As we tarry here, a black tide rises in the West (EU). Even as we bandy these empty words, our own EU brethren steel themselves for death--forlorn, broken, alone. From the walls of Tehlrog in the North, to the old spire of Narra in the southern passes, and at all the ancient capitals in between, a fearless, faceless enemy batters the gates. "Kapikulu," "Druzhina," "The Grey Order"--their names are profane, their numbers, legion, and their black hosts march inexorably forward, quenching one by one, the sacred fires of our shared civilization; bringing savagery, ruin, oblivion.
Gentlemen, the lamps are going out all over EU. Shall we see them lit again in our life-times? Turn from your brothers in their hour of need, and the mark of Cain will follow you the rest of your days like the shadow of regret. But, if we muster the great armies of North America, if we unite the clans, we can join an epic, noble struggle, so that when Odin calls you home, you will be worthy of a place in Valhalla.
Behold!, the beacons are burning!
TL:DR, I think it would make strat more interesting if we supported the weaker clans in EU against the boring megablob EU factions. Just something to do. Maybe we can pick like a random castle in EU, and whichever NA clan takes it first wins a bunch of silver or C-RPG gold or a loompoint or something, IDK.
Logistics aside, I'd rather fight the folks on our own map. Have we become such degenerates that we can only look outward for conquest?
Okay, no speaking about logistics. In Strat 3, which I was barely a part of, it seemed to work, the NA v EU thing. It worked because there were NA clans, notably Hospitaller, in my experence that would work with certain EU clans against other NA clans.
I cannot see it working in this version of strategus. In strat 3, we were one map. Admittedly, my experience is limited since I came in within that last 2/3 of that strat, but there was a huge difference. At that point, we were one map.
Now, we've got extremely limited interest in NA strat. Sure, there are plenty of factions with some members, but what have we done, really? In Strat 4 there were interesting conflicts early in strat, such as Swords with Friends (RIP, not spergy enough for strat), the whole KUTT conflict which was rather multi-facted, the subjugation of Chevalier as an independent clan in the desert.
It was interesting last strat within weeks, or a couple months. Very dynamic. What have we got now? The Astralis+Frisian conflict looked promising to me, but it was anything but promising. It ended far too quickly for my liking, although if a Warden of the North or Squidling came close to our humble fall-back point of tamnuh we'd attack them.
Look at the battles in NA now. 3 days out of the week it is completely empty. Not a battle in sight, not even attacking AFKs. The rest are battles against AI fiefs in which you'll perhaps have good and stiff opposition (the first squids battle against narra was great, looking at the records since apparently I went a .5KD blackout drunk) or perhaps you'll outnumber the AI defenders 1/4.
Shittiest part is, in EU it seems that the UIF or anti-UIF (ex anti-uif it seems) has at least the possibility to fuck with the rosters so the defenders get an abysmal amount of players. In NA, nobody cares anymore. 11 players showing up to defend against 44? I could have made it 12, but I said "fuck that shit" much like everyone else and got the fuck out of my house.
I must admin I'm rambling at this point, but IN CONCLUSION (or some shit like that)
Attacking EU sucks. It really, really sucks. There is maybe an hour in which both NA and EU could have a primetime battle. Still, one side will have a massive ping advantage. Westcoasters can get fucked, but my clanmate Balias plays on NA from Ireland with 110 ping, maybe I'm a bitch.
TL;DR: start some fucking shit in NA, I promise everyone they don't want to fuck with UIF. They take strat more seriously than anyone. I see tons of fiefs specced into straight full-retard mode. UIF won't have any of those. If anyone has a buy fief that is more than 8 price with max prosperity, you're gone full-retard. Our (sadly) sole fief is specced into full-retard, but the man that did it does not play the game anymore, nor does he check any sort of forums. But I still love him because he's been my homie for damn near 7 years. (we touched butts irl) We have to fight one another, let EU burn.
cum@us WoTN and squids, you've got over 70 folks, what are you waiting on to wipe us?
SUPER NERD SPERG IM GAY EDIT: I respect you Vengt. Pretty sure when blackwhite said in raven TS that you were his favorite player I agreed. Of course, at the point, I had forgotten about dreadnok who is my very favorite, but still, man. You're trying to get shit done. Thats more than I can say for most.