MP Game - Live and Learn (newbie game)-running

[Schmoe]

Yvelina said:
> They cannot fight against multiple "instant" fortresses, 7-8 Ghost Riders, multiple Flames from the Sky, and an onslaught of Tartarians and multiply empowered mages, each turn.

I hope you do not think I was cheating.

No, I'm just slightly discouraged because I thought I was in a somewhat stronger position than I was. I probably made a few mistakes the Last 5 turns or so, as I had to rush my turns due to RL, but I was so far behind on the resource curve it didn't really matter. My best guess is that allowing you to have the Nexus as long as you did was a serious mistake. That, and the fact that you didn't fight another opponent until late in the game when Arco went AI, so you were free to spend all of your time building up. Seriously though, well done. You fully convinced me of the reasons I belonged in this newbie game

[Yvelina]

Schmoe said:

No, I'm just slightly discouraged because I thought I was in a somewhat stronger position than I was. I probably made a few mistakes the Last 5 turns or so, as I had to rush my turns due to RL, but I was so far behind on the resource curve it didn't really matter.

Yes, it is the ressources that did it. I had about 170 clams, 150 fetishes and 70 blood stones.

My best guess is that allowing you to have the Nexus as long as you did was a serious mistake.

The Forge of the Ancients turned out also extremely powerful. This was the second game I had it (the other one started much later, but was faster paced, and I learned TONS from it) Every turn, I was forging 10 pearls and 10 fetishes, and as many blood stones as I could. Apart from Odin, Veni, Vedi and Vici, my commanders were no better than yours. But I could afford much better equipment. I think that my black servants could have taken on a Tartarian of yours and won.

That, and the fact that you didn't fight another opponent until late in the game when Arco went AI, so you were free to spend all of your time building up.

Actually, I stayed out of the fray because I was afraid to get mobbed. I do not think that I lost a single mage or supercombantant in the war against Arco, Pythium, Abysia and C'tis. Pythium blinded a very powerful Ether Lord, and I had to rush a few Vanadrotts to the rear because they got the swamp sickness, but apart from that, I had no casualties.

And the events justified my fears. As soon as started fighting, although it was against the AI, I got mobbed :-)

Seriously though, well done. You fully convinced me of the reasons I belonged in this newbie game

When I started I was a MP newbie myself... but at Worldcon Petar (Tuidjy) and I played a lot of games together, and I learned quite a few tricks. And my placement in this game was very fortunate. I still wish I did not feel that I had to attack Jotunheim. But I think that without it, I would not have won.

[Thufir]

The game is now stopped.

Congratulations on a victory well deserved, Yvelina!

Couple of questions for you:

I recall one of your solo Tartarians kicking my butt in a water province - he was equipped with a Scutata Volturnus, a blood thorn and various other equipment. I've not seen the Scutata in use a whole lot - is that particularly effective generally, or more so underwater? It definitely seemed to be quite effective at mowing through my troops, as I recall...

Would you mind telling us roughly what astral income you were getting from the Arcane Nexus?

[bleach168]

Good game, guys. Well played.

I learned quite a lot.

Yvelina was just in an unstoppable position at the end. We should have done something about that much earlier.

[Schmoe]

Thufir, I can't speak for Yvelina, but I've used the Scutata quite a bit, and it's one of my favorite shields, maybe moreso than a Charcoal Shield. The free Shocking Grasp every turn is great for reducing the chaff, it provides good defense and protection, and it's very cheap.

[Schmoe]

bleach168 said:
Good game, guys. Well played.

I learned quite a lot.

Yvelina was just in an unstoppable position at the end. We should have done something about that much earlier.

Yeah, I agree. There was a point for me where I could go north and attack Vanheim, or go west and attack Machaka (and eventually Abyssia). Because my capitol was on the very border of Machaka/Abyssia, I decided to go west. The fact that Yvelina was a very accomodating ally helped sway my decision. In retrospect, things may have turned out very differently if I had turned north, instead.

[Yvelina]

I recall one of your solo Tartarians kicking my butt in a water province - he was equipped with a Scutata Volturnus, a blood thorn and various other equipment. I've not seen the Scutata in use a whole lot - is that particularly effective generally, or more so underwater?

It is one of my two favorite non-artifact shields. The other is the Charcoal shield. I use one or the other depending on the situation.

The Charcoal shield is great against mobs, and gives you fire resistance, which is why it was the shield of choice on the C'tis front.

The Scutata Volturnus's attack is better against single, powerful enemies, has better defense, and gives you electrical resistance. Using it underwater, against Pythium, was an easy call :-)

Would you mind telling us roughly what astral income you were getting from the Arcane Nexus?

Once I got fully into forge mode, I was getting about 400 absorbed gems, or 100 astral gems per turn. I would use them to wish for gems, which brings in 210 gems of all kinds, and use those to forge items. OF course, they would get absorbed back into the Vortex

In retrospect, things may have turned out very differently if I had turned north, instead.

Absolutely. But I was already prepared for a defensive war and you would have probably not have been able to unite everyone against me. At that time, you looked like the one to beat, not I. Although I doubt that anyone had anything that could beat Odin, Veni, Vidi or Vici, who already were equiped with the best artifacts.

... and now I am off to bed. I love debriefings, but what I need is sleep.

[bleach168]

I was very open to the idea of uniting against Vanheim before C'tis invaded Machaka. I believe Vanheim already had the 3 AQs, the Arcane Nexus, and a Tartarian factory going at that point.

But once C'tis attacked Machaka and triggered my alliance with them, we were doomed.

Pythium, Machaka and I were still really weak from our previous wars so I'm still not sure we could have defeated Vanheim had C'tis united with us.