I have an announcement to make! For the first 100 games of the Competition I have set the maps up so that the Initial Troops deployment was automatic. Now that we have all gained some experience and fighting prowess on these twenty maps, enough probably to form strategies, I am going to up the skill factor for the last 100 games by setting the Initial Troops placement to manual. Now, you get to decide how you want to place your armies right at the start.
Strategic tip for initial troop placement: Think hard about what has happened in the other games on the map you have played. Try to contest the areas people seem to be less interested in so that you don't get attacked like crazy. Example: in the normal classic map, many people go for Australia or the other two small continents in order to get the bonus and easily protect it. This would be good strategy if you are the only person considering it. I have found, however, that people often won't try right away for the larger continents. If you are not being attacked, your chances increase greatly. And if you can lock down a big bonus area in a fog of war game with eight people. Well, you are pretty much golden to win.
Another strategy tip: Sometimes, your big dump (if that is the strategy you choose at the beginning) ends up right beside someone else's. I have experimented with trying to blow that other person's stack away right at the start in order to use "attacker's dice" for better odds. Boy, do majors and up get irritated when you do that! Many have called me nasty names, which makes me feel much better about having destroyed them. Some have even enemied me as a result! Anyway, even if your 15 vs 12 is successful and you move let's say 6 in to the territory, very often you have so depleted yourself that it turns out poorly. Nowadays I tend to try to run away a bit from other people's big stacks instead. Not always, so I don't commit to doing that in every case, but that appears to usually work a little better. I just wanted to share a little of my experience to try to help my readers out to the extent I can.
Since my last post, ten games have concluded. As you can see from the standings below, your favorite Competition director's luck has inexplicably also continued. In fact, I am most embarassed to report that I have even managed to extend my first place lead.
Fortunately, there is hope that someone will come along and save me from the shame of winning my own competition. Nicestash has a very impressive 12 points so far in the 7 games he has concluded. Seventy games of our Competition have finished. 15% of 70 is 10.5. Therefore, ten games concluded, or more, is the participation cutoff needed in order to be rated in the Competition. I have no doubt that at nicestash's current participation rate, he will soon be entering the ratings. When he has enough games to be rated, the question is will he still be in the lead? Can he sustain that superior performance? After all, nicestash might have just got lucky those seven games. We do not have enough data yet to conclusively make that determination.
There is some movement in the next few places on the chart. AlexEverard continues his freefall from first. I question the strategy he often adopts of trying to make truces with the player currently in the lead on the map. Perhaps Alex knows something I do not about this game men call Conquer Club. DominatED is moving up fast on the wings of some really nice recent finishes. Will DominatED soon be able to challenge me for first place (or second, if nicestash comes in)? Time will tell.
One more thing I need to mention: please know that in every game I personally play the map. I never target or treat any player whom I have become familiar with any differently than I treat any other player. Not only do I consider doing that beneath me, but it would harm the Competition I am trying to promote. Also, perhaps most importantly, I am working out optimal playing strategies for this form of the game, or trying to. I need to maintain objectivity in my own targetting choices in order to determine if my strategy is sound. Getting personal would totally undermine that. I am a tournament chess player who plays the board, never the person, and I carry that mindset into my CC games. I recognize that others may not share my opinion and may target people, perhaps even me because I am currently the Competition frontrunner. That's okay. The strategies I am working out, or trying to work out, include those adversity factors.
Okay, I have opened eight new Competition games with manual initial troops deplyment (101-108) just now that you can join! A few other Competition games are still open from last week too. Good luck!
SKILL INDEX Points won divided by games played.General Quigley - 1.06 (55/52)
DominatED - 0.83 (15/18)
AlexEverard - 0.77 (20/26)
farinelli - 0.69 (9/13)
maimerofmen - 0.58 (7/12)
69Chevy - 0.50 (6/12)
crazystef - 0.39 (21/54)
aboynamedboobs - 0.10 (1/10)
IBERIA MAP
70 is Concluded
Game 12497387: General Quigley - gold, nicestash - silver, TbwaxT - bronze
81 is Under Way
Game 12531042: AlexEverard, Wolfboy137, Cornal Clink, crazystef, Schlom, nicestash, Birdman13, AtlantaXY
