Dominions 3 MP: Azimuthal

I am a man who plays alone
And when I'm playin a turn game
At night or just a spendin some spare time

And when the turn begins to change
I sometimes feel a little strange
A little anxious when it forms

Fear of the turn, fear of the turn
I have a constant fear that danger's
Always near
Fear of the turn, fear of the turn
I have a phobia that danger's
Always there...

I must admit, from the battles I have witnessed between Hinnom and Ermor and Fomoria the past few turns, Hinnom definitely appears to have the better put together armies and is winning the larger battles pretty soundly. So, I would have to agree with pyrhic right now that while Hinnom is losing some troops, they don't appear to be in any danger at all and may end up stronger in the near future if things don't turn.

I can't say I like uneven battles in general (and acknowledge that is the way Dom3 MP can be), but in this case I have to agree that it is taking more of us to try to hold Hinnom in check than it should and may need more still before things are all said and done :).

So I guess TC is the third nation I'm at war with? I figured you were just being opportunistic making a low-risk grab of some water while Ermor and Fomoria did the heavy lifting. I suppose that can be "at war" but its pretty low stakes. I''m actually sort of surprised Ermor is ok with you taking provinces that he might think should be his while he is doing the actual fighting and taking the actual risks. But then, I always have trouble understanding where folks come from on some of these decisions they make.

In any case, yes, when I can direct my main army at a fragment of someone else's expansion army in my territory, I will often win. That statement is also true for pretty much every other player in the game. It's sort of a basic principle. It's easier to defend than attack. It's also much riskier to be the defender.

If you lose an invasion army, it's:
"damn.. I lost some guys that I had driven into someone else's territory. Of course, I still have some of their provinces, and wreaked havoc on their economy. Oh.. and look.. I already have a replacement army here in my territory. Oh well.. "

If you lose with your main army on defense it's:
"Oh gawd.. I just got all my guys blown up, there's still an invading army in my kitchen and I'm likely under siege in the places I would be rebuilding it from.. I guess I just lost.. "

So you are correct that I have won some battles in my kitchen. If I hadn't, I would be in last stand now. Let's not confuse me not losing the game outright with me being an unmanageable power.

I also want to reiterate that I am the defender on this thing. I still don't want to be fighting. So this notion about "holding Himmom in check" is disingenuous. If no one was attacking me, I would be very much "in check". Taking low-risk swings at me and then coming to the forums looking for help "holding Hinnom in check: because I swung back is a bit misleading at the least.

Well, I am trying to take some water provinces right now, that it true. I guess it certainly isn't peace :). I think pyrhic may have been referring to me as the 3rd nation, that is probably true. You are too far to really wage an all out war, but it has been a concern the early lead and overall cumulative gold/gem advantage you had/have. Plus, it is just my opinion so far that Ermor and Fomoria haven't shown they have counters to what you are fielding so far so that is also a concern that you may be able to take both of them on and gain an advantage still. That is still to be seen, though.

I understand the confusion with regard to me saying "hold Hinnom in check". All I mean by that statement is holding back your overall power curve, not you physically attacking and taking provinces. I have seen what can happen when a nation gets a good early lead and by mid game can be so tough of a juggernaut that it doesn't really matter what the other nations do. You also seem to be quite good at the game, Austen, so that figures into my concern for sure on what a position like yours can do in the hands of a skilled player.

LIES!!!

I realize there has been a lot of focus on me, but has anyone looked at TCs position?

• They are first or 2nd in every category and are plain old running away in research.
• They are getting free water provinces courtesy of Ermor and Fomoria attacking me. ( I still sort of don't understand why Ermor/Fomoria want to take on all the downside of fighting me while giving TC completely risk-free gains for contributing nothing.. but..*shrug*)
• No one is doing anything to slow them down

When my position was weaker than there's and I _wasn't_ expanding there was a furor about stopping me. Their current position is far better than mine has been at any point in this game and is getting dramatically stronger every turn. Maybe that's worth examining.

Anybody wanna kill Lum with me? He's stealing provinces like crazy.

You raise an interesting point.

Kat, you really ought to put PD in your provinces. My mindless Witch King is running rampant and all I really want to do is kill him off to stop spending money on him.

Who's organizing a lynch mob? I haven't said a word to anyone until you attacked me without provocation. I haven't attacked anyone except Kat, and you see the explanation for that above.

I have no idea what you're talking about, sir. I'd fess up to something I'd been caught at. I haven't contacted anyone in this game for a while, now.

THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT THE GERMANS DID! WHAT YOUR TRYING TO TELL ME IS THAT YOU WANT TO THRUST YOUR ARMIES INTO MY VIRGIN LANDS AND PUT UP CONCENTRATION CAMPS FOR MY NON-HUMAN INHABITANTS!

Bring it! Your jagged teeth shall break up on the scales of the serpent! And please pardon all the swamp gas.

Heh, yeah every time I go through one of Kat's provinces and see no PD I can hardly resist plundering the province.

As nate said, i just copy/paste every round's score into an excel sheet i made. Long time ago, i realized that there was so much more important info than what was being shown in the score charts. For instance, total gold or net income, is more important in many ways that gross income and variations in the rate of change in research can hide subtle clues to things like mobilization and crafting. In fact, in general, i find rate of change to be one of the most important things I look for in the graphs (ie, is this turn's scores above/below/inline with the prior turn).

Simple, TC's offering me more than you.

If TC gets too big, then they will likely find themselves a target too. That was why this whole war started is because Hinnom had a crazy lead, a game winning lead. It was identified early that it would cause problems. To have scaled up dramtically with research, a yawning chasm with income and gems and a significant army already established, if something wasn't done to the leader, then he would without a doubt continue to get stronger. Of course, TC have improved now because Hinnom is devoting more resources to the warfront I suspect. It is the consequence of war. I was playing this game to both have a good time, and to win. Obviously a miracle is all that can save me now, and even if someone like Scribble took over my nation, he'd say it is beyond salvage. However, it is worth noting that if I stood by and did nothing, I would certainly lose this game. I would be wasting my time being a mere speedbump to eventual victory by someone clearly better than me.

Second point regarding the free water provinces. I would like to state right now that I have no water fight capacity. No amphibious units. I could get water pills or the barrel of air, but that means air gems which I don't have. Isn't there a ritual spell to enable water breathing? I can not seem to find it right now. Maybe I'm getting mixed up with something else. But the point remains, I have no water fight capacity. And I'm certainly not crying foul that TC is getting an easy ride with water provinces while it is essentially game over for me. The oppurtunity existed, TC took it. TC are basically fighting on the front that they have available to them by the looks of things.

Yeah, I am pretty sure Ermor and I discussed those water provinces quite a few turns back and he told me the same thing about not going to be able to enter the sea anytime soon. I intended to let him take them if he was able, but actually took them to help him in the war against you. Sure, it doesn't hurt me having the extra income either, but otherwise I am not sure I would have spent the extra resources getting an army ready to enter the sea so early if the conditions were different.

Somebody else, like me, the poor, decimated lands of Ermor that you border? I don't think you'd care much for the "Jaguars Keep Out!" signs I've nailed down everywhere, but you've been respectful so far, just as I refrained from marching on those 0 PD provinces you have.

Of course, it would be better to leave me to Hinnom while you go for Sauromatia. Think of the spoils of war, empowering you both. What lies have you been told Lum? Is someone whispering evil thoughts into your ear to provoke you into attacking Sauromatia?Or is it some grand plan. Where is my tinfoil hat.

What if... What if Mictlan take out Sauromatia and Hinnom takes out Fomoria. And I get squashed in the middle. 3 VP's each (assuming Austen takes mine). It leads to an interesting end game. Just like Highlander, there can be only one, and there will be conflict between Hinnom and Mictlan. At least, that is what my Augurs are telling me ;-)

About that.

