Thoughts on balancing MA Oceania

[Amhazair]

Meglobob said:
Evilhomer played Ma Oceania in a MP I was in and thrashed everybody. In the late game he had Seraphs, hordes of iron dragons and tarrasques. He had more gems than the gnomes of Zurich and they have alot of gems.

While this is absolutely true (I was the main beneficiary of said seraphs, dragons and tarrasques ) EH was served by circumstances. (quite apart from being a top notch player of course. ) He got an ally to help him defeat the only other water nation, and was then left alone for half an eternity with several globals running (don't remember which ones, no nexus until very late at least, but he might have had the forge up. If not at least a couple of gem producers. ) while the other strong nations duked it out in a massive mellee in the middle of the map.

I haven't tried to make MA Oceania work myself, but on paper it looks like I have to agree with Baalz. They do seem to have a better shot at land expansion against indies/weak or half defeated players than many other water nations, but apart from that? I don't see any real strenghts to take advantage of. (and having played EA Oceania myself in the last megagame, I do agree that the oceania don't really have much of an advantage on the clamming field either. )