Newspaper Trash talk with a newspaper at the start

1saaa

Strategos
The Pharae times
Contents:
Introduction
OP on Hug This
Interview with Jameslongst
Interview with a mercs leader
True Fear VS. mercs
Interview with Dozer Zigashi
Interview with Silverfoxuk-50
Interview with OutOfCharacters
Memes
Conclucion

Introduction
I am very sorry about the delays. First their were some issues with 3rd party sites and then a few interviews took a bit longer than expected. Hopefully the longer paper makes up for it :D Enjoy! Also, you will notice that the paper is split into 4 posts. this is due to the length of the interviews.

Hug This update
First off about two weeks ago Hug This was OPed by True Fear, NONAME and Hell Hounds. Apparently their were 2 pages of revolts and in all of this chaos only one city was taken by VladamirVonEire of Hell Hounds (well done mate!). I can say that their was much celebration among Hell Hounds for that success. Secondly, Hug This has also OPed NONAME recently and seems to be completing the systematic process of tearing them apart. NONAMES point count has taken a real nose dive (at the exchange of a huge DBP increase) but i hope for the sake of this server that NONAME can continue to hold on because at this rate the more teams that can fight Hug This the longer this server will be enjoyable for them and the longer it may hold some enjoyment for us.

Interview with Jameslongst
This interview was done before the True Fear OP on mercs so their are no questions relating to that. Also, due to the delays their are some questions that are fairly outdated.

Question 1: Their has been a debacle on the externals in these past few days with you spamming OOC. Do you have any comments relating to that whole mess about how you view the event or spamming in general?

Answer: “Confident and proficient people are virtually impossible for a bully to intimidate in any environment.”
― Kilroy J. Oldster, Dead Toad Scrolls


Question 2: How would you view your current situation with hugs and how satisfied are you with the results of the most recent OP's on them (and your teams defending)?

Answer: I am very satisfied with the results of our Huggie campaign. It looked at first like this server would be a gold fueled runaway. Now it doesn't look that way. Nuff said.

Question 3: Quickly run down your opinions on all the teams in the top 10 of this server.

Two teams at the top that are absolute animals. A few other teams that either went to pieces, or haven't been tested yet.

Question 4: In your most recent OP on Hug This you also coordinated to a loose degree with other teams on this server. I suppose this could be defined as a coalition and from that stems my question. On Leontini you declined to join a coalition against the cartel on the basis that it was to much like hugging. now you seem to be forming your own coalition. What has changed since now and then?

I think its highly misleading to call what we did a "coalition."

True Fear has nothing to be ashamed of, and nothing to be scared of. The more Hugs talks, the clearer that becomes. We are here to have a good time, and that's what we are doing.

Some interesting answers to be sure. Due to the timings i did not ask any further questions on the True Fear attack on mercs. This interview also went out before the True Fear OP on mercs

Interview with a mercs leader
The mercs leader i interview did not reveal his identity on the externals. Hopefully no one minds :)

Question 1: Some rumours have gone round that your team is planning a merger/ completed a merger with True Fear. Do you have any comments on these rumours?

Answer: I love this rumor, so many people like to bring it up. I guess the rumor is true if you think a sphere has any straight surfaces! Stay tuned for further updates on that front though ;)

Question 2: looking at your teams current position what is your opinion on its current state and how you can improve it?

Answer: Historically, we've had a lot of potential, and I think it's fair to say that we've definitely been capitalizing on that. Obviously, there's always room for improvement, but I think we are doing really well considering where we were just a month ago.

We have become a major player in the server and others are starting to really recognize that and have started taking action. Things are really starting to heat up, and the landscape of the server is definitely changing from Hugs and TF being the only two alliances that have been looked at in serious detail. Change is coming, whether it's good or bad, and I know that I'm really excited to see where things go!

From here on out, our best bet towards improvement is to have a clear plan of action that allows for rapid reaction when necessary, which is something that's been a major factor since day one. It's definitely going to be a fun ride though and I can't wait to see what happens!

Question 3: run down your views on all the top 12 teams (that aren't sisters).

1 Hugs- What can I say that hasn't already been said? This group is an absolute unit and I have nothing but respect for them. They've intentionally had run-ins with everyone so far, it's only a matter of time until they turn their eyes this way!

2 TF/PC- This is quite the resilient bunch, and it'll be interesting to see where things go from here for them. Hoped they didn't forget their towels though since they just dived in the deep end ;)

3 Mercs- no comment

4 NN- After an interesting few weeks for them and some set backs, I can't wait to see the rebound this bunch deserves. They're still a major player in the server, though their true potential remains unknown. Very excited to see where they end up.

5 HH- This is a very impressive bunch, they've been on the front lines the majority of the server and stand as one of the few teams to gain anything from Hugs! Beyond that, not much else for them though it would appear. They don't have much for competition outside of Hugs in their area, which can be both good and bad, that remains to be seen though.