101 is Open
Game 12590098: General Quigley ... so far
JAPAN MAP
61 is Under Way
Game 12478116: General Quigley, nicestash, crazystef, 11Joan11, EsaNahka, Graaf_MC, farinelli, Riverside111
91 is Under Way
Game 12552961: General Quigley, AlexEverard, barfield, crazystef, galacticos1, Roetroc, Elsuper bano, jmch81
FIRST NATIONS AMERICAS MAP
71 is Under Way
Game 12497397: General Quigley, ML46, aboynamedboobs, Flann, crazystef, DominatED, AlexEverard, jejakelana
92 is Under Way
Game 12552968: crazystef, gdawgbhs, DominatED, Bariclaw, 1rocking, Wolfboy137, bpack88, mrgrateful
FIRST NATIONS NORTH AMERICA MAP
72 is Concluded
Game 12497405: crazystef - gold, 11Joan11 - silver, idusmars - bronze
82 is Under Way
Game 12531046: crazystef, gdawgbhs, DominatED, Bariclaw, 1rocking, Wolfboy137, bpack88, mrgrateful
102 is Open
Game 12590100: General Quigley ... so far
FIRST NATIONS SOUTH AMERICA MAP
73 is Concluded
Game 12497413: Worminabottle - gold, Elsuper bano - silver, Birdman13 - bronze
93 is Open
Game 12552972: crazystef, Worminabottle, sactown ... so far
HIVE MAP
74 is Under Way
Game 12497420: YipYipDog, wreckermom, AlexEverard, jlarkin, frankyky, OwnedYou77, GamerStasia, ScootChina
94 is Open
Game 12552988: General Quigley, IBCDD, Worminabottle ... so far
AMERICAN CIVIL WAR MAP
62 is Concluded
Game 12478125: nicestash - gold, General Quigley - silver, Solkim - bronze
83 is Under Way
Game 12531052: psinno, Wolfboy137, titocakes, mrgrateful, AlexEverard, Ragnars Wolves, StinknLincoln, iGOATi
103 is Open
Game 12590103: General Quigley ... so far
PELOPONNESIAN WAR MAP
63 is Under Way
Game 12478129: General Quigley, AlexEverard, crazystef, farinelli, wombat4, Ed Jones, LeChuck, Solkim
84 is Under Way
Game 12531054: Wolfboy137, crazystef, webb4545, Roetroc, CJMONSTERNATOR, DaveOliva, tommygun64, The Archangel
CLASSIC CITIES: LONDON MAP
64 is Concluded
Game 12478145: nicestash - gold, EsaNahka - silver, General Quigley - bronze
85 is Under Way
Game 12531058: Wolfboy137, mrgrateful, nicestash, crazystef, AlexEverard, Ragnars Wolves, 11Joan11, snoopyvillage
104 is Open
Game 12590115: General Quigley ... so far
NORTH AMERICA MAP
30 is Concluded
Game 12362452: totallyowned - gold, Freaky1 - silver, Gunir - bronze
75 is Under Way
Game 12497434: General Quigley, Wolfboy137, crazystef, CJMONSTERNATOR, Hastuneon, Elsuper bano, Smicrich, mx70
95 is Under Way
Game 12552991: General Quigley, Ragnars Wolves, crazystef, NoSurvivors, Cornal Clink, DominatED, brun010, brentros
8 THOUGHTS MAP
76 is Under Way
Game 12497437: maimerofmen, crazystef, AlexEverard, BENCLUB, Wolfboy137, CO250, Filthy Phil, boyer
96 is Open
Game 12552998: General Quigley, crazystef ... so far
DOODLE EARTH MAP
86 is Under Way
Game 12531066: crazystef, AlexEverard, Graaf_MC, CJMONSTERNATOR, Enochs BarmyArmy, Mladen92, demonthunder, Solkim
105 is Open
Game 12590112: General Quigley ... so far
CIRCUS MAXIMUS MAP
66 is Concluded
Game 12478159: nicestash - gold, usidyr - silver, General Quigley - bronze
97 is Open
Game 12552999: General Quigley, crazystef ... so far
HALLOWEEN HOLLOWS MAP
77 is Under Way
Game 12497443: crazystef, Wolfboy137, Enochs BarmyArmy, Dillybarr, Funkaholic, KingJaffyJay, Major Ashhole, clickpotato
98 is Open
Game 12553008: General Quigley, crazystef ... so far
WWII EUROPE MAP
78 is Under Way
Game 12497452: wolfboy137, LeFrench, Vasara, shabawazawhodo, looneytoon, ABotch, pixlification, looneytoon, brianski5
99 is Open
Game 12553012: General Quigley ... so far
EUROPE 1914 MAP
87 is Under Way
Game 12531072: steon2007, Wolfboy137, crazystef, AlexEverard, jasteve9, 11Joan11, mikekroeker, aflynmonkey8
106 is Open
Game 12590119: General Quigley ... so far
BALTIC CRUSADES MAP
68 is Concluded
Game 12478173: DominatED - gold, iGOATi - silver, DoomYoshi - bronze
88 is Under Way
Game 12531076: steon2007, crazystef, AlexEverard, Wolfboy137, J-Bone, bigsacks, creel, porky_94024
107 is Open
Game 12590128: General Quigley ... so far
BERLIN 1961 MAP
79 is Concluded
Game 12497459: General Quigley - gold, DominatED - silver, Wolfboy137 - bronze
89 is Open
Game 12531081: crazystef, Wolfboy137, Graaf_MC ... so far
TRENCH WARFARE MAP
59 is Under Way
Game 12411819: General Quigley, crazystef, bmcubs87, ndbmiller, Birdman13, GoatSlayer, martsoum, snotrocket5
80 is Under Way
Game 12497463: bmcubs87, Roetroc, crazystef, Funkaholic, Raka_BigMek, papagg, cekin killer, u0rns
100 is Open
Game 12553017: General Quigley, crazystef ... so far
AUSTROHUNGARIAN EMPIRE MAP
69 is Concluded
Game 12478182: wombat4 - gold, General Quigley - bronze, farinelli - bronze, 69Chevy - bronze
90 is Under Way
Game 12531084: daniel.stalling, crazystef, Wolfboy137, nicestash, cekin killer, Ragnars Wolves, 11Joan11, taoda
108 is Open
Game 12590133: General Quigley ... so far
Earners of five or more points regardless of participation level:
General Quigley - 55
crazystef - 21
AlexEverard - 20
DominatED - 15
nicestash - 12
Flann - 10
farinelli - 9
wombat4 - 9
shabawazawhodo - 8
11Joan11 - 7
maimerofmen - 7
Wolfboy137 - 7
69Chevy - 6
idusmars - 6
Bilbo1_OC - 5
Enochs BarmyArmy - 5
ML46 - 5
Roetroc - 5
Solkim - 5
tnecniv3 - 5