Clash Of Armies [Started]

[WraithLord]

Hi Guys,

I'm currently w/o Internet connection at home due to technical problems of my ISP.
I am expecting the problems to last for the next week or two.

It is still possible for me to host the game but only with the use of the Internet connection I have at work.
I think its best that for the next week or two we switch to fixed hosting so that I'll be able to host.

I suggest that for this week I will host on Monday and Wednesday at 15:30 (GMT +2), Friday is not a working day in Israel so I'm not sure I'll be able to host during the weekend (I will attempt to though).

For next week I suggest to host on Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday at 15:30 (GMT +2).

If anyone has a problem with this, please respond.

[Shmonk]

That hosting schedule is fine with me (of course I will only be around for 1 or 2 more hostings before I'm killed off, so my input might not mean much). http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/laugh.gif

[WraithLord]

Turn 51 sent.

Jotun is out.
Thanks Cainehill for a superb game!

[WraithLord]

Turn 55 sent.

On this turn, yet another empire falls, this time it is the kingdom of Man.

[WraithLord]

Guys, I'm finding it increasingly difficult to process my turns in time, I was thinking of maybe extending the hosting period from 48h to 72h. Please post here if you have any objections to that and I shall wait a few days to here your comments, otherwise I will change the hosting period as said.

[WraithLord]

Also we have a request to postpone tonight's hosting to tomorrow.

[The Panther]

72 hours seems fine to me.

[WraithLord]

Turn 59 sent.

[WraithLord]

Turn 60 sent.

[Shmonk]

I'm assuming the Man AI is defeated by now, right? Any updates on this game? Just curious as to the score/stats since I was left for dead.

[WraithLord]

I can give an account of things from my perspective.

The ermorian AI is still at large, I think it is at war vs. all the human players.

IMO Pangaea and Ctis are in the lead followed by Arco and Pythium.

Ctis is at war with Arco, already in this war has witnessed some large scale battles, powerful enchantments and artillery spells.
I guess that pretty much sums up what I know...

As far as scores go on turn 60:
Provinces, Forts: Ctis, Pangaea, Arco, Pythium.
Income: Pangaea, Ctis, Arco, Pythium.
Gems: Arco, Ctis, Pangaea, Pythium.
Armies: Pangaea, Ctis, Ermor, Arco.

[WraithLord]

Turn 61 sent.

[RonD]

I am going out of town starting Friday. I will get the Friday turn in without problem, but could we delay what would normally be the Monday (7/31) hosting until Wednesday?

[WraithLord]

NP

[RonD]

I just noticed that the Black Book of Secrets has been forged. I thought blood was outlawed? Anyone want to fess up to having it?

[WraithLord]

Also, I haven't received the turn from Pangaea, hosting is scheduled within an hour.

[RonD]

I'm working on it (that's how I noticed the greyed-out Little Black Book).

[WraithLord]

RonD said:
I'm working on it (that's how I noticed the greyed-out Little Black Book).


LOL

Thanks!

[WraithLord]

turn # 65 sent.

[The Panther]

RonD said:
I just noticed that the Black Book of Secrets has been forged. I thought blood was outlawed? Anyone want to fess up to having it?



Rule 1. Blood hunting is prohibited. The map settings give an unfair advantage to blood hunting nations being the reason for this rule. Since Mictlan needs to blood sacrifice for spreading dominions they are an exception to this rule. Mictlan is allowed to blood hunt but are prohibited from blood research and the forging of items that require blood slaves (with the exception of the jade knife).


Read the rules: There is nothing about blood construction, blood research, or blood summons for any nation other than Mictlan. The only prohibition is the actual blood hunting itself. I had to go back myself and read the rules closely to make sure nobody is cheating.

The idea was to prevent blood from being overpowered. For sure, whatever meager natural blood income is occuring on this map is certainly not enough to cause blood to matter much one way or the other. There are at least two blood income sites that I am aware of being on this map.

This is why I was so upset back when I realized that Mictlan was allowed to blood hunt under the revised rules. So, when he showed up with spine devils against me and was also allowed to blood hunt, it just did not seem right. Luckily, that has long since ceased to be an issue.

