07-17-2013, 02:55 AM
It was a bit intimidating getting back into the swing of Alamaze after 15 years away and used to the Fall of Rome system and interface.
It was also quite interesting-to-intense, experiencing the pretty important pre-first turn diplomacy. I was the Gnomes, and in that first-turn-in-15 years discussion, it was tough diplomacy with the Red Dragon, Underworld, Demon Princes, Ancient Ones, and Trolls. It pretty much went like this with all of them, and then of course all resolved differently with interesting agreements that Alamaze can offer: "You can control Runnimede, but I need to have 40% of it." Really, that was more from the Underworld, Red Dragon and Demon Princes. With the rest, it was more about trading on the futures market. So that would mean if the Gnomes gave away 120% of Runnimede, we would have peace with three neighbors. But as Chief Councilor for the Great Gnomish Bastions of Alchemy, quickly deduced that giving up 120% of the region would not allow the Gnomes to gain control.
So there was much gnawing and hand wringing and brinksmanship and shallow pledges and wry smiles and veiled threats, before the first turn was processed. What fun!
The agreements all held, and the Gnomes of 100 were doing pretty well. Big setback was a patrol in Mystery seeking an artifact was eliminated by an Underworld sea patrol, which he explained, in compensation, was the normal toll.
Other than that, building pretty well, around turn 12 felt it was time to explore new turf. Went into Torvale, briefly. As soon as I did, I had in my rear 21 Black Dragon brigades, 11 Elven (teleported in) brigades with substantial wizards, both kingdoms bringing many emissaries - both of the political and agent persuasion.
I "trapped" the Black Dragon in the forest, his worst and my best terrain. It didn't work out well at all for the Gnomes, as meanwhile the Elf plunked PC's all over the southern area of Runnimede and had ferocious agents both in counter-espionage and knocking off some of my favorite Gnomes, stealing my artifacts and all around being a pain.
I feel a little bad I blew the whistle in this forum on the Black Dragon's mischief in Runnimede, maybe costing him the game. The Elf was always apologetic as he burned villages and sliced Gnome throats. I liked that about him.
I feel like I learned / remembered a lot, and enjoyed the resurrection of Alamaze in one of its first two games back.
It was also quite interesting-to-intense, experiencing the pretty important pre-first turn diplomacy. I was the Gnomes, and in that first-turn-in-15 years discussion, it was tough diplomacy with the Red Dragon, Underworld, Demon Princes, Ancient Ones, and Trolls. It pretty much went like this with all of them, and then of course all resolved differently with interesting agreements that Alamaze can offer: "You can control Runnimede, but I need to have 40% of it." Really, that was more from the Underworld, Red Dragon and Demon Princes. With the rest, it was more about trading on the futures market. So that would mean if the Gnomes gave away 120% of Runnimede, we would have peace with three neighbors. But as Chief Councilor for the Great Gnomish Bastions of Alchemy, quickly deduced that giving up 120% of the region would not allow the Gnomes to gain control.
So there was much gnawing and hand wringing and brinksmanship and shallow pledges and wry smiles and veiled threats, before the first turn was processed. What fun!
The agreements all held, and the Gnomes of 100 were doing pretty well. Big setback was a patrol in Mystery seeking an artifact was eliminated by an Underworld sea patrol, which he explained, in compensation, was the normal toll.
Other than that, building pretty well, around turn 12 felt it was time to explore new turf. Went into Torvale, briefly. As soon as I did, I had in my rear 21 Black Dragon brigades, 11 Elven (teleported in) brigades with substantial wizards, both kingdoms bringing many emissaries - both of the political and agent persuasion.
I "trapped" the Black Dragon in the forest, his worst and my best terrain. It didn't work out well at all for the Gnomes, as meanwhile the Elf plunked PC's all over the southern area of Runnimede and had ferocious agents both in counter-espionage and knocking off some of my favorite Gnomes, stealing my artifacts and all around being a pain.
I feel a little bad I blew the whistle in this forum on the Black Dragon's mischief in Runnimede, maybe costing him the game. The Elf was always apologetic as he burned villages and sliced Gnome throats. I liked that about him.
I feel like I learned / remembered a lot, and enjoyed the resurrection of Alamaze in one of its first two games back.