Mongoose - Starting (at last!)

[Sensori]

Yeah, although it's a bit pointless since the game'll end with Caelum's destruction. Still, a valiant effort to make the game take just a few turns more.

[WonderLlama]

Well, I had a good run. After that last turn, I'm ready to go AI. You hit me very hard with those fireballs. I was going to put up several redundant domes next turn, but I figured this turn all your spells would be going after my invading army.

It's your call though. I'm fine with trying to hold off a few sieges if that's fun for you all.

Either way, good game.

Oh, and as promised, my secret. I was up to about 50 clams. All those scout decoys that never worked as decoys had them. Maybe you figured that out. Those fire spells killed most of them though. I made them using Ice Crafters who had been empowered with nature. So they were half price. And I must have used about 20 wishes, mostly on gems. So I was in no danger of not being able to finance that. I was just about to wish for armageddon 5 turns in a row, which I figured would end blood hunting and bring you all down to my income level. But you got me too soon. Probably nothing shocking on what I did, but I didn't want to tell you about just how many scouts I had with pearls lest you go after them.

[Sensori]

Well, that was kind of why I threw all kinds of crap on your home earlier in an attempt to rid you of the Air dome to let Abysia throw Flames from the Sky at you without it interfering. ;p To stop you from Wishing by destroying your clam base (which was all you had). And obviously you had more than was showing (suspicion confirmed by your guy having Wished again - a level 9 astral mage doesn't turn into a level 10 astral mage with all other magic levels rising a level too without wishing). I myself am using the very same technique and have my clams on hiding Star Children all over my nation. Yeah, I figured it out all on my own a few days ago! ;p

To make a long story short, I knew I used gems where you didn't (remote attacks, lots of them), and I should've realized before posting that you had used them for that (clams). Altho I bet it has required a lot of alchemizing to get that going.

As for you quitting... It'd work for me quite well. I think this game has gone past its expiration date.

[Loren]

Sensori said:
As for you quitting... It'd work for me quite well. I think this game has gone past its expiration date.

You realize you're changing the terms of the game? It wasn't team victories! That was part of our reasoning in attacking Abyssia--we saw that it was not in your interest to help Abyssia and didn't expect to be facing your combined armies.

[WonderLlama]

I guess I should have had multiple air domes up sooner. I didn't anticipate anything quite so damaging. I certainly had the air gems for it.

I have set myself to AI. I also thought there could be only one winner, although it wouldn't surprise me if R'yleh could just claim it.

[Sensori]

Loren said:

You realize you're changing the terms of the game? It wasn't team victories! That was part of our reasoning in attacking Abyssia--we saw that it was not in your interest to help Abyssia and didn't expect to be facing your combined armies.

Nope, we didn't change the terms of the game. Nothing in said terms said that allied victories were prohibited. And you were wrong if you expected that I would let Abysia die to your alliance. How stupid did you think I am? Had Abysia died, I would've been isolated and pretty much alone against FOUR hostile nations and would've lost any chance to win (or even help someone else to win). Yes, that's your alliance and Ulm.

Sure, we had a much looser alliance in place before the war with you, but your massive war forced it to turn into a much deeper one. I had to be sure that if I sacrificed my growth and helped Abysia with remote spells as much as I could, it wouldn't end up biting me in the *** in the form of Abysia doublecrossing me. And the same of course goes for Abysia - he had to make sure that I wouldn't start using my stuff against him.

At the moment, however, the game's not even fun to play anymore and I'd be willing to just call it a draw between me, Abysia and Pangaea anyways if they felt inclined to even if the "to the end" alliance was not in place. Since, all in all, the effects of the alliance is just that - it's a draw between 3 nations once Caelum is either destroyed or leaves the scene.

EDIT:

Just started thinking... Would you have been happier if I had lied about it and claimed that us three had come to an agreement that we'll call the game a draw after Caelum's dead? Since effectively the alliance has the very same end result, and I would have asked them about a possibility for draw even without the alliance. ;p

[Sensori]

WonderLlama said:
I guess I should have had multiple air domes up sooner. I didn't anticipate anything quite so damaging. I certainly had the air gems for it.

I have set myself to AI. I also thought there could be only one winner, although it wouldn't surprise me if R'yleh could just claim it.

After all things have been said and done, you played your game pretty damn well. I never (well, before I realized your god was an Oracle and you took the Chalice from me) expected that you went the Wish way. That was the way I intended to go originally too, but never had the chance thanks to all the wars that depleted my gems turn after turn for a long long time. I however did expect to see a lot of nasties from you, which in someways I did, although due to your Wishing for things like magical power instead of using the gems for troops, I don't think I saw quite as much as I had feared, much to my relief. A really strong immobile mage isn't as a big of a threat as a huge army of moving killers. You can just besiege him and keep him locked up.

There's one thing that I wondered about as we finally managed to get past Arco and Marignon and head into your lands. I don't quite understand why you let me take over your lands so easily. All I used was a bunch remote summons which I expected to be destroyed very quickly (they were worthless chaff after all). I was surprised that you didn't even try beating them back at the time. Considering that I knew that you were stronger than either of us (Abysia and me) alone (took our combined efforts to beat you back)... It was a really big surprise. Of course NOW it'd be a lot harder because I've been able to start hoarding gems and whatnot, but at the time...

[llamabeast]

Okay, it sounds like this game is over, so I'll end it. I hope you all enjoyed it.

[Sensori]

Thanks Llamabeast for awesome hosting! And yeah, the game was fun (or more like nerve wrecking, but fun nonetheless) for quite a while. Only in the last, what, about 10 turns, prolly less, it's been very obvious that Caelum was stuck in a downward spiral and the interest (on my part) towards the game started to wind down.

I also remembered why I never play a lot of PBEM games at once in any game, and why I always took some time out from them when they ended. I get crazy stress from those turns which can pretty much make or break the game for you and your side. Too many things could go wrong, and if they do, it could be the end of you... It stresses me out completely.

WonderLlama could've caused the game take a LOT more time if he had wanted to since his capital was close to impenetrable due to his awesomely powerful Pretender, so thanks to him for not doing that. Only way to get him out would've been dominion death... And that would've taken a long long time.

[fabio80mi]

I would like to take the time for some messages =)

First of all to Llamabeast : THANK YOU FOR YOUR HOSTING!
The service was wonderful and you were very present when problems arised ! a really plus

Thank to all other players that contribute to make this game so exciting , in particular :

Sensori which was my allie for the most part of the game and from whom i've learned a lot
To the 'forces of good', Marignon+Arco+Caelum that really made the game interesting and helped me improve my skills a great deal to survive your onslaught
To Wonderllama a particular note for being a worthy adversary ^_^
Eldanesh who was a friend in the beginning of the game and only due to war with my other allie ended up out of the game

For the other players i didn't have much contact with u.. hope to play other games though and meet u there!