Yeah, 3v1 tends to be a bad situation; it's only natural. However, you could've allied with one of your neighbours and it would've made things a lot easier, especially if your ally were to attack one of your other neighbours.
Before you ask "what incentive is there to co-operate?", the answer is technology trading. Have you noticed how Shiam and I are both ahead in technology, despite Shiam having built a second Science Facility later than anyone else did?
Before you ask "what incentive is there to co-operate", the answer is technology trading. Have you noticed how Shiam and I are both ahead in technology, despite Shiam having built a second Science Facility later than anyone else did?
Well, who wants to trade technology with me if I don't have anything worth trading?
Whose fault is it that you don't have anything worth trading? Besides, you could've made an agreement to trade techs before you had finished researching the technology.
Whose fault is it that you don't have anything worth trading? Besides, you could've made an agreement to trade techs before you had finished researching the technology.
I'm not stupid. The smart move by you is to trade techs with me, then stab me anyway. Without an in-game rule that actually enforces an agreement, it's not worth shit.
For me? Perhaps. But was it really that smart for blue and yellow to pressure you, when the end result is that I take most of your planets? In any case, trading techs is still worthwhile for its own sake.
For me? Perhaps. But was it really that smart for blue and yellow to pressure me, when the end result is that I take most of your planets?
Yeah, basically all they did was threaten me slightly instead of invading full-on. They forced me to spread my defense too thin. Letting you take all my stuffs. If they were smarter they also would have come in full-force instead of meekly poking me. I would be lost either way, but all three of you would be ravaging me instead of one taking all.
Consider this. I may have made mistakes, but Yoshokatana didn't even PLAY for DAYS. His random starting position granted him effective invulnerability. If I had started in that position, I would be owning right now, even with the mistakes I had made. Asymmetry is one thing, but that's just absurd. Also, consider if you had my starting position, and had played without mistakes. How do you think you would be doing right now?
Yosho's invulnerability is only temporary. Also, while his position guarantees him 11 stars, it also means he can't get any more than 11 for a while, unlike most other players.
In your position, I would've captured Alniyat early on, leaving orange essentially unable to attack me for some time, since I think it would require level 3 sensors for orange to see what I had there. That would leave me with only two stars to defend. I would have made an agreement to trade techs with one of the players next to me, since without being under threat by orange I would not be such a vulnerable target and so the promise of future technologies rather than attacking me would be a good option. I would have chosen to research jump tech first, as quickly as possible, since this would enable me to take Yoshokatana's stars and give me an advantage over the other players.
Would it have worked? Perhaps not, but it would've been much better than what you did.
I'm going to keep fighting but I think lackofcheese has already won. He's got an ally we don't know about which is letting him run amok. Scott may have a point about the snowballing.
I'm not so sure I can beat everyone else in the game at once yet. Also, you do know about my ally now; I said it myself, but it should've been obvious from technological progress. Besides, given the huge advantage I've gained, it probably isn't in his best interests to be my ally anymore. Besides, if I do snowball, it's only because mutliple people fucked up.
Yeah, the map we're on has a weird setup. Personally I have one expansion route with two enemies, leaving me a bit impotent in attacking. Also some bad moves and weird timing have lead to me taking more damage than I would like, leaving me in a stable but uncomfortable position. My only complaint is that defense is very strongly weighted early on, which when compounded with limited intelligence, makes attacking overly risky.
Also, if you upgraded jump range, you would be able to attack me.
Not directly. I'd have to go through yellow to have at you. Even if I had a direct shot at you, it would take FOREVER to reach you, even with my speed upgrade.
I don't know about you guys, but I'm enjoying my remote location for now. I know I'll be screwed when people start invading, but I'm sure I'll use my TRUE GRIT for an epic last stand.
As we enter the sixth year, things have changed very much indeed. Lackofcheese now has 15 stars due to a ruthless attack on The Golem, and he is clearly reaping the benefits - lackofcheese's empire made a whopping $230 in taxes this year, significantly more than the closest economic competitors, and the brush-heads are also a leader in Industry, second only to Dromaro's squid monsters. The once-great civilization of the tentacle beasts lies mostly in ruins, and yet lackofcheese still has 92 ships left, not far behind Dromaro's 108. We surmise that superior technology and tactics have made this an easy victory for the brush-heads. From the technological advantage lackofcheese shares with Shiam's bug-beasts, it is evident that they have traded techs with one another. This tenuous alliance and the resulting technological supremacy was a essential to lackofcheese's strategy, as without it he would not have been able to conquer The Golem so safely and easily. Additionally, lackofcheese's civilization is the only one to possess three science facilities, which demonstrates a clear desire for technological supremacy.
Meanwhile, Dromaro has chosen to attack Apsup, and has now taken two stars formerly in the possession of those big-eyed reptiles, and The Golem has retaken one of the planets he lost to an attack by Shiam, but this cannot be for long.
