MP etiquette-going AI

[parone]

what is the protocol here? im in the early game, and two players allied, prob around turn 4 or 5, and are bent on my destruction. it is turn 22, i think. i did all i could, tried to make outside alliances(all diplo failed) offered both terms(no responses from either party). took some chances to try to buy some time, but had limited success.

i am doomed, as it would seem these players basically started the game in an alliance with a plan to eliminate whoever was between them. that's fine, as there are plenty of games out there. however, i don't want to quit too early and upset anyone.

when can i "call it a day"?

[earcaraxe]

My experience is that events can take a turn quickly, for instance someone joining the war in time if u hold on for long enough.

One other reason for playing is transforming the "hopeless" position into a "hopeful" one by aiming for a new goal: instead playing for final victory one might play for (for instance) making a very tough last stand.

In my games i prefer someone turning AI to playing unhappily with us while feeling he is forced to do so. I also think there are differences between the cultures of different dom3 communities regarding turning AI: here on shrapnel there are some people who will be very frustrated by that, and seemingly can only react in anger.

I personally dont consider turning AI a big deal.

[bbz]

Turning AI is fine as long as you talk to the game admin. Give him chance to find a substitute if he thinks that your position is still not lost. And then if no substitute is found in couple of days to a week they will turn you AI. I think thats fair to anyone. The thing is joining a multiplayer game you have to be thinking of the others playing. So if you turning AI will give someone an easy win and thus he can double his territories at little no cost, ruining the game for all the other players, then you shouldn't do that. Ask around the game thread if its fine to leave the game or turn AI first.

[Slobby]

Imo one should go AI only when one can do nothing else to harass whoever is attacking. That may well mean playing to the end, but even if you're able to hold out 1-2 turns longer than if you had turned AI from the start then that impacts your invaders and benefits the other players not attacking you.

[HoleyDooley]

i am doomed, as it would seem these players basically started the game in an alliance with a plan to eliminate whoever was between them.

Be very careful when making statements like this, as many if not all MP games frown on such behaviour ie. making alliances b4 a game commences. As one of the parties involved in this supposed alliance against you, I certainly take offence to such a charge.

Now I have seen you post on the forums and you have appeared to be a decent chap.

There was no such alliance made against you and I was approached by Ulm to attack you in conjunction with him the same turn I killed your pretender. That was like turn 10 to 14 from memory.
A far cry from "the beginning of the game".

If you REALLY want to learn from that game, think about your approach to me over the disputed province, you claimed as having arrived there first. We both arrived there the same turn, you just got to fight the indies b4 we fought. None the less it was the same turn.

You say you have approached both opponents for a truce. You certainly approached me, but you still claimed that province I "stole" from you. That province has exactly 1 other province between it and my capital. Do you really think I will just hand it over to you because you said you "arrived" there first?

There are a number of reasons you are in your current predicament.

I'll just comment on one. You diplomacy failed badly. If you continue to approach diplomacy in every game the same way you approached this game, you will be turning AI quite often.

I am still learning this game, it has a huge learning curve which I am still on way down the bottom. But diplomacy I learned from playing other multi player games.

That's the way I see it, just some friendly advice and look forward to meeting you in a future game, honestly.

[mattyburn7]

And to comment on an earlier point in the thread. I was in a completely hopeless situation in my first ever game (I subbed). My opponent get a siege on my last province/castle and was going for a domkill. I amused myself by trying to research and alchemize to create an Eater of the Dead. I was then going to try to breakout with my last remaining army. Not sure what would have happened, would have been fun...but I got domkilled the turn before I could make my last stand.

Point is it only took a couple of minutes a day and it was fun...though I would have liked to have had my last battle .

[HoleyDooley]

I have a couple of games going where I have 1 or two provinces left and two recently games where I was killed to the last man.

But yeah, fighting off a superior enemy in your capital with all those mages is certainly rewarding, and it only takes 5 minutes at most to handle the move.

It all depends on your mind set.

"Oh, I can't win, I had better go AI".

There is a lot of fun to be had in losing in this game.

That's why I play games, for enjoyment. If that only came with winning, I would have stopped playing games long ago.

Luv it!

[mattyburn7]

Regarding the 2 nations in that game:

I think it is safe to say there was no alliance fromthe start of the game between those two. Just typical diplomacy that develops during the game. I've found both players to be honorable and up front.

[HoleyDooley]

Thanks for saying that Matt.

Means I'll probable have to kick your butt a bit softer in our new games just started.

[Soyweiser]

Going AI:
When you only have one last fort without any commanders/mages/troops in it. Go ahead.

At shrapnel:
Ask the game admin. But generally frowned upon.

At dom3mods:
Never do this. Get a sub/fight it out. (The idea is, that you can still learn a lot form desperate last stand tactics and tricks, and going AI isn't fair for non invading players).

At SA:
Go ahead, you are playing the game to have fun. If it isn't fun, you should stop.

Those are my general conclusions.