Astro Wars

[vaport]

People play this game to have fun. Winning is fun, losing sucks. In order to win you have to be better than your opponent. In order to be better you have to play using better tactics than your opponents.

This chase to have the better development, the better tactics and the better information has led to many methods to make you better than your opponent. Some are legal, some aren't.

premium membership (allows incoming fleet notification)
access to computer at work
smartphone
alliance
account sitting
alliance forum
Messenger or skype
accessible by phone or text
greenbird tools usage
special tools made especially for your alliance
cow accounts
friendly attacks
planet gifting
spying from within enemy's alliance
hacking opponents forum account
multi accounