Perfect, I'll take that as a 'yes, I'd like to play'.


Let's start with the easy stuff.


1. You clearly can't read. Like literally, I don't think you can read. Because if you could, you would see nothing in my post that even resembles being offended.

2. You're insulting women? That's interesting. Because you're the first person to cry victim about your feelings being hurt when people personally insult you and your religion. I'm not a bible expert, but I think there's a saying that goes 'don't throw stones in a fluffing glass house you idiot', or something to that effect. Maybe the Jewish Bible didn't have that verse though? Ever consider becoming a Christian?

3. Just for the record, and so that we are super clear (not that it needs clarifying). Women are awesome, amazing, and perfectly capable of bossing me, or anyone else around. In fact, the leadership team at my company is comprised of all women. Because they are the best qualified to do the work I ask them to do. And they do amazing things in this world. So maybe stop the women bashing you fluffing lunatic. I want you to get banned, but maybe in like a week or two. Not today!


4. Now the fun stuff. You, like TC, think you're the smartest person in the room. I disagree. My evidence is your words. You write like an emo child. I'm fairly certain you get your talking points from 4chan. And your ideas don't hold up to basic scrutiny.

Take for example your "Clearly BH is over socialized and it comes out in the form of these feminine social shaming tactics."

Can you explain to me how you think socialization causes feminine social shaming tactics? In fact, like start with what feminine social shaming tactics are. Define that for me, and then provide some evidence that indicates that over-socialization causes individuals to exhibit that behavior.




Oh what's that. You checked out, didn't read what I wrote, went on to a different topic, made up an excuses, or levied some new, completely ridiculous insult?


Yea, that's what I thought.




Smart people, Cat, can defend their words. Stupid people, people like you, throw fluff at the wall, and then walk away as soon as someone asks them to defend what they said.



Prove me wrong, but I think you're a stupid person. Not a smart person.

Cat - we've been friendly. I've purposefully restrained myself from publicly abusing you. As you've never come at me.


My comments weren't meant to be condemnation of you or your people. Ya'll are doing what you're doing. My concern was with M4D, our current enemy, and their choosing to align with the servers pariahs.




If you'd like to come at me though, I will happily turtle crawler your ass for the next 6 months. I know you like to use many words to say few things, and I fear for the boards sanity if we go that route. At the same time though, I'd really like to stress test how resilient you are, and how much public ridicule you can take prior to breaking. Truth be told, I don't think you'll break and hide. I think you'll snap and get banned. You don't strike me as the most... how should I say this..... You aren't really in control of your emotions, are you?




So the choice is yours. We can go the easy route. Or we can go the fun route, the route where I make you look foolish, you snap, and ultimately get banned from the forums.


The choice is yours, cupcake.

I mean... it happened.


I'm just confused by it. A little, I guess. Why would M4D align themselves with Josey/Cat and their crew, when that crew is hated by almost everyone in this community right now? It seems ridiculous.


Until you realize that Josey and Leto played together in PDM for a long time, which is a connection I laid out months ago. I mentioned how it seemed like Josey and Co was aligned with M4D. Turns out, I was right.


I think it's just a poor tactical decision by M4D, they already lost this war, and that FA they are receiving isn't really going to get them back into it. You basically just further cemented the M4D legacy as the axis of evil.

Why?

It is absolutely true. All you people posting your cute kitten pics in EE discord better watch out.

Flip side of that, Empy.


There are 7 billion people on earth, and 112 billion that have lived ever (or whatever the numbers are). Throughout human history we've seen famine, disease, war, crime, natural disasters. Humans have experienced tragedies, sorrow, heartbreak. Species have gone extinct. An untold number of horrors have occurred on this Earth.


And despite all of that, the thinking agents on this plane that are literally made from the stars, still find ways to do amazing things every single day. Your brain named itself, and learned that it was made from atoms that exploded millions of years ago from millions of miles away (or further). Those same atoms formed humans that created poetry, music, literature, governments, medicine, technology, etc.

In spite of the horrors around us, and the horrors throughout human history. Mankind has seen people literally sacrifice their lives for the benefit of others. Mankind has seen people go to the moon. Eradicate diseases. Create wonderful charities whose sole focus is to help others. We've created universities to educate ourselves. We've created governments that, although aren't perfect, have led to one of the most peaceful times in human history. We've bridged distance gaps like no other humans have before us. I can speak to people in Malaysia and Ukraine and Australia, while living in rural America. I can enjoy this incredibly stupid game with people like you from all over the world. I can learn about your families, your careers, the great things you all have done in life. I can see the best in humanity in all of you.



And in all of that, I also get to troll you all. To demand apologies in a stupid game, on the forums, because it's fluffing hilarious. I get to create division within alliances, just to see if I can. I get to war the entirety of this player base, making everyone hate me, just to see how people react.


And at the end of it all, I get to realize it's just a game. And the same humanity you speak about that is going to die one day, Empy, is the humanity that is responsible for doing amazing things in life right now.



So yes, we are all going to die. And yes, a forum apology is ultimately meaningless. But in a world as vast as ours, with us being as insignificant as we are, we have this wonderful ability and opportunity to make of life whatever we want. And if we decide to spend some of our free time jostling with individuals on a stupid text based game's forum, demanding apologies, arguing over political decisions, clicking words on a screen.... Well that's just pretty fluffing wonderful and amazing isn't it? Life has given us this great opportunity, this ability to forge our own destinies, and to get out of life what we want. That sort of freedom and opportunity is literally priceless, and it's something the vast majority of living entities have never experienced the way we do. And Empy, as you know, we are lucky enough to even exist in the first place, in this vast universe we reside.



So I for one, am not going to waste this freedom or opportunity presented to me. I will demand MORE apologies now. I will troll HARDER. For I have just this one amazing opportunity in life, and I'm going to live this life to the fullest.

I don't think you will, you don't have the grit and determination that I do, sir!

Just apologize bro! You made an egregious error! Arguing on a topic, talking extremely confidently, and then not even realizing who the hell you were talking to or what you were talking about!

Wait... TAN, was that a fake apology?!? You trying to trick me and prey on my kindness?!?!?

Tan, what it means is that I relentlessly hold people's feet to the fire. I do it as long as is necessary.


People like you have been insulting me for 18 months now. But you can throw all the insults around you want, because time and time again I have been vindicated. You're recently returned, so I'll give you a bit of leeway that you don't know my history.


I may seem like a troll to you, but that's a surface level understanding of who I am. Look a little deeper, you might be surprised.


I do appreciate you admitting your mistake and actually apologizing though. All I ask is that people take ownership of their mistakes, as you've done here.

If I make a mistake, I'm quick to own up to it too.



Tan, hopefully we can move forward with a better understanding of each other, and respect for each other. I hope we aren't destined to be enemies.

Ohhhh!!!!


So that's how you're going to play this? When you're proven incontrovertibly incorrect, you go with an 'oh sorry, all you trolls are the same'.


Nope, that's not going to cut it. I want a real apology out of your ass. If you think I'm going to let this go, you haven't been paying attention (that much is clear).


Admit you fluffed up. Admit you don't even know who you're arguing with, let alone what you're arguing about, and admit that you were 100% wrong, and I was 100% right.


You do that, and I'll accept your apology and let this go. If not, well... I think you know what happens next. And I enjoy that part.

Wow.


WOW.



I'm going to make this really easy, and you're not going to like it, cause you're about to look really stupid.



I have never claimed to be a spokesperson for DD, nor have I claimed that Drow, or anyone else, bullied DD.


If I have, quote me. Go ahead, quote me of where I did either of those things. When I see that quote, I will quit this game forever.



When you can't produce that quote though, you owe me an apology.

In fact, I'll go a step further and say that DD doesn't even like me. I don't speak on ANYONE'S behalf.


I don't know why in the hell you would even think I'm speaking for anyone other than my lunatic self. If you actually believed that, you're way less intelligent than I thought, Tan. Pay attention buddy.

Tan, please quote where exactly I claimed to be speaking on DD's behalf.



I'll wait.





Yea... that's what I thought. I forget, are you in PDM or M4D?

Ok.

Haha nice one vettiv!

nah, I think it was mendaci-tea.

Do you doubt me? Shall we talk about what happened to your predecessors, and how they also claimed I didn't have any proof or contacts or info from within PDM?

Go talk to your buddy Leto about how that worked out.



Ultimately, Drow. It doesn't matter if you believe me or not. And I don't know why we are arguing with each other, if I'm being quite honest.


I'm hopeful that you actually won't lead PDM into war. I don't think anyone wants that outside of M4D. I don't know what you truly want though, all I can do is read the tea-leaves. Which is why I asked the questions I asked.

Drow, I'm saying a lot of people within pdm think you all are going to attack somebody, not the other way around.


I think you know this already though. You're a smart guy, you are just acting dumb.

Drow - you claim I am making up facts, while blatantly doing so yourself.



Let's start with your point #3.

I was warned by NO ONE that I was going to be attacked. And if by running my mouth, you mean exposing the cheaters in your alliance.... welp. Sorry bro, sucks to suck.

I love that you are claiming knowledge about M4D warning me of attacking me, when you aren't in M4D, and you aren't me. How would you even know this information? I'm sensing a trend here, and the trend is you claiming knowledge, or sticking your head into situations, you have nothing to do with.


Moving on.

#4. Again, why are you speaking for M4D? Why are you defending them here? Why are you doing propaganda and damage control? They've got SJ, Empy, Leto, and TC. And I known they've all been strangely absent around these parts later, but those are the leaders in M4D. Not you. So why are you trying to be the P.R. department for an alliance you're not in?


#2. These are the facts. M4D announced intention to hit others. M4D purposefully didn't pact SoL/Stones. But they went out of their way to aggressively pursue pacts with everyone else. And we are supposed to believe that's just an accident, and was not an intention move? Come on.


#1. I have no idea who is preparing to attack PDM. I'm not involved in any discussions, I'm just Blackhole. The one who sheds light on situations that need light. I would suspect no one wants to war PDM. And I'd also suspect PDM doesn't want to war, which is why there is so much chatter from within PDM about what is happening.


#6 - I agree, it does have something to do with your alliance. Your splintered alliance in M4D got crushed. And I think someone in M4D went crying to you about it.





Good chat though, Drow. I think we've all made the points we need to make.

So what are you saying, Drow? You preparing PDM for war?


You think it's a bad look what Mercs did. You confronted Mercs about it. You're obviously concerned, despite the fact that M4D PURPOSEFULLY did not pact SoL, while attempting to pact every other alliance. You're overlooking their obvious aggression here, and ignoring the fact that they are the ones that actually attacked first.



You know what I think is a bad look? I think it's a bad look for M4D to make a declaration post about how much they are gonna land grab everyone else. But then specifically and purposefully seek pacts with only some alliances, hoping to divide and conquer the others. Then during the set they make a series of blunders where they attack other, smaller, alliances over and over.


It seemed pretty clear to anyone who was watching, and if I remember correctly I called it at the very beginning of the set, that M4D was planning on warring either Rage, Stones, or SoL. If they weren't, why would they pact all the other alliances except those three? They didn't even try, as we've found out.


Drow, while you're concentrating on the fact that someone told you that SoL was preparing to fight M4D, you're ignoring the fact that the preparation occurred in response to the OBVIOUS intent for M4D to war SoL/Stones/Rage. And the fact that they'd hit multiple players previously in the set. Including me, unprovoked, when I was a solo player.




To put it in simpler terms, this is how I see what occurred.

M4D made declarations. M4D prepared for war. SoL knew M4D was coming for them, so they prepared in response, including swelling their ranks. M4D didn't like that SoL was making the fight slightly closer to even, and so they tried to get an advantage with a first strike.



In your mind though, this was SoLs fault? And you're going to blame Mercs and DD for this? Gimme a break.



Just admit the truth already. You're biased. You wish your boy Leto and his alliance would have won. And now you're trying tot figure out how to support him in the future, including politically giving people a hard time over things that have NOTHING to do with your alliance.


I feel really bad for PDM right now. Do you have the support of your members to engage in what your engaging in? You've been in charge of PDM for how long now, 70% of one set? And you're already on the brink of war?

Oof - there goes the narrative that M4D didn't want to bully SoL and that they were the victims in all of this.

Ok, so you were pissed past tense. If not pissed, you at least cared enough to message DD and 'complain', or 'question' the SoL tag hoppers.


In short - why would somebody who is 100% neutral, reach out to another alliance leader and confront them about actions that don't concern their alliance?


I cannot see ANY reason why the head of PDM would reach out to the head of Mercs about a situation involving Mercs, SoL, and M4D, unless they were not actually fully neutral.



Drow - you're a smart guy, clearly. But I think you can acknowledge we ALL know what is going on here. You have close ties to Leto. You've acknowledged as much. I think it's very easy to see why you were concerned about the tag hoppers. It's cause you care about PDM and Leto.


And that's TOTALLY FINE! No one is saying you can't care about your old alliance-mates. No one is going to be pissed that you ARE biased, and that you AREN'T totally neutral.



I'm just asking that you stop insulting everyone's intelligence with this lie that you are 100% neutral. You aren't. Obviously.

I care because I'm aware of several conversations that have taken place with regards to PDM and their support for M4D. In particular, next set.

I care because I think PDM is an excellent alliance that Drow has inherited leadership of, and the value of them to this community is overlooked. PDM continuing to be apolitical is valuable because I think people need a place they can go net without fear of getting dragged into a war.

That seems to be in jeopardy, based on what I've been seeing.

No no, I'm not asking why you WOULD be pissed, I'm asking why you ARE pissed.


I get why you would be pissed IF you were M4D. They got owned. I understand why anyone there would be upset.


I'm asking why YOU, specifically YOU, right now, care? You have nothing to do with M4D. So why do you care about their failed FS, or the fact that their bad politics ended up with them being in a war as the smaller side, despite the fact that they were the biggest alliance to start the server.


Why do you care, at all, about that? Your concern for another alliances politics is confusing to me, given that you are completely neutral to both sides.

Who are you talking to?

Am I intelligent cat?

I do have the worst scores here... :(

Cat, why do you think intelligence correlates with web browser game score?

" Unlike you guys I have zero Issue recognizing those 26 men as my intellectual superiors, credit where credit is due. Tmac and Gerdler are a genius. No doubt about it."



I don't think those two things are necessarily correlated.

I mean... I kinda feel like this is evidence of my 'drow/pdm isn't actually neutral' comment.

Why do they care about a war with a clan that isn't theirs? Unless they aren't actually as neutral as they say.

Look, I think we all know there are some in PDM who want war next set. Plenty of info gets leaked. I just don't know if those people have enough pull within the clan to bring PDM into war.

I guess we will find out.

OK I guess? lol

I didn't know that, Xyle.


In this thread: https://www.earthempires.com/...intent-52609?t=1716241388

SJ announced that PDM, Mercs, EVO were pacted. No one else. He then threatened that all non-pacted countries would be subject to land grabs by M4D.


It's interesting to know there were other pacts that were not announced. I'm wondering if SoF was the only alliance not pacted now, and if that was by design?

Drow - I don't think that's accurate. I could be wrong though.


I'd love to hear from someone in leadership at M4D -

Did you all send pact requests to Stones, Rage, SoL, etc? In other words, did you try to pact all alliances. Or did you purposefully not send pact requests at the beginning of the set to some alliances, so that you'd have war opportunities or land grab targets?

Drow - do you think maybe it was bad faith pacting by M4D to attempt to get a pact with Mercs, but not aggressively pursue a pact with SoL, a close ally?




As an outsider looking in, and based on the initial declarations of M4D at the beginning of this set, it seems as if their goal this set was to divide and conquer. As if having 30+ members wasn't enough, they also wanted to split up alliances and coalitions, by only pacting some of them.




I said it at the beginning of the set, and I don't see any evidence to the contrary. M4D was intending on warring smaller tags that they thought they could easily handle. I predicted Stone and Rage, but SoL was definitely an option too.

If they didn't want to war Stones/Rage/SoL, why didn't they also pact those alliances?


In other words, I think the blame has to be placed on the alliance who didn't pact all the other alliances, if they didn't want to fight.

If you think me labeling your action is whining, then I suppose I can't argue with you.

Others may have different opinions though.


I appreciate the apology, have a great day.

Ohhh... I see. You're one of those that hides in clans the preach being nice and kind to others in this community, then you call me a Butthole. Well done, sir.



The whining is the post you made, silly. Did you not see the image you linked whining about people joining SoL?

You're not. Tan is. For some weird reason, considering M4D and PDM are different clans. It's really odd behavior, honestly.

You know... Sui made that thread about M4D having street cred and not being a bunch of whiney baby's.


Hmmm...

Yea... Coalie's been in SoL this whole set.

I'm pretty sure you guys were planning to war us anyway. Don't act like this isn't a mutual thing, lol

If M4D needs a warchat leader, I can hop on and lead next set.

Well my restart came out of protection and within 3 minutes I had a higher NW then when I died, LOL. I dunno if that was actually a good use of turns, or just a grudge kill. Either way, I enjoy racking up the defenses!

Aren't most of M4D long time vets?


To my knowledge I'm the newest player in this game.

Dude. You don't have to be here. If you don't like seeing me make TC or Leto back up their claims, don't click on the thread. It's not THAT hard.


Every single one of you can play this game without the forums.


What you can't do is express opinions publicly, and be absolved from others expressing their opinions back to you, publicly. That is exactly how public discourse works. If you don't want to partake in the public discourse process, run and hide like TC typically does when I start to make him look stupid. It's also very easy to do.

But if you want to express your opinions publicly, you're going to have to deal with other people also being able to express theirs.

Do... you think I care? I'm here to create grudges and pick fights.


SP - I appreciate it, but I'm not going to let claims go unchallenged.


If TC really believes his bullsh1t, let him come on here and ACTUALLY defend his points. Saying stuff like 'if you disagree, you're just factually wrong'. Let the smart boy prove how smart he is. Back up his claims. Show us some sources of a well accepted game design norm, and how it relates to the game design choices that are being made here. If he can't do that, if he can't back up his claims, him and Leto can STFU.

Herb, don't like reading a lot? No problem, GTFO. Nobody is making you read. Go pick up a pop-up picture book if words are that aversive.


Anyone else want to white knight for the genius cheater turtle crawler? Come on in. I live for this fluff.



If you can't backup what you're saying, STOP SAYING IT. Because I WILL call you out.

Leto - I didn't realize you had such a shallow attention span. I'll make it easier for your less than capable brain.



Your cheating teammate, Turtle Crawler, claims that slagpit is making game design decisions that interfere with known principles of good game design.


I am asserting that what is a 'known principle of good game design' is an opinion, despite Turtle Crawler claiming those principles to be well known and factual.


I provided a list of conflicting 'good game design' principles from a dozen different sources to prove my point.





That short enough for you Leto?




One last piece of advice. Insulting me for being an idiot is lazy and uninspired. Do what I do. Tell the person they are stupid, to their face, and then prove to them why.


All you've done is the same as you're idiot teammate. You've ASSERTED something, but you fail to back it up. Is that like... a thing over at M4D or something? Ya'll just say fluff, acting like it's a fact? Hoping everyone will believe you?



Maybe that's why we don't get along. I do the legwork. I prove my case. I cite my sources. I bring the receipts.



TLDR for you: You and TC are fvcking stupid, and I prove it.

Actually, TC. I'm going to do your job for you... to demonstrate how absolutely fvcking stupid you are.


Let's look at the 'known game design principles'

Principle #1: Design Your Game Around a Core Mechanic
Principle #2: Make Your Game Easy to Learn, but Challenging to Master
Principle #3: Make Sure You Have Balanced Gameplay Options
Principle #4: Provide Regular Feedback and Rewards
Principle #5: Give the Player a Meaningful Core Mission

https://www.evercast.us/blog/game-design-principles


1. Set clear goals and objectives
2. Engaging core mechanics
3. Maintain gameflow and experience
4. Balancing the game
5. Offer feedback and rewards.
6. Playtesting
7. Sound Design

https://www.juegostudio.com/...game-designer-should-know

1. Focal Point
2. Anticipation
3. Announce Change
4. Believable Events and Behavior
5. Overlapping Events and Behavior
6. Physics
7. Sound
8. Pacing
9. Spacing
10. Linear Design versus Component Breakdown
11. Player
12. Communication
13. Appeal

https://www.gamedeveloper.com/...ciples-of-gameplay-design

1. Keep it Simple
2. Balance
3. Accessibility
4. Feedback
5. Reward System
6. Narrative
7. User Interface
8. Immersion
9. Replayability
10. Testing and Iteration

https://medium.com/@niitwork0921/the-top-10-game-design-principles-every-developer-should-know-27ffdf1b0fb4



1. Gameplay loops
2. Adding juice to gameplay
3. Psychological principles, like peak-end rule
4. designing around choice
5. player taxonomy
6. Start with minimal scope
7. Agency
8. Get the gameplay loop right
9. Stay true to the intended experience

https://www.reddit.com/...of_games_design_that_you/



1. I'd only ever consider selling a game if it runs at a smooth framerate of at least 40 FPS on medium range hardware, has at least 3 hours of gameplay and runs stable on 90% of the test hardware. If it does not hold up to that, it will be free regardless of effort put into it.

2. Every level is first and foremost a place that should have some internal logic and feel real and lived in.

3. Visual quality should be consistent with what I can do throughout the game. I rather have it look like its from the mid 2000s than sacrifice my own models and visual diversity with static environments that are built using megascans or third party asset packs.

4. Combat does not involve violence against women, children or civilians. The latter is because I can not pull of proper consequences to that.

5. There is an in-lore reason for most mechanics. If the player can take 10 hits before he goes down, there is a reason for that, however flimsy it might be.

6. Atmosphere and pacing is king. Gameplay is queen.

7. I always design the mid part of the game first, as you always learn by doing and this way I can avoid remaking the beginning and end of the game which have to shine and be polished to either draw the player in or give a somewhat statisfying conclusion.

8. Nothing is ever inspired by latest releases or contemporary standards.

9. Its okay to ask for help! Especially (for me) on the coding end of things. Being stubborn about this can hurt the game.

10. There is always at least one sewer level (its a running gag at this point and I'm one of the few that like playing and designing them :P )


https://www.reddit.com/...of_games_design_that_you/


Or how about all of these different answers:

https://www.reddit.com/..._technique_or_theory_you/

Or these

https://www.reddit.com/...s_do_you_live_and_die_by/

Or these

https://www.reddit.com/...5/game_design_principles/


Or these

https://www.intel.com/...-principles-in-games.html

Or these

https://dulst.com/...ki/Game-Design-Principles





OK, I'll stop now. I think I've gotten my point across. Point is... And I'm going to scream it so you can get the fvcking point, TC.



THERE IS NOT ONE SINGLE AUTHORITY ON ONE MAKES A GAME DESIGN DECISION GOOD OR NOT. THESE ARE OPINIONS.


You can argue your opinion, but to state that Slagpit is 'factually incorrect' for making this decision or that is to engage in an intellectually dishonest way, because you are ignoring the reality that you are spewing OPINIONS. These are you fvcking opinions. Let me say it one more time. IT'S YOUR OPINION, NOT A FACT.




Holy fvcking fluff. I cannot believe I have to even type all of this.

Let's do this - Turtle Crawler.


Demonstrate how smart you are and how stupid I am.


You said 'Regardless, to have a good game you need to make decisions according to game design principles. This is a known topic you can lookup and learn.'


Please teach me. Cite your source, and provide me with the details of good game design principles that all games must follow if they want to be good games.

Who gets to decide what 'good game design' is? You, TC? Is there a handbook somewhere? Or are you, like usual, just spouting bullfluff and hoping people will accept it as 'simply, facts'.


The reality is that there are game design trends. There are copy cat games that utilize similar features over and over. But there isn't one single way that a game can be designed. History is LITTERED with games that broke the mould, did something new, and ended up being excellent. If they listened to your stupid ass they would have simply followed 'good game design principles' and we'd never have any innovation.


If you disagree you are simply, factually incorrect. (what a stupid fvcking phrase, wow).



Leto - why don't you actually try to contribute something useful to this conversation? You are the epitome of wasted text. I have never, in my entire life, met someone who says so little with every word they utter. The ramblings of a parrot are more substantial than yours.

Serious question, is M4D activity really that low?

At the start of the war M4D outnumbered Sol. With Stones joining the war, it's pretty close to even. I think the coalition for good has a few more members. But not double more.

Even disregarding the fact that M4D is failing to finish the job on some kill rurns, their raw hit totals are 50% of their enemy.

Why is that happening?

It's not really time consuming at all. I've got a baller gwam.


Why do I have to find chill? I see no reason why I need to do that at all. I'm quite enjoying myself.