Quote Originally Posted by StratOcastle View Post
I think a lot of tops take pump sessions as routine. When I was with Pyro the pump was fairly well controlled, but I'm an active with a mentality toward overview. Nesta was a well ordered mind and pump strategy is something I think came to him easily. Sparta is fairly new up top and while the knowledge may be there the experience isn't. They may not project "medians" as Zauper, for instance, explains like turning the light off in a closet.

Additionally, Sparta is on uneasy ground. I'm neutral as to the reasons, but I'm fully aware of the danger. I'd imagine Sparta must keep more defensive troops and approach this war with conservative reasoning. They couldn't hope to pump with abandon because the opposition also has their Jesters or Remote1 out there. Nobody is coming to save Sparta.
I thought I had laid the basis of that routine last age. We pretty much outpumped everyone and with a little coordination we easily pumped to -2/-3 ppa for each conflict (remember, Pyro was even OOR and couldn't declare). Yes, most in the KD are on uneasy ground but the fact is we don't lack the knowledge really, it's more something called "deep craft". Me and a few others know how to pull it off, have communicated this to the players but the knowing - doing gap is always there. Doing something after having it explained to you isn't the same as doing something for the 300th time in your 40th whoring age.

Explained it to my KD last age. A leader has ~ these tasks:

1. Play your own prov
2. Check other provs in your KD to see what they're doing
3. Communicate with people on individual builds
4. Diplo
5. Meta movement
6. War strategy
7. War coordination
8. Controlling emotions and making sure everyone gets along + motivating peeps

I used to do all of them, now I only do 4 (top diplo), 5, 6, 8. 1-3 and 7 are most time-consuming for a leader but does give you that extra 10%.

It's probably most realistic that us and Pandas are just going to destroy each other with no winners (even the winner would be a loser). Then it is between Emeriti and BB to decide the age.