You can't actually believe there is no benefit to being friendly with a more powerful nation. That's kind of a disingenuous thing to say, really. The reasons are far too numerous and obvious to list, but here's one big one off the top of my head - Having a chance to grow in military and magic to the point that you can defend yourself against anyone, without getting summarily invaded and destroyed.
There's a great equalizer for large armies and nations, and they are called Battlefield Enchantments. I offered the nations of the world the chance to first grow, THEN fight on equal footing with anyone and everyone, just don't jump on the jealousy bandwagon and see to your own nation first, I said. But R'lyeh, Abysia, and Lanka (Atlantis took a potshot) had to be bullies -- and see where it got them! It's just been a pure slaughter since Kailasa fought like the dickens. Some of that had to do with skill levels and scripting, but some of it was just plain not having the resources to compete because they didn't take the easiest ones available to them when they could.
If those nations had instead looked to their more natural neighbors, they'd have conquered them by now, or just turtled up and spent their gold more wisely instead of throwing it away like so much dandelion fluff in the wind against me. They would be more than ready for the coming late game. Like C'tis, like T'ien Ch'i, like Helheim.
Instead, what happened is that they saw someone a little bit faster than them in the early game and panicked, and all have made some very unwise moves, diplomatically and militarily, and in all likelihood, won't be around for much longer in this totally fantastic and dynamic game, which is unfortunate.
Anyway, we'll soon see how well you've put your nation together... but don't tell me that you couldn't have used another 6 or 7 turns, because I don't believe that you are currently prepared for what I have coming for you!
In 6 turns you could have invaded 20+ provinces with 6 eagle kings. In 6 turns, you could have researched up to level 6 or 7 in a school of magic. In 6 turns, you could have had 6 more forts. But most of all, you could have had the self satisfaction in the fact that you were right to do it; now because of these nations' greed and pride, we gain power more rapidly - we have no deal with you, or Lanka, or Abysia, or R'lyeh holding us back. And even if all four of you were the same nation, you could not hope to defeat Sauromatia now with the heavy and in some cases massive setbacks we have dealt out over the last several turns.
Still Sauromatia is open to diplomatic inquiries and niceties, no matter our successes on the battlefield. It's almost as if I didn't even get to play that aspect of the game, because I was too busy counterinvading Sauromatia's ill-advised aggressors!
See you all in Ascendant.
Edit: Also, I wanted to openly acknowledge and admire Kailasa and Ulm for always coming in and playing their turns still. I don't think either one of them has missed even one turn yet. That's pride. I think either one of you could easily be where Sauromatia is now if you'd had the same start.
Re: On another topic . . .
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