PBEM game: The first step (Running)

Alneyan · #1 May 7th, 2005, 09:58 AM

Turn 3 has just been sent.

Agrajag · #2 May 7th, 2005, 11:22 AM

This ought to give me a chance to see the superior-scout tip in action. =P
Just have to wait until everyone submits their turn...

Shmonk · #3 May 7th, 2005, 11:23 AM

Just sent in my turn 3.

Interesting start, some witch cursed my units for stealing gems from her?? I didn't get an email the prior turn, but checking my treasury, I see 5 nature gems. Hmm.... how to put those to use.

And on this rather large map, how is it that I'm only 2 provinces away from one of these false pretenders I'm hearing about (me being the 1 true god)? Argh!!

Questions on diplomacy (since it doesn't apply to SP games. Is it always prefered/recommended early in the game to allow everybody to ramp up? Is it frowned upon too early? Just curious (not that my neighbor "deserves" an alliance with me, but just curious).

- Shmonk

Alneyan · #4 May 7th, 2005, 11:47 AM

Players are put on the map fairly randomly, but it isn't really big: there are only 145 provinces, for 8 players (I think), and it is a warp-around map, so you are likely to start with someone very closeby. The maximum distance between your capital and someone's else should be under ten provinces; eight is the maximum I think.

The witch thing was a random event: those happen randomly (duh), though the game can affect them - a nation with a Death scale is more likely to get plagues for example. So you didn't actually do anything, but the dice gave you this event (a good one too, unless the curse happens to target your important commanders).

Ah, diplomacy. There is no hard rule here, but you will usually agree to be neutral with your fellow players... except if you want to attack them early on, of course. Expansion tends to focus on beating the independents as soon as possible, but you might consider province trades after that. Doing too well could result in an early war, but it seems unlikely: having more provinces on turn 15 does not mean much, and if you do have more provinces, you should have the upper hand in a war.

A nation like Ermor (the death themes at least) has also trouble with its Dominion, since nobody wants to see their population dying off (and Ermor will likely have very poor scales). It can be worked around however, especially if the Ermorian player is willing to keep Dominion under control. If this player starts casting Utterdark and spreads Dominion like mad, it will be another matter altogether.

sushiboat · #5 May 7th, 2005, 11:53 AM

Turn 3

According to the graphs, Ermor, Marignon, and Machaka each gained a province. Arco jumped close to Machaka in army size by winning the bid for mercenaries. Pangaea now leads in research, with Pythium a close second.

The Hall of Fame shows two Pretenders with kills -- Gran of Machaka and Fortu of Marignon. The Ermorian Prophet Tagg Klatu also made the list.

Agrajag · #6 May 7th, 2005, 12:42 PM

By looking at the change in research you can see which players sent their pretenders out conquering indies (since that nation's reasearch flat-lined it means the pretender isnt researching).
Interesting how Ermor and Marignon have the upper hand as far as conquest goes, as they are each others arch-nemesis (as far as the story goes at least, though Marignon should have the upper hand as far as combat goes as well

).
Cant wait to see some real action (and probably my pretender banished form this world as well

).

Molog · #7 May 7th, 2005, 01:05 PM

Ermor is probably summoning a dusk elder.

RibbonBlue · #8 May 7th, 2005, 01:11 PM

Great my luck is just going great. The independts around me are all Milita/longbowmen/heavy infantry/crossbowmen/knights.
Theres also a druid province and barbarian province.
All my provinces have knights. I saw one province that had milita+longbowmen, I go to conqure it with my army. 4 Knight commanders and 3 knights!!!. The druid province I am attacking will probaly contain darkvines. My luck is just going great!!!

Alneyan · #9 May 7th, 2005, 01:33 PM

Five turns (out of eight) are in.

Ironhawk · #10 May 9th, 2005, 10:46 PM

Quote:

RibbonBlue said:
Great my luck is just going great. The independts around me are all Milita/longbowmen/heavy infantry/crossbowmen/knights.
Theres also a druid province and barbarian province.
All my provinces have knights. I saw one province that had milita+longbowmen, I go to conqure it with my army. 4 Knight commanders and 3 knights!!!. The druid province I am attacking will probaly contain darkvines. My luck is just going great!!!

Sorry for the slow reply. RibbonBlue as Man you have a very strong selection of national units with which to defeat the indies threatening. I will run down them and just make some quick comments, some of which have already been covered in the thread.

Barbarians: Man LOVES barbarians. They have barely any prot and arent particularly fast. Build about 20-30 longbowmen, set them way in the back of the field and Fire Closest. You will tear them to pieces before they even reach your men. Bring a set of spearmen or other chaff and set them to Hold and Attack if you feel you really need it.

Druids: Another indy type that is favorable to Man. Again, just mass up your longbowmen and this time set them to Fire Archers. The woodsman will have to move forward to get into range of your longbows (if they have been placed farthest possible back!) so they wont even fire first. Your longbows will slaughter them in 1-2 volleys and they will flee. Then the blowpipe guys will be in range and the same will happen to them. Darkvines could pose a problem, I dont recall thier prot. Maybe bring some chaff to tie them up while the longbows go to work on them. You might also get some lucky arrow hits on the druids themselves which could cause a rout.

Knight Provs: These are tricky. I will list off a way to defeat them here but it requires a bit of subtlety to get the tactical placements just right so I highly recommend you put off attacking knights until later in the game. Anyway, the trick with Knights would be to bring 1) chaff and 2) knights of your own. Put the chaff up front, set to Attack Cavalry - these guys will all die, but they will use up the Lance attack. Somethign cheap (with shields in this case, since enemy has bows) and use enough of them so that they wont rout if a couple die to arrows in the first 1-2 turns before the knights can kill them. Then have your Longbowmen set way back and on Fire Cavalry. Probably you wont kill any, but you might wound one or two, which can be the deciding factor with a small squad. Then have your knights way back as well with Hold and Attack Cavalry. So they will jump into action once your chaff has eaten the indy lance attacks and Lance the enemy in return.