Hurt_Locker (Started)

[SciencePro]

Game: Hurt_Locker

Type: Llamaserver PBEM
Hosting: 24 hours to start. 48 when people start asking for it.

Map: Bering (http://forum.shrapnelgames.com//showthread.php?t=39550)
Mod: CBM1.6 (http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/showpost.php?p=710178)
Age: Early
Players: Seven - (five land and two water in the map's fixed starts)

Other Settings on default for Llamaserver (ten hall of fame entries, renaming on, score graphs on, one starting province, independent strength five, standard research, 100 resources, 100 supplies, 100 money, common events.)

Victory is by eliminating all other players or unanimous agreement of remaining players. Ties are not allowed – there can be only one winner. Non-binding diplomacy is allowed. Complaining and quitting are frowned upon except in extreme circumstances.

Players: (PM links)
SciencePro (http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/private.php?do=newpm&u=25100) – Sauromatia (eliminated)
Zapmeister (http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/private.php?do=newpm&u=4604)- Mictlan - subbed by SciencePro
13lackGu4rd (http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/private.php?do=newpm&u=34557)- T'ien Ch'i (eliminated)
Graeme Dice (http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/private.php?do=newpm&u=689)- Niefelheim
Digress (http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/private.php?do=newpm&u=8795)- Marveni
Snaltrippin (http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/private.php?do=newpm&u=4550)- Oceania (eliminated)
Danbo (http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/private.php?do=newpm&u=9461)- Atlantis

[Zapmeister]

In as Mictlan

[13lackGu4rd]

I'll try TC

[SnallTrippin]

Oceania.

[Graeme Dice]

I think I can manage another game. Let's try Niefelheim.

[SciencePro]

Okay need 1 more land and 1 more water

[danbo]

I'm in as Atlantis.

[Digress]

I would like to give Marveni a run.

cheers.

[SciencePro]

Okay we are set now. I'm going to wait for llamaserver to update with the new dom3 version before creating the game.

[SciencePro]

Okay llama is back up so posted the game. Upload Pretenders please

[SciencePro]

Okay game is on. Good luck everyone.

Please let me know if you need any delays.

[13lackGu4rd]

hmmm, Atlantis is attempting to expand onto land already. does that mean it's already losing the underwater war to Oceania or he's just trying to sneak an advantage? :o

[SnallTrippin]

What war?

[13lackGu4rd]

going out of town until thursday, my current turn is in but I won't be able to play the next turn until I get back, so I'll need an extension...

[SciencePro]

okay i put a big delay in. Just get your turns in when you can and we'll go back to 24 hour hosting after that.

[Zapmeister]

Actually, now that the turn has hosted, it looks like we're back to 24 hours already.

[SnallTrippin]

Claiming all the islands not already claimed by pretenders, aka, all that large archipelago.

[SciencePro]

oh right thanks for pointing that out. I put another delay in to cover for blackguard's absence

[13lackGu4rd]

thanks for the extension, got back 1 night earlier than I thought, so I've got my new turn in already.

[Digress]

Now that I have beaten off my various "neighbours" I unfortunately have to find a sub for 3 or 4 turns (if people are amenable to switching to a 48hr schedule over the easter weekend coming up).

I haven't had any takers as yet but hope someone turns up in the next 24 hours .... please.

And Neifelheim - do we still constitute the "smashiest target" ? TASTE THE PAIN FROM THE SKIES, MY FRIEND, PAIN FROM THE SKIES!

[SciencePro]

i put a delay in now but i see you already sent your turn in. for the next hosting i will put in another delay in case you are out of town or whatever

[Digress]

I will be around for a bit under 24 hours and still hope to find a sub to keep the game rolling along for everyone else.

I will keep you updated on my progress.

I will complete this turn .. but will not be able to complete the following one.

cheers
digress

[Zapmeister]

In the event that Digress can't find a sub, I think we should delay the next turn (effectively suspending the game) for a week.

[SnallTrippin]

Fine with me.

[Digress]

No luck on the sub front. I have completed and sent in the current turn but won't be able to do another for the week.

My apologies to everyone ... its been an interesting game thus far.

[SciencePro]

okay 168 hour delay added. Please submit your turns whenever you can.

Have a happy Easter/Passover/Shunbun no hi/Nowruz etc...

[Digress]

I have returned and submitted my turn.

Thanks for your patience everyone.

[SnallTrippin]

Hmm, I don't think I ever realized that I could die that way..oopsie.

[Zapmeister]

Hmm, I don't think I ever realized that I could die that way..oopsie.

Domkill? (extinguished dominion) ?

[Digress]

Hmm, I don't think I ever realized that I could die that way..oopsie.

