4th Age Game 43

General
#61

Greetings to all of Middle Earth,

The Dark Servants have discussed diplomatic options with the neutral team, and we are afraid that we will not be pursuing the diplomatic route. This is partly because we feel that we may not be able to trust them, partly because we want to attempt to secure territory behind our lines, and partly because we’re just looking to have fun this game, regardless of the consequences. It’s only a game, after all, and there are worse things that can happen in life than being the first allegiance eliminated from a 4th Age game.

We are looking for a good, overall competitive game. We have proposed options to the FP of a true 3-way game, with all three factions fighting it out on their appropriate battle fronts. We are awaiting their reply.

If a true 3-way game does not materialize, we would welcome the challenge of a 13 vs. 8 scenario (but we’d prefer more balance), and we would appreciate it if at least some of the independent neutrals would give us a “fighting chance,” under such conditions. If you want to make it a full 17 vs. 8 temporary alliance, so be it, but we’d hope that all of you are looking for more of a challenge than that.

Obviously, we’d like to continue courting independent neutrals to join our allegiance, as well. As independent neutrals, you have three options for victory, and our team is one of them. If this game does at some point end up with only two factions, your nations could easily balance the game or tip the scales very far in one direction. We have no intentions of any attacks on independent neutrals, and we would like to continue discussions with them. If we are attacked by independent neutrals, however, we will strike back, but we would much prefer to work with them than go to war with them.

Diplomacy is extremely complex in a game of this particular format, and perhaps the level of diplomacy required in this game is beyond our skill. We are not giving up on diplomacy completely, however, as we would welcome a true 3-way game. Everyone has different goals in a game of this nature, and the personalities of the members of the DS team have led us war in the early game. We do not, however, want to be considered untrustworthy, so we thought it would be wise to explain our position.

Things may have been different had previous events not led us to determine who was on the neutral team at the beginning. Neutrality is a murky concept in this particular game, and we feel that our hostilities are being directed at an enemy nation, not a neutral nation. We only consider the four independent neutrals to be non-enemy neutral nations at this point.

Therefore, we suggest that we move on with the game and see what happens from here,

Mike
Pinnaless Ear

#62

It seems there was some sort of consesus out there that the DS Team was having there way with me. Yes they took 4112 from me on turn turn yet it seems on turn 3 they find themselves 900 HI short from turn 2 and they still are not at my capitol. I guess that 700 HC @ 3713 hurt them and blocked them somehow! Hmm … Can you say Vengence is mine! Bettre luck on turn 4 Dark Sevents!

Take notice everyone The Nuetral Team is here to stay in RHUN!

Vengers:p

#63

Blocking is part of the game… So your 700 HC were near the high end of being an “army-sized army.” You got us, for a turn or two… We’ve still taken out a MT/Fort and lost nothing to you, and you haven’t seen the last of us,

Mike

#64

In responce to the DS ‘attack’…well.
Why bother to respond to a toothless barking curr?

Seems you have bitten off more than you can chew. 3 vs 1 huh? Maybe you can bring some friends next time. Seems a shame to allow yourself to be led by a leash like an orc mongrel. Oh yeah right, the DS unravelled our plot right away right? Have you ever thought you may have fell right into our machinations? Yeah probably not.
I am sure this is not the last we heard from the DS.
We hear much from the DS but it all sounds the same.

WOOF!
WOOF!

#65

Now it’s time to break the back of the DS starting Cavalry troops.:wink:

The tide is turning even when that army comes down from 3811 it will be forced to defend 3713 or 3612. :eek:

My capitol is now safe and soon I will control Rhovanian south of the river!:smiley:

Vengers

#66

I believe that it will be your starting cavalry troops that will be broken next by the DS hordes.

Yes, your capital is safe for a turn or two, but not long-term.

You’ll need a lot of help to take all of my PCs south of the river, especially with you hopelessly outnumbered at the one that is closest to you.

Thus far the fight has only been 2 vs. 1 with you, as well, so it’s not like you’re draining all of the DS resources,

Mike

#67

Yes you destroyed my starting HC. But I caught yours now yours Die’s. Yet every turn I stay in Rhun your teams Chances of winning grows less and less. Even 2 against 1. As long as I stay in Rhun your Holding’s in Mordor are Vulnerable to the FP and No nuetral has to do anything more than watch and wait.

Soon it be become very clear to your team the other nuetrals and the FP you will never take me out of Rhun.

This is a 3 team game and will end with a Nuetral team intact and Vengers in Rhun!

HolyAvenger

#68

Silver Spires what are you thinking? Moving an Army next to a Nuetral PC is an act of aggression towards all Nuetrals. Move this army Imediately or suffer my Rath! Until this army is removed from Next to the Queen Of Gondors pc I will no longer share info with the FP about DS troop movements in Rhun and Rhovanian. If it still there next turn I can only assume you Going to War against the Queen of Gondor and Declare against all the FP in defense of the Right of all Nuetrals to freely decide who they wish to join. Tread lightly you have been warned.