Beyond this, I don't know think anyone else is really contributing much, if anything, to the server. Alpha Centauri has fallen as a lone alliance at the hands of Mercs and the remnants have since been absorbed into Phoenix Blade (now under the alias Poenix Centauri) and works as an extension for TF. The other alliances in the NW have yet to make a splash where it really impacts the entire server in any serious way.

Their was also a further comment the mercs leader made (which seems to be directed at James):

Remember to eat your greens kiddos, it helps build an actual infrastructure instead of just absorbing other people's scraps ;)

True Fear VS. mercs
Definitely a surprise. I did not see this coming and i don't think many others did either. The current warscore is 5-20 (when you include Phoenix Centauri) to True Fear. My guess is that this war will probably end in a stalemate unless True Fear can keep up the pressure or pull a similar trick to as they did with Alecta nemesis. Both of which are not impossible. But, their is also every probability that mercs are going to turn around and slap True Fear across the face. I feel like this could have been James' fatal miscalculation. Because, when you think about it now that True Fear has had the guts to go out of nowhere and attack mercs who will be next? I would also like to post a comment about the OP on mercs made by the same mercs leader i interviewed earlier:

"TF has been trying to get our top 20 players to join their ranks and then have a "free for all" for the rest of us over who can join PC (that's not why GH was here, he was trying to prove a point the the lug heads in TF leadership).

Long story short, we said no and we ain't budging.

Now, TF and PC are trying to bully us into submission with their 100+ player team. At first, they got the jump on us, but now we're getting back on our feet. Personally, I'm disappointed that they only could muster that little firepower (wonder why they're losing to Hugs so badly). Many thanks to GH for helping us out though, he's the real G!"

I don't think this surprises anyone really. But, it is still sad to read :(

 
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1saaa

Strategos
More interviews

Next up i have got three rapid fire interview with three leaders of three alliances that may be slightly less well known on the world stage (the leaders being less well known).

All of Dozers responses were in barks so therefore i translated them into English. But, my MAD DOG is a tad rusty so their may be a translation error ;)

Question 1: Could you take a moment to describe your role on the Hell Hounds council?

Answer: I make sure our defensive strategies and tactics are on point and that we're defending effectively.

Read: I make sure everyone stacks my cities with LTS at all times.

Question 2: Now, could you run down what you bring to the table (apart from potatoes) for this server.

Answer: But potatoes are the most important thing to put on any table :(

Well, if there's anything else I have to offer it's raving about Grepo "back in my day" and acting like a veteran despite only playing from 2010 to 2011 before dropping off the face of the map only to return in the middle of nowhere Leontini.
(Editors note: look through some of the older posts for Dozer's externals account and you will see that he was fairly active on some of the first servers)

Question 3: So, what are your favourite (and least favourite) parts of being in Hell Hounds?

Favorite part is interacting with the other HH members, especially the council. Really fun group.

Least favorite part? Well, I don't know if I should say. But there's this one guy who talks a big game, but never really does much. I won't say any names, but let's just call him "1saaa." I love him, he's friendly, he's wonderful, but if people on the externals thinks he talks a lot you should wait to see him on our Discord. OOOOF.

(Editors note: Someone is losing their council rights soon ;))

Question 4: So, what are your opinions on the main teams that are left?

Hug This - They're the best offensively. They came in with a game plan and executed on that effectively. They're a strong team and only getting stronger.

True Fear & Co. - As fun as it is to meme on TF for their war score against Hugs, war scores are always formed in a context. I have respect for TF for taking in players from collapsing alliances and giving them a place to try and stay in this world. And just as easy as it is to **** and meme on TF for their diplomacy, they're just employing the most effective strategy they could muster to deal with Hugs' strategy. While I may not like the strategies they're imploying, I won't fault them for trying and for still being competitive in this world.

No name - They're quiet, but it's always the quiet ones to look out for. They'll be a competitive force come Domination I think.

Mercs - There's allegations of them cooperating with TF, but the one Mercs player is adamant about them not being in the TF Coalition. But providing defensive support to TF isn't much different from being in that coalition imo. Either way they're growing at a good rate. Overall my opinion of them is rather "meh, they're okay."

Everyone else is either "meh" or just suck. Like Hell Hounds? Psh. They suck.

Question 5: what do you like to do in your spare time?

A few things. I'm a freelance writer and a Podcaster when I'm not busy with schooling and preparing for Grad School. Most of my podcasting and gaming revolves around Pokemon. I've recently been replaying a lot of the old games I have.

Oh wait, this is where I"m supposed to say "Play Grepo" right? This was just a test to see how active I am in the alliance. -insert swear word here that i can't post because Magick will murder me-

Question 1: Could you quickly rundown your role in True Fear?

