AG - Introduction and Discussion

[Bob De Quatre]

Bad Big Sal! You broke the Internet!!

Anyway, the good news is that the players index is now available on the AG website: http://bakahomepage.com/EB/AG/players

[Bob De Quatre]

Week 65 is over. Welcome in week 66!

Octan's fleet stays on H04.
Kawashita's fleet moves from E11 to C10.
M.A.N.T.I.S.'s fleet moves from F02 to G02.
First Aliens' fleet moves from G10 to G09.
Second Alien's fleet stays on C04.
Third Alien's fleet moves from G08 to F08.

[Professor Thaum]

 

On 10/10/2016 at 3:26 PM, Bob De Quatre said:

Week 63 is over. Welcome in week 64!

 

Octan's fleet stays on H04.
Kawashita's fleet stays on E11.
M.A.N.T.I.S.'s fleet moves from F02 to G02.
First Aliens' fleet moves from F10 to G10.
Second Alien's fleet moves from B04 to C04.
Third Alien's fleet moves from F08 to G08.

(Map will be updated once the scores are posted)

 

1 hour ago, Bob De Quatre said:

Week 65 is over. Welcome in week 66!

Octan's fleet stays on H04.
Kawashita's fleet moves from E11 to C10.
M.A.N.T.I.S.'s fleet moves from F02 to G02.
First Aliens' fleet moves from G10 to G09.
Second Alien's fleet stays on C04.
Third Alien's fleet moves from G08 to F08.

Week 65 missing in Action ?

 

[Bob De Quatre]

Yep, something went wrong... 

[Professor Thaum]

... though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

[robuko]

I have had just over a year away from EB.

This might generate a bit of controversy, I am not looking to criticise anyone and I do not hold myself up as a special builder. I am interested to hear views as this iteration of AG moves into its latter stages.

I am surprised that the standard of building and presentation on AG has not really noticeably improved in the last year. In GoH where I was pretty active for a couple of years, it seemed like most people were on a steep learning curve and at an equivalent stage of GoH maturity, everyone had raised their game in both build technique and presentation to the point where it became very hard to shine. A lot of builders joined after about a year who hit the ground running with amazing skills and the existing community responded by raising the average even higher.

In my view that does not yet seem to be the case here. I don't see very much in the way of special techniques or innovation, I do see quite a bit of blocky studs-up type building which I am a bit surprised at given the freedom of the subject matter. I know colour is a limitation here. I feel like Bob's skill and enthusiasm is equivalent to Derfel or SoT.

Do others who have been in GoH feel this is a fair comment? Maybe I have not looked at a representative sample of builds? I wonder if there is something about the nature of the game or the judging that is holding back skills development and innovation? Is the difference about having fewer of the storylines "on rails" with inspirational scenes from the guild leaders?

 

 

[Big Sal]

I'm not sure it's fair to say there's been no improvement - if you look at some of the players who have been playing since the start, their skill in building and photography has increased in a really inspiring way. I know my skills have definitely improved, but at the same time I have a lot less time to build than I used to. I think that's the case for a lot of us. If the stars aligned and everyone suddenly had a load of free time this week, I bet you'd see a bunch of fantastic builds.

I don't play GoH, but my understanding is that improving your skills is a large part of it, e.g. the doctorate of historica.

AG doesn't really have anything like that - there's no push for players to improve their skills other than their own desire to score more points. So maybe that's why the improvement in GoH seems steeper?

There's also the fact that the weekly build structure of AG encourages high build frequency more than high build quality - a player who posts a build scoring a 3 or 4 every week is more valuable to a corp than someone who posts a 6 or 7 every now and then, especially when you add in the equipment and tech bonuses.

[Kodan Black]

Yeah, I think the weekly build is both a pro and con. It keeps people building more but also limits what gets built. Sometimes you build a weekly while working on a longer term project so you might build a 3, 3, 3, 5 pattern in terms of score. But like Sal said, building a 2-3 pt build every week is more beneficial than a player who builds once a month and posts a 7. Particularly with the bonus factored in, it isn't even close. This seems more like a speed-build type of competition where you put out a lot and are under more time pressure. GoH seems more focused on longer builds, which naturally will produce higher quality. But we have had some people enter like Yseult Brenneux who doesn't post all the time but adds very lovely and well thought out builds.