Holy Avenger
Vengers

#69

First it was a blunderous DS preemptive strike.
Now a normal neutral is attacked by FP forces? For what purpose I cannot guess.
I can empathise with DS players too confused to deal with a neutral team concept with proper diplomacy, but with enemies like these, who needs friends?
Vengers, of course you understand that when this game is closed we shall wear the scarlet letter. For playing this game whithin the parameters as it was designed we will be banished to gulag.
My nation is commited to feeding the DS their own words.
I sure would like to be friends with my enemies enemy.
What say you?
I welcome all diplos from freeps and neutrals. DS…well you know where we stand.

#70

The insanity of this game is beyond reason.

Too bad we can not all get along.

See ya,
Kitirat

#71

Kitrat

I’m not upset personally with anyone in this Game. As a matter of Fact I am playing with my opposition from game 146. But while this game goes on I do what is best for my team and my nation. From the setup I chose to be in Rhun isolated from my teamates just so no other Nuetral would be forced into any alliance. Yet the DS and FP are doing just that. The Fear of a Nuetral joining the nuetral alliance has DS and FP forcing the Nuetrals into join now or die situations.

My words are strong but only defending my goals long before the game started. Nothing personal.

Having said that Die DS! LOL

Venger

#72

“Celine live at Caras Galadhon!!, are you mad?”
The current Ariaric was a man prone to violence, Theoric thought as he received the leaftets thrown at him full on the face.

“Yes, my lord. Current events dictates our policy, and recents battles committed on independant neutral nation may only be a warning. If we do not show support to our uncommittede brethen, some may think your army is weak and toothless. Sending Celine is the one warning they’ll understand. Beside weren’t you the one who couldn’t suffer Moose’s stink for one more second?.”

Following two lines of thoughts was too much a strain for the current Wisigoth ruler, Theoric always used that advantage fully. Indicating a seat, he went for the blackboard :

“Here we are. To our west and South, Mannish nations who banded together. To our North, Servants. Across the mountain a likewise independant nation of the Galvadi. But here, on his southern border are some Elvish holdings, the so called Free People. As reports indicated, those same nations sent troops now deep in Galvani territory. Barring sending troops, we had to make our displeasure known.”

“But what are their emissaries saying about it?”

" Nothing. Their quarters has been empty for so long now, that we put your favourite cow in it, right next your bedroom. So we’re sending Celine on tour. If that doesn’t make them think twice, nothing will. She’ll be sent with a proper escort, not to be let loose on land, as per The Hague tribunal orders, should those be attacked…Well we’ll know where we stand then. Have no fear my lord, we’re not sending any troops we cannot afford to loose. Our walls will still be manned"

“But what of the other nations?”

“Same as usual, if either the Servants or the Mannish nations wants to attack us, they’ll face something they will not like facing.”

He brandished a contract with a flourish
“We just concluded a deal to host American Idol coming forthnight onward”

#73

Just a quick note,

I’ve recieved a ton of emails this turn and due to RL events, I will not be able to respond to them till thursday.

To those who have corrisponded, please do not take the slowness of response as inaction or disinterest.

See ya,
Ken

#74

I find it quite hilarious that the Vengers continues his postings on a turn when he loses one commander because he forgot what order #215 is and has another captured in battle.

My HC remnants will likely be wiped out this turn, but they’re getting their job done by clearing what had become my rendezvous point of your troops. Even if you have help coming, it might be far too late for you.

Perhaps we may never completely drive you from Rhun, as you have an isolated camp here and there, but your capital does not have a lot of turns left.

Somehow I don’t think throwing away commanders like you did this turn is doing the best you can for your team or your nation, as you’ll likely need shipments of gold from the NK to replace them.

As far as Socrates’ comments go, diplomacy with a team of 5 enemies was much more in YOUR interest than in ours. Diplomacy with the independent neutrals is much more in our interest, and we are pursuing such options, and have been for the entire game.

It will be interesting to see where we go from here,

Mike

#75

Ideally, the DS would find it the most fun to have a true 3-way game, where everyone fights everyone on the fronts that we have. I played in a 3-way grudge game of that nature, and I had fun.

Game 41, currently being played, is exactly this type of game. Note that it isn’t a Grudge game and that every player came into the game knowing he would be given a random allegience. The setup was 9 neutral, 8 Free, 8 Dark with a kingdom given to both the Dark and the Free, which not being known at setup. There was also the caveat that there would be no contact between teams.

That said it’s been great fun and a big success. My only suggestion for change might be an 11-7-7 split as the kingdoms do hold a good bit of power. The game seems to be approaching an end in turn 19 but that’s difficult to say with any surety.

