MP Game - Yarnspinners

[puffyn]

Panther,

Glad to hear you appreciate the yarns. I definitely am in this game mainly for the narrative aspects, not anything so crass as "winning". (And this has nothing - nothing! - to do with the score graphs, no sir.)

Still, the point system helps keep me writing every turn, even when I'm not particularly inspired. If we are going to find replacements for some of these races who aren't leading, it might be a not-insignificant incentive to provide them with the points to allow them to remain competitive in scoring.

On a somewhat related note, Caelum actually *is* doing quite well (*sniff* better than Arco), and would be a good choice for someone who wanted to take over a race and have to worry more about coming up with a good narrative then about surviving the next few turns. Of course, I'm more than happy to keep playing them, but it's fun to have new stories to read... (Panther...?)

Puffyn

[puffyn]

---- Arcoscephale, Turn 17 ----

It was not long ago that I marched by the side of the great Alexander, learnt battle formations and strategy from his cunning hand. Now, abandoned by the same, I am forced to listen to a local crazy woman about how to arrange my troops.

The hoplite formation was designed to fight as one unit, the spears and weight of the rear ranks lending support to the front line. Stacked sixteen rows deep, this dread formation is nearly unbreakable in battle. I was there at Cunaxa, when the entire wing of the Persian army fled merely at our approach. Imagine if you were dressed in light cloth, armed with a short sword, and, with a rabble of your companions, you looked up to see the sun glinting off a thousand Greek shields, a thousand Greek spearheads blackening the sky. Only insanity or superhuman bravery would compel you to stand your ground, much less fling yourself onto their lines to have your body broken and trampled forever into the dust.

Nowhere on earth has anyone been able to withstand the phalanx. A hundred, a thousand years from now, men will still march out in this formation; it is the ultimate, definitive, triumphant Last word in warfare.

But, no, heaven forbid we go with what works. I know, let's divide the strength of the phalanx into tiny little two and three man squads, cluster each of them around a bloody mystic, and, what's more, test this formation in battle, not against a light rabble, but a strongly defended province reputed to be guarded by women who are renowned for their battle progress. But Divikar carries orders from the village elders that Amshula should try this new tactic, and so we are all going to die.

A scout from the eastern marches has sent word that a disturbing race dwells north of this warrior-women province. Their practices are rumored to be quite barbaric, and I hope they have been somewhat exaggerated. On the other hand... sacrificing female virgins. I mean, it's wrong and despicable, an affront to civilization. But I cannot help thinking that Amshula has never been married...

Divikar also brings word of another failed attack upon Skeldmarsh. Apparently a few locals decided to steal some hoplite armor and go avenge Limmy's death. They were scattered like leaves, but some people cannot get enough punishment, and so they are preparing yet another attack. Apparently all the semi-intelligent people on the council have been overruled by the Limmy fanatics, who spend all their time wandering around, wailing his name.

---

[Sedna]

Turn 17, R'lyeh

Owie.

Such nasty little men on their horses, oh, we hates them, nasty sharp pointy lances... and too clever by far. I didn't see -- ha ha, little joke there -- the one who skewered me, though when I sucked the brains out of the closest one I could find the memory of his malice was still fresh. Such a waste -- his mind was riddled with all these unpleasant tasting tumors -- but by the time I could clear the taste out of my mind the horses were gone, and I was surrounded by chattel. It's like filling up on the bread before you can get to the main course: by the time I consumed all of the weak troops, the good meat had fled already.

And bLasted cancer-boy had to go weaken my claw-arm, on top of it all.

The rest of my little empire goes well. Someone finally managed to persuade a local lad that the "giant sucking monster of death", as I am affectionately known in the local parlance, was far enough away that he could take up academic studies, and he shall be finished with his training soon. One of my cowardly Ilithid Lords has also sent word that he has secured Red Lake for me, and I go now toward him with visions of freshwater trout. I also hear that one of my Starspawn is working on a heavenly clam sauce that he can't wait to share with me. Good minions.

At least there are no nasty horses at my next meal stop.

Do you realize that there is unconquered sea still to the south of me? I swear, nothing, nothing gets done without me. What have my followers been doing back home? Could they not have delivered into my empire a couple provinces defended by a few fish? I'll kill them, kill them all.

