EA Game "A Blessing in Disguise"

[Hadrian_II]

ok, marveni should go ai before the next turn hosts.

[Nikolai]

Question to all players, but especially host:

Do we allow use of shortlisted bug "Cast battlefield enchantment and retreat mage"? This makes enchantment last until all troops are gone. Some combinations of enchantment are unbeatable.

I am asking because it was just used on me in other game, which I am quitting. I would like to know exact interpretation of rules in this game.

Two scenarios:

1. Two units on field. One has "Staff of Storms", casts "Wrathful Skies", and retreats. Other stays and fight.

2. Two units on field. One casts "Mist of Deception" and retreats. Other has "Staff of Storms", casts "Wrathful Skies", and retreats.

Do we allow either? My preference is:

"No" on 1, "No" on 2.

[Tichy]

My impression is that both of these are known bugs, and that therefore exploiting them is cheating unless agreed-upon house rules specifically dictate otherwise.

But I've also seen a compromise position: it's ok for a mage to cast a spell like that and then have the last of his or her scripted commands (i.e. the main command after the five commander scripts) be retreat, because it can never be verified whether a mid-battle retreat is due to a script or to a morale check.

In any case, using this exploit should be considered in Very Bad Taste. And we are nothing if not tasteful gods...

[IndyPendant]

The peaceloving winged folk of Caelum would like to announce that we have returned to the game! We have liberated our territories from the successful counterattack of the misguided warmongering followers of Ulm! We will now proceed to demonstrate to the followers of Ulm the error of their ways! We will now...

*looks left, at the 200+ army about to invade* *looks right, at the horrible visage of the looming Prince of Death*

Oh sh-- ; )

[IndyPendant]

Hee. Aww. Good game, Ulm. Things *might* have been different if you hadn't had such *perfect* timing as to attack my 68-PD home province with your SC just as all my leaders that could hurt it left to attack your provinces...

...but then again, it might not. *shrug* My capital's now besieged and I have almost nothing left to fight with, so going A.I. Have fun, everyone!

The AAR has a couple of silly moments in it, so I'll quickly whip one up here. If I stomp on anyone's toes, revealing something I shouldn't, please accept my apologies. Shouldn't happen, though.

So at the game start, I'm doing initial exploration, and bump into Yomi and Fomoria. Grand; Yomi I might be able to handle, but they're far from ideal for my crappy crap-crap armies and trampling elephants; Fomoria is just about the worst nation Caelum could possibly have for an early neighbour. I offer NAPs to each of them; Yomi accepts, Fomoria...attacks me. With blessed giant troops.

Uh oh.

I'm reasonably certain I can't defeat him, so I do what I can to hurt him, by calling public attention to the location of his capital and the fact that he and I are now in a war. Then I *do* hold him back--possibly because he encountered the scale bug and I did not, I'm not sure. But my public post may not have had the results I intended...

Imagine, if you will, foxes and wolves carefully slipping through fields of high grass. Suddenly, they hear the snarls and yelps of fighting, off in the distance. They look at each other--who could have been so unwise as to advertise their position, and their weakness, so loudly?--and begin to prowl towards the sound. With a fight of that severity, even the winner might just be weakened by his wounds...

Strangely enough...everyone suddenly flocks to the provinces I had indicated, while I'm driving Fomoria away. Oops. Still, I'm far from certain even now that I can besiege his capital, so when Vanheim offered to do it for me, I basically smiled, shook his hand, and patted him on the back as he passed through my territories to get there.

And found the rest of my neighbours: Yomi, Fomoria, Vanheim, Arcosephale, and Ulm. Oh gods, not exactly an ideal selection for Caelum. Still, Ulm is probably the one that needs taking down the most--being the most powerful at the time--and who knows? Maybe my tramplers can do it.

So I secure NAPs with everyone else, and attack Ulm. Driving deep into his territories--I think, at peak, I had conquered 8 or 9 of his provinces--only to bump into his capital.

Imagine, if you will, a small regiment of soldiers deep inside enemy territory. Their morale is high, for they have met little resistance thus far. They break out accross some plains to spy a castle in the distance...and guarding that castle, over three hundred enemy soldiers formed in strict battle line. The regiment leader starts screaming into his radio for reinforcements, only to hear it squawk about another army of almost two hundred Ulmites threatening the other regiment somewhere off to the east, and an Ulmite Prince of Death that has conquered the capital and is besieging the home castle! The regiment wilts in near-despair, and they can feel the grins on the Ulmites faces...as their counterattack begins.

Driven steadily and surely back, I retreat to my capital. For the second time this game. Twice now I have been driven back to my home province; my chances of winning this game are now completely kaput. Still, I can have some fun by fortifying the home province and seeing how long it takes for someone to crack the egg.

Then I have a brilliant idea: I note that Ulm is nowhere near me, and divide my army into four parts to attack four of my home province's neighbours. It works like a charm--with one small hitch. The Prince of Death makes another appearance that very turn, attacking my capital just when I led my armies out of it. Aw, no. No! He's left me alone until then, why now, of all turns?!? One turn earlier, they'd have been waiting for him. One turn later, they'd have been back and patrolling again.