For myself I’d be very interested in having another go at this type of 4th Age setup once 41 wraps up.

Greg

#76

Far be it for me to offend anyone by stating the obvious but it seems I am once more sitting in the Lap of Neccesity. :o
Basic addition reveals who the largest threat to all is in Middle Earth. Basic geography reveals that same team as the most likely to win by having a secure bloc.
The freeps lie scattered across the map and their turns have already been compromised. :mad:
The DS sit fat and secure in the northeast while it seems the fragmented freeps do the bidding of orcs, while those same orcs plot their eventual demise. :frowning:
To top it all off the freeps are attacking innocent neutrals which leads them into the hands of the DS.
Look at the map guys! Look at your experience pool and your team makeup.
Does anyone really think the freeps can afford to alienate all neutrals, wear themselves down fighting those neutrals, and then rally their scattered forces against a strong and cohesive DS team?
I tell you this and mark my words. If the freeps continue to allow themselves to be used as a tool for DS interests you will only hand the DS…your sworn enemies, an easy victory. True 3-way game my arse. This is turning into a forfeit for the DS, a debaucle. Only by aligning with the neutrals will the freeps have any hope of beating the DS at games end. But it is not too late to pull yourself back from the brink of annihilation. I ask you to put away personal bias and do what is best strategically. It is your only hope to pull a team victory.
Otherwise you will only be ground into the earth under orcish boots.
As for the DS, spare me your deceptive rhetoric for once. I smell a rat. A big fat stinky DS rat.
Socrates may be abrasive at times but he does not lie.
Some may not like Truth spoken from the mouth of Socrates but for Pete’s sakes people…read the writing on the wall!
It is not too late.
We are willing to work with all reasonable nations. :slight_smile:

Please contact my emissaries via wizardmail hermetictruth@yahoo.com

#77

Did you not read Clint’s directives about personal insults of character?
First the likes of you say it foolish to declare as neutrals in the open. Then when your short term mammory fails you you call me coward?
And I made my nation’s identity clear a long time ago. If one is too daft to remember it is not my fault. Why not randomly attack an innocent neut and see if it’s me? OR NOT! Oh nevermind thats been done already. :rolleyes:
Pearls before swine I tell you! And what nation do you run? The Koxholders, or Pennyless Punks? :confused:
As for tantrums…you can misperceive whatever you wish but my predictions have been made and they stand as is. :wink:
DCarey huh? Any relations to Danny Carey the quality kickass drummer for Tool? Yeah probably not, I did say quality…(chuckles) :smiley:
I tell ya with all this ‘hatin’ goin on I would be happy for an honest grudge game whereas the name is truly indicative of the sentiment. But then it would be hard to defame that which you don’t understand when you take an ‘honest’ whooping’. Go back home to mommy orcish whelp! :mad: Or better yet, quit picking on honest neuts and cum get some over here? Oh that’s right. There is a lack of deductive reasoning to even realize who I am even after i declared myself to be critisized for doing so by Mike.
Well here is a hint…‘Luke, I’m your daddy.’ :stuck_out_tongue:
What?

#78

Socrates has somewhat overexaggerated the strength of the DS position. While we do have a block of nations that are somewhat contiguous, we also have isolated nations. The FP have a strong holding in the south, as well, and at least they have two nations together in the central areas. Overall, our position is somewhat stronger than theirs, but I don’t see it as being a lot stronger.

What I’m most puzzled about is the FP actions in this game. Rather than trying to recruit independent neutrals, they have decided to attack them, instead.

We have not attacked any TRUE neutrals, ourselves. We’re at war with Allegiance #3 (the neutral block), but not with ANY independents. In fact, we have offered aid to the independent neutrals who are under attack from the FP, while still fighting against Allegiance #3.

Our actions seem to make a lot more sense than those of the Silver Spires and the Cold Stream Guard. Their actions have made it unlikely that any independent neutrals will ever join the FP, while we continue to have dialog with all independent neutrals.

As far as our war against the third allegiance goes, they’re currently attacking our isolated nation, while we’re attacking theirs. Basically, what I expected to happen is happening. Because of this, it is unfortunate that we were unable to come to a diplomatic solution with the neutral block, because right now, we’re both suffering from the consequences. Had the neutral block been a bit more honest with us at the beginning of this game, the war between our allegiances may have been delayed several turns into the game.

Anyway, this game is quite interesting, with a lot of unusual things going on,

Mike

#79

Exaggerate? Who me…humbug.

#80

Exaggerate who me? :confused:
Humbug!
I still do not trust the DS as far as I can throw you guys and suggest the remaining neutrals do the same.
The only alliance worth joining is the free men of Middle Earth.
Come South Kingdom, Wisigoths, Galvadi, Capellanus, Allmerites, join us and enter into victory. :slight_smile: