Balam wrote:
Let me guess... you won because no one with a better fleet came to take your stuff?

No, I won because I bluffed, out thought and generally used the other players confidence against them. You clearly have no idea how warfare works do you? Psychology is a big part of it. Sure, you dont get this playing against AI, but then you are with other players, its becomes a very important part. The Carvers and Hissho were over confident, they saw me as no threat and ultimately, as an extra line of research so they could get the upper hand against the other players. While the other 7 players were fighting a ungodly war, I was winning the game quietly without anyone even realizing it.

Unless you got a solid strat and you can win consistently with a wonder/science victory I call it old plain luck. Sure you outplayed them this time but what do you do when you got a carver on your systems with 3 7/7 fleets (with a new fleet coming each turn) by turn 30? Unless you can come up with a better fleet you will lose plain and simple.

Balam wrote:
Unless you got a solid strat and you can win consistently with a wonder/science victory I call it old plain luck. Sure you outplayed them this time but what do you do when you got a carver on your systems with 3 7/7 fleets (with a new fleet coming each turn) by turn 30? Unless you can come up with a better fleet you will lose plain and simple.

And this is why you fail. You concentrate on worst case scenarios. If you are at a point were you are able to give old technology(to you) to other players who havent researched it, then...you would be able to put together a better fleet if you needed to. And it isnt about luck. Remember the rules of Acquisition. EVERYONE has a price. You just have to find out what it is and meet it.

Slow and lengthy games are not necessarily more thoughtful. I would argue there is considerably more thought into early rush strategies than there are in late game ones. One must make very difficult decisions on which traits to have and techs to research and what order to do so in. Wasting turns building the wrong things or teching the wrong techs is very costly. It is also strictly natural to invade custom races that do not have military traits. Why would I let them sit and expand/tech in peace with things like scientist, feeble warrios, and no bonuses to production. Ludicrous!!!



I expect people know what I am likely to do in games. If they can stop it is an entirely different feat. In your late game thoughtful tech plan, those that know what you will do simply have to attack and watch it crumble.



Additionally, any aggressive war oriented player who doesn't have eternal war, is not 100% How will you buy off someone with Eternal War? Some people just want to watch the galaxy burn and cannot be bought. I guarantee that anyone i go after is forced to play "my game" or die, and even if by some means they survive or defeat me (bad/great starts, player mistake, bugs, etc), they have invested so much into it that they are now behind compared to others, and they likely must continue to play "my game" to defeat them. Total noobs aside. Even when I sometimes use a late game strategy, I am often forced to go into military to a large degree just to survive.



Anyone who can win without having much military, either has a best of friends alliance (in which case its an alliance gangbang win) or is just lucky.



PS: I dont mean to say me specifically, but rather anyone using this kind of strategy.

IF...you try and do it the exact same way every single time, yes, its about luck. And trust me...part of the plan is to make sure that no one knows what game you are playing nor what game you are making them play. I find it rather arrogant that you presume you are so good at the game you can get people to play the way you want them to. That just doesnt happen. People will continue to play the way they want to, whether you like it or not. You have to take that into account. As for luck, yes, as I said if I tried it the exact same way every time it would have to be. But, if you cant adjust or alter or swap out strategies as the game develops, then you are a poor player. Most people, wont realize what is happening until its already done because they are too busy doing other things. A good diplo/sci player does not get involved int he fighting himself, lets others do it for you, form alliances, ask for help in return for favors, play the other players off against one another. Just gotta know what you are doing.

Just forced a 6 player game into my dead immediate neighbors and me vs the remaining 3. Either their alliance wins, or I do, we called it on time as we could see it would take several hours and one of their allies had to quit. It was turn 80ish in a normal speed game. So yes, it was forced into my game. Had they not done so, it would have been over far sooner. It was rather enjoyable fighting multiple fronts, probably the most fun i have had with the game in weeks. Although I WOULD REALLY APPRECIATE IMPLEMENTING RALLY POINTS (talking to you amplitude), there isnt enough time to grab ships from all over a large empire and move each one.

rally points would be especially helpful!!