YARG2 , 24 players EA RAND game [7/24 players left]

[Calahan]

Good game Lingchih. And many thanks for sticking it out until the end, even though the schedule was far from your favourite.

Hope you can be enticed back at some point in the future for another Dominions game and that this game wasn't part of your farewell package of games

*When* you do come back though Lingchih, think you need to start relying a bit less on those Baalz guides. As IIRC Dawn Rand was another Baalz guide you followed that didn't go too well Sometimes it can be just the way the cards fall, but other times the stuff in the tin just doesn't do what it says on the label.

Originally Posted by WraithLord

He did very well, given that Baalz (EA Caelum) guidelines don't work well (fullstop).

I've corrected your post for you Wraithlord

That guide has zero for four utter failures now from the games I've been in and seen it tried. Maybe Baalz can pull it off, but it seems that for every other player, the strategy has some seriously fatal shortcomings.

[WingedDog]

Wow the strategy he used was in Baalz guide? I thought it was an original design of Caelum's player and watched his scoregraphs very closely from the very beginning of the game to see how it would pull off. I just love original strategies.
Anyway thanks for the game you did a really good job holding up for so long. (As well as the other couple of players still in the game, hats off to all of you.)

[WraithLord]

Originally Posted by Calahan

...

I've corrected your post for you Wraithlord

I stand corrected

Originally Posted by Calahan

That guide has zero for four utter failures now from the games I've been in and seen it tried. Maybe Baalz can pull it off, but it seems that for every other player, the strategy has some seriously fatal shortcomings.

Yes. it doesn't seem to work. I've seen MP evidence as well. I am tempted, yet don't want, to go into possible reasons until the game ends - one of the reasons being not wanting to derail the game thread OT.

[rdonj]

A notice: A player has received gems from a defeated opponent who set themself AI. You really shouldn't do that in this game, it is no diplo and that's a tacitly diplo move. The player who received the gems has said that he'll be returning the gems to the AI, so let's have a hand for his good spirit of conduct.

[WingedDog]

Lingchih
Please don't forget to send your last turn, game still needs it.

[Lingchih]

I at least got the satisfaction of watching Abysia and Arco annihilate each other trying to take my cap.

And yeah, Baalz guide was a waste with the game settings. I had a good early game, but was severely hampered later on.

Have fun guys.

And, to Calahan. This was not one of my "last three" games. I am still doing well in those. I had written this one off a long time ago.

[Lingchih]

Short After action report. Used Baalz' guide to build up Eagle Kings. They quite effectively raided and took indies early. Arco took offense to me taking a prov that was rightfully mine. He attacked me. I responded by raiding the bejesus out of him. Was going effectively well, until Aby decided that he wanted a piece of me.
With two enemies, I pulled back and held in my cap. And, I held a long time, for those of you who set AI so quickly. Last 15 turns were just hold and preach.

Oh, and for those of you trying to make sense of my defense, I had several luck events that boosted dom in my cap. I would probably have died turns earlier without them.

[Squirrelloid]

Baalz Caelum guide worked fine for me in a game, admittedly it was a n00b game and one of the first ones I joined. But that shouldn't effect expansion performance against indies. Now, once its time to go to war against other players, you might want to switch things up. Not only does EK thuggery not fare especially well against some nations (without some gear upgrades at least), but if you ran Baalz's opening than everyone knows what you're doing. At which point they know how to counter you.

Really, that's the major flaw of the Baalz guide - the opening is so distinctive that you simply can't stick with the guide or people will be able to counter you from battle 1 of the war.

[Lingchih]

It was really the research setting that did me in, with using Baalz strat. It took too long to get the eagle kings going, by which time my nieghbors were building up strong forces.

Dumb strat to use on difficult research. Oh well, had some fun anyways.

[Psycho]

Can we force host when we end up waiting only on Ermor. He's going to stale anyway