Oh, and it's probably time to send another dolphin messenger to my neighbors. It's such an obvious prelude to killing them all. Oh, the Messages will be peaceable enough. But... mwhahahahaha. I'm such a sneaky god. They'll never see it coming.

[CuriousCat]

Machaka: Turn 17

Cetewayo and his retinue performed the rituals which would sensitise them to the existence of magical power began to search. Cetewayo had been very disappointed with the dearth of magic in the lands he had conquered. However, he was sure that this time the search would pay off. He could feel the presence of magic. If only he could find it! They had been walking through the forest for hours when Cetewayo began to notice a change. The trees were becoming strange. It was not yet Autumn, but more of the leaves on the trees were yellow, orange and red. However, none of them had fallen from the trees. It was as if these brilliant colors were their natural state. Soon all of the leaves were the color of flame. Cetewayo could sense the presence of magic so very close. He relaxed and allowed the magic to call him. Soon he heard superstitious mutterings from his retinue. He brought himself out of the partial trance into which he had sunk and was surprised by what he saw. They had come to a small grove of trees. Like all of the trees in sight, their leaves were a combination of yellow, orange and red. However, these trees didn't just look like flame, their leaves were burning, yet not consumed. There was a tangible heat being given off by the trees ahead. The heat wasn't unpleasant, especially for a Machakan. In the center of the grove was a circle of trees and there, in the middle Cetewayo found it. Now he understood the difficulty he had experienced identifying the magic. Laying there on the ground was the answer to the puzzle. There were two magical gems. One was the deep red of a fire gem. The other gem was the lustrous green of nature magic. This flaming forest would be a source of both nature and fire magic. This find was very good news. Most of his magicians used nature and fire gems for their magic.

That evening there was a celebration in the camp. They had found a new, reliable source of magic. Alone it wasn't enough to ensure the health of the nation, but it helped and they had been a part of it. Cetewayo relaxed and observed the festivities. As he relaxed he felt the presence of magic. This was not the flaming growth he had found earlier. This magic felt colder, darker. It felt appropriate to seek this site at night. He quickly left the party behind. They had camped in the ruins of an old city. As he walked he began to feel the magic more strongly. The further from the living he got the stronger the magic seemed. He entered a large ruin and sensed the magic was very near. He was surprised. He was sure that he was sensing death magic. Thus, he had anticipated a cemetery or prison. However, from the little that remained, this seemed to be some sort of hotel or mansion. As he continued he realized that the magic was originating from beneath him. Luckily, he could simply choose to pass through the ground. He emerged into an underground crypt. He realized his mistake. The wealthy among these people had buried their dead in underground crypts under their homes. This one was quite impressive. He could sense powerful magic here. It would be a source of considerable power. This was very welcome news. Well, the workers that would have to excavate the site probably wouldn't be celebrating while they were digging. Death magic frightened most people, however there were those among his magicians who knew how to use it. This would enable them to do so.

[magnate]

Hi folks,

Sorry to be so absent. Running on an old 2MB S3 card at the moment, while my RadeOn9600 crosses the atlantic for RMA. Also stupendously busy at work, and likely to remain so until xmas. I'll try and update scores at least once a week from now on.

Well done on the yarns, they're really getting very interesting and entertaining. I would urge the non-spinning players to come out of the woodwork and join the fun!

Turn 14: Arco 2, Machaka 2, R'lyeh 2
Turn 15: Arco 2, Machaka 3, Man 3, R'lyeh 2
Turn 16: Arco 2, Caelum 2, Machaka 2, Man 2, R'lyeh 2

Totals after turn 16:
Abysia 14
Arco 33
Atlantis 2
Caelum 6
Ermor 20
Machaka 26
Man 17
Mictlan 6
R'lyeh 23
Vanheim 4

All the best,

CC

[puffyn]

---- Arcoscephale, Turn 18 ----

Early fall.

The other night I dreamt of home. It was early evening on the docks, and I was watching the sails turn orange. A cool breeze blew, carrying the smell of distant rain, and I turned slightly to see Thymbre standing next to me. I knew that she had actually never been to Pagasae, having left her tiny mountainous village as a small child to serve in the temple at Delphi, and then to join the great campaign, but we stood together and watched the ships glow for a while, then fade to dark. There was no moon that evening, and gradually everything disappeared except for the distant stars. She never spoke.