Yoshokatana remains in his isolated space, but, considering the recent aggression, it can't be long before other civilizations choose to expand into this territory as well, given his relative weakness. Nonetheless, he is currently better off than The Golem, at least.
At great personal risk, some of our spies have infiltrated the heated warzone in what used to be The Golem's territory.
This image, taken from lackofcheese's sensor station at roughly 09:30 on Nov 18, reveals an upcoming battle that will occur; we have chosen to call it "The Battle for Scheddi".
It seems that lackofcheese's fleet will take Scheddi at the cost of 9 ships, pillaging its economy for $60 in the process. However, the remaining 8 ships will be unable to defend against The Golem's incoming fleets of 11 and 18 ships. A minor victory for The Golem, but the interesting question is, what will lackofcheese do after capturing Scheddi?
If Aspup and Shaim don't team up after lackofcheese kill Scott to kill lackofcheese only to get backstabbed by Dromono just as they are defeating you... you are all playing wrong. ^_^
How come whenever a place is conquered its economy goes to 0?
It's a pillaging mechanic of some kind; I get a one-time payout equal to $10xEconomy for capturing your star, but its Economy goes to zero. As for the reason why it works this way, I'm not entirely sure.
If Aspup and Shaim don't team up after lackofcheese kill Scott to kill lackofcheese only to get backstabbed by Dromono just as they are defeating you... you are all playing wrong. ^_^
Hmm. Perhaps I miscalculated in attacking Scott so eagerly, then? I guess I'll find out.
It seems that lackofcheese's fleet will take Scheddi at the cost of 9 ships, pillaging its economy for $60 in the process. However, the remaining 8 ships will be unable to defend against The Golem's incoming fleets of 11 and 18 ships. A minor victory for The Golem, but the interesting question is, what will lackofcheese do after capturing Scheddi?
Unfortunately for lackofcheese, Scheddi's prodigous production capability built another ship before his fleet arrived, which resulted in the loss of three of his attacking ships. We suspect that, in desperation, The Golem must have been employing cruel slave labour to achieve this feat. In the absence of photographic evidence, we are left to imagine the cruel overlords whipping their underlings with their tentacles.
The sole remaining ship in the fleet "Scheddi's Terror" has fled, in terror. Curse lackofcheese calculating every single battle to use the exact right number of ships down to 1.
I can't decide whether it would have been better to have Scheddi's Terror flee in terror, or Scheddi's Shame (your other fleet, now dead) flee in shame.
Despite my calculations, I was worried you might get your hands on level 3 weapons tech and I'd lose that battle. Fortunately, it seems my understanding of ship production is correct - one ship every 12/Industry hours. If I'd screwed that up, I could've lost that battle.
My other worry was that you would attempt to take Mirach with those ships to fuck me up. The funny thing is, as a result of this, and my still needing to worry about 16 of your ships which I cannot locate with my inferior sensors, my fleets are currently going around in a circle (ships from Mirach to Scheddi to shore up its defense now that it has been successfully captured, ships from Praecupia to Mirach as a cautionary measure against your taking Mirach, as mentioned previously (this was done when your fleets were still at Scheddi, hence why they're almost there), and a single-ship fleet from Scheddi to Praecupia to give mobility to the 11 ships I left there for defense). See here (some data is blanked out for obvious reasons): It looks stupid, but I'm pretty sure it actually isn't; I think it was the best way for me to ensure you couldn't wreak havoc at my stars with your fleets.
Unfortunately, given my inferior sensor tech, I can't work out how you have your last 1617 ships distributed between Naos and Altarf. Granted, since your last fleet is headed for Altarf, that's my best bet, but I'm not certain enough of that to attack it without sensor data.
As we enter the seventh year, it is clear that we are witnessing the birth of a superpower. In fact, if Dromaro has anything to say about it, it could well be two superpowers.
The brush-heads, the first superpower to emerge, now have 17 stars, and have benefited greatly from their conquest of The Golem's tentacle beasts. Their economy continues to boom greatly, now more than 50% ahead of any other race. Although they lost a good 30 ships in this war, they now have 25 Industry, which should help lackofcheese to catch up to the other civilizations in ship numbers quite promptly.
Now it appears that Dromaro's squid monsters have also gone to war, and they too mean business. Currently with 140 ships, Dromaro has already taken several of Apsup's planets. However, Apsup still has a strong navy and a decent economy, so it's clear his reptilian race won't go down without a fight.
Meanwhile, Shiam has once again taken Kaffaljidhma from The Golem, marking the third time this star has changed hands. What is it about this star that has attracted so much bloodshed? Is it merely the tactical significance, or does it also possess an abundance of natural resources?
