by LPhillips » Sat Apr 09, 2011 5:36 am
Heck, I've avoided commenting before. But I want to say something because I have diarrhea of the fingers or something. Or maybe I think my opinion is just that important. Or maybe I just hate whining?
If you're going to get beaten up because people know you're not especially good, this is a nice feature. If you're going to get ganged because people know you generally perform better than them, this is a nice feature. If you're playing a ladder game (or simply want your general playing style to not be known before you ever make a move) this is a nice feature.
If your strategy is single, stagnant, and/or predictable, then you really can't blame people for having an advantage over you when they know your name. I don't think I have played any two games absolutely the same way yet. Sometimes I mercilessly burn and hunt my neighbors, sometimes I hunker down, hemmed in, and wait for my strength to build, hoping not to be sandwiched between a battle of titans, sometimes I send squads into enemy territory just to prevent them from expanding while I grab everything I can. Mix it up; it works. No one should know what you're going to do beforehand. Maybe if they play a dozen games with you without FoW they might be able to predict your general stratagems and reactions to specific situations.
This is by no means a single-edged sword. People also sacrifice credibility to use this feature. You don't just lose infamy; you also lose fame. I'm more likely to accept KGB's offer of peace than I am "Cyndane", because I've watched KGB on some of the public games and his play is generally impressive. Who the heck is Cyndane that I should care what he says? On the other hand, I won't step in and slaughter Cyndane from a recent laughable/fun grudge as I might Itangast, or target him because I've beaten him in the past as I might Ezras.
So I don't see a really legitimate cause for complaint over this feature. I'm even using it myself right now in some games, as overposting on the forums and some kind compliments have netted me a reputation. Also it's just dang entertaining. I mean, LPhillips is a lame Warlord name. It would be very nice to have the names of the participants announced at the end of the game, maybe an automated message to all participants. Unless you want only the players who survive until winning conditions are met to have the privilege of knowing their conquerer.