[END] 80 - Two Minutes to Midnight

[SkulkrinBait]

Skulkrin_Bait vs Bagpuss

Regicide or 12 citadels.

Just me and you this time Natty. ;D

[Natmus]

Yeah, yeah, but keep your hands to yourself or I'll smack you.

Even so, I actually managed to start in an area I haven't started in before, so I have some hard choices to make, mostly regarding the initial direction of my recruitment drive. Actually I only have two choices, and they're both bad, but I won't bother you with the traditional complaints about starting position.

I hope I won't see you forces for a looong time.

[SkulkrinBait]

That's odd, I am also in a new position to me and have two choices. But my choices aren't too bad! ;D

Hmm, Ushgarak or Xajorkith

[Natmus]

SkulkrinBait said:

That's odd, I am also in a new position to me and have two choices. But my choices aren't too bad! ;D

Hmm, Ushgarak or Xajorkith

I think you chose Marakith

[SkulkrinBait]

Correct!

I've never started so close to anyone else before, should be an interesting game this one! ;D

[Natmus]

Zerin's still alive, Zerin's still alive, Zerin's still alive

[SkulkrinBait]

So's Blood!

Amarin is still alive too ;D Somewhere!

[Natmus]

_Bait, I'm going to hold off playing my turn until I hear from J-Y about the current status of the battle algorithm, just so I know what I have to play by. My failure to destroy Blood, as I mistakenly was under the impression that the battle algorithm had been reset to it's old standard, has upset me a bit, and I will not continue before I have a firm word from J-Y of what conditions we are playing under.

That apart, we have already had a game a long time ago called "Two minutes to Midnight", but it's before you came around. It's not on the old scoreboards, as their keeper, Fernando, had one of his less glorious periods when it ended. Still, I remember it as it was one of my rare victories over Matija

[SkulkrinBait]

I can just see you in the field of battle with your calculator - "it's OK men, we'll win as according to this x+y/z = we win losing only 275 warriors whilst they lose 532 men"

[Natmus]

SkulkrinBait said:

I can just see you in the field of battle with your calculator - "it's OK men, we'll win as according to this x+y/z = we win losing only 275 warriors whilst they lose 532 men"

High King Natmus the Military Scientist indeed

But that example you mention is way off. A kill ratio of less that 2:1 in my favour is not "OK". Or at least not someting I'm comfortable with. Usually I aim for 3:1 or 4:1 in my favour, and under the old battle rules I would have accomplished that against Blood. These new lower casualties have made me so depressed I'm serioulsy considering not making any moves at all before the old rules are restored and J-Y honestly promises to fix the Double Jeopardy bug, and not Chiavata! around with thing that work anymore.

[Natmus]

Bait_Girl, have you seen a map of midnight and compared your king's current position to it? You have two choices, fight or climb. If you choose climbing, I can guarantee that you won't find any refreshments at the lake to the south, should you be able to reach it (which you won't).

I'll give you this tip for free: First chance you get during recruitment, let your king take a safe course into territory you know won't have hostiles in it, and let vassals do the recruitnment in unsafe areas. Otherwise you end up in situations like... well, like the one you are in

[SkulkrinBait]

Here's a tip for you - don't eat yellow snow.

;D

[Natmus]

SkulkrinBait said:

Here's a tip for you - don't eat yellow snow.

Hey, that's a really good and usefull tip, and I thank you profoundly for it. I had never considered it, but now that I do, I can really see that you shouldn't eat yellow snow.

But out of curiousity, how do you know? Personal experience?

Moving on, regarding the game, I fear that Skully_Bash is at the end of his line. Oh, he may be able to take a few more steps, but his men are dropping like dead flies, and he hasn't got that much in the line of backups around. Even if he takes over Shadow's men it's just a matter of time, since my troops have been moving west almost from the beginning of the game.

But hey, please feel free to take a bash at old High King Natmus the Good Sport over at the plains of Blood

[SkulkrinBait]

I have to revert to plan C, hope you scouted the forest well Natty!

[Natmus]

SkulkrinBait said:

I have to revert to plan C, hope you scouted the forest well Natty!

The forest of Shadows? Bloods in there, nothing else in range... Skully_Bun didn't get very far away, did he? With only 46 warriors left he is effectively dead now...

This was a fast game, no real tactics involved. Only interesting thing is that we both started out east and ended up west. As we found each other between Heath and Marakith I recognised it would be a race westwards, and so all my recruited armies (with a very few exceptions) constantly moved SW towards the line of conflict.