Pestilence - Day 1

Freedom from eons of imprisonment. Someone's going to pay.

Famine, day 1.
Yup, it's good to be loose again. Time to lay waste to the neighborhood...

Turn sent.

The ground rules all sound fine, Fubarno, except possibly for the catalyst part -- since the immediately accessible catalysts are gone, can we think about that one for a turn or two? I'm not sure whether catalyst exploiting will be a good idea on this map or not.

Pestilence - 2

I wander out of my tomb and attack whatever I can see, my vampire filling the ranks with her thralls.

In regard to the catalyst exploit: When I played LordTheRon on this map you dropped in on our thread and I believe mentioned that you made the map with using the exploit as a viable strategy in mind. I haven't really looked over the map but I remeber there being a couple catalysts. If I'm mistaken in my recolection of your post or you have changed your view, that is not a problem with me to not use. Let me know....

Edit: Actually, it was a post you made in the famous "Enron" thread where I believe you commented on the catalyst exploit being something you had intended to be used on this map.

Edit again: Here's what you posted, a little different I see as you frown on the practice in general but mention that you had designed the map with catalyst trick in mind.

posted 12-18-04 00:24 AM EDT (US) 147 / 166
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Great thread. I'll confess that I've made use of artificial migration on occasion in the past, and never thought of it as abusive -- it's very interesting (and eye opening) to see the discussion it's sparked. Definitely a good idea to make such things explicit in the ground rules before starting a match.
The catalyst trick, on the other hand, is clearly abusive, and a ban makes complete sense, unless the players in a game specifically agree otherwise (to say nothing of this Summoner's Aura nonsense) --

Ironically, though, the catalysts in my Pestilence and Famine map are placed with the assumption that they will be abused . I think Chascal and I may need to confer for a moment ...

[This message has been edited by JWorth (edited 12-18-2004 @ 00:34 AM).]

[This message has been edited by Fubarno (edited 09-23-2005 @ 10:21 PM).]

Famine, day 2.
Hmm...the power of hunger is not yet invincible, it seems... No matter.
Turn sent.

Re: catalysts, yup, I remember the post -- Chascal and I ended up canceling our game as a result (I'd gotten a big leg up through the catalyst trick). The catalysts near the start areas were originally designed to enable an early-game animate-ruins boost, but they're gone now (they were the reason I said the map was designed with the expectation that catalysts would be exploited). My concern is that the catalysts that are left will end up fuelling a flood of high-level summons mid-game, not sure if that's a good idea or not. I don't feel strongly about it though -- whatever you prefer is fine by me.

Pest - 3

The zombies back at the tomb have been productive. It must be the fresh meat that has been supplied from my recent conquests.

Ok, no catalyst abuse. I don't use any exploits anyway. Well, I did surround someones stack in a WL tournament game awhile back when we were at peace so they couldn't move. Boy was that a mistake. That caused a small uproar as I broke the 'spirit' of being at peace with someone. I was penalized and a new rule was added to the pbem coda. I learned my lesson. I must admit that the catalyst trick is one I wish wasn't banned though. Oh well. I remembered your post because I was playing your map at the time you posted it.

Famine, day 3.
The engines of darkness are slowly cranking up to speed...
Turn sent.

Famine, day 4.
Moving right along...
Turn sent.

Pest 4,5

ts

Famine, day 5.
Turn sent.

Pest - 6

A fresh batch of halfling brains are sent from the recent conquest. I must keep the crypt workers happy...

Famine, day 6
(whew)
Turn sent.

Pest - 7

I see my nemesis is also free from prison and bent on spreading decay. This should only speed up my eminent domination of the land

Famine, day 7.
Yup, it's open season on the living, throughout the known world.
Turn sent.

Pest - 8

I see famine has an average reputaion while mine is irresponsible. What could he be doing wrong? Perhaps he needs some evil overlord lessons.

Famine, days 8-9.
Success on some fronts, but not all...
Some of my minions seem to have skipped their invincibility training.