Atlantis does have some pretty good priest with which to preach - but no stealthy ones. You have to watch those candles.

[Zapmeister]

I'm really enjoying the 24-hour turnaround that has survived for so long, but it does look like someone (Atlantis?) may be starting to struggle with the pace.

Would it be a good idea to extend the turnaround time just a little, say to 26 hours, to prevent the backwards creep of the due time?

[SciencePro]

okay, changed to 26 hour interval

[danbo]

Oh, I hate the game manual. It states that all the global enchantments take place on step 15 and friendly movement on step 12. So, I assumed that's completely safe to move my forces out of water while casting Sea of Ice simultaneously. Instead, my army refused to move and it seems that my troops are now locked for long time, because my income of astral is very low (to dispel it). It's a real disaster for Atlantis.

[Digress]

Oh, I hate the game manual. It states that all the global enchantments take place on step 15 and friendly movement on step 12. So, I assumed that's completely safe to move my forces out of water while casting Sea of Ice simultaneously. Instead, my army refused to move and it seems that my troops are now locked for long time, because my income of astral is very low (to dispel it). It's a real disaster for Atlantis.

Well that bites ... were you moving from an underwater province you owned to a land province you owned ? I can't seem to find my manual right now.

Looking on the bright side I see you have some handy indies available with which to dispose of your "Sea of Ice" caster. Don't think about the lost gems ... its not like ATLANTIS has any use for water gems :re:

[Zapmeister]

Looking on the bright side I see you have some handy indies available with which to dispose of your "Sea of Ice" caster. Don't think about the lost gems ... its not like ATLANTIS has any use for water gems :re:

The painful part might be that the caster is his pretender.

I feel your pain, danbo. But Illwinter make much better games than they make documentation, so if you're about to do something you've never done before, its best to try it out in a single player game first.

[danbo]

Thanks, Digress, for pointing out thouse indies. It's good alternative to kill the caster instead of dispelling. But it's still a few turns to get there and the caster is pretty rare occurence of W4 mage. I definitely should have tested this and I even had a map where the situation was almost set up.

[SciencePro]

I definitely should have tested this and I even had a map where the situation was almost set up.

yeah, the only problem with that is that if you test everything it takes forever and makes the game pretty tedious. Asking questions on the forum is a good alternative to testing most of the time I think. Or just roll the dice and learn from your mistakes.

[Zapmeister]

It's not looking good. After a brilliant, fast-moving 37 turns with no stales, TC has staled once without notice and it looks like he might do it again this turn. He hasn't logged on to the forum for a day and a half.

If he does stale again, I would recommend we get him turned AI before the following turn. What do others think?

[SciencePro]

well i don't want to be too quick on the trigger - it hasn't even been two days yet. But if he does disappear we will figure something out so he doesn't just stale out. I added 24 hours and sent him a PM in the meantime.

[Zapmeister]

Oh, I hate the game manual. It states that all the global enchantments take place on step 15 and friendly movement on step 12. So, I assumed that's completely safe to move my forces out of water while casting Sea of Ice simultaneously. Instead, my army refused to move and it seems that my troops are now locked for long time, because my income of astral is very low (to dispel it). It's a real disaster for Atlantis.

BTW, I think I may have figured out what happened here.

Some GEs have an effect that "fires" every turn. For example, the Mother Oak that danbo created awards Nature gems each turn when the GE fires in step 15.

Sea of Ice is different in that it doesn't fire at all - it does nothing in step 15. Instead, its mere presence prevents movement between land and sea, so that effect will apply from the moment the GE comes into existence. That happened very early in the turn, when all spells (including GEs) are cast.

Just a theory ...

[13lackGu4rd]

sorry about your Arch Devil Mictlan and congrats Marverni for dom killing me. have fun y'all, I'm out...

[SciencePro]

good game blackguard. Thanks for playing.

[Zapmeister]

Thanks for the awesome struggle, Sci.
If you want to pass on the admin-ship, I'd be happy to take it.

[Digress]

This may be a little unpopular given the pace of the game but it might be nice to push the hosting time out a little (36 hours maybe).

In any case a 12 hour extension for the current turn would be extremely helpful.

[SciencePro]

Yep, good game zap. Nice job taking me out

Anyone object to me handing over the admin job to him?

I added 12 hours for now.

[SciencePro]

since no one seems to object i am going to PM the admin password to zapmeister

[Zapmeister]

since no one seems to object i am going to PM the admin password to zapmeister

Cool. How's everyone managing the blistering pace?
Let me know if you'd prefer 36 or 48 hours.

[Digress]

Thanks for taking over the admin Zapmeister. I think I can probably keep up with the pace for a little while longer - the being at war on multiple fronts for almost the whole game has really limited my late game options (the burn rate on the more useful gems has been pretty hideous).

