Here is my take on last night:
First of all - props to wedsaz for showing up. Don't tell me that didn't surprise everyone.
Also Blackheart taught me alot of great stuff as he kicked my ass without breaking a sweat. Here is a detailed explanation of what makes such a HUGE gap between EXPERT and INTER. I feel it is why you must play expert games to become an expert.
From the opening of the game Blackheart and Hyper built towards their opponent. At the end of the game there was not one building of theirs behind their TC (in relationship to their opponent). This simple act alone is not done in "Inter" games I play. Blackheart had 2 explorers building docks, houses, barracks, and archery ranges. He basicaly used houses to scout all the area between us. My explorer was always in his line of sight all game.
When I saw all of these houses I thought the best thing would be to ignore (stupid, stupid, stupid)all the buildings and explorers. I had no villas close to his explorers and I would have needed 3-4 woodcutters to go kill them. I thought "I will have more wood than him, win sea, then kill all buildings after I kill his woodcutters."
I simply built barracks by his barracks. He beat me to Tool and had 2 scout ships at each of my docks early. I had over 1000 wood, but I never could mass a navy together. He had Tool archers in my woodcutters and I had Tool archers wandering nowhere where I thought his woodcutters would be.
About that woodcutter thing. He simply had me confused where they were. I sent Tool archers around the area I thought they would be, but found nothing. In Bronze, I sent CA's looking. I found a forest by his TC that was untouched. That confused me. I kept the CA's going and they ran in to compies and that was that.
By then I was done. Sea gone, woodcutters killed by compies and no sense running through a continuos line of buildings between him and I. He had archery ranges between my ally and me.
If you see the achievements screen, Blackheart had over 50% of world pop of 158 I think. This was before the 30 min mark.
Yes--He kicked my ass ** BUT ** I won't see that style of gameplay in INTER games so how can I "become expert" any ohter way than having guys like Blackheart, Hyper, and Popov kick my ass until I can compete.
I think the gap between INTER and EXPERT is as severe as going from playing comps to a newbie playing a seasoned rook on Zone. Basically players adapt to their enviroment. How can I become a good rookie playing comps, good inter playing newbies, and good expert playing inter. The style of play is just miles apart.
I know experts can boom econ better, advance through ages better, boom military better, and micromanage better. But I need to get beat by them to learn from them, and be able to hang with them.
Thanks Blackheart for the education.
[This message has been edited by BlitzkreigComin (edited 05-04-2000).][This message has been edited by BlitzkreigComin (edited 05-04-2000).]