FRIDAY in still water

[Ian C]

Rome Total War II. Played for the first time since release and patches. Recently updated my graphics card so it's looking great but getting my ass kicked as the Julii by the Etruscan League in the first campaign game. Embarassing.

Also been playing Frontline Road to Moscow, which is good fun. A cross between a souped-up Panzer General and Unity of Command.

A Star Trek Mod. The developers have been quite helpful with answering questions. I've just started working on the ship sprites but with all of the existing 3D models out there it's fairly easy so far.

This sounds awesome. I hope they release modding guides.

[MetalDog]

Got some Age of Empires III mp done.  An hour and a half long battle.  Brits v. Germans v. Ottomans, I was the British.  The map ran SW to NE and I was in the NE corner.  Ottomans were in the SE and the Germans, due West.  A river ran the same direction as the map with three crossings, roughly one third apart along its length.

First order of business was to open the terrain to view.  So I built three Outposts, which put to light approx. a fifth of the map.  I immediately built Barracks at the northernmost Outpost and the southern as well.  Neither of my opponents is as aggressive as me, so, I start building a small force outside each Barracks and start exploring.

The Ottomans stay out of my sight completely, except for their Explorer.  Who I capture and is ransomed immediately.  The Germans, however, have expanded to a point where I can see some of their Workers.  So, it's time for a raid.  I kill a few gathering Wood before he can get a party of Horsemen to intervene and drive me off.  We trade casualties in several engagements before finally withdrawing to our respective lines.

A period of building and upgrading settles over us.  Making more powerful and tougher troops through the use of bumps as well as supercharging your Workers.  I build four forces, ten each of Longbows, Musketeers and Spearmen.  They are stationed by each of the Outposts with the fourth in the dead center of the map.  Now it's time to move SW and see what I can find.

The Turks meet me as I come in the extreme range of there zone of control.  Two groups of thirty troops, one from the North and the other from the NE move to the attack.  Reinforcements are ordered and their gathering points set.  Twice I charge with equal force and twice I am repulsed.  The third time is the charm though and I break through, killing Workers and razing Buildings where ever I go.

At this precise moment, ze Germans decide it's time to attack.  I had planned a defense force, but it wasn't big enough for the assault that crashed against it.  I immediately put the call in for more troops and shifted the fourth force towards what I perceived to be his base.  The reinforcements arrived and stemmed the tide of the first assault, but, lo and behold, my marauders ran up against his Fort!

Meanwhile, the Ottomans had regrouped, bringing Artillery to the fore and knocking down Outposts, Barracks, Stables and Artillery buildings.  I pulled back the deployment flag to just outside the Barracks and ran off orders for as many new troops as I had resources available.  Luckily, the Motherland sent more Longbows and Musketeers and the weight of numbers and superior upgrades started to tell.

The German front was quiet after I took down his Fort.  It was with the last of the reinforcements I ordered and both sides were bloody and ready to withdraw.  So, I took a chance and poured everything I had into troops to crush the Ottomans.  The forward gathering points were secure and my troops had a much shorter distance to march and be effective.  The Town Hall was destroyed and his Mosque fell shortly after.  The last wave of Arquebusiers came out of the Barracks just as I pulled the building to the ground.  They were quickly dispatched and the rout was on!  His troops killed, his lands and goods left a smoking ruin, it didn't take long for him to resign in defeat. 

Now to turn my attention to the Germans.  Whilst I danced with the Turks, the Hun had reloaded, retooled and reinforced.  I re-set the gather points for several sets of Barracks and built another Barracks by the side of each extant.  Much easier to get troops where you need them faster that way.  His favorite troops were Skirmishers and a sword bearing unit that dealt great damage, to go along with cheap and plentiful Cavalry.  Arrayed against this, I brought Longbows, Musketeers and Spearmen, supplemented by Grenadiers and Cavalry of my own.  It was ON!

I set my gather point in a copse, just outside his zone of control and set three forces of forty five troops each from three different directions.  One to engage his army, one to flank it and one to wreak havoc in his town.  He met and turned all three forces.  By that time, fresh troops had arrived and I poured them into the battle.  Back and forth we clashed, each time, I gained a few more yards.  Multiple times I spent all of my Resources putting out a last soldier, hoping it was enough.  Each time, I had to hope that he hadn't enough troops to flank me, for I had no reserves.

Finally, both sides exhausted, the fighting just stopped.  It was at this moment, that a Spy from the Capitol arrived with a map.  This map had all of the Germans Buildings and troop locations marked out on it.  Eureka!  Now I have him!!  Mustering my renewing resources, I again made four troops of ten Longbows, Musketeers and Spearmen.  But this time, when I sent them to destroy, I know EXACTLY where I was going.  And that proved the difference.  I met his last field army with three forces and used the fourth to destroy his Barracks and Town Hall.  Once those were both gone, and his army lay dead at my feet, it was only the right thing for him to do and resign to spare his civilians being raped and pillaged.

I had won!  As I knew I must, because, for as long as I have played against my friends, inevitably, this is the outcome the VAST majority of the time.  But, they are good sports, and come back to take their beatings like men.  And I, in my magnanimity, do my best not to gloat until they hate me.  Sometimes, that doesn't work ;)

[Martok]

LOL.  It's fun reading a mini-AAR like that when you enjoyed the clash with such obvious relish.  O0 

[undercovergeek]

thought the same, and then realised MD is clearly a hard core strategy gamer!

[Sir Slash]

I managed to finish-off my NTW Campaign with a win as Britain in Feb. 1808. A long time coming but a lot of fun. Makes me want to  everyone.

[Martok]

thought the same, and then realised MD is clearly a hard core strategy gamer!

You only just now realized that??  Where've you been, man -- lost in a TARDIS the last several years?  :P 

I agree, though.  I thought I was pretty hardcore when it came to strategy games, but MD makes me look like a casual part-timer in comparison! 

[undercovergeek]

ive never gamed with MD only read about his exploits

the mans a goddam strategy gaming tyrannosaurus

[Gusington]

I have gamed with him and he is both kind and generous.

[Barthheart]

I've gamed with him and he's a backstabbing basturd....  ;)

[JasonPratt]

Sounds like MD well-knows the value of the keyboard command-shortcuts!  O0

(Great mini-AAR, btw.)

[Gusington]

Sorry I was thinking of someone else. He is indeed a basturd.

[bob48]

I have gamed with him and he is both kind and generous.

^Agreed - although I might not say that soon, as MD and I are due to play some more MP Warlock....

[Gusington]

^Then refer to my post above yours, as needed.

[MetalDog]

I appreciate the good words on my meager writing skills.  However, I see my reputation precedes me.  Not sure how that happened. (Wish there was a whistling, nothing to see here, emoji.)

[JasonPratt]

Emoticon..... ARISE!!