BurningEGO said:
You are excused for not knowing the basic philosophy of this game, i.e. to fight as good as you can until the end of the game or until you are in a hopeless situation, bound to end up last.
However, you are not excused for your fallacy of understanding the basic philosophy of all gaming, i.e. to fight as good as you can until the end of the game or until you are in a hopeless situation, bound to end up last.
This basically has to do with the fact that you yourself, regardless of the size of your ego, cannot win them all. And that is true for all competitors. We must all came to grips with this tragic truth of life. When you have accepted this and begun thinking of what demands the rest of the gamers may have on you when the golden medal is out of reach you will hopefully soon recognise the fact that to achieve the most happiness from gaming for all participants it is essential that all involved try to do their best all the time. Because the sweetness of victory turns sour in the mouth if the opponents start giving up although the outcome is still in doubt. No victory, nor a relative success (as e.g. cutting through the field in the finish, perhaps advancing from 10th to 3rd place), is as sweet as the one achieved versus worthy opponents, those that are good and do their best. You can ask any competitor about that. Why not ask yourself?
As for a game with some über nations and some lesser.... well that is what happens all the time. The usual setup is strong FRA, SPA and OE and some medium nations and some weak ones. Now, when this default setup is broken by one or more competitor, some people, like you apparently, start believing that the game is "broken" and you sometimes lose the interest in the campaign. This lack in your understanding, that what you have before your eyes is not an a priori less entertaining situation, but merely a different one, is a serious threat to campaigns. For the benefit of the community it would be advisable if you and other players that think like this simply changed your mind and recognised the fact that almost all scenarios can be played and be full of game joy. You just need the ability and will to adjust yourself to the situation.
In this game we just exactly did. POR grew enormously and was by far the strongest nation, not least because of his military skill. You yourself would probably have stated that the game was "broken" and suggested a restart or something similar. However, that was not what we did. Saxony, Brabant, Naples, Albania and Moldavia instead joined forces to fight Portugal (and most often Scotland). We fought for a 100 years, with only 5 years truces after each war, with one of us, Naples, even bleeding to death and being in a hopeless situation and thus abandoned. We all wanted him still in the game because we highly approved of his attitude to the game and thus he continued in China. And do you know, after these 100 years we finally stood as victors. Portugal gave up, at least for the moment, his bid for supremacy and gave up large chunks of lands.
That was what we achieved. Because we are fighters that do not give up (well, at least most of us, one of us gave up shortly before the end when the outcome was still in doubt).
In this game all small nations have admirably adjusted to the situation and I have heard no complaints from them merely because they are midgets in terms of influence, standard power or power points. Excellent chaps to play games with.
Since we broached this subject (on über nations) in your own Tuesday game you know my view on that game as well. In that game I entered as a small weak Sweden. There are 3 (or possibly 4) real biggies. Burgundy, Austria and the Ottos (aided by your Mughals). Well, I will take great joy in this game (if I survive). I will try and do my best to improve my position. It will be very dangerous to act in either direction for me, I must play very skilful. It is a real challenge. And Ego, if I fail with my challenge, what will I do then.... Give up? No, no. That is what some would do but not me. I would redefine my aim, prolly setting up a lesser aim, and then start planning for a comeback. As long as there is life their is hope, as the Swedish proverb goes.
That's me in a nutshell. What are you?
