Re: HYBORIAN WAR...

From: love@iscsvax.uni.edu

Date: Fri, 19 Mar 1993 05:58:54 +0000

>  What are the kingdoms that are the most fun to play. I like Kusan because
> it is out of the way. It looks like once you learn how to play and deal with
> other players you can do well. I can't understand why they have not won more
> games. Amazonia wins alot and they have as many neighbors as Kusan. Kusan has
> the best branch of spies I've seen. They can take out any wizard or general
> that they can find. Any way what are your favorite countries and why?
>                                                   THANKS
>                                                   DAN BELL

I think you've mislead yourself on how good your spy network actually is.
With only one excellent and three superiors, you fall way behind Zamora's
one excellent and *five* superiors.  Plus you only start with 2 1/2 spell
casters worth anything, while Zamora begins with *four*.  It would help
you to make an ally with Kambulja early on, because Khitai's goals tend
to conflict with your own.  If no one takes Hyrkania, you have it made.
The main reason Kusan doesn't win very often is because the player HAS
to expand faster than he thinks he should, and too many players just
aren't very good at this strategy.  You also have to know how to take out
the npc kingdoms and keep them under control.  One small revolt can hurt
Kusan a lot.  Kusan also has to foster its economic growth, and that means
taking over the five local trade routes: Kusan, Kusan Steppes, Jaga Tribes,
Talakmas Jungle, and Paliana.  Secunderam and Ayodhya couldn't hurt either.

Anyway, my favorites are:

1) Khauran: Probably the best overall kingdom, with many different possible
ways to play.  Did you know there's no penalty if Khauran attacks "long-time"
ally Koth, but Koth will never win the game if it attacks Khauran?  Zamora can
be a costly battle, but one heck of a lot of fun.  Turan is your only true
enemy, and I took him out completely in one game.  Khauran has some spells,
good spies, excellent diplomats, and plenty of money.

2) Zamora: Who can resist playing the second most decadent kingdom in all
of Hyborian War?  You're in the middle of everything.  A long hatred for
Brythunia and a lot of assassins and powerful wizards are a deadly
combination.  Or do the fertile plains of Khauran appear more appealing.
Koth will be too busy defending its own borders to offer Khauran any sort
of help.  Corinthia will almost always become an ally, but the reputation
of Zamoran assassins will keep him in line if not.  If you have Brythunia's
start-up sheet, they really can't stop you from plowing through everything
they could get to fight you, even from allies.

3) Aquilonia: In my opinion, this is probably the hardest country to run of
any of them.  If you read everybody's start-up sheets, it almost seems as
though everybody wants a piece of you.  Oh sure, you have a lot of troops,
but they can't protect every single border.  And don't forget, you want to
expand at the same time.  Nothing I've heard of has worked "astoundingly," but
one player offered an imperial goal province to someone, and had an ally for
life.  They were almost spliting the map down the middle.  Another player
through everything against the Picts, just to gat their back up against a wall.
He said it worked fairly well, but he lost a lot of provinces to the east
without any sort of real defense.

A friend of mine likes Hyrkania a lot, but won't play them ever again.  He had
more than multiplied the size of his already large kingdom by about five.  He
put all of his characters to work keeping the provinces happy.  His coffers
were starting to overflow.  He would undoubtably have won the game if it was an
open ended game.  Tombalku, who managed to take control of maybe a couple more
provinces (maybe for a total of three), and hadn't even acquired his imperial
goals, somehow managed to win (?!!!!!!!).  Go figure.  It would be nice to
acquire the programming to find out what determines who wins.

My girlfriend wants to start playing in a PBM game, but I don't know if I'll
let her play Hyborian War or Alamaze.  She's a blonde, though, so it will
probably have to be Alamaze. *ow* sorry babe....

:P                      Ryan

References

HYBORIAN WAR, WHAT IS YOUR MOST ENJOYABLE KINGDOM
DANBELL@nervm.nerdc.ufl.edu (Dan Bell)
Thu, 18 Mar 1993 10:44:09 +0000