With only two stars and 17 ships, The Golem is all but dead. The only mark of the tentacle beasts that remains is their discovery of sensors capable of sensing a distance of 0.45 light years - a technology which only allowed them to see their impending doom slightly earlier. Now Shiam's bugs also possess this technology; will they too suffer the same fate?
Yoshokatana's snake turtles have continued to develop their isolated corner of the universe, and they are now close to Apsup and Shiam in military and economic might. However, as one might expect of a rural backwater, their technological progress is stunted - with only a single science facility, all they have discovered so far is level 3 weapons technology. Contrast this to lackofcheese's brush-heads - from their very appearance they are clearly suited for scientific discourse, and in that regard they have not been a disappointment. With no less than 5 science facilities, they are equal leaders in fleet weapons and speed, and they have now become the only civilization with ships capable of making a 0.75 light year trip without refueling. However, their sensor technology remains behind that of The Golem and Shiam.
The eighth year is only an hour away, but it seems nothing particularly significant has changed. Using his superior jump range, lackofcheese has captured two formerly inaccessible stars. With the annexation of one of red's last two stars as well, the brush-heads now possess 20 stars, and they continue to dominate in Economy, Industry, and Science.
Meanwhile, the tentacle monsters are down to their very last star, likely huddling in fear as they wait for their imminent demise. However, we do not know for sure how these strange creatures would respond to a situation where their very civilization lies at the brink of destruction - perhaps they are celebrating wildly?
The turtle-snakes have finally achieved dominion over their isolated corner of space, and, despite their barbaric disregard for science, they are continuing to emerge as a threat to the civilized peoples of the universe.
As far as we can tell, nothing has happened this year at the current front line between Dromaro's squid beasts and Apsup's big-eyed reptiles. There is a significant gap between their areas, longer than their current sensor range, so it is likely that both fear to act in the absence of the information they need. Alternatively, there could be fleets in transit that have not yet arrived. However, since Apsup is wedged between multiple other threats, it seems likely that Dromaro's expansion will continue, although perhaps his progress will be delayed here.
The bug-beasts have researched yet another level of sensor technology, allowing them to probe deep into the heart of enemy territory. As yet, we do not know how their great bug queen Shiam has chosen to act upon this new information.
Comments
However, you could've allied with one of your neighbours and it would've made things a lot easier, especially if your ally were to attack one of your other neighbours.
Before you ask "what incentive is there to co-operate?", the answer is technology trading. Have you noticed how Shiam and I are both ahead in technology, despite Shiam having built a second Science Facility later than anyone else did?
In any case, trading techs is still worthwhile for its own sake.
In your position, I would've captured Alniyat early on, leaving orange essentially unable to attack me for some time, since I think it would require level 3 sensors for orange to see what I had there. That would leave me with only two stars to defend. I would have made an agreement to trade techs with one of the players next to me, since without being under threat by orange I would not be such a vulnerable target and so the promise of future technologies rather than attacking me would be a good option. I would have chosen to research jump tech first, as quickly as possible, since this would enable me to take Yoshokatana's stars and give me an advantage over the other players.
Would it have worked? Perhaps not, but it would've been much better than what you did.
Besides, if I do snowball, it's only because mutliple people fucked up.
My only complaint is that defense is very strongly weighted early on, which when compounded with limited intelligence, makes attacking overly risky.
As we enter the sixth year, things have changed very much indeed. Lackofcheese now has 15 stars due to a ruthless attack on The Golem, and he is clearly reaping the benefits - lackofcheese's empire made a whopping $230 in taxes this year, significantly more than the closest economic competitors, and the brush-heads are also a leader in Industry, second only to Dromaro's squid monsters. The once-great civilization of the tentacle beasts lies mostly in ruins, and yet lackofcheese still has 92 ships left, not far behind Dromaro's 108. We surmise that superior technology and tactics have made this an easy victory for the brush-heads. From the technological advantage lackofcheese shares with Shiam's bug-beasts, it is evident that they have traded techs with one another. This tenuous alliance and the resulting technological supremacy was a essential to lackofcheese's strategy, as without it he would not have been able to conquer The Golem so safely and easily. Additionally, lackofcheese's civilization is the only one to possess three science facilities, which demonstrates a clear desire for technological supremacy.
Meanwhile, Dromaro has chosen to attack Apsup, and has now taken two stars formerly in the possession of those big-eyed reptiles, and The Golem has retaken one of the planets he lost to an attack by Shiam, but this cannot be for long.
Yoshokatana remains in his isolated space, but, considering the recent aggression, it can't be long before other civilizations choose to expand into this territory as well, given his relative weakness. Nonetheless, he is currently better off than The Golem, at least.
This image, taken from lackofcheese's sensor station at roughly 09:30 on Nov 18, reveals an upcoming battle that will occur; we have chosen to call it "The Battle for Scheddi".
