MP: Asia Twist - Wraithlord Wins!

[archaeolept]

That was one of the most pathetic excuses for a win that I've ever seen. Aristander, in collusion with Wraithlord, just throws the game to him. Never in many years of playing dominions have I seen the like, and I would love someone to link to a game where this happened and was accepted practice. Both of the final two vps were thrown to him, instead of defended; wraithlord certainly was fully complicit in this, taking R'lyeh's very capital without resistance.

I haven't seen such a rigged win since playing Norfleet.

This was not a win in anything other than a technical sense. Wraithlord and Aristander show themselves as players without honour, whatever that counts for.

It also demonstrates nothing as to skill playing in the game; it is the most egregious hack of a win I have ever encountered, and I am sorry that such an epic game, so wonderfully hosted by pashadawg, should end in this manner.

I will take this as an admission that WL could not win by above board means, and so had to resort to such subterfuge.

[archaeolept]

Actually, I didn't see the final battle - partially I'm surmising from the previous actions. Pasha was earlier willing to release the turn files, so hopefully any questions on this will be easily cleared up. The 6th VP was certainly colluded on, and I very much doubt that anything changed two turns later for the 7th - rlyeh's huge teleport army was still located somewhere else, and there had clearly been no attempt to get it home to defend his cap, and final vp, against WL.

[Aethyr]

Well, I for one will congratulate WL on a game well played.

Pasha, this was another beautiful map & the w/ports version makes it about as perfect as can be. Thanks for another great game.

[WraithLord]

Thank you Aethyr and Pasha for the congrats

Pasha, many many thanks for hosting this game so well.

Arch. this is just a game so please don't get so upset. Your messages are offensive and aggressive and I think it would not hurt one bit if you tone yourself down some. R'lyeh was your enemy in this game so you shouldn't blame him for any VPs he lost to me. I was your enemy as well and we were at open war so all VPs in the game were fair game. If I managed to take a given VP it was b/c you failed to stop me. You and I were the superpowers in this game so blaming the lesser kingdoms for your loss seems outstretched, now blaming your enemy for your loss seems completely unreasonable. I wouldn't have minded one bit had you won the game, I enjoy playing the game and don't mind losing to a good opponent. That said, I do what I can to win, sometimes it works, most of the times it doesn't - No big deal as playing this game with the great friends on this forum is the true reward.

[archaeolept]

i'm not especially upset, just somewhat appalled. It does not bother me that you find my implications offensive, as they are correct. I've never seen such blatant collusion to just give away a game ever in all my years of playing Dominions. If such activities are considered fine, are there any, other than outright hacking, that aren't?

I wouldn't have minded if you had won - I've lost often enough. But such a win is not an honest one. Please show me other games on this forum where there has been such a collusion. As far as I know, and rather surprisingly, such bare-faced throwing of a long-standing game is unprecedented.

I see you do not deny the content of my claims.

"If I managed to take a given VP it was b/c you failed to stop me."

not quite, though an entertaining dodge. You managed to take these two vps as you were given them, knowingly, by your ally, who refused to defend them specifically so that you could win. "by any means necessary", I guess. Those are not the actions that friends take in a "friendly" game.

Again, I ask, when else has the like occurred? To have great and epic games settled by such collusion - is this not destructive of the very bases upon which this community, and the games it sets up, are played?

[WraithLord]

I will not be dragged into a flame war with you.
You are entitled to your opinions.
Going forward I choose to ignore your offensive posts.

[archaeolept]

This is not a flame. I've asked specific questions about the game and about claims you have made. You just do not wish for them to be answered. Do you deny you were in explicit league w/ Aristander for him to throw the game to you? Has this every happened in a game here on the forums? Was it considered acceptable then? Is there any limit to in-game actions proper to a game of Dominions in this community?

Why would these questions be considered offensive?

[WraithLord]

(I know it's better that I completely ignore you but I'll make this last response.)
Yes this is flame. You are using abusive language towards me and another good player and you are making ridiculous accusations.

I had the game firmly in my grip ever since I crushed your armies in open battle and gave you staggering losses. Ever since, you haven’t contested any VP I took. I had all the VPs in the game under my surveillance and had just made a simple observation that R’lyhes were the least defended and that his main army was tied up protecting another of his VPs from you. I had warned Aristander that I consider his VPs fair game and then concentrated on taking them. I did all that while you were feebly trying and failing to acquire those last VPs you needed. In addition you chose to squander your time and resources on raiding and casting (futile) assassination spells at me. All this while I secured 8 VPs so firmly that nothing you could have thrown at me would have made a difference – and that’s a fact otherwise I wouldn’t have won this game. Last turn I had a huge army at Caelum gates and assassinated lots of his mages + his SoS mage. Add that to my huge GWing army and many teleporting SCs and it’s clear that I’d have take the eight next turn as well. I had werewolves and Tart SCs coming out of my ears and they were backed by lot’s of teleporting crystal mages.

You are just proving yourself as a bad loser and a whiner. That in itself doesn’t bother me nor your abusive language towards me. I’m upset that you are bad mouthing Aristander. He was at war against you and managed to heroically defend his VP from you to the last turn.

That’s it. You’ll get no more responses from me. Feel free to go on with your whining if that’s your thing.

[mscfish]

Congratulations to wraithlord for the winning.
Also thanks pasha for your hard work on this game.
It's very happy for me to join this game.

[WraithLord]

Thank you mscfish. You have done very well in this game. So good in-fact that none of the super powers wanted to mess with you.

Frankly speaking, I was watching (not to say, coveting) your VP as well. Each turn I'd do a summary of all VPs not owned by me and sort them according to the defending forces. Your VP was consistently the third from the last right after R'lyehs VPs
The only reason I didn't attack you (and mind you we never had a formal NAP so I could do that) is for fear that your pretender and mages can all GW in a pinch, besides I preferred to attack a target that Van would not expect, that and knowing that R'lyehs army is tied up protecting his last VP decided the matter

I watched your moves this game. I think you handled MA Ermor well. In-fact seeing your battles gave me this craving to play Ermor in my next game so thank you for that as well