Nations - MA, CBM 1.6, max lvl 6, NI, Assimilation - Olm/Man and Louist/Ulm win!

[Valerius]

Originally Posted by Olm

Just a comment: Could it be, that the three of us are just too reasonable for a War-Game?

Lol. Actually it's funny because when I read your statement I thought you meant it sincerely and I think you may be right that there isn't a high level of killer instinct in this group. Ghoul can definitely be aggressive but he tends to choose 1 vs 1 fights rather than jumping in on a dogpile so that he can profit at little cost (uh, actually I'm more inclined to do that than him - I've been trying to improve my killer instinct ).

Fighting is good (that to me is the most fun part of the game) but dogpiles aren't much fun (unless the nation being dogpiled is so strong they are actually on an even footing with their many attackers) so I can see ghoul not being too happy about it.

Ghoul and I have been in a lot of games together and he's a man of few words. That can definitely work against him in games that have diplo. Like Louist, Arco was the last nation I had contact with.

I think another thing that works against Arco in this game is that he is the only strong astral nation. That makes him scary but it also makes getting access to his mystics probably the best prize in game. I actually had some concern that it was too good a mage to give other nations access to and that may prove to be the case.

The problem is if Ulm is no longer going to attack Arco that leaves Eriu facing Arco alone and I'm not going to abandon Eriu so I guess that means I'll be attacking Arco again, which means Man and I will be back at war, which will remove the threat to Ulm of Man attacking him so he'll probably grab some of Arco's provinces, and we're right back where we started.

[Louist]

We certainly seem eager enough not to fight.

[Louist]

Originally Posted by Valerius

I think another thing that works against Arco in this game is that he is the only strong astral nation. That makes him scary but it also makes getting access to his mystics probably the best prize in game. I actually had some concern that it was too good a mage to give other nations access to and that may prove to be the case.

Mystics are definitely too valuable a prize. Astral, combined with their fantastic diversity makes Arco far too tasty a target. Priestesses, even with their perfect healing, would be a better choice.

[Louist]

I just saw the results of last turn. Ghoul's not out of the fight just yet. He rather neatly decimated my forces :P

[Samhain]

Originally Posted by Olm

Just a comment: Could it be, that the three of us are just too reasonable for a War-Game?

You see, I agree with Valerius that there may be more than a grain of truth in that statement. As in Nations, I too often find some justification for a belligerent act in which I clearly lack the strength, skill, or both to succeed. But, I feel absolutely unable to resist based on what is a "justified response to an existential threat" or some other nonsensical claim for precedence based on an amateur understanding of world history. And, with only two notable exceptions in many, and one which involved me playing a giant nation with a good bless, it has not worked out in my favor. Perhaps Dominions3 is not the best model of history, but if reason tends to prevail over belligerence, it can't be all bad.

Anyway, I'm not sure what I am babbling about here, but that was a very dramatic turn.

[Louist]

Admittedly, I don't have a lot of MP experience, but not even in single player have I lost so many men so quickly.

[Valerius]

Originally Posted by Louist

Mystics are definitely too valuable a prize. Astral, combined with their fantastic diversity makes Arco far too tasty a target. Priestesses, even with their perfect healing, would be a better choice.

Priestesses were my first choice but then I got worried about, for instance, Jotun getting ahold of them or maybe another astral nation getting access to Arco's risk free mind hunts.

Well, we could always make a house rule that whoever conquers Arco (if anyone does) agrees not to recruit mystics. Or we could just view conquering Arco as being the equivalent of casting Arcane Nexus in a normal game and thus justification for a dogpile.

Originally Posted by Louist

I just saw the results of last turn. Ghoul's not out of the fight just yet. He rather neatly decimated my forces :P

Originally Posted by Louist

Admittedly, I don't have a lot of MP experience, but not even in single player have I lost so many men so quickly.

Told you Arco was scary. And he hasn't even started yet with mind hunts, soul slay, gifts from heaven... Man may come to regret protecting Arco from the dogpile.


Also, I want to clarify something. It isn't necessarily fun to be dogpiled but sometimes that happens and you just make the best of it. Actually, thinking it over, it can be fun to fight a losing battle and make your opponents pay as high a price as possible for taking you down. I had quite a lot of fun in a recent game doing exactly that. Added bonus: the micromanagement goes down as the game goes on!

So nobody is under any obligation to make fights fair or should feel they can't play to their own best interest. There can after all be only one true god.

[Valerius]

In other news, the Pangaean scouting network reports disturbing signs of a buildup of forces along Man's border with Ulm. Pangaea would look unfavorably on any hostile action Man might take against Ulm.

[Valerius]

Originally Posted by Samhain

You see, I agree with Valerius that there may be more than a grain of truth in that statement. As in Nations, I too often find some justification for a belligerent act in which I clearly lack the strength, skill, or both to succeed. But, I feel absolutely unable to resist based on what is a "justified response to an existential threat" or some other nonsensical claim for precedence based on an amateur understanding of world history. And, with only two notable exceptions in many, and one which involved me playing a giant nation with a good bless, it has not worked out in my favor. Perhaps Dominions3 is not the best model of history, but if reason tends to prevail over belligerence, it can't be all bad.

Anyway, I'm not sure what I am babbling about here, but that was a very dramatic turn.

I think I see what you're saying here. It's seems like you are inclined to role play your nations, rather than a more pragmatic approach to choosing your nation's path. By far, most D3 MP games fall into the pragmatic category. Jotun and Van may be ancient enemies but if an alliance suits the players running those nations then there will likely be one.

[Olm]

Well, that was a great battle in Arcoscephale, this turn. My congratulations to arco for this victory.
@ Pan
We just want to be sure that Ulm does not stomp on the weaker nations. But then those "weaker" nations clearly showed teeth this month and perhaps don't need one to stand up for them at all.
And just as a comment: Ulm did not stand up for you the way you did now, when We announced our short campaign against Pangaea.