Hmm you have a point.. I tend to get obsessed with winning given the worst possible conditions -- or at least the worst possible land. But when I end up winning one of these games, it's usually because of great trades & favorable AI setup -- which means that the game with crap land was not necessarily harder than one with great land. Maybe I have to change my mindset.
The main reason why I like playing with crap land is that it makes for a much more straightforward game. Otoh great land is so much harder to make the most out of, especially when you add in stuff like Mids or Marble. That's why I haven't played the Mao map yet -- it's a map that's rich with opportunities but is a PITA to optimize, especially as nasty barbs add a luck factor that I don't like. Gotta get over it.
Another thing is that I find it much more motivating to play a game where I'm fighting to win, and not to get a fancy win date. I actually find it pretty hard to keep playing a game that you're 95% sure to win after having played to T50, not sure how you deal with this.
If I had one question to ask you, Rusten, I'd ask how you manage to remain motivated and play a game to the end after noticing the mistakes you've made earlier (even small mistakes) -- that's the reason why I drop 99% of my games, because I don't find any appeal to finish a game that is not "good". I know that's wrong, but I just can't get over it.
Oh and I'm ofc interested to see you play the Mao game -- looking forward to some saves to dig in
The main reason why I like playing with crap land is that it makes for a much more straightforward game. Otoh great land is so much harder to make the most out of, especially when you add in stuff like Mids or Marble. That's why I haven't played the Mao map yet -- it's a map that's rich with opportunities but is a PITA to optimize, especially as nasty barbs add a luck factor that I don't like. Gotta get over it.
Another thing is that I find it much more motivating to play a game where I'm fighting to win, and not to get a fancy win date. I actually find it pretty hard to keep playing a game that you're 95% sure to win after having played to T50, not sure how you deal with this.
If I had one question to ask you, Rusten, I'd ask how you manage to remain motivated and play a game to the end after noticing the mistakes you've made earlier (even small mistakes) -- that's the reason why I drop 99% of my games, because I don't find any appeal to finish a game that is not "good". I know that's wrong, but I just can't get over it.
Oh and I'm ofc interested to see you play the Mao game -- looking forward to some saves to dig in