BN
er, we have always operated that way. It's not something we have done for this one fight it's something we always do. Feel free to check all the older war threads in which people have said exactly the same thing.
It's called diplomacy and something that as a group we tend to be good at. The amusement is because other alliances have tried this but unless you can offer something useful to your would be allies all you are really asking is for them to take some big hits on your behalf.
Diplomacy is part of the game for sure. However a feature of diplomacy is also geo-political reflexivity. When you assert an Ares hegemony, and refer to all who oppose you as 'sheep': expect resistance from those who regard themselves as 'warriors'. That resistance will spread and deepen as everyone realises your agenda, as stated here by Imperica and others, of total domination. People don't really buy into the 'oh we will take out one ally, and interfere in another ally, but we won't touch you if we win that war despite us saying before we would blah blah'. That is what empires do. They play diplomacy, divide and rule. Everyone now knows they could be next.
That aside, you will still, at some point, have to take out - or recruit - the centre. Players in the centre tend to be more experienced and have read the play. I doubt they will go to war with honey badgers for example. So difficult one all round then for Ares despite the numbers/points chase being played.
No. It is about naked force in specific geo...which in our experience has always been the way. Can you do what no alliance has managed to do? Can Ares take the 43-53 clusters of the OTC (one of the densest formations on delta btw) out the way and sweep into 44 to meet its eotd sister alliance that is getting its butt kicked by the OTC allies, the honey badgers and shows no signs of making their way into 44?
In terms of the Delta-global...As it stands, Ares are losing cities to Harbs, to honey badgers, KS, and to OTC. Sure they are also gaining cities. However the losses seem to be way above what Ares would have in the past. The claim to difference but all one family really doesn't wash on the Delta-global before you start. Now...whether that list lengthens - or shortens - is the reality you will have to contend with.
You miss all of it in focusing on the OTC. Yet you must focus on the OTC to achieve your aim. In short, Ares faces what every alliance has had to face. The OTC wall of steel. You are fighting one of the best defence support alliances in delta. And our experienced attackers are pushing towards the lines. Looks as if the war has a long way to go and the longer it lasts...the weaker your alliance looks.
You may find yourself falling into the trap every other alliance that came to war with us faced BN. All had to undergo changes as they came to realise the play was a lot harder and a lot more challenging than they had believed was to be the case. I can rattle off a list of alliances the OTC has faced down. All will nod and grant us some credit in infiltrating their alliances fully. Nothing new in Ares having that to contend with. They all did. We all do at the end of the day.
As an aside, I also think Greco is pointing to the fact your new alliance head-serf seems to think it is ok to do diplomacy but not for others to do so. Hence the hypocrisy is aimed at Ares for raising this matter. As you say, it is part of the game.
Have a good weekend.
dune.