It seems that lackofcheese's fleet will take Scheddi at the cost of 9 ships, pillaging its economy for $60 in the process. However, the remaining 8 ships will be unable to defend against The Golem's incoming fleets of 11 and 18 ships. A minor victory for The Golem, but the interesting question is, what will lackofcheese do after capturing Scheddi?
Despite my calculations, I was worried you might get your hands on level 3 weapons tech and I'd lose that battle. Fortunately, it seems my understanding of ship production is correct - one ship every 12/Industry hours. If I'd screwed that up, I could've lost that battle.
My other worry was that you would attempt to take Mirach with those ships to fuck me up. The funny thing is, as a result of this, and my still needing to worry about 16 of your ships which I cannot locate with my inferior sensors, my fleets are currently going around in a circle (ships from Mirach to Scheddi to shore up its defense now that it has been successfully captured, ships from Praecupia to Mirach as a cautionary measure against your taking Mirach, as mentioned previously (this was done when your fleets were still at Scheddi, hence why they're almost there), and a single-ship fleet from Scheddi to Praecupia to give mobility to the 11 ships I left there for defense). See here (some data is blanked out for obvious reasons):
It looks stupid, but I'm pretty sure it actually isn't; I think it was the best way for me to ensure you couldn't wreak havoc at my stars with your fleets.
Unfortunately, given my inferior sensor tech, I can't work out how you have your last 1617 ships distributed between Naos and Altarf. Granted, since your last fleet is headed for Altarf, that's my best bet, but I'm not certain enough of that to attack it without sensor data.
As we enter the seventh year, it is clear that we are witnessing the birth of a superpower. In fact, if Dromaro has anything to say about it, it could well be two superpowers.
The brush-heads, the first superpower to emerge, now have 17 stars, and have benefited greatly from their conquest of The Golem's tentacle beasts. Their economy continues to boom greatly, now more than 50% ahead of any other race. Although they lost a good 30 ships in this war, they now have 25 Industry, which should help lackofcheese to catch up to the other civilizations in ship numbers quite promptly.
Now it appears that Dromaro's squid monsters have also gone to war, and they too mean business. Currently with 140 ships, Dromaro has already taken several of Apsup's planets. However, Apsup still has a strong navy and a decent economy, so it's clear his reptilian race won't go down without a fight.
Meanwhile, Shiam has once again taken Kaffaljidhma from The Golem, marking the third time this star has changed hands. What is it about this star that has attracted so much bloodshed? Is it merely the tactical significance, or does it also possess an abundance of natural resources?
With only two stars and 17 ships, The Golem is all but dead. The only mark of the tentacle beasts that remains is their discovery of sensors capable of sensing a distance of 0.45 light years - a technology which only allowed them to see their impending doom slightly earlier. Now Shiam's bugs also possess this technology; will they too suffer the same fate?
Yoshokatana's snake turtles have continued to develop their isolated corner of the universe, and they are now close to Apsup and Shiam in military and economic might. However, as one might expect of a rural backwater, their technological progress is stunted - with only a single science facility, all they have discovered so far is level 3 weapons technology. Contrast this to lackofcheese's brush-heads - from their very appearance they are clearly suited for scientific discourse, and in that regard they have not been a disappointment. With no less than 5 science facilities, they are equal leaders in fleet weapons and speed, and they have now become the only civilization with ships capable of making a 0.75 light year trip without refueling. However, their sensor technology remains behind that of The Golem and Shiam.
The eighth year is only an hour away, but it seems nothing particularly significant has changed. Using his superior jump range, lackofcheese has captured two formerly inaccessible stars. With the annexation of one of red's last two stars as well, the brush-heads now possess 20 stars, and they continue to dominate in Economy, Industry, and Science.
Meanwhile, the tentacle monsters are down to their very last star, likely huddling in fear as they wait for their imminent demise. However, we do not know for sure how these strange creatures would respond to a situation where their very civilization lies at the brink of destruction - perhaps they are celebrating wildly?
The turtle-snakes have finally achieved dominion over their isolated corner of space, and, despite their barbaric disregard for science, they are continuing to emerge as a threat to the civilized peoples of the universe.
As far as we can tell, nothing has happened this year at the current front line between Dromaro's squid beasts and Apsup's big-eyed reptiles. There is a significant gap between their areas, longer than their current sensor range, so it is likely that both fear to act in the absence of the information they need. Alternatively, there could be fleets in transit that have not yet arrived. However, since Apsup is wedged between multiple other threats, it seems likely that Dromaro's expansion will continue, although perhaps his progress will be delayed here.
The bug-beasts have researched yet another level of sensor technology, allowing them to probe deep into the heart of enemy territory. As yet, we do not know how their great bug queen Shiam has chosen to act upon this new information.