This.
Then, me being me. I said "self, you came from iMag" and EVO then started hitting. :P

Different Vic

Wait, is this the OG Vic?

And emopit is back?

Thanks, this was fairly valuable data. A few comments:

* We used to grab each other back in the old days before NPC countries so it is possible.
* In the current era, I think part of the problem is that there aren't enough countries punishing those who run with very low defense. I personally think the game works better when the player feels a tension between buying enough defense and enough tech. Perhaps making the NPC countries grab will solve this problem.
* It feels pretty hard/annoying to play techer and indy right now because the public market is too slow at times. A single player can easily dominate the market as well. I think I checked a few years back and as a farmer I bought around 33% of all agri tech sold on the market? It was some ridiculous number.
* Changing the culture to one where countries should expect to get grabbed with low defense may make indies easier to play. If we can make the NPC countries good enough then we can increase the number of them to improve public market activity.
* I am starting to like more and more the idea of reducing max turns to 240 (240) or something. Players can hold up to 40% of the round's turns right now without losing any. The current setting of 360 (360) makes retals too unpredictable, can lead to huge spikes in market activity, and makes private market destocking incredibly powerful.

I wasn't grabbing strategically, more to create a little action.

I've sucked up some big retals and fair play, they are justified, all in good sport :)

Back in the day you used to have to try balance defence or you risked top-feeds from players that weren't grabbing smartly (as I am demonstrating now!). As much is it was annoying to get grabbed it was usually OK cos you got more back in the retal. The problems came when people double tapped or RoR. Thats not very sporting in my book, and I think the way GDI works is perfect for deterring that kind of thing :)

What I am seeing now though is what's going on in Alliance. People are running little to no defense, and just expecting to free ride. That should be a risky bet, maybe when bots tart attacking that will shake things up, in the meantime maybe the prospect of a wildcard player that grabs humans will do the job. I'm trying not to hit anyone more than once (thats asking for war!) and you all got a good chance to retal (especially as CI is getting hammered this set so I can't even grow properly!)

There are a bunch of players I have passed up on due to them having defence, I even messaged them to praise them that they dodged a grab because of it.

Maybe nothing will change, but its a bit of spice eh?



Application accepted :D

Also if you’ve gone through all of your ops on EXPRESS then you’re seriously doing something wrong. A player is basically spied out at 40x.

lol, sorry I didn't even register it was you who had messaged me :)

nice retal!

Ya'll are like fight club. With the multiple personalities and everything.



Petition to rename M4D Fight Club!

I don’t mean the disrespect man. I am legit just sending the missiles out as I bought the tech to make them becuase I want to take the #1 spot for most missiles.

I seriously have 0 Ill will towards you. I only want the #1 missile spot if you can click the profile thing beside my name.
Current ranked #2 at 12,171 missiles sent.

How do you figure? I've pledged to help small alliances that are being attacked by larger alliances on this server.


In response, M4D killed me 25v1.

I guess that means you were all planning on being the bigger alliance killing smaller alliances, otherwise why would you kill me?

Wait BlackHole you ran multis??? I've no sympathy for you anymore!

Weedylar? Any chance THE Llaar is a part of it?

Sounds like a price fixing attempt to me!

My initial impression is that it's a bit too annoying right now to play techer or indy on Express but I'm not sure what, if anything, could be done about it. I wonder what changing max turns to 270 (270) would do.

Vic -

You guys have been posting publicly about your plans. You're just posting conflicting info, so I'm trying to get clarification.


Josey previously said he was warring the entire server.

M4D stated they have pacts with a few alliances, and are going to landgrab everyone else.

Neither of those posts listed each other as allies.


But, in a M4D thread, Josey stated that he was rooting for M4D in their war against a few alliances. But... presumably Josey and the suiciders are going to hit M4D, just like everyone else? So... I'm asking for clarification. Are they at war? Are they aligned? Their posts are confusing.

Josey, LOL. That was super confusing. I get you don't like me. That's clear. But... are you allied with M4D, or at war with them? That's all I'm trying to figure out. Simple question.

I wasn't talking to you, comwood. If I want a whiny fluff yapping in my ear, I'll call Cathakins' mom.

On the old days I won with Theo casher, but the stars had to align just right.

Most of my best finishes are techer.

Since seeing the buff on expenses for CI it looks like that might be viable... we'll see

Well I started maybe 4 months or so ago. I quickly learned primary which I thought was a learning server is definitely not that. I posted a couple of questions and got some answers but I got a lot of criticism also. So I decided it was best to just STFU. To a newcomer it seems like you are coming into a frat house with some welcoming people and some others that would just as soon you not be here. You all know each other so well it is intimidating to new people. Maybe some type of a forum that is for new people to kinda “check in” get a feel for the game without getting farmed to oblivion. Still don’t really feel comfortable and would never try one of the harder servers like alliance, or team.

BlackHole, question for you: How long have you been playing this game? I ask because I've been playing since like...2003ish? And it's ALWAYS been big alliances picking on small ones. That's just the nature of the game. Unfortunately, as the player base diminished, that sort of behavior deterred newer players from sticking around.

But what you are rightly pointing out as toxic is a part of the game that's always been there. Bigger clans using smaller ones as landfarms has always been the case. When I first started out, and before I joined PDM, I too was a landfarm. Sucks, but that's just how it is.