Answer: Yes of course,

I normally deal with Ops (I have a military background) I'm also the Headmaster as I have a great deal of patience when dealing with new players so I'm normally found in TF's Academy

Apart from that dunno really.

Question 2: What are your favourite and least favourite parts of being in True Fear?

Answer: Favourite has to be the close sense of camaraderie, playing worlds with the same players, it's like playing with loads of your best mates

Least favourite, being the dullard in cites, I take cities for location rather than points lol.

Could you run down your opinions on the major alliances left in this server?

Answer: Hugs, they dropped in, they took, they are a worthwhile opponent. I've played with some of them, it's an Allance, they are there to beaten, I like some of them, I hate some of them, I really don't know what to say, the war is not done

Mercs,well, I'd wait 24 hours lol

NoName,no axe to grind there
 

1saaa

Strategos
Quickly run down your views on the top 12 alliances left in this server (or the 7/8 wonders of Pharae as Hyperadox calls them):

I'm going to do this backwards, from 8 to 1, and tell it with GIFs where possible. Apologies where I have fewer comments, as the stats sites have been down, and some of these alliances are fairly quiet, so it's hard to get to know their personalities.

8. Old Guard -- lurking up in the north, still scuffling with Crusaders, doing its own thing quietly. They seem to be having fun, which is all we can ask for. Don't take these guys for granted though. They are watching.

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7. NoE -- Has some players in it I respect from other worlds, who know the game and enjoy playing. Doing their thing to the east of 54 and 64, holding their own as best I can tell. My take on their view of the world's nonsense:
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6. Crusaders -- Also doing their thing up in the north. When asked to be part of the True Fear coalition, this is all we could hear:

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5. Hell Hounds -- Recently took a city off of Hug This during a joint op with the True Fear coalition. (Note that True Fear took zero cities... yet these guys lifted one. Kudos to you.) Have added a player or two during the last week, as well as a few cities... don't appear to be going anywhere for the time being. Until they fall completely under True Fear's thumb, they've earned some respect... though the joint play sure makes them appear to be an arm of True Fear with its own name for sales purposes.


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4. NONAME -- Was holding their own in 55, poking NoE and eating from Infinite Army. Recent hits by Hug This were not defended as well as I'd expected, and losses have been heavy. Will be interested to see if they can regroup and stand alone, or if they'll be absorbed into the True Fear machine.

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3. Mercenaries -- Some say we should be pulling Mercs out of the True Fear coalition. I won't truly believe they're separate until I see actual limbs floating past in bloody ocean waves. But for the sake of argument, I will separate them at this time, as they seem to be doing a good job of appearing at war. I'm not sure how Mercs should feel about Golden Horn coming to them, and leaving to "go home" as soon as True Fear decides to jump them. (Try to give a guy a home...am I right?) Rumor has it Merc defense was still in TF cities on the Hugs front line at the time. If this is all indeed true, and given the relatively few city losses Mercs experienced (mostly in TF territory)... well done to Mercs. The following is the evolution of the Merc chat these past few days, as seen from the outside:

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2. True Fear/Phoenix Centauri -- Appeared to give up on hitting HT after two huge failed OPs that fed Hugs players loads of BP and generated no cities. Called home players like Mumbai and Golden Horn who were running around in other alliances, just in time for the event. Phoenix Centauri now calls itself an "extension of True Fear", which many would say negates their claim that its members were not from "mergers", especially as it is used to feed True Fear as members leave. Busying itself with eating the leftovers from Alpha Centauri (how better to grow than to take in alliances, keep the best, and eat the rest?), while turning on Mercs to try for BP. Stay tuned for an attempt to "absorb" Mercs and/or NONAME players pending what the coming days bring.


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This broadcast came from the council room as they turned on Mercs while Merc deff was in their cities:

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1. Hug This -- Currently warring NONAME and watching the TF/Merc drama from afar. Conversation overheard in HT skype:

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...aaaaaand waiting for the next TF coalition set of attacks (oh how we miss the attention!!!)

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Thanks for keeping the externals alive with your paper!

Could you take a small moment to describe your role in Hug This?

My chief role in Hug This is "Bedtime Storyteller"... keeping people awake during OPs/defending :D

But I also serve as:

Bourbon Aficionado
Defensive Cheerleader
Fastest Attack Alarm Response in the West

and I'm vying for the coveted role of "GIF Queen", but I don't think I have what it takes to pull that off


What are your favourite and least favourite parts of being in Hug This?

Favorite:
Gameplay: Hug This "does not lose cities". While every alliance is going to lose some cities, I really like that, from the start, this mantra governs gameplay in HT. As a highly active, competitive player, it can be frustrating on some teams to see poor defending or teamwork, even when teams have big-name attackers. Creative, active defense is my favorite part of the game, and HT's philosophy not only makes that fun... it allows us to teach the newcomers what great defense looks like.