When I awoke, it was hot and muggy, as it has been every morning for months, and swamp-stench filled the air, along with the sounds of soldiers banging out their armor and preparing for battle. Thymbre was gone, of course, further from reach even than distant Pagasae which I doubt I shall ever see again. Perhaps while I have been away fighting wars in lands I care nothing for it too has disappeared forever, and that is why I dreamt of them both.

The battle that morning reminded me so much of that other terrible day of cold, hard death: fearless women with spears, some mounted upon strange beasts (lizards this time; I am getting so sick of swamps and their lizards and snakes and other scaly beasts), led by sorceresses who dabbled in unnatural forces, and a sickly evil feeling to the land. Our few light troops fell almost at once to the advancing lizard-warriors, or scattered, and the first volleys between the magicians on both sides traded ineffectual beams of light for useless sparks of fire, as a dozen riders bore down upon us. I felt an odd queasy sensation, as if the world were about to turn very wrong again.

But my silver shields have been through much, and were not about to fail this time; the death of some only emboldened the rest to fight harder. I had joined my men at this point (I could not stand at the rear, not this time), and I saw many strange things brought against us, like vines rising from the ground to entangle our feet. But what really made my blood boil was when I heard the cries of the small figures in white at the far end of the battle field, and saw the bloody knives being taken to them, and I realized then what great evil I had been sensing. At this point, Amshula unexpectedly did something incredibly useful, killing several enemy foot soldiers with a giant ball of flame, and I silently apologized for wishing such a bloody fate upon her.

It was a bloody battle -- over half of my silver shields lay dead on the ground -- but we prevailed, and the enemy turned and fled. I made sure that neither of the evil women in charge left that field, though sadly many of the innocent sacrificial victims were also killed in the retreat. The rest begged us to kill them, claiming that if we let them go they would only be caught again by the dread kingdom to the north, where even more unspeakably evil things would be done to them. I plan to send them back toward Thymbre's temple, where perhaps they will have a chance to heal.

When I saw Amshula afterwards, I thanked her and her brother for helping in the fight, particularly for stunning the fleeing enemy mages so that we could catch up with them, and gave her permission to go off and look for her magic sites (as if forbidding her would have stopped her, but it felt good to pretend). She replied, cryptically, "I was only following what is written." When I looked at her quizzically, she said, "Try reading your book for a change, perhaps it will keep you from being so confused all the time," and strode off.

The only book I had was the silly one Thymbre had given me, The Collected Sayings of Pandokos the Prophet... but sure enough, on page 3, it contained a conversation I had had with my quartermaster in a tavern in Oast Hills years ago. I had said -- sorry, let me just quote it here, for I am, if anything, even more confused:

"And Pandokos of the odd smell of horse spoke thusly, saying: 'And you know what would be great? If giant balls of flame poured down from the sky and killed everyone, so we didn't have to risk getting our armor dented.' And the men did laugh, but Balachandra, first of the wise, came to the elders, and said: 'Let us make it so.' And they set to work..."

---

[Yvelina]

I did read with amusement about the free dwarven hammer and gems from Vanheim to Caelum. Those two races were originally begun by boyfriend and girlfriend and that is the way they always play on those occasions when they both join the same game. They are always allied on day 1, they never attack each other, they give gems, money and artifacts freely between each other, and they will assist one another as needed throughout the course of the game. It is kind of sad that they felt the need to do that in a game that is supposedly for fun only.

Panther, I think you are missing a big part of what a multiplayer game of Dominions II is about. There is something called 'diplomacy'. It involves setting common goals, making common decisions, and implementing coordinated plans... all of this for a common benefit.

I know that you think that me and Petar are cheating by 'allying on turn one'. I have written more than I care to admit trying to explain exactly what our non-agression pact entails, how much weaker than an alliance it is, and that I cooperate less with Petar than with any other ally of mine.

Still, you continue to slander us, any little chance you get. You and Cohen, two of a lousy kind. You both have suffered humiliating defeats, and you will go to any extents to somehow explain your pathetic showing with anything but lack of skill. I am really tired of you dragging our names through the mud. Petar and I no longer play MP games together but there is no shutting you up, is there?

