Massive multiplayer strategy games and their metagame. Can something be done?

[Vibe]

Well, keep being carebears and we'll keep whining.

In both ways it's pleasure. Even more pleasure fighting equals, but it seems that first of all whiners should be wiped. They are tooo annoying and can ruin all the fun with their endless tears.

This just shows how much you care about winning and not community. Conclussion: no point in talking sense to a bunch of egoistic children.

[Zaharist]

Frankly speaking I care only about my own pleasure and fun for ppl I play with.
It's not about winning or losing, it's only about having fun playing together. For me Strat battles in good teams like 22nd, Grey, Union, DRZ is the only interest in this mod. (edit: also forum is very funny to read)
And don't even try to blame me for being egoistic after all that hatred this community showed towards DRZ ;)

Also, I am not representing any bunch of children, I am talking only on behalf of myself.

[Vibe]

Frankly speaking I care only about my own pleasure and fun for ppl I play with.
It's not about winning or losing, it's only about having fun playing together. For me Strat battles in good teams like 22nd, Grey, Union, DRZ is the only interest in this mod.

Quite obvious. So, what will you do when there's noone left to fight? Attack every randomer for a 1000vs49 battle?

[Zaharist]

We'll see.
I am not Oracle.
But sure it won't be 1000vs49.

And again. Once again.
I am talking on behalf of myself
i am not representing any group of ppl, faction or alliance. I am talking on behalf of myself.

If you want to ask any ex-UIF faction about their future plans - you'd better ask them, not me.

[Vibe]

Right well, the future is quite obvious, no need to be an oracle to see this.

Unless the devs actually come up with a good idea to break your circlejerk.

[Zaharist]

Like ban all whiners, who obviously can't do anything %)

I see, Vibe, your faith is strong as Kesh's.
Have fun playing cRPG, I won't bother you anymore

[Vibe]

Apparently you have run out of good retorts so yeah, I'll just end my rant here.

[Phyrex]

These issues are quite easy to solve(But a lot of code required probably.)

Adapt or evolve Strategus to a more Total War-like game.

Random spawn locations for factions.

Turn settlement areas into regions, add more obstructive/impassible terrain and make it slightly more linear with a choke point here and there(Don't over-do it!)

Make a set amount of troops recruited each day from villages to the faction leader instead of players recruiting them.

[Vibe]

Make a set amount of troops recruited each day from villages to the faction leader instead of players recruiting them.

This could be a good step forward. Less player number crutching, atleast.

[Tristan]

Dear random forum admin. Would you pwweeeeaaase delete any thread not containing constructive critisism or solutions to the mechanics of strat?

[Zaharist]

Make a set amount of troops recruited each day from villages to the faction leader instead of players recruiting them.

not to faction leader, troops should stay in fief, withdrawable.
Amount should decrease with every new taken village.otherwise bigger factions will have xtime more troops then smaller factions. on the other hand, bigger factions will split into smaller.

[Phyrex]

This could be a good step forward. Less player number crutching, atleast.

There's a lot of reasons why we see huge alliances, this is one of them.

Look at the entire western part of the map, the pattern is obvious. Allies like to stay close to each other. Random faction spawn would help. You'd end up with your faction spawning at a random location with random neighbours. A lot more small-scale, more local wars instead of block 1 vs block 2.

A set amount troops which the faction leader could recruit each day at the village would make the playing field equal. Mass recruitment and mass alliances are linked, you win because you have a massive numerical advantage.

[Vibe]

There's a lot of reasons why we see huge alliances, this is one of them.

Look at the entire western part of the map, the pattern is obvious. Allies like to stay close to each other. Random faction spawn would help. You'd end up with your faction spawning at a random location with random neighbours. A lot more small-scale, more local wars instead of block 1 vs block 2.

A set amount troops which the faction leader could recruit each day at the village would make the playing field equal. Mass recruitment and mass alliances are linked, you win because you have a massive numerical advantage.

I'm relieved that atleast some of you are not biased about this matter. Strat as it is now is all about having numbers. A fixed number of troops per fief to faction leader/fief manager would fix this problem I believe. Maybe even make it like Zaharist said, every following fief that you own gives less troops. Problem here is, how would a faction capture their first fief?

As for the neighbours and random faction spawns, you would need to lock factions down from moving to have that work. If you have them spawn at random locations they can always move to their allies and lock down an area.

Now if we combine both problems there's a good solution that comes to mind - have a faction get a free fief at start at a random location. This way you have troops from start and you can't just move anywhere you want (atleast at start).

[Phyrex]

not to faction leader, troops should stay in fief, withdrawable. 
Amount should decrease with every new taken village.otherwise bigger factions will have xtime more troops then smaller factions. on the other hand, bigger factions will split into smaller.

Yes, that's what I meant, withdraw able.

That's another issue that would spring up. The big factions splitting into smaller ones.

Random faction spawn locations would help here as well. Take DRZ for instance, if you decided to split up into 3, you'd still spawn randomly and all your neighbours are equally strong. Sending reinforcements to the other side of the map is not feasible. You'd have to march for days or even weeks in the worst case scenario.  Through hostile regions and you'd end up with no defenders at all at your starting location. Don't forget the upkeep as well.

[Keshian]

Did you forget first Strat? What 22nd have shown? How fiefless faction can fight enormous block. In the very beginning they didn't have much allies and even Greys were about to fight vs 22nd, sending 6k troops from Gisim to Fenada.
They have shown their strength and will and factions started joining them in fight against Templars.

Unfortunately there are no factions in current Strat who can try to do smth like Pub Crawl. I guess PC was the last attempt to resist. Now it's only forum talks, whines and endless UIF blaming.

It seems that for you (you, who are not able to resist ex-UIF factions) it's better to believe in Kesh's theories. You can't believe that fiefless faction can organize itself and start fighting against all odds vs supreme force.
Kesh's theories excuse your impotence and encourage forum whines.
Go on.
Frankly speaking, I don't know what would happen. At least what would DRZ do.

thanks-)

Lulz, "fiefless faction fight enormous block".  You guys openly admitted feeding thousands of troops and gear to them.  They were nothing without you and your half-dozen allied russian clans who also were attacking Templars (who turned out to be the paper tiger of strat 1.0 with most fiefs having no gear and their leader not even playing).  You brag about having Grey order and Legio Italica joining your ranks after you glitched transfer chains with members turning off their banners and having equipment and troops cross the map in a matter of an hour to get deep in DL territories.  These are all things you openly admitted to after being caught.  And now you deny it, lulz.  22nd got its ass handed to them by Templars and ebcame your proxy bitches for that strat, was Grey order's little bitch in strat 2.0 and is still UIF bitch in strat 3.0 allowing most of DRZ trade to come form them filling up Kulum, one of their claimed fiefs.

Also, Gnjus, you make me laugh so hard I could cry, you try so hard to insult me and all I see is some pitiful excuse of a guy who brags on the forums about how he never drinks and he charges into battle - a little kid desperately crying out for approval.  I honestly don't give a fuck what foolsa nd idiots think about me, I would much rather openly tell the truth than get involved in you guys kissing each other's asses.