Request for strategy: Late game tips

[Jazzepi]

Velusion said:
I tend to agree with Baalz. I've found people to be rather selfish in these sorts of games - not really willing to fork over the resources to defeat a larger threat until that threat is almost (and usually) too late.

But we'll see... 62 players might change things...

I think this is called the Tragedy of the Commons.

Jazzepi

[Gandalf Parker]

Meglobob said:
The no.1 best thing you can have in a MP is a loyal ally who will stick with you to the very end in the late game. So far I have found 95/100 dominions players to be power mad, stick the knife in soon as look at you. A trustworthy ally is as rare as gold dust.

Btw I have offered a pact to lots of different players, of complete alliance until the end of the game where just the 2 of us have been left. I have never had it accepted, not once in nearly 20 MP games. Why I have no idea, surely finishing in the final 2 with 50% chance of winning is a good deal?

Thats always been one of my problems in MP. I tend to hold an agreement until the end. Or at least until its been openly declared void. I have a hard time playing as paranoid as I should.

I wish things were different. I believe that some nation combinations could balance each others strength and weaknesses to be more powerful than any nation on its own. Some of my favorite nations strike me as being weak in most MP games but powerful as allies.

Its also why I sometimes check connections to my server to pick up on anyone playing the games as 2 nations without telling their opponents.

[jutetrea]

I don't understand it either, why not ally till the end? Finish with the 2, 10 months to prepare, meet in x province, winner take all. Possibly max units/commanders. That's actually how I play my alliances (not NAP or defensive alliance) with the intention of supporting them and having a backup the whole game.


Seems like everyone is a paranoid bugger

[Velusion]

jutetrea said:
I don't understand it either, why not ally till the end? Finish with the 2, 10 months to prepare, meet in x province, winner take all. Possibly max units/commanders. That's actually how I play my alliances (not NAP or defensive alliance) with the intention of supporting them and having a backup the whole game.


Seems like everyone is a paranoid bugger

About half the MP games I'm in I've had a really good ally that has lasted until almost the end (or my end at least). I have a mental list in my head of players I consider possible trustworthy (or potentially trustworthy) allies.

They are out there, you just need to look hard.

I never would make an alliance to last the ENTIRE game though. If it looks like my ally is about to win - and I still have a shot at #1, I'm not going to sit back and just let him have it!

[jutetrea]

Right, but after 100 turns of alliance you don't just stab him in the back do you? There's gotta be a way for either a joint win or a singe (2 outa 3, whatever) contest that will choose the victor.

I'd say either do an arranged apocalyptic battle with everything, 1v1 agreed upon SCs, or 1 naked h1 priest vs another If the alliance got you there, its kind of crappy to have the guy with treachery in mind the last 10 turns positioning units and hoarding resources suddenly go boo.

[Velusion]

jutetrea said:
Right, but after 100 turns of alliance you don't just stab him in the back do you?

Not really. When I make my alliances I usually try to be pretty clear that alliances cover everything except installing the other player on the throne as a winner.

So that was his warning...

It's never came up in a Dom3 game where I had to do that though...

Edit: If I had no chance of winning and my ally did I sure wouldn't try to stop him though.

[jutetrea]

Kind of random, but question on pricing.

So i've got a good spot in one game where i can become somewhat of a merchant during a peaceful time. I offered prices of 5 pays 7 if same gemtype, 8 if other gem type. for example clam costs 15w+5N so would be 21W+7N to pay or 32 misc gems.

Too high? Too low?

First time i've done it so just curious. Some items will take my pretender to build, which hurts research, but I'm doing well in research in the game (1st currently).

[vfb]

You know, as an impartial observer, I'd have to say too high. Unless you are selling to R'lyeh, Niefelheim or Ermor, who are are not only incredibly dangerous but are also unstable to boot. In those cases your prices are far too low, and you should charge at least triple what you are proposing.

Don't even think about selling to Helheim, because the items will just get heim blood all over them, and that would really be a pity. And any nations who have a pact with you should get 50% off at the end of each month.

How does that sound?

[MaxWilson]

Not exactly too high or too low, but... I'd probably charge based on value, which means rarity and utility more than gem cost. (Of course, some things just won't be valuable enough to be worth selling period.) Remember that these items cost you research and mage-time to make, and/or pretender points to bootstrap you into paths to make them. And it would cost other nations the same. So, dwarven hammers might be 25 gems, and a bag of winds might be 60. Boots of Flying, however, don't bootstrap into anything and so your 7/5 formula seems reasonable to me, 14 gems. Remember that you're saving them on research cost as well as possibly getting them into paths they couldn't have reached independently.

-Max

[Velusion]

MaxWilson said:
Not exactly too high or too low, but... I'd probably charge based on value, which means rarity and utility more than gem cost. (Of course, some things just won't be valuable enough to be worth selling period.) Remember that these items cost you research and mage-time to make, and/or pretender points to bootstrap you into paths to make them. And it would cost other nations the same. So, dwarven hammers might be 25 gems, and a bag of winds might be 60. Boots of Flying, however, don't bootstrap into anything and so your 7/5 formula seems reasonable to me, 14 gems. Remember that you're saving them on research cost as well as possibly getting them into paths they couldn't have reached independently.

-Max

In a game with a lot of players I think you'll get much better deals than that trading with other nations. Just send out a message to a few nations you know should have the paths for the items you are looking for and most will probably be looking for something you can make...