Re: [eia] losing players

[Michael Gorman <mpgorman@xxxxxxxx>]

I think it is incorrect to say we plan for a quit after three years 
strategy.  The first game melted down and it just became untenable to keep 
it going for player reasons.  There was a lot of frustration over how 
things were being run and we were popping through players like Pez.

While we still have many of the frustrating house rules that I would really 
like to see us scrap, this current game has flowed much more smoothly 
overall.  I think we've just gotten used to how our game is set up.  This 
game is ending early because it's over.  JJ kicked ass and took names and 
he is going to win so much sooner than the normal game end that no one else 
can reasonably claim a chance to win without JJ bending over backwards to 
help out.

I will probably drop out fairly soon if we play this game out not due to 
Prussia's posture, but because the game will be boring since the end is 
already known.  What's the point of playing the last few years when I 
already know how it's going to end?  We're at the point where resignations 
become the right way to go since a clear and early winner has skyrocketed 
ahead and there is no effective way for anyone inclined to attack him to do 
so.  JJ has enforced peace with three great powers and will almost 
certainly have one with Austria soon.  So in the next year and a half, the 
only two countries who could hinder JJ are Prussia and Turkey and I know 
I'd be insane to cross Britain when they're help is the only thing that has 
kept me going so far and I can't imagine Turkey coming out ahead against a 
nation that can completely shut down Turkish sea lanes.

A year and a half of just reaping the profits of his victories will only 
make it that much harder for anyone to catch up with Britain and then to 
actually bother Britain, someone would have to build one hell of a lot of 
ships and by the time that's done, the game will be so close to ending that 
it'll be too late to do anything.

Your long term strategy has not played out this game since JJ won a blitz 
victory.  Now, I suspect victory on that magnitude is not going to be a 
likely result in every game, even a good player needs a good bit of luck to 
come out that far ahead that fast, so quitting in three years is not likely 
to be standard unless the reasons are that we as players can't get along.

I think this game has to go up as a win far beyond the norm and one that 
will naturally end early.  You got unlucky having to rely on a long term 
strategy in a game where a short term strategy won, but in most games you 
would probably be ahead going for the long view.

Mike

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