Congrats NA! (And llaar!)

I agree. We only have one netting server - every other one is catered to warring (and even moreso to griefing / being a terrorist, although that’s clearly not the intent).

Don't like sharing their land?? Seems like based on his last message that SuperFly bin Laden is suggesting edits similar to the following for the game description:

Earth Empires is a free browser based strategy game where you take control of your nation's economy and gross national happiness. Gentle parent your country's citizens to share your land and resources with your friends and frenemies. Execute strategies to relieve others of any sadness and troubles. Strategically invest in technology to allow everyone to sing kumbaya. Ally with your friends or make new friendships by joining a clan. Conduct missionary operations, govern your country and build your empire of fun.

Congrats to both! Surviving SuperFly bin Laden!

I personally frequently receive messages about all of those things (not diplomacy) from other players when netting. There’s also a whole separate style of interaction for sure - like me helping someone in NA (via Vic) in coop that I’ve never met to finish probably $200M higher than they were expecting.

So close! Just a typo or two.

Another idea: alternate sets between no-holds-barred, primary style rules, and then sets where folks can get Cathankins-style GDI protection from any human attack (but where anyone could opt out of GDI and still war with each other). I don't need another long-format reset server on my to-do list, but I'd play in both of those sets of weeks on 5-day reset. Then I might actually try in express (I completely half-*** it whenever I play - which is rarely today - because it's not worth the time to actually try with SF bin Laden and his ilk running around).

Sorry I don’t feel like teaching terrorists how to be better terrorists.

Better luck never, SuperFly bin Laden.

The world and EE according to SF:

*if it’s not illegal or not against the rules, there is no way you’re being a butthole
*the best way to pad your total networth stats is to create a country that produces less on 70k acres than 7k acres
*to each their own, except when your definition of fun isn’t the same as his, in which case he will feel morally justified imposing it on you
*game fundamentals on one server are not at all applicable to another server, just like players always crashed and burned when switching between the American League and National League in baseball
*63rd place proves your net gaining prowess
*failing 10% of your grabs on that same server and being ranked 207th isn’t as bad as it seems; it really means that you’re such a good player in spite of yourself if you’re 63rd on top 3!
*absolutely sucking at fundamentals for every. single. set. on the easy server is a red herring. we should all be grateful he’s just playing down to our level of skill.

I have learned a great many things today!

I have done no bragging. There are lots and lots of folks better than I am. You’re just not anywhere close to that list!

And good for you being Cal Ripken. Maybe just don’t be old and slow and a shadow of your former self.

Translation: tell me the loopholes that I can slide through and continue to be a pest without getting in trouble, for now.

This post explains a lot about your confidence in yourself lol. Based on the op I got at around 70k acres, if you think your total income at that turn count or land amount is anything other than abysmal then it explains so much. You know what type of country would make more income? Answer: a 7k techer.

That's the server you choose? Where you're #63 on top 3 finishes? LOL.

And on coop Slag and I both had over $700M with 100k acres as support countries that did hundreds of ops and lost tens and tens of millions of jets over the course of the set. Your best is barely half that without all those lost turns and lost military. It's a lot easier and a far better use of your time to pad your total networth stats when you can at least land grab like an average person, not a full standard deviation below average. Seems like a good example of the well-documented phenomenon of even well below average people thinking that they are above average lol

This is exactly my Cal Ripken point. Said another way, and going way back, Arrow (sorry to pick on them) was not a netgaining juggernaut because they had the highest TNW simply because they had the most members. They were pretty bad at netgaining. Same thing here with you. Adding up a bunch of mediocre sets to the highest aggregate total simply because you've played the most sets does not mean that you're good at netting. Additionally, your country status was so sad for what you did this set - again, as if you somehow know very little about the game and warring after so many years of playing. But I'm guessing you'll hide behind something like saying you stopped grabbing after X acres, were cashing out, blah blah blah.

Please share! Hope you're doing well!

Not being a pest lol. You're like a toddler throwing a tantrum by p*ssing in all the candy in the candy store solely for some sick joy of seeing other customers suffer. What business owner would let you into their store again?

(fwiw, i had no skin in the game this set, but you're being a terrorist who deserves some shock and awe)

I think you've confused your EE and OF accounts...

Data on SuperFly grabbing versus other players in coop. Apparently grabbing is so easy in coop that he's demonstrably terrible compared to the rest of the server. This grabbing ineptitude has helped him consistently finish in the bottom quartile of human players on final networth. SF saying he is a top netter is like saying that Cal Ripken was one of the best batters of all time just because Ripken is in the top 5 of number of at bats and therefore has one of the highest hit totals ever: but his batting average isn't even in the top 500 all time. Basically, SuperFly in EE gets the equivalent of the perfect attendance award in grade school. He also sucks at being a bully - from the looks of this grabbing spree and his country status you would be forgiven for thinking that he doesn't know anything about the game.

Average grab size
Reset # Server Average SuperFly Difference
1 599 364 -235
2 649 386 -262
3 565 321 -244
4 620 458 -162
5 570 328 -242
6 642 353 -289
7 603 414 -188

Failure rate
Reset # Server Average SuperFly Difference
1 4.3% 4.3% 0.0%
2 3.3% 2.9% -0.5%
3 3.1% 6.8% 3.7%
4 2.8% 6.4% 3.6%
5 2.0% 3.0% 1.0%
6 2.6% 3.7% 1.1%
7 3.0% 5.9% 2.9%

Predominately farms. Still a ton of extra oil at the end.

Thanks all. That’s some tough competition out there!

A little homage this set to some Radiohead that I stumbled back across last week.

I assumed you did that!

Sarcasm :)

I’m glad Ruthie got taught a lesson. She’s the worst of the talk downers.

+1 for unhinged lunatics

A couple things I have noticed looking at coop countries (not sure if an issue on other servers):

*Ally expenses are not zero
*Military expenses are higher than shown on the advisor page
*Food consumption and therefore net food doesn't seem to include med tech effects (or decay), so is different than what shows on advisor page

More of a suggestion, but it would be helpful on self-ops at least to have bonus levels, e.g. decay bonus level or building cost bonus level etc.

As stated that would allow a first strike by the original attacker for a retal. Not sure that actually helps.

But maybe combine zolag's idea with something like GDI where you could only hit and be hit once by another player. And maybe if you get hit first you're allowed to declare war on the aggressor with say +50% strength and returns for any attacks you choose, but you then open yourself up to the same.

Kingme likes to get around with allies

Strategically, express is trying to be everything to everyone who wants a fast format reset - versus the numerous long format servers available.

I see a few options:
1) Split express into a coop-style "netting" server and a "i live in mamas basement" losers server. Or, less ideally, just make it so that you can't hit non-NPCs (I don't like this because there are valid, legitimate reasons to hit non-NPCs).
2) Give mods the ability to restore a country to its prior state after griefing. That isn't as good as it leaves some discretion to the mods, but the cases of griefing or "griefing lite" (single taps on multiple non-NPCs with no legitimate way to better one's own country) are obvious.
3) Change the rules of engagement and/or GDI. For example, don't allow unprovoked hits on non-NPCs after Friday, and make any hits or harmful ops constitute breaking GDI.
4) Allow more defensive allies and have defensive allies become worthless if you break GDI.

Appreciate the positive descriptor of "competitive"! I wasted at least 200 turns and almost certainly 300 turns being an idiot and figuring out my plan along the way in my first set in 4-5 years. I guess very much in line with "mid" effort! (Even Slagpit, after seeing my statuses, thought I was full of crap when I said I was on track for top 5 with three weeks left. Might have been easier for him to assess if he had gotten more than like 4 ops on non-NPCs last set as our support country!)

But for this set, which countries are competitive and who the owners are is classified information. Except for Requiem - I'll tell him anything he wants to know.

Also, bonus post.

Sage commentary, as always =)

I disagree. But I'm not sure that counts since I'm not a Patron?

Seems like the bonus has been very deliberately built as it is. I don’t think farmers and cashers need any additional bonus help. If farmers or cashers could use this late set the winner would be determined almost solely by who could best maximize this one narrow aspect of the game.

A number of people did. Hash’s use of it was killer.

turkey

Congrats to the Ugos!

This isn't fair for someone to run 9 countries. Why are the mods allowing all of this cheating?

I know this isn’t exactly the right place to post, but seems like all recent resets are being tagged with a Jan 1 end date and have lost (or are not showing) the entire country history and attacks. Some of the war reporting isn’t working either. I very much have always appreciated using it and also get it if the developer has better things to do!

You would see the bomb banks in your news - you just would not know who did it if they never failed.

Congrats NitelL for another win! Total domination indeed.

And also congrats to Kingme for the new record for all-x casher and a top 10 finish!

Rank Country Land Networth Special
1 d o m i n a t i o n (#80) Game profile 53,495 $66,245,505 HG
2 Alabama High Test (#35) Game profile 21,037 $61,935,103 HG
3 less than ZERO (#57) Game profile 25,348 $51,764,414 HG
4 For Your Eyes Only (#96) Game profile 34,757 $48,722,500 HG
5 Arthos (#2) Game profile 51,273 $46,383,142 HG
6 L3n4 B3n4 N0r4 B0r4 (#89) Game profile 43,075 $39,842,454 FG
7 Touche (#10) Game profile 51,420 $38,022,601 HG
8 UgolinoII (#5) Game profile 33,796 $36,916,041 HG
9 Ickis Oblina Krumm (#8) Game profile 18,993 $36,551,964 HG
10 Show Me Potato Salad (#9) Game profile 15,853 $34,002,635 HG

I'm in favor of this - at least a trial period of say 4 weeks or something.