There was a whole lot of this:



And a little bit of this:



All caused by this:



Care to come at me again, Lum? If not, we're coming for you.

I had 113 Androphag Archers and maybe 8 warriors. The rest was PD.

And no no no, you come at me! :)

Exactly why i took a heavy air bless as mictlan. Lack of shields will eat you alive...

Yeah, but didn't that not work against my hordes of TC bowmen?

I don't think we conclusively figured that out - i certainly felt I didnt take as much damage as i normally would have, but it did seem you landed more. Iirc, didn't you think it might be related to the TC bowmen having a magic arrow attack? Which is weird, because i didnt think that arrow fend/bless cared about magic arrows or not...

That is some mean PD.

Hinnom plays with Mictlan, Mictlan plays with Ermor
Ermor plays with Fomoria, Fomoria is happy again
Tien Chi plays with Lanka, Sauro plays with Mict
Fomoria builts a bonfire, Tien Chi plays with it
-Whistling tunes we hid in the dunes by the seaside
-Whistling tunes we're kissing baboons in the jungle
It's a knockout
If looks could kill, they probably will
In games without frontiers-war without tears

Oh, and merry xmas all!

Splendid game so far.

Also, Hinnom - we should talk. I'll have my people call your people and maybe we can do a wheat-thin lunch, soundsgood?

I'm always open to talk to folks that paraphrase songs that feature Kate Bush :) And Merry Christmas to all :)

It feels like an extra day might be good on this turn.

Oh crap, the holidays!!! 48 hours added to the turn timer.

Boo! Hiss!!!

Hinnom look for peace and I pledge to refrain from aggression. No sooner does that happen than Austen turns around and attacks me anyway.

I'm glad my Troglodytes fucked things up enough though. Come at me, good sir. There is more waiting. Unless of course you really want peace?

P.S Send my regards to your chariotee.... oh, wait, they got annihilated. Ooops!


Edit to add: I hope the other players in this game see why this veritable dogpile had to happen. If anyone wants a chance to win this game, it will have to involve clashing with Hinnom in some way, shape or form. Merely turtling up is unlikely to grant victory. Don't for a moment believe that Hinnom was the defender in this war, he drew first blood by marching into my lands unprovoked. Claiming that I was the aggresor as "I marched around in his kitchen" is incorrect, I merely pressed an advantage that I had, and a tactical error subsequently cost me.

Yet again, the people of Hinnom have drawn blood, unprovoked, and with a tentative agreement of peace/ceasefire in effect. Do you dare trust him in the future? Do you want to rise to godhood, or sit with the pigs and look up longingly at the sky, laughing as the clouds manifest into a myriad of shapes and omnipotence escapes you?

I'm confused.. we didn't/don't have a peace agreement.. I offered you peace, but you said you wanted to consolidate your position and think about it.. My timing may be off a bit because of the break, but I think I gave you a couple turns which you used to greatly fortify/strengthen your position. Continuing to sit back and give you time to build up enough guys to go rampaging through my kitchen seems like a bad policy for me. I have never once broken a diplomatic agreement in any game on any forum and I'm certainly not starting here.

As far as the bit about the initial outbreak several turns ago, you and Fomoria were both obviously coming at me. I did attack one of your provinces a turn before you both struck at me so try and slow things down a bit, but that didn't really have much bearing.

And you did indeed smash my chariots.. Your trogs weren't really the key.. watch the battle again and send me a PM and tell me why I got obliterated :)

To clarify, there was definite miscommunication between myself and Austen, I am to blame, and for that, I am here now to explicitly say that Austen did not break any diplomatic agreements between us.

Hey, has anyone heard from Lanka? It's 2 hrs until turn and he hasn't submitted - he also staled last turn. Let's postpone for 48 or until we hear from him?