Edited October 25, 2016 by Kodan Black

[LucByard]

3 hours ago, Kodan Black said:

But we have had some people enter like Yseult Brenneux who doesn't post all the time but adds very lovely and well thought out builds.

Thank you Kodan; kind words.

I've been reading some of the early AG entries and even if Robuko is right, I don't think it's really relevant because so are Big Sal and Kodan: Pushing yourself to build bigger and better is not the point here; it's not why I play. Telling stories, freedom in my building, adapting to the dynamic map, making friends, collaborating and... What's that other thing?.. Oh, trying to take over the Galaxy...

... That's why I play. 

[Henjin_Quilones]

Henjin Quilones CCIX reporting for duty as a Kawashita explorer. 

He comes from a long line of galactic explorers, being the 209th Quilones named Henjin in unbroken descent from father to son for two thousand years and more. He can hold his own in a scrap and has been called "too trigger happy with the locals" on occasion, but his attention to detail makes him a sought-after scout for the early stages of planetary conquest or exploitation. 

 

Thumbnail version:

[Big Sal]

Welcome Henjin! I love that display base! 

[Norseman]

Welcome, Henjin! As a new guy who has yet to post his first build, I say it's nice to see more new blood!

[Professor Thaum]

wow... this one is surely a skilled builder.. a choice recruit for Kawashita

 

Go on Norseman, show them your skills !!

Edited October 27, 2016 by Professor Thaum

[robuko]

Welcome Hanjin!

Lovely introductory build.  

 being the 209th Quilones named Henjin in unbroken descent from father to son for two thousand years 

Ah, they grow up so fast.

[Mesabi]

Welcome Hanjin! Great to have another Kawashita on board! Make sure Eta invites you to the secret Kawashita message board.

[mediumsnowman]

As to Robuko's comments and comparison to GoH, take a look at some of my early builds, and compare them to some newer builds. My photography and building skills have come a long way.

I can't speak for everyone, but that's my personal experience. 

Edited November 1, 2016 by mediumsnowman

[Bob De Quatre]

Week 66 is over. Welcome in week 67! (Sorry, I've been lost in subspace for the last few days...)

Octan's fleet stays on H04.
Kawashita's fleet stays on C10.
M.A.N.T.I.S.'s fleet stays on G02.
First Aliens' fleet moves from G09 to H09.
Second Alien's fleet moves from C04 to B05.
Third Alien's fleet moves from F08 to E09.

[Norseman]

Is my build not being scored?

[EpsilonEta]

11 minutes ago, Norseman said:

Is my build not being scored?

It was posted about 13 hour too late and will be judged next week.

[Bob De Quatre]

Week 67 is over. Welcome in week 68!

Octan's fleet moves from H04 to H03.
Kawashita's fleet stays on C10.
M.A.N.T.I.S.'s fleet moves from G02 to F02.
First Aliens' fleet moves from H09 to G09.
Second Alien's fleet stays on B05.
Third Alien's fleet moves from E09 to F09.

[Bob De Quatre]

Week 68 is over. Welcome in week 69!

Octan's fleet stays on H03.
Kawashita's fleet stays on C10.
M.A.N.T.I.S.'s fleet moves from F02 to E01.
First Aliens' fleet moves from G09 to H09.
Second Alien's fleet moves from B05 to C04.
Third Alien's fleet moves from F09 to E09.

[MKJoshA]

So, none of the builds from last week have been judged yet. Am I okay to put up my week 69 build?

[Bob De Quatre]

I'm sorry, last week was very busy for us and we didn't post the scores (tbh, I'm not sure all the votes have been cast). I'll post the scores as soon as I can, which will be tomorrow morning... Again sorry for that.

And of cpurse ypu can post your build for this week!

[Bob De Quatre]

Week 69 is over. Welcome in week 70!

Octan's fleet stays on H03.
Kawashita's fleet stays on C10.
M.A.N.T.I.S.'s fleet stays on E01.
First Aliens' fleet moves from H09 to H08.
Second Alien's fleet moves from C05 to B04.
Third Alien's fleet moves from E09 to D09.

[av_bossk]

Proposal to improve the topic titles, what do you think to add the number of the week also ? For example this week, [W70 - K - C10].

Maybe it could help the judges first and also to quickly identify the new builds.

Edited November 21, 2016 by av_bossk