In General: The people and culture are simply awesome. I've played since grep started, with lots of different personalities and teams. Some teams have good camraderie, but not great teamwork/execution, and vice versa. I've been on teams where it's frustrating to care about other people's cities more than they do, be told to let your cities go without defending, or where you find yourself defending in the midst of a ghost town of teammates. I've also been on teams that execute well but the social aspect is lacking. HT blends both the social aspect with nearly flawless execution/expectations, which makes it a great place for me.

Least Favorite:
Gameplay: I can't sim (LOL)... I can barely get rebuilt in time for the next initiative... which is sort of a love/hate thing, because the next initiative is usually pretty fun.

In General: The rap we get on externals for "golding" or "playing too much", when I really think it's the leadership/teamwork (well, yes, and the activity levels) that make the difference.

And those are the interviews for this paper. I liked interviewing less well known leaders. If was interesting to talk to some people who don't take centre stage.

 

1saaa

Strategos
Memes
I've hidden all of these in a spoiler so if you don't wanna see them thats fine. But, their are a fair few this time. Don't get annoyed if you see some memes pocking fun at your team. I have tried to spread out the memes so they take shots at as many people as possible. If you are annoyed just remember that all you need to do is send me one and remember that this segment is about some friendly fun :D
















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(wanna take a guess at who this is referring to)


https://images.app.goo.gl/vSSyKY3w3QChBr9S6

When the gold market gets busy!!
index.php

Conclusion
Thats it for this issue. I hope you enjoyed reading and I hope the memes were good. If you have any question or feedback feel free to contact me.

1saaa

P.S Sorry for 4 posts Magick. The memes and the interviews combined easily exceeded the character limit.

Edits were me adding in a few more memes that i forgot.
 
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jameslongst

Strategos
This has gone from a magazine to a Hugs propaganda machine and now its just turned into a place where we get to see Thizzles boots licked by Saa.

I'm totally done reading it, and while we are at it stop contacting my players about it. Keep talking to Hugs they love to talk about how great they are, and you love to quote them at it.

James.
 

DeletedUser54407

Guest
Dictatorship over in TF??

I don't think you'll find many players over at True Fear that have any interest in being interviewed after this one. Personally I have no interest in this paper - it's just a way for 1saaa to brown-nose Hug This. If you're going to do a Newspaper you should be impartial... or at least not as one-sided and fawning as 1saaa has become. So no, it isn't a dictatorship, it's understandable!
 

DeletedUser48696

Guest
In 1saaa's defence, two TF players were interviewed compared to only one from each of the other teams and he expressed support for NONAME against Hugs.

The TF v Mercs section is slightly one-sided due to the fact that there is a comment from the Mercs side and none from TF. But that's all really.

I think it is damaging to knock a player who puts in a lot of effort to try and keep the externals alive. Describing it as a Hugs propaganda machine is just childish. There is no blatant bias towards Hugs here, only facts. The only criticism I have is the slight imbalance in the TF v Mercs part which is nothing to do with Hugs.
 

DeletedUser56333

Guest
it's just a way for 1saaa to brown-nose Hug This. If you're going to do a Newspaper you should be impartial... or at least not as one-sided and fawning as 1saaa has become.

Instead of just making wild claims, explain. How is this newspaper biased towards us?

This newspaper was written before your team flipped on Mercs, otherwise, I'm sure that it would be focused on that.

Most of the news in this server is on us, simply because we attack. Your team either merges or backstabs your friends.
 

OutOfCharacters

Phrourach
1saaa... ignore this please, you've done a fair job keeping externals interesting. You've poked at HT and our decisions along the way, and I haven't always agreed with what's said, but take it in stride.

This issue had TWO True Fear players interviewed, so if anything, was in danger of being skewed in their favor. The fact that they chose to say nothing relevant is their own loss. The rest of the alliances decided to share their thoughts on what's happening in the world. That's not skewed, it's just reality, and you reported what you were given. I enjoyed hearing from more people than the usual crowd, and I hope that trend continues. I also like the shift from mudslinging to actual game talk. I appreciate the effort you put in to keep it fun out here, and you don't deserve that feedback.
 
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DeletedUser55891

Guest
@1saaa : i just want to say that i really enjoy reading your newspapers and that i appreciate the amount of work/time you put in it. Keep up the good work and don't pay attention to those hateful comments.
 

DeletedUser56439

Guest
I am sure Isaa has put a lot of work in this edition of the paper and to knock it down based on baseless allegations is a little cheap.

Why are TF so concerned about their perception anyway? You really cant come back from attacking a alliance while they still had LTS defending your cities.
 
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