I have been working out the details of playing Megaglest 3.4 by playing against the A1 in various configurations up to and including the cpu level. I have met with mixed successes and failures, have learned a myriad of techniques, developed strategies, tricks and tactics.
I am not an unintelligent person and I must say that the comments referring to "insanely difficult" and "impossible to win" strike a small chord with me as well. I am not averse to attempting insanely difficult or impossible to win scenarios if I think that I have a small chance to win. I am an intensely competitive person with a long background in business and politics. I am also retired with time to explore a wide variety of techniques.
There seems to be a singular reason for this bad reputation that (mega)glest is making for itself and a very probable cause for its abandonment by more players than the glest community may realize. In most games with first person participation, the characters and avatars in use generally do and go as the user directs. In glest and megaglest, that is not the case. The developers, for some unknown sadistic reason, seem to think that disobedience and random "wanderings" both i conflict or just as a matter of course are either a desirable or a comical addition to an otherwise insanely difficult and nearly impossible to win game.
What it all adds up to is a game that has vast potential for enjoyment and education. Instead, through its uncontrollable (and consequently uncontrolled) aspects, it is instead intensely maddening and most seriously UNenjoyable with its outrageously frustrating and more than somewhat chaotic and utterly unpredictable quirks. It is one thing to overcome the randomness of fate. It is quite another to feel hopelessly helpless against total chaos. In short, I think that I could have fun with this game if I could control any portion of it. As it is, I guess that I'm mentally inferior because I obviously can't. This game has culled me out of the ranks of aficionados.
When I decided to go against the computer as a learning experience and an opportunity to grow into its promise, I expected a steep learning curve. What I got instead was shoved off a 20 foot ladder time and time again with no apparent solution(s). That is NOT fun, nor is it educational other than to conclude that either I or the game itself is simply not up to that task. I HAVE to live with myself. Megaglest not so much.
What a waste of time. Goodbye for good and good luck with your insanity.