*watches 68 PD go poof in the blink of a PoD's eye, and sighs*

A few turns later, yet another 250-unit army defeats the meagre PD I have been able to replace, as well as the armies I had patrolling the province.

Caelum has fallen.

[cupido2]

[img]/threads/images/Graemlins/Balloons.gif[/img]!!! Lands for sale !!![img]/threads/images/Graemlins/Balloons.gif[/img]

The Atlantian Real Estate Ltd. is proudly offering 3 of the best provinces known to this world for sale:

1. The beautiful mediterrean island of Elvis (254). A pearl of an island with untouched nature and undiscovered magical sites awaits its new owner. This wonderful piece of land has despite its wild charm surprisingly good connections to the biggest cities of the known world.
For 300 gold you could own your own personal Elvis.

2. Sea of Rond (186) is a fish-rich part of the ocean. With its still intact coral reefs it is a dream of all scuba-divers and amphibious creatures. (Hint to Yomi: Lots of whales looking to be "researched" ) This province is well worth its 500 gold.

3. Lucky Lake (139). You had bad luck in this cruel world? Do yourself a favor: Buy the province Lucky Lake, known for its water that has magical powers to prevent unrest and diseases. It's a, if not THE, place of pilgrimage because a young triton maiden has the one and only true god seen wandering through this province. For 500 gold this place of holy wonders could be yours.

If you're interested, send a messanger to our new firm headquaters.

Grandfather Seaflowers, CEO [img]/threads/images/Graemlins/Teddy.gif[/img]

[Tichy]

Remember that thread from a few months back about how EA Oceania's knights of the deep are absurdly overpowered. The late Mr Pennies and his moldering hordes of allegedly mind-blasting horror would like you all to know that knights of the deep are absurdly overpowered. Not that any of you have to worry about that, since they're underwater and you're not. But I am. And it sucks.

On a related note, y'all might want to go ahead and fortify your coasty bits. Team Oceania will soon be the undisputed lord of the sea . All my disputants is deceased.

[LoloMo]

A warning to all dealing with Atlantis. Oceania claims all lands currently held by Atlantian Real Estate Ltd. Any transactions with Atlantis will not be honored. We declare war on any nation that seeks to puchase Atlantian real estate. We extend the same warning to any deals with Rlyeh, as Atlantis has similarly sold property claimed by Oceania to Rlyeh.


As a side note, Rlyeh crossed a 2 province land bridge with his pretender and an army to attack us without any warning, and battling us in our dominion even, and 4 provinces away from his nearest reinforcing castle.

For those students of underwater strategy, Oceania would like to direct attention to the second megagame Evermore, where MA Atlantis ruled the sea defeating all underwater opponents, including the absurdly overpowered knights of the deep.

[MrSparkle]

Hehe I must say I did have a bit of luck there and throughout the entire conflict with Caelum and Yomi.

The "timing" was meant to correspond with an attempt to surround the capitol and fear rout most of the army there. Prince of Death had taken a beating the last time he tried to solo the province and was regaining strength in high dominion and rearming with better magic items. I didn't think he would necessarily win and if in trouble retreat to an open province, but as you have written he got lucky and only faced provincial defense.

When Caelum started the invasion I was in a bind because if I was to meet that threat it would leave my southwestern flank exposed. Thinking other nations might be involved I park an army nearby Yomi and offer gold, gems, items or land to stay neutral or agree to a NAP. He refused because there were no independent provinces left and proceeds to attack the next turn. I lose some land to Yomi, Mictlan attacks and takes a province, and Caelum keeps marching toward the my capital.

I go into turtle mode since most of my army is pinned down defending key provinces. I finish building a fort in one area freeing up those defenders and get a random event creating another in a wasteland near Caelum. I love maxed luck scale

Ulm goes on the counterattack. Caelum retreats to the capital pinning down his army. I then flank Yomi from his south through Caelum's former territory. This breaks a stalemate forcing Yomi to attack a well defended position.

Ulm goes on the counterattack. Captures Yomi's capital and remaining provinces. That army is now free to march on Caelum. After much wailing and gnashing of teeth along with about a hundred ulmish casualties in the final assault, Caelum was felled.

[cupido2]

We, the trustworthy Atlantian Real Estate Ltd., assure all future landowners that the provinces for sale are native property of our company.
Lucky Lake is a border province of Atlantis itself. Sea of rond only two provinces away. The island of Elvis was bought by our company from Mictlan.

Or did I misunderstand your message, dear Lord of Oceania? Is your message here a buying offer in the rustical tongue your vassals speak and you want to be sure, that no other nation snitches the lands you'd like?
So we glady agree to your offer and await your paying of 1300 gold. It's a pleasure to deal with you.

(Though we're sure he gave his best, please send next time a messanger with the ability to express himself properly. It sounded so rude to our ears.)

Grandfather Seaflowers, CEO [img]/threads/images/Graemlins/Teddy.gif[/img]