Let me tell you about the Last game I played... as an example of the kind of diplomatic relationships I often enter.

I found C'tis capital early on. There still was a three province indy layer between us. I messaged him and offered a fair division of all the indy provinces between us. We agreed on a non-agression pact and started trading at once.

Soon afterwards, we pooled our death gems, in order to forge path boosters and throw a 'Well of Misery' up. We shared the death income from the global until it was dispelled. We coordinated our globals, for example he let me keep a Gift of Health until my pretender was healed, and then I left the slot open when he needed to heal his Tartarians.

When the nearby world war about produce a clear, powerful winner, we coordinated an attack on Jotunheim, and split him among ourselves. This forcibly pacified everyone else, as the leading nation stopped rolling its enemies over, and brought the troops home in case we kept going beyond Jotunheim's borders.

Afterward, we exchanged spy information, coordinated our covert sabotage of Abysia, while, of course, maintaining our trade. Eventually, the cold war became hot, and when Abysia was pressing C'tis pretty hard, I was supplying him with air gems, staff of Storms, and anything that he could use to turn the tide... at a time he could not afford to pay me at once. When he handed the main devil army a sound defeat, I like to think it was at least partly because of my help.

Well, I was not sitting idle at the time - I had taken over Arcocephales, and then in two or three turns left Pythium with nothing but besiged castles.

At that time, C'tis realized that I was the one to beat, and allied the surviving nations against me... but until that time, we were communicating daily, coordinating our moves and we were stronger for it. And, I assure you, C'tis was not being played by my boyfriend.

In another game, which I am playing right now, I have just a strong an alliance with another nation. We agreed on common borders before turn ten, we trade extensively, we are crushing a common enemy, and we have coordinated pretty much every attack since the beginning of the war. It has happened that one of us was late in a trade, and it is ok. And again, this is a third player, not my boyfriend, and not the C'tis player from 'Live and Learn'.

This, dear Panther, is diplomacy. It helps two nations become stronger by negating each other's weaknesses. Unless diplomacy is expressely forbidden by house rules, it is madness not to trade and coordinate as much as possible. I play Vanheim, and I have found that being the friendly smith is a great way to smooth the bumps in the road to victory. I scout extensively and try to draw borders that are mutually agreeable. I hate early wars, and unless an agressive player like Cohen inflicts them on me, I stay out of them...

And you constant harping annoys me a lot. I do not mind it when people are wary of me because of my victories. I do very much hate it when someone tries to dismiss my successes with 'oh, her boyfriend helped her'.

[Sedna]

Turn 18, R'lyeh

Sometimes visions float into my head, unbidden; "They love me in Shreveport, and I've never even shreved."

I saw a temple, twisted in form, dark in color, with a gaping, tortured hole at the center, raised up by a hundred peasant hands. On those sat the building itself, glistening in sweat and seaweed, and reflecting the light of a million dead stars. The locals danced and sang, and tried in vain to clap along with the music.

In the inner court, there stood a thousand foot statue of me: horrible sacrifices were offered into my tentacle and blood poured out and down over the bronze, forming a lake at my feet. Seven priests were in constant attendance, guarding the gate, polishing my bronze, and rendering fat for the thousand candles that flickered in the grotto. In the outer courts, throngs of waif-like worshipers, so caught up in their love of me they do not eat, pressed against one another and the razor-sharp lichens which infested the walls. In amongst them, merchants had set up stands, selling sacrificial animals, dark vials of spice, and the cutest little cthulhu plush dolls.

Ah... my people love me. For their spontaneous dedication of this temple to me, I shall award the good people of North Hengewood the privilege to be the first of my subjects eaten when I am grown large enough to devour the world.

For my part, this month saw yet another battle. A score of crossbow bolts flittered in the air and then I was upon them, and it was all sucking and little splotches of blood. Next month will be an exciting one. My army from the south will secure the bridge of crows, I will move north towards the lake, and I shall control all points of access to the lands between the Red River and the setting sun.

Construction of my coastal fortress continues apace. Soon my dedicated scholars will have their own offices (with windows) in which to contemplate the ways of the world. Work faster sages of time! Mmmm... sage and thyme.

My tummy is all growly. Off to eat something...