My druids aim also seems to be getting worse the more experienced they get - all those basalt kings - all those craters - and all those dead blocking troops.

[Zapmeister]

Digress is too ill to do his orders, so I'm adding 24 hours to the current turn.

[Digress]

Well I think that if anyone has any serious plans to win the game you had best attack Mictlan, all out, in the very near future. My days of being in a winning position have well and truly passed. I shall make a defence, of sorts, and eat up some of Mictlans chaff and hopefully take down some of their pretty blood summons but they will be able to replace them with ease.

Neifelheim, whilst Machiavelli might have urged making oneself indispensable to your chosen prince there is no prize for coming second in this game - how about you engage in some wanton back stabbing ? :)

You could follow Mictlan's example .... ;) DIRTY DEMONWORSHIPPERS

[Zapmeister]

Rofl.

As much as I would love to share this confidence in ultimate Mictlan supremacy, I'm forced to concede that the loss (with no compensation) of 3 fully equipped devils per turn is not sustainable.

The harsh reality is that success I've had has been 100% due to the element of surprise - an asset that is now fully spent. Now you hold the most important asset - experience.

For example: How many noobs do you know who, against an astral opponent, would leave two fully equipped arch devils out in the open with no Mind Hunt protection? I only know of one. :rolleyes:

Politicking aside, this has been a great game, it's taught me a lot and I've enjoyed it immensely. I'd like to win, of course, but even if I don't I'm sure I'll look back on it as a highlight of my Dom career.

[Zapmeister]

Turn postponed by 24 hours at Digress's request.

[Digress]

I would like to request that hosting goes to a 36 hour interval. I am finding scripting the old druids is taking a while.

My suggestion that an all out attack on Mictlan would be a good idea still holds - I know I ain't getting any stronger.

[Zapmeister]

I concur with the first half of that. :)
The turnaround shall be set to 36 hours.

[Zapmeister]

Hrumph - nothing works.
This is really demoralizing :(

[Digress]

The price of treachery my friend, the price of treachery :)

Thanks for the Ice Devil - Bifrons is my favourite and plays best with my mages.

And what happened to "highlight of my career" ;)

[Zapmeister]

The price of treachery my friend, the price of treachery :)

No, as I've said before, its the price of inexperience.

And what happened to "highlight of my career" ;)

That's exactly what the early part of the game has been, but its going downhill now. I don't think anyone enjoys banging their head against a brick wall.

Its a vicious cycle. I don't enjoy the endgame, so I don't practice it, so I don't get good at it, so I don't enjoy it.

[SciencePro]

Okay Zap asked me to take over for him as Mictlan (and admin I guess) so I'm back in.

Could someone (everyone?) PM me and let me know who I am at war and peace with?

[Digress]

You are certainly at war with Marveni. And really, really should be at war with everyone else but I am pretty sure you are not.

I would like to say any arch devils or ice devils not currently in your roster are cursed, horror marked and afflicted shadows of their former selves - but again I am not sure that is true.

Sadly I suspect Neifelheim and I have been reduced to playing the roles of unidentifiable roadkill #1 and unidentifiable roadkill #2.

[Digress]

Could I request a 24 hour extension - I should be able to get the turn in on schedule if things go to plan - but work today has been messy.

[Graeme Dice]

Yah, I'm pretty much roadkill at this point. It would have been nice to have just a few more provinces so that I could have afforded researchers as well as Niefel Jarls.

[SciencePro]

24 hours added

[Digress]

Sorry about the recent stale. Got the timing wrong.

Marveni having only two blood mages is proving to be something of a drawback as Mictlan's dom-push is biting (along with the menacing gangs of vampires flitting about).

A couple more turns is all I have left (if that).

[SciencePro]

oops i forgot to submit my turn because i got busy at work. 24 hours added and I will try to get it in sooner

[SciencePro]

crap work is still crazy and I'm sick too. sorry for another delay but I have to add 24 hours.

[SciencePro]

hmmm keep posing in the same vein. i'm too sleepy to finish my turn tonight, I'll do it in the morning. 12 hours added

[Digress]

I managed to stale - sorry everyone.

[SciencePro]

damn i woke up this morning ready to play my turn and noticed it was too late. Crap crap crap. I'm going to stop procrastinating now...

[SciencePro]

so my real life has become too busy for dominions and I have to retire. I have posted a sub ad to take over my nation. Would someone here like to be admin?

[Digress]

I am pretty much finished as a going concern in this game.

I apologise for the repeated stales - it was entirely accidental. As penance I am willing to both admin and continue to defend the ever shrinking borders of Marveni.

[SciencePro]

okay admin password PM'd to digress. good game, good luck and goodbye