KNOW YOUR ENEMY

This is an entry dedicated to the MMORTS game called Illyriad. I played it with continuing interest for about 6 years. It is a fond memory now (though the curious can still play).

War is Hell and your enemy is the Devil. Here are some guidelines to help beat the Devil and save the day.

1. In war, one must always maintain control. When and where battles take place is paramount. Gauge your enemy successfully and you will be able to direct your forces to the places needed at the times required. Misjudge and die.
2. Undoubtedly, knowing your enemy's strengths is the key to judging his ability to win the day. In a subjective, head to head comparison, the most power wins every time.
3. Never take on more than you can handle. This lesson has been learned and forgotten countless times throughout history. Keeping this in mind will allow you to know when the time is right and when it is wrong.
4. One enemy is almost always preferred over two. Two enemies, in most circumstances means two battle fronts. Having two directions to fight in splits forces, weakening any single effort in favor of multiple fronts.
5. Learn everything you can about your enemy. Study his friends as well. Your enemy's friends will be your enemies too. From this knowledge comes the recognition of your enemies enemies. I do not have to tell you what they will become. Get to know these people. Learn their interests, their goals, why they are enemies of your enemy. Forging bonds with these people will ultimately lead to a stronger base from which you can eventually launch an attack. 

Remember this: Knowledge is power. Intelligence wins wars.

POLITICS IN ILLYRIAD

This is an entry dedicated to the MMORTS game called Illyriad. I played it with continuing interest for about 6 years. It is a fond memory now (though the curious can still play).

The community of Illyriad is unique. The regard with which many established players treat new players is one of a kind. There is a relaxed "vibe" in this game and that atmosphere is quite conducive of complex interactions among interested players.

This "wargame" simulates more than just combat. The interactions of the players over all sorts of "serious" and odd issues drive what many call the meta-game. It is a treacherous and fickle environment in which political skills alone can elevate one to greater levels of power than one might otherwise achieve. Playing the politician is no easy task but anyone can learn these skills and put them to good use. I will endeavor to explain.

I am new to MMORTS' but I am not new to life and in my experience, politics are the same everywhere. Playing one side against another, or several others has gone on in human society since the beginning of time. The ability to do it well is rare and succeeding in a big way is relatively impossible but there are ways to build on little successes until there comes a tipping point, a "critical mass" if you will.

Politics boils down to an accumulation of inter-personal connections and how those connections are cared for. Those initial connections will provide a path while the decisions along the way do the steering. It's a Long Road, with many dangerous obstacles. Below I attempt to describe several basic rules to help the politically minded navigate these obstacles and perhaps reach the "End Game."

Friends In Low Places

Clearly, allies are required for politically minded individuals to succeed. Powerful allies are always beneficial but don't dismiss the less powerful among your friends. Some bit of information coming from a minor member of a training alliance could very well turn out to be the key to deciphering a sticky situation. Cultivate every line of communication you can find. No matter where it starts, it may indeed lead somewhere.

Distraction

The adept politician always has something in the wings, something ready to draw attention off of himself. In a storm, a lightning rod saves the house when lightning strikes. A political lightning rod can be almost anything that distracts the focus of the masses. Once the flow of discourse is disrupted, damage control can be implemented.

Spin

No matter the circumstance, there is always a way to spin it to your advantage. Regardless of how dire a situation may seem do not give up looking for the spin. It often appears on its own and just needs a nudge to send it on its way. On some occasions, the spin is difficult to wrestle. It can get away from you if you aren't careful. To lessen the impact of these times, keep your mouth shut. The less you say yourself, the less you will have to back away from. These times are not going to be easy, patience will be required.

Stall

The Stall will work to a limited extent for all parties involved in negotiations but is most effective for the perceived winner of a conflict. Generally speaking the looser will want to settle as soon as possible to get on with rebuilding and growing. The winner, being the winner should be able to rebuild and grow while the process is ongoing.

Take A Breath

Always consider a decision in a logical frame of mind. Before sending a message to that player who just attacked you, take a breath. Emotion can blind. Take a breath and think. Do you need to use that word? Should you even mention this subject at all? How would you react to this message if you received it? Take a breath before you do anything.

Do Not Hesitate

While it seems this is a contradiction, it isn't. One must consider actions carefully. A logical frame of mind will always outperform an enraged one, however when the time comes to act, do not hesitate. Quick action wins battles. Unfortunately the time to act does not sound an alarm for you. You must remain vigilant, always. You must be aware of your environment. Doing that better than your enemy will be a decisive factor more often than not.

These are tried and true methods and practices. It is up to the reader to implement them in a realistic and beneficial way. Do remember that every situation is different but human nature is and will always remain the same. Find the key to an ego and unlock a treasure.

Good luck.

TVM and the Meta-Game

This is an entry dedicated to the MMORTS game called Illyriad. I played it with continuing interest for about 6 years. It is a fond memory now (though the curious can still play).

Illyriad is a marvelous, deep game that offers more than just making a bigger storehouse and trying not to get robbed or attacked. When a new player comes on the scene there are a myriad of confusing options but there are many more subtle ways to play in Illyria's sandbox than just city building.

First in my mind is the excitement and energy surrounding the political activity of Illyriad. The "meta-game" as I have heard this sort of play called is mostly unconnected to the day to day upkeep of ones own towns and offers a level of depth unsurpassed in any game I have ever played.

One of the ways players can engage with the "meta-game" is by joining an alliance. There are a lot of them, but most promise to keep the recruit safe in exchange for adhering to some restrictions with regard to their activity in Elgea. TVM is not one of those.

TVM allows its members to engage with the community however they choose. The trade off of course is that if the member gets in over their head, say by attacking a smaller player and receiving a retaliatory strike from that player's alliance, TVM may just let that member suffer the consequences of their actions. TVM has the reputation of backing up what it declares and not backing down when confronted with opposing philosophical views. Because of these policies TVM is seen as "the enemy" by a few of the "elite players" of Illyriad. This is of course unfortunate in some obvious ways but fortunate in other not so obvious ways.

Illyriad is a game and as such people want to play. Many players are satisfied with the social interaction and the slow build to nowhere. Some are not. Some players want to use their military and diplomatic forces. The occasional tournament sates most appetites for destruction but there are those who just want to play. If you are such a player, I suggest trying your hand at the "meta-game."

TVM needs bright, energetic players to make a difference.

Elgean Land Confederation?

This is an entry dedicated to the MMORTS game called Illyriad. I played it with continuing interest for about 6 years. It is a fond memory now (though the curious can still play).

In Illyria, land has always been a point of contention. Choosing spots to settle or move a town to is filled with choices and fraught with obstacles. The continental customs, while minimal are often vague and difficult to understand. Many alliances have guidelines or requirements for this activity, however individual alliance land claims have often been scoffed at by the larger alliances.

Witness this GC exchange by a couple of the more respected vets of the realm:

Sunday, 29 April, 2012

[02:44]<Kumomoto> To your point, RMY, I think that Illy will become much, much more warlike as our space and our resources run out...

[02:45]<Kumomoto> As the GMs (eventually!) add naval and pathfinding, I think we will devolve into basically medieval structures...

[02:46]<Kumomoto> And you will see almost every alliance of every size claiming a part of the land

[02:47]<Kumomoto> And it will be theirs and if anyone messes with it (like in real life) they will have to be run off...

[02:47]<The_Dude> [02:44]<Kumomoto> To your point, RMY, I think that Illy will become much, much more warlike as our space and our resources run out... ||| It already has shown movement in this direction

[02:48]<ScottFitz> completely agreed TD, I have been saying that for a long time

[02:49]<ScottFitz> The conflict will arise from competion over available resources

[02:49]<Kumomoto> But if I were in a leadership position in any alliance, I'd be completely focused right now on what "our land" will be when it all settles...

[02:50]<ScottFitz> We are doing that Kumo as are most of the major alliances

[02:51]<Kumomoto> And I just think that it is fair that everyone starts thinking that way...

Claiming land in Elgea is gaining acceptance. The idea is clearly being debated within the halls of Harmless? and the Crow Confederation.

The process of claiming land in Elgea is undefined. There is no single organisation where an alliance can submit a claim to be reviewed, accepted and recognized by the community.

A Call To Legs

This is an entry dedicated to the MMORTS game called Illyriad. I played it with continuing interest for about 6 years. It is a fond memory now (though the curious can still play).

It's been over six months since I first set foot in Illyriad. Stepping from the door, my viscous outside was crusted with a shell of pliant, painful skin. I have watched and now I warn: Children of Ursor, beware the coming horde. Not the undead, though I fear their return is coming soon(tm) but the horde of, what our glorious leader has termed "Rifters."

Imagine an Ursor with untold thousands of squares of available space. Search for hours to come upon four, maybe five neighbors, one of whom you're sure you saw before. Ursor was a spotless and inviting land at first glance. Resources lying around the ground to be scooped up by anyone who wished.

No longer fellow travellers. First the Rift cracked open and then they started coming. A trickle at first, but now Ursor is well on its way to becoming a thick cluster of towns, choking themselves for resources. Witness the past dear reader: SUMMER 2011
If you will be so kind as to examine Ursor's nearly empty location on the preceding map and then of your own good time, examine the map as it is currently you will no doubt understand the alarm with which I make this plea.

Tenaril to, Exodus to and settle in Ursor with all haste. TLR has held and must maintain a firm grip on the majority of the land in the Ursor region. Surrounding regions are also in jeopardy.

There is no reason to do otherwise in this humble writer's view. Everything one would ever need would be less than an hour or so away if one were deep in the heart of alliance territory. There is need for border security though and the intrepid few willing to stand their ground versus any and all incoming against TLR are encouraged to inquire as to where they may best be placed for the protection of the TLR frontier.

A friendly reminder: any moves into alliance territory by a member of TLR should first be authorized by The Secretary of the Interior as per TLR law.

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