PBW "newbie game"

[BeeDee10]

Drat, I forgot to mention one of the most important things I learned in this game; forget everything you learned when practicing against the AI. The AI sucks in ways that no human ever would, so by learning to beat the AI you're learning to make grievous errors when playing against a human.

This newbie game was extremely useful for me, I recommend something like it to everyone who's new to PBW. Just make sure you're psychologically prepared to get your *** handed to you at any moment (thus revealing a major oversight in strategy at the same time.

[Phoenix-D]

In fairness, you probably would be having a better time if I hadn't pulled that stunt

Having your ally, who just happens to be #3 in the game, vanish in a matter of turns..epsecially when my static-but-invisible defenses would have slowed Dragon down (minefields. Lots and lots of minefields) a bit..

EDIT: BD, you little..

Anyway, I hit the "finished" button for my empire. The AI should take over what's left, so unless the Dragons and tzeech go at each other's throats, game's over. (remember victory condition DOES allow for peace)

Phoenix-D

[This message has been edited by Phoenix-D (edited 20 July 2001).]

[BeeDee10]

Well, he blew through a 56-mine field down in Narcisston, so it might not have slowed him down much.

I agree that your stunt is what set him off, but I think it would have happened anyway. I was willing to share the universe, and I mistakenly believed him when he told me he was too.

[Phoenix-D]

Hah, Certadsh parinoria was good for once, eh? Sneaky little..Dragon was defintely the winner of this one.

I'm picturing the Irh-Nrr as a kinda of benevolent Rage right now, mainly because of that Last message..

Phoenix-D

[The_General]

Just to let you all know that this PBW is cool. As far as RP goes, unless it's setup in the game design and part of the conditions of winning, then the RP should be replaced with PR = public relations. This is what I have been doing with both the Certadsh & Irha-nrr. After I walked into this game as a take over player, I evaluated the empire and divised a plan of PR. Since all of you, out ranked me in score, systems, ships, and resources, I decided on a appropriate number of ships to maintain. Then I converted all planet facilities not need to support my designed empire economics in research centers. I have focused heavily on completeing techs, and thru PR I have gained techs and bought time to gain better techs than some of you are cuurrently using.
This is a more detailed response to Dragons first comm to me earily in the game. I was not going to be a sitting duck for anyone. "You can come see me, but leave your guns with the doorman."

[BeeDee10]

Heh. I've managed to swing a subjugation treaty with Dragonlord. First time I've ever been on the recieving end of one of those.

My net resource production after tarrif is now exactly half of my maintenance expenditure, and I have zero reserves. Hopefully I've scrapped and mothballed enough junk that I won't lose massive chunks of fleet to neglect, but in any event there's no way I'd be able to field a force sufficient to stop Dragon from continuing his genocides.

The Irha-Nrr are infinitely patient and infinitely benevolent. We will wait quietly, humble servants of the Dragons, and perhaps one day yet we will find a way to make the galaxy safe for all life forms.

[Dragonlord]

OK, time for my next response.
Seems like I have pretty much won the Newbie II game, with Beedee throwing the towel after the first hostilities. Frankly I had hoped he would put up more of a fight.

Regarding mines: I never send a fleet into hostile territory, especially territory that was been well developed for years, if I don't have the capacity to sweep 100 mines with that fleet.

Regarding my betrayal: like in any game, I play to win. In this specific game, the only way to win (because of victory conditions) was peace for 1.0 years. I have never actually won a game like that but I assume it means that if all races are at peace with each other (and all AI races have been eliminated) then after 10 turns he with the highest score wins. I could have tried the peacefull route, and in fact did for a while, but Beedee was keeping up with me every step of the way. In fact he was usually slightly in front, score wise. Therefore the peaceful route would not work, and I assume that he chose to role-play his race the way he did precisely because of the victory conditions.
Furthermore, we expected that he had the same plan as we did. Namely, strike a blow against the other to knock a few 100M points of his score, then make peace and wait 1 year. Circumstantial evidence pointed that way, his number of warships in space consistently kept in step with ours. Looked like an arms race. He also built a forward resupply space station in a nebulae next to my border, which was clearly intended for future fleets. So I don't entirely buy the story of having caught them completely unprepared and by surprise.

As for the Certadsh, I didn't know they were pulling out of the game till I got some hints from Beedee and read the details here. I still wonder why Phoenix did that, were you tired of your role in 3rd place?

To keep within the roleplaying (pacification of AI species, not killing civilians) We went along with this as much as possible (for amusement) it was a good storyline. The Irra-nur have kept up that role pretty consistently. We never suspected them in the blowing up of the star, we thought it was the "trick" the Certadsh spoke of, and really wondered how they pulled *that* off.

As for the Xiati homeworld: I did not remember to check the race of the colonists. All I saw was a single big Irrh-nur controlled planet in a very strategic system, your main forward resupply base. The Tzeech had also told us that you considered that planet to be very important.

The Irrh-nut still have some 90 warships unaccounted for, and I a bit wary that they may suddenly show up through a wormhole into my core systems.

The offer of a subjugation treaty puzzled me, but I jumped on it since it would give me all his ship designs plus minerals I can well use. The Tzeech suspect that this is but a temporary ploy, in order to buy time to regroup and use the impressive economic might of the Irrh-nur to build a fleet against us. (tough though while paying a 40% tariff). If BD thinks this is the next best thing to surrendering, why not just surrender? Here in the forum I mean, he could just say he gives up and we can stop playing.

For now we'll continue, and cautiously explore his systems while reaping the benefits from the subjugation treaty.
If what BD says is completely true, then not even a sudden alliance of all three humans against me could stop me now, I think...
And I don't think you can get the Tzeech to betray me, after all the tech I gave them and my fleets ready to pounce wherever it's necessary

And yes, the three-pronged attack against Irrh-nur systems was long in the planning. Initially as defensive forces, then as we grew we contemplated an attack. The original plan was to create a wormhole into a backdoor Certadsh system (assumedly badly defended) and proceed to wreak havoc there with our central fleet. Later, when we found out that the Certadsh weren't really a threat, we changed tactics. We coordinated our attack with the Tzeech, so that we would first draw Irrh-nur attention to one place, and two months later the Tzeech would invade on another front. This, I think, has been pretty succesful and also very entertaining to plan and execute :-)