Hi Phil
, I remember that game.The other players (my allies) were Rumata (Shang) and ZELDA_Sniper (Choson) if I'm not mistaken.
Rumata is a better player than me but when I have one of my glory days then I can tip his "regular" games . If he hurt Panter as big as you say (no doubt Rum can do that ) then yes, you might have lost the game.I was the pocket player and thus had the ideal spot for a vill boom. I tried to boom a little but lack of staggler trees and the addition of far-distant wood gave me a very bad time for my first dock. Result: low amount of fish boats resulting in a large delay between tool and bronze. In short: my economy sucked.
But Rumata "ordered" me to help defending Sniper. So I tried but my Roman strategy doesn't fit much in defensive warfare . So instead of scouting for enemy bases I built my 3 barracks nearby Sniper's base (big mistake). When I finally had swordsmen (very late due to little fishboats) Rumata already disconnected and Sniper was in trouble but I didn't knew where exactly. (I already long for the AoK flares )
My BS waves were small mainly due to the low food stocks and long walking distances from the barracks to the targets.
Things didn't look hopeful for me in the low 20 minutes. Rumata disconnected and thereby crushed my back-up on the left (I was at 12) so I expected a counter attack there. The front was unexplored and Sniper was fleeing with villies to my base, leaving the right also unprotected. I noticed I was playing 1vs2 from then on while enemy nr. 3 was recovering from Rumata's Shang rush. Even though my vill pop was higher like you said I don't doubt you had a better economy going than me. I suggested Sniper to resign when I saw your cavs and brown's CA's and Sniper agreed.
Sniper worked himself into trouble IMO. He started towering very quick in tool with a pettyful economy and not much backup units. And he was very vulnerable for a counter attack (what happened).
If my start was a little better and I could play Rome the way I like 'em (not the way Rumata suggested ) then your pocket player would be in serious trouble .
Looking back at that game now I think I should have toolrushed Sniper's neighbouring enemy and wall up at the middle for defense. But such things are always easy to say after the game. I haven't played you before I think but you played very good there Phil. You helped your ally and kept me under constant cav pressure. Once a Roman opponent has lots of cavs the Roman is as good as dead. That's why I fear Yamato opponents a lot more than Hittite ones when I play Rome (my one and only fav civ).------------------
Breydel"Of all Gaul, the Belgae are the bravest" - Julius Caesar, 58 B.C.