The black book of secrets in nice in that it gives death+1 in addition to the blood+1. That is a +2 research bonus to any nation than can get mages with both blood and death.

[WraithLord]

Guys, it's fortunate that you have brought up this subject.

I want to come forward and tell you that unfortunately I have violated the blood hunting rule. I will explain,

About five turns ago, I had made a grave mistake and actually started blood hunting. The reason is that I have forgotten about the house rule, simple as that http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/frown.gif
Now I have forged like six SDRs and blood hunted in two provinces for four turns. I have a total of 52 blood slaves that came from hunting. I haven't forged any other blood item and I haven't cast any blood spell.

For sure, I will do the following to amend for that violation: First, I will stop blood hunting; Second, I will throw away the SDRs and Third, I will get rid of the blood slaves (I was thinking of maybe giving them to the AI).

This of course doesn't negate the fact that I have violated the house rule. I want to stress that it was a mistake and not intentional. I want you guys to opinion on how I should proceed. I'm taking responsibility for this and if necessary I'm willing to step down (AI/sub) or compensate the other players or whatever.

IMO, if it was another player in my stead, I would have settled for a compensation in gold to all the human nations (like 200g for each).

I'm waiting for your response on this and I'm truly sorry for this mistake.

[RonD]

About the book - it looks like you're right about the way the house rules were written. In my mind I had just been thinking "no blood" and so had just been ignoring the small blood income I do have.

As for WraithLord - I'd say the the wasted mage time is sufficient punishment.

[The Panther]

Ron - I had thought Wraith Lord had the blood income site from the giants, but I guess you do instead. Or maybe there are more than 2 blood income sites on the map.


Wraith - Your punishment plan to yourself looks fine with me:

1. Destroy the SDRs.

2. Send your blood slaves to Vanheim since he will be dominion killed quite soon.

3. Send 200 gold to each player if you want. The gold is not a very big deal on this high income map, but this could serve as a reminder to not do it again.


On the subject of blood summons - a few weeks ago, I had a thought that I ought to summon a vampire lord with my slaves. So I built a sorcery ring, built the Black Book of Secrets, and started some blood research for the first time in the game.

But then I eventually realized that getting a vampire or 2 per turn for 20+ turns would not really scare anybody! On the other hand, getting 25 vampires a turn (which I could easily have by now with blood hunting allowed), now THAT ought to be a threat against any would-be invaders into my dominion!

It does seem to me that the blood hunting prohibition has been a good thing to do. If not for that, I am guessing that my blood income would be at least 300 slaves per turn. And probably more! Blood summons would be crashing all over the map by now without the prohibition.

It would have been a far different game indeed.

[WraithLord]

Agreed. Both to my punishment plan ( I will also write 300 hundred time "no blood hunting" and stand in the corner http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/wink.gif ) and to your observations.

[Reverend Zombie]

Pythium is no more! Good luck to the remaining participants in this struggle and thank you to our host for running this game.

[WraithLord]

Great game Reverend, Thank you for participating!

Lo and behold, Endgame is upon us.

Eleven they were, whom started this journey.
Now three empires stand, tenacious survivors,
Only one shall conquer all.

in other words - let the fireworks start http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/wink.gif

And while we are at that stage, I wonder what are ppls take on the settings for this game. I want to improve on this for the next game that I plan to host (dom-III).

[Reverend Zombie]

WraithLord said:
And while we are at that stage, I wonder what are ppls take on the settings for this game. I want to improve on this for the next game that I plan to host (dom-III).



I enjoyed the settings, but prefer a game where blood hunting is not off-limits. Dom-III, with blood hunting tied into site frequency, should allow you to run a game with these settings without banning blood.

[RonD]

Good game, Rev. You were in for a tough time once C'Tis turned his evil eye your way.

As for the settings and Dom3, from what I've read in the past few days the balance between recruitable troops and magic has changed. I'll be wanting to play a bunch of games with the new defaults and see how that goes.

[Reverend Zombie]

RonD said:
Good game, Rev. You were in for a tough time once C'Tis turned his evil eye your way.




I rushed for Golems (I tried Golem Cult), but that turned out not to be such a good decision.