Cooling Down

Time to cool down from the frenzy of the past few weeks. I've been playing a MMO (Massively Multiplayer Online) strategy game called Archspace. I had tried it before, months ago for about two weeks but the game ended before I actually learned how to play. This time, even tough I arrived late in the set (each time someone conquers the empire, the game resets) - id 915, the game lasted long enough for me to learn how to play and have a lot of fun. I knew three guys playing the game (all of which are my colleagues at Chefax R&D) and joined a council - a group of players who are usually allies - named SS Black Sun. We were in the top ten for most of the game and an offshoot named SS White Sun ended in tenth place but there were a few people missing there. I ended the game in an allied council, WD (WarDogs). The last few days of the set were absolutely brutal: the council that had been in the second place since I joined in was destroyed - we played a large part in its destruction. We took a lot of planets but lost a lot of ships. Than we had to deal with members of that council that had jumped out of it before its annihilation and in our weakened state we become a target for councils that wouldn't otherwise have dared attack us. Since Sunday morning up until Thursday morning we were continually at war. Then the game ended. While I didn't make it to the top ten, I ended in the 32nd place which I think is great for a first time. I owe this 'accomplishment' to my fellow council members, especially: Veanaro, Thorev, Nimlot, Tok'ra and xerux. I'm also in debt to our allies WD who helped me big time, even admitting me to their council and protecting me by sending me allied fleets when I was fleet-less and watching my planets being taken from me (this planet stealing from a fleet-less player is adequately called raping). WD finished in third place - way to go guys! The second place was taken by a subcouncil of the council that took the first place - Darkness Falls (DF).
Overall, coordinating a campaign over IRC and MSN messenger, sometimes with people from the other side of world was a lot of fun. Watching a mighty armada, MY Armada, be totally decimated in a single attack against a seemingly weaker opponent wasn't all that much fun to watch - even tough it was only a bunch of triangles (each representing a fleet). It was a lot more fun when after a series of lost battles, with the help of allies, we managed to take a much hated foe and watch as he was raped to death by various players (me included). The great thing about this MMO is that every opponent and ally is a real person, with dreams and hopes (except the empire which is vicious but simple AI - if you can even call it that :P). Each player is inherently different: when you crush them, some stay down, others try to get back up on their feet, some move on , others come back for revenge (and get beaten down again :D). Some are schizophrenic, others are paranoid. Some fearless to the point of being suicidal (coff coff) others are cowards. And like the jedis in KoTOR some only know how to solve their problems one way (:D) like jedi guardians and others always try diplomacy like jedi consulars.
Between strategy, battle tactics, management, diplomacy and spying, the fun never really ends - except when the set ends :(.