Message Found in a Rum Bottle Avast, ye scurvy landlubbers! Tis the Polychoromatic Pirate that be writin' to ye! I takes pen in hand to share with ye the secrets o' winnin' in World Conquest. Few there be so bold as would openly speak o' the winnin' methods, but the Pirate be of stout heart, and fears not the tellin'. Why, if me foes were to learn of these clever ways, they might give this buccaneer a decent fight fer a change! There be several ways to win, of course... The first and best way be to cheat. Aye, me hearties, cheat! Buy off the moderators, raid the post office and mail boxes, and if that be not enough, find yer dirt grubbin' foemen and run 'em through with a cutlass! I says, hang 'em from the yard arm! Make 'em walk the plank and feed the sharks! Tear their hearts still beatin' from their bodies, and drink their blood as ye set torch to their homes! Dead men tell no tales, and win no games, say I... But, there be a few slight problems with this plan o' action. Some will say it be a bit extreme. It also has the slight disadvantage o' bein' just a tad illegal, especially if ye gets caught. Now, now, this ol' scalawag knows, it be no more than the feeble whinin' of old women, but to them I says if ye've not the stomach fer the direct approach, then I suggests a means almost as satisfyin'; treachery. Aye, if ye cannot scuttle the beggars, then stab 'em in the back. Make peace with every neighbor, promise 'em the world, then when the time be ripe, plunge in the knife! If ye cannot do the job yerself, then sell the dog out to his foes at the first chance. It be helpful if ye can convince the blighter to give ye copies o' his map and unit reports. They can command a high price when offered at auction. With a little hagglin', a man could actually turn a handy profit from a game he's entered, and all ye'd have to do is betray a trust or two. Why, I knows a few lads what'd do it fer free, so much does they enjoy turnin' on their friends, Ye might know 'em, say I. Why, ye might even be allies with 'em even as I speaks... Now, some fellers likes to find allies within a game, figurin' that they can manipulate 'em to doin' their work fer 'em. This has certain advantages, fer if ye can wear an opponent down without usin' up yer own units in doin' it, well then, says I, go fer it! The only problem be that these allies seems to always want somethin' in return fer their efforts. Why, soem be so bold as to try to keep the cities they've captured! That's why I says to always keep a goodly sized force waitin' near at hand, so as to move in and claim the prize after yer friends have done the deed. Be sure to thank 'em fer their help, as it pays to be polite. Good manners be the hallmark o' a fine player... When all else fail, there remains but one last method o' winnin': beat yer opponents fairly! This always sticks in me craw, but sometimes ther ani't no other way. When honest cheatin' be ruled out, and the bastards won't turn their backs on ye, and yer allies have gotten wise to yer ways, then it's a stand up fight, and the better man will win. This can be a right ticklish problem, fer sometimes ye'll not be the better man. So, if ye cannot fight well, fight smart. Ye'll not win every battle, and sometimes ye must take yer losses and run. Aye, turn tail and run fer yer life! If a foeman bed outside yer city, and ye have no hope o' stoppin' him, then ye gain naught by fightin'. Best to flee before his armies, and regroup with yer other forces, and return with better odds. Too often a player will fight to the bitter end, losin' precious units each time, until he be vanquished. Losing a city hurts, aye, but losing all hurts worse... Too often a player will attack a foe with no plan beyond takin' a single city. That be the height o' foolishness. Unless the opponent be a fool as well, he'll return in strength and recapture his city, and may go on to take some o' yers. The Polychromatic Pirate won a game by takin' cities from a pair o' players. One had spent himself against another opponent, takin' two cities himself, but unable to hold but one... The other player was a born victim! He built himself a battleship in an empty town, only to lose the battleship and town the next turn. He never were able to mount a successful attack in return, and was soon eaten alive. Had the feller been a more able player, he'd never have left his city empty; it invited attack... Both players had another disadvantage, fer I had a clever spy scoutin' ahead of me lads each turn. It were but one, but that one spy were the most useful lad this ol' pirate had. While me scurvy crew were capturin' cities, the spy would move ahead... Timin' be everything, and the information that spy gave me allowed me to be one jump ahead o' me foe. Why, that spy even spotted the bubbles from the lubber's sub, and allowed me to send it Davy Jones with an ASW, savin' me carrier. The lessons this pirate learned from this game were many. One be to strike early, but prepare to press home the attack. Another be that information be the key to victory. Lastly, ye must learn to anticipate yer foe. If at first ye don't succeed, change tactics! Well, me hearties, that about wraps it up fer now. Until next time, may the seas be calm and the winds good...