Turn sent.

Pest - 10 (I think)

After a bit of confusion about who's going where and who gets to cary what artifacts, my three mesengers of the apocalypse head out for three points on the compass.

Famine, day 10 (yup, we just played turn 10 )
Laying the foundation for long-term plans to corrupt this world...
Turn sent.

Pest - 11

Rotten little halfling peasant killed a death knight with one blow.

Famine, day 11.
Turn sent.

Pest -

A good deal of dwarf murdering accomplished...

Famine, day 12.

Hmm... today, my troops' failings are entirely my own fault. Ah well, perhaps I've learned my lesson this time...

Dwarven screams echo throughout the land.

Turn sent.

[This message has been edited by JWorth (edited 10-08-2005 @ 00:26 AM).]

Pest -

A rendezvous tomorrow.

Pest -

ts

Famine, days 13-14.
More hard fought battles...
Turn sent.

Pest -

Forces gather up for the next big push...

Famine

Finally, a turn that isn't awash in blood, or whatever it is that flows through undead veins...

Turn sent

Pest
I feel good about my minions, but something nagging me says my armies are marching too slow and need to speed up the conquests.

[This message has been edited by Fubarno (edited 10-22-2005 @ 11:48 AM).]

Famine, day 16.

Turn sent.

Pest -

Dwarven hero's succumb to the charms of my really, really, really hot vampires. Unfortunately I hear that the other dwarven nobility have joined with Famine a few days ago. This suggests that I'm a couple days behind in my campaign underground.

Famine, (turn 17?)

Good luck with that Dwarven hero -- mine hurled himself onto the next available spearpoint... he was so incompetent, I ordered his ashes scattered, so he can't come back to torment me again... (it's hard for an undead warlord to find good help -- I've been having trouble keeping heros alive right from the start of this game... )

Turn sent.

[This message has been edited by JWorth (edited 10-23-2005 @ 05:03 PM).]

Pest -

New evil objectives....

Funny, in the game with Final Bolt on this map I am playing Famine and I have lost 3 heros (in this game with you I haven't lost any heros ), but I'm doing better overall than in this game. It helps that in the other game I have learned the bone dragon spell but in this game I have yet to have it offered as an option

[This message has been edited by Fubarno (edited 10-23-2005 @ 07:13 PM).]

Famine, turn 18.

Contact. This could get bloody, and quickly. We'll see...

Turn sent.

Pest -

Scary! Run away!

Famine, turn 19.
Turn sent.

Pest -

Looks like someones been digging. Looks like some serious trouble is brewing for me.

Famine, turn 20.
Well, the tunnel around Pestilence's blocking position was completed today, and I ordered a full assault (in waves, unfortunately, due to the congestion), which succeeded, but at great cost. The way into the Pestilential empire is open, for the moment.

That may have been the heaviest single turn of fighting I've ever seen, with 48 units killed in the central caverns (20 of mine, and 28 of Pestilence's - including 8 heroes lost between us - though my units and heroes were of slightly higher quality overall), 35 of them in the first-wave battle alone.

I'm not sure if I have sufficient strength remaining to continue the advance, but I'm cautiously satisfied with the result. One thing is certain though -- tonight, the dead mourn the dead...

Turn sent.

[This message has been edited by JWorth (edited 10-29-2005 @ 10:53 PM).]

Pest -

My empire is thrown into turmoil as my hated brethren has forced his way into my caverns. I scramble to do something about this catastrophe.

Famine, day 21
Things are calmer today...
Turn sent.

Pest -

A wierd thing happened to me twice in a row and cost me some great quantities of gold.

Famine, turn 21
More hard fighting underground -- I award my warlord a much deserved gold medal for his efforts slaughtering the pestilential heroes...

Turn sent.

Fubarno -- re: the weird thing that happened - Is it a bug in the map, or just some strange game result? No need to reveal anything while we're playing, but if there are problems (or just excessive randomness) that need fixing, let's debrief after the game.