Time for a poll. (The subject is abuse)

[K]

Sombre said:

I just don't get it. Is it that hard to understand that good balancing /increases/ variety? Ever heard of Rock Paper Scissors Mentok? It's like Rock Paper Scissors, but with the added variety of Mentok, which beats the other three and ties with itself. See where I'm going with this?

The thing I don't understand why everyone thinks that any of the above stated tactics are "Mentok." They aren't. Every one has a counter (usually several).

Sure, maybe you don't have that counter or aren't good enough at the game to keep it prepared, but isn't that the very essence of this game?

At it's essence, this game is about using tactics your opponent cannot or won't counter. Mere superiority in army size, income, or provinces can't win you this game unless you opponent is a noob.

[MaxWilson]

It's partly an Outside Context Problem. MoD, for example, has no counter that an attacker can employ within the context of a particular battle. That makes people tetchy if they want a game of tactical maneuvering instead of strategic second-guessing--the counter requires shifting contexts. It's Mentok for the specific battle in question.

-Max

[Omnirizon]

what is this mentok of which you speak?

[MaxWilson]

Earlier in the thread, a mention was made of Rock-Scissors-Paper-Mentok, which is just like Rock-Scissors-Paper except that Mentok beats anything and ties itself. The implication was that superdominant strategies reduce the complexity (and the fun) of a game. Tic-tac-toe is fun until you figure out how to always win-or-tie.

-Max

[K]

MaxWilson said:
It's partly an Outside Context Problem. MoD, for example, has no counter that an attacker can employ within the context of a particular battle. That makes people tetchy if they want a game of tactical maneuvering instead of strategic second-guessing--the counter requires shifting contexts. It's Mentok for the specific battle in question.

-Max

Sure there is. If they have magic rating required to cast MoD on round one, then you need to kill them on round one before they can retreat on round two. There are any number of spells that can do the job. It's not even a strategic "mentok" since overwhelming magical offense on round one is one of the best battlefield strategies.

You can also just send in a weak force that won't set off the AI's "cast my scripted gem spell" detector and then just let them retreat on round 2; if you've taken the adjacent provinces, then they lose a powerful mage.

Heck, even the worse case scenario of "dozens of mages in a castle" can be defeated by sending in one powerful SC and one mage who casts a damaging battlefield spell and then Retreats. By round 75 all those mages are dead or Retreated.

Strategic second guessing of other people's battlefield and other magics IS this game. Moving army men on the map is a small part of this game, and if that's what you want then I suggest playing a less complicated game like Risk.

[MaxWilson]

K,

Several good points there. Acknowledged, MoD isn't a Mentok.

-Max

[HoneyBadger]

Fresh goes better, Mentok freshness, fresh goes better with Mentok fresh and full of life!...sorry, I had a moment.

[Omnirizon]

HoneyBadger said:
Fresh goes better, Mentok freshness, fresh goes better with Mentok fresh and full of life!...sorry, I had a moment.

just don't put mentok in diet coke.

[HoneyBadger]

All around the mulberry bush, the badger ate some Mentok, he washed it down with diet coke...*POP* goes the badger!

Don't encourage me!