 300 gold. Rock-a-Hula!

Re: EA Game \"A Blessing in Disguise\"
 

no, i just created a little turmoil for nothing.

@baalz: i hope i got your e-mail right
@everyone else: arco is now dangerous, please stomp it before he grows too strong.

Re: EA Game \"A Blessing in Disguise\"
 

Thanks Nikolai for a good game.
Welcome, Baalz.

Re: EA Game \"A Blessing in Disguise\"
 

Naughty Hadrian, you nearly made me shoot Dr. Pepper out my nose. Should I take this as a declaration of war from Kailasa?

Got the notification of the address update so everything's good.

Re: EA Game \"A Blessing in Disguise\"
 

I had problems with this to, so I wrote a script to take care of this and haven't had a problem since. Here's a link to it if you want to use it, it's set up for the llamaserver already, and it's not nearly as hard to set up as the first glance at the instructions implies.

http://www.shrapnelcommunity.com/thr...amp;Forum=f187,f194,f195&Words=&Searchpage=0&Limit=1 00&Main=574038&Search=true&where=sub&a mp;Name=5223&daterange=1&newerval=5&ne wertype=y&olderval=&oldertype=&bodypre v=#Post574298

Re: EA Game \"A Blessing in Disguise\"
 

Or, in shorter words,

http://www.shrapnelcommunity.com/thr...ev=#Post574298

http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/image...es/biggrin.gif

Re: EA Game \"A Blessing in Disguise\"
 

No, just an information to the other players. We dont share a border anyway, so a war between us would just exist on paper.

Re: EA Game \"A Blessing in Disguise\"
 

Does anyone know in what province the captiol of C'tis is? 10 gold for the one who tells me first.

Re: EA Game \"A Blessing in Disguise\"
 

Why, what are you going to do, sell it?

C'tis

P.S. The future capitol of C'Tis is province #207. We will accept our 10 gold as soon as we finish moving.