I really have no comment, I don't see Clint reversing his quite entrenched position unless there's a groundswell and I don't see that necessarily happening...unless your next essay will initiate such a movement... So....no more suspense - what do you see as the reason for the shorter games?
Brad
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----- Original Message ----
From: Ovatha Easterling <ovatha88@hotmail.com>
To: mepbmlist@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Saturday, June 28, 2008 10:53:20 AM
Subject: [mepbmlist] Balanced Games
To balance or not to balance? It comes down to psychological factors that Clint would, usually, be unaware of. Which brings up the REAL issue---drops.
Drops, yes many people hate them and some folks feel resentment towards people who drop. But they have and continue to play an important role in this game. Let me explain.
In most forms of conflict there are three choices. Let us use Tolkien's good versus evil as an example. In the struggle against evil you can fight it (Gandalf's choice), join it (Saruman) or withdraw from it (Gladriel). A drop is Gladriel's choice. GSI rarely replaced drops. This was in keeping with Tolkien's fantasy universe. Gladriel's choice is as legitimate as Gandalf's or Saruman's. It also can be seen in the Real World. An example might be Spain's fairly recent withdrawal from the Global War on Terror. Or, Thailand's opting out of the "Greater East Asia Coprosperity Sphere"---when it becam obvious who was going to win the Pacific War.
Now the will to resist collapses before the means of resisitance. Even the Confederates and Imperial Japan surrendered when they still retained the means of resisitance. Since GSI seldom filled drops, my one-time regular strategy was to identify enemy newbies and 'weak sisters'. These would get pounded, usually discouraged and then drop. Then move on to the next. You do not fight Bain or Ji Indur, you fight the man behind them. You encourage them to takes Gladriel's road west. Pound out 2-4 in this manner and a cascade builds up. I might note that the SHORTEST game I ever played with GSI was 24 turns, when my EO was eliminated.
Clint once said the average length of a 1650 game was 15 - 20 turns. Clearly something has changed. Harley immediately fills drops. You would exchange a discouraged player for a fresh and energetic one. I'm sure this was posited to Harley as lengthening the game. But it has not. I suspect the reason for the 'not'. But before getting into the reason why Harley games are shorter than GSI games, I will await comments on the above.
Ed
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