by lofung_hk
Yes, VP counting.You do not only count VP at the end of the game but start to pay close attention to the situation since the very beginning of the game.
Spectating other groups in real life and on vessel, I very often see situations like this. All numbers are arbitrary. In clockwise order and seating, all are playing aliens:
Black (Orions)
Green (Planta)
Yellow (Draco)
Blue (Hydrans)
It is turn 5 and black has just occupied the center after 3 successive alien hunts. He lost a dreadnought because of some extreme bad luck and just barely win with another dreadnought. He threw everything in so that he only has $0, 8 science and 12 material . All green, yellow and blue is sitting back chilling doing nothing.
Suddenly once upon a time in turn 5, the Planta who has two dreadnoughts blocked away from center decides that it has nothing else to explore with. It discovers that Draco has no army but swimming in VP, so it decides to move in, breaking the alliance and becomes the traitor.
Then Draco becomes very mad because he treated Planta like his best friend where he would defend her when Orions attacks. He is so mad that he decides to throw everything in with all his 40 materials. Planta is extremely worry that Draco would be blitzing it even he gives up that battle by retreating, so it decides to do the same all-in-ing the Draco even at the cost of bankrupting a few hexes.
In between the disputes, Hydrans once again promises that he is an elephant with dignity and well-disciplined. He will not attack anyone unless someone hits him.
So the game goes on, Orions expanded from the center in all direction for sector 1 and 2. Luckily discovered some aliens and beat them while Draco and Planta almost going to throw each other chairs in between continuous battles. Hydrans still decide to sit back and research but saves some material for defense.
Draco and Planta contracted control over hexes as they decide to throw in more they could afford.
In turn 8, Orions buys the missiles with +2 computer. Then go onto equipping it on his dreadnoughts and starbases while not waging war over anyone. He then decides to start tilting all science towards money production.
Now, there comes turn 9. Hydrans will complete the track without any problem but still decides to not to attack anyone as none has attacked him. Planta suddenly wakes up from the non-stop money burning and counted VP, discovered that Orions is also nearing 2 research tracks completion and swimming in 2 vp discovery tiles. Now he decides to negociate peace with Draco and decides to gank on Orion. Draco accepted with rage. But then everything is too late. Orion gave up control on the center and goes onto bringing his missile dreadnoughts into Draco's aliens. He then goes onto building missile starbases in a chok point and spams monoliths behind it.
=============================================================
Sounds familiar? I was the spectator and I did not hint anything but counted VPs during turn 5 after the GCDS occupation. It was something, in arbitary numbers again, like:
Black: 18vp from hexes + 4 vp from discovery and 4 reputation drawn out of 11 times, is just now on a strong economy because of the center occupation, i.e. average 15 production on each resources.
Green: 12 vp from hexes + 4 vp from discoery and 1 reputation drawn out of 2 times
Yellow: 18 vp from hexes and bonus and no reputations, on a pretty strong economy
Blue: 12 researchs done, 8 vp from hexes and 1 reputation drawn with spaces around him undiscovered, he discarded almost all aliens and decided not to come back because of too high chance for picking up aliens again.
Obviously, at turn 5, black was the VP leader but with little army and repelling power. This is the time when you should give a dead blow to Orion and he will be chased a bit. But then with a fail to aware the situation, Planta, Draco and Hydran broke the game.
Sounds familiar? I would dare to say quite some people play their games this way and then proceed to whine blah blah blah is overpowered (likely Orions and Missiles) and they needed variants.
====================================================================
If you still do not understand, lets make this very easy. Forget about Eclipse, let's do Settlers. Now:
Green: 8VP
Red: 3VP
Yellow: 2VP
Yellow rolled a 7 but he decides to rob red. Red whines because green was winning and red should rob green. Red disagreed with arrogance. Now yellow is mad. VERY MAD. He luckily rolled a series of 7s and robbed red all the way. Now red is VERY MAD also. He decides to rob (rape) Yellow every time he rolled 7.
Green is actually a horrible player as he puts his cities around the dessert in the center of the map and some 2,3,12,11s. But thanks to red and yellow wasting their time, green wins miraculously and called "GG CLOSE GAME".
Now red and yellow complains that cities are imbalanced and now requires cities to be powered to collect 2 resources.
=====================================================================
HAHA, VERY FUNNY? Look back at your eclipse games before you are entitled to laugh at them!
After all, if one could do these, games are very much balance and, I would agree, it would become a moderate luck game somewhat close to Race for the Galaxy because everyone knows what they are doing.
#1. Do not take betrays too personally. They didn't burn down your house and rape your dog. It is just a game.
#2. Do not overcommit into anything especially battles. It is very common that if one overcommits, the defender has to burn warehouses also and king make others.
#3. Always count VP after 2 turns . Estimations would do (that is what I do). Hit the guy who is winning after weighting the costs. Arrange for ganks if necessary. Wonder why Plantas and Dracos are officially banned from 2er? Because there is no one else to gank them.
#4. Pay attention to others. Economy, techs, fleet positioning or even statements. This is not Solitare, this is a interactive game.
#5. Just like Imperial and Diplomacy , Patriotism will not win you the game.
#6. Missiles are never overpowered. Most likely You sat back wasting actions while they use their actions to gear up.
#7. If some of the players are ganking the VP leader, let them do it and do not disturb them. Being a faggot or not in later turns is another thing.