Game #122 - Better to Be Lucky Than Good

[HeadHoncho]

Super briefly since I'm buried, here's a quick synopsis of my victory as the GI Kingdom.

I basically got very lucky, both in my SVC, and in finding the Key and Gem of the Planes early. Here was the SVC:

WIN BY CONTROLLING AT LEAST TWO REGIONS AND FOUR CITIES, OWNING A POPULATION CENTER PRODUCING A MINIMUM OF 13,000 FOOD, OWN A TOWN OR CITY IN THE NORTHERN MISTS, HAVING AN ACTIVE AGENT/FANATIC OF LEVEL-8 OR HIGHER, AND HAVING AT LEAST FOUR EMISSARIES OF COUNT RANK OR HIGHER (NOT INCLUDING KING/QUEEN/REGENT).

Taking all of Amberland got me halfway there, a cooperative and helpful WA ally willing to loan me Lorethane after I helped him squash the EL army and capital got me a bit further along, and having 1GI bouncing around with the Gem and taking the Northern Mists got me the rest of the way there.

I think the majority of our existing player base could have won this game with that SVC and the Gem of the Planes, a number of them even sooner than I did, too. I also ended up with lots of prisoners and a decent number of artifacts.

I'm honestly glad this one is over, since I've been so busy lately. Many thanks to all!

[Brogan]

Sigh... Once again a broken game requiring only 2 regions for victory. This is it for me, I am tired of playing a slower kingdom and having no chance at victory. It's not worth my time and money to play something so unbalanced.

[HeadHoncho]

Before you go, I honestly believe a lot of this could be fixed by simply normalizing the SVCs and removing the outliers. Just a thought.

[Wynterbreeze]

GAME END STATUS POINTS
PLACE KINGDOM PLAYER RESULTS-12 GRAND TOTAL

1 GI HeadHoncho 8765 9136
2 UN Kal Rex 3600 3869
3 DA Wynter Breeze 3200 3471
4 BL The Deliverer 2945 3295
5 SO Wynand 2400 2888
6 WA Duhamburglar 2105 2519
7 GN Lord Brogan 2000 2183
8 AN Susakraus 1900 2076
9 RA Hamlet 1275 1438
10 WI The Organizer 600 1214
11 DW Telrandir 600 949
12 DE DuPont 800 916
13 TR STILLGARD 550 705
14 RD Slow Play 200 200
15 EL BlazeBKH 200 200

Congratulations to HeadHoncho on the victory.

Have I mentioned how much I hate hate hate SVC's? Another game ending before turn 13. So far in 3 finished games I have been in, two games ended before turn 13, this one, and game 122 that ended on turn 11. NOT fun, not fun at all. Just as you build and get out of winter game over. Done. No time to use the agents you labored over to get to a level you could use them. No time to see how the The Great Axe does in battle, no time to use the Ring of Invisibility you just got.

No time to use the 6 Barrons, 2 Counts, Duke and Prince and 19 influence. No time to cast a spell other than create gold or Hidden ore, with your P4 p3 p3 p3

So far since I came back to Alamaze, 2 of my 4 games have just been a race ASAP to end the game with a SVC. Who needs mid game strategy? Games aren't even getting to the mid game. All that time invested in building a kingdom for the game to end so prematurely is exhausting and incredibly disappointing.

Doesn't anyone else actually like playing past the early game and into mid? Or is the fastest race to the Podium all that matters to most?

[HeadHoncho]

Honestly, if I were in your shoes, I'd probably feel similarly in terms of the letdown.

But IMO it's asking a lot of anyone to forego a (likely) successful SVC check just to prolong the game for everyone else.

A lot of it is that I needed to clear this game off of my plate in light of how busy I am. But I don't think it's appropriate to blame players for taking advantage of their opportunities, even if they come by way of luck.

[kevindusi]

Well said, Wynter. When the Giant and I both picked up our second region, I asked him if he wanted to go for standard victory, since nobody else besides us really seemed close. Obviously that was the road less traveled. I was fortunate in that I was able to enjoy a little bit more offense than some, but I will mirror that I found this game a little less satisfying than most.

Still, congrats to HeadHoncho.

[HeadHoncho]

Thanks, Kevin. I've already said this to you privately, but in light of my aforementioned busy-ness, my strong personal perception that a longer game favored you over me, combined with my continuing skepticism that standard victory is really even feasible, well, all of that led me to decline your offer.

On top of that, as I think about it, there's no telling how many other players in our game had easy SVCs, and it would be a big letdown to ME if someone other than the two of us were to swoop in and take the SVC, while we were laboring (arguably tilting at windmills) toward the Holy Grail.

In other circumstances, I might have considered it. But I hope you'll understand why I declined here.

[Wynterbreeze]

Honestly, if I were in your shoes, I'd probably feel similarly in terms of the letdown.

But IMO it's asking a lot of anyone to forego a (likely) successful SVC check just to prolong the game for everyone else.

A lot of it is that I needed to clear this game off of my plate in light of how busy I am. But I don't think it's appropriate to blame players for taking advantage of their opportunities, even if they come by way of luck.

Blaming the players? Hmm.. No, it's human nature to go for the path of least resistance. I can't blame people for wanting to win. I simply have a difference set of priorities when it comes to fun. No, I blame the SVC as an element to this game.

WIN IF YOU CONTROL TWO MORE REGIONS THAN THE ELVEN, A MINIMUM OF THREE CITIES, A

WEAPON CLASS AND ONE OTHER ARTIFACT, HAVE INFLUENCE OF 21+, AND A WIZARD OF
POWER-4 OR GREATER.

That was my SVC and I chose to ignore it completely. With the EL gone from turn 4 I could have won on T10-11 if I had wanted but for me that is not what is fun about this game. I want to see what 8th lvl spells look like. I want to see if my l18 agent can assassinate my enemies king at a key moment. I want to see my 12 named brigades Archery and Cavalry phase decimate a troll army group.

I completely understand why everyone rushes ASAP to win, it's because everyone else is also trying to, so to blame a player is not my intention at all.

If you play with me in a game, you will know from the start I have not even read my SVC. I want to experience all this game has to offer. Why is that crazy?

[kevindusi]

I think the real problem is the SVC, Honcho, not the push for a win on 12.

I guess my thoughts on the standard victory was simply that there appeared to be a chance at the "Holy Grail" for either of us. Would have been fun. All I'm sayin.

[HeadHoncho]

I hear you. I'd still love to play a game where there are no SVCs at all.

(Although speaking only for myself, perhaps starting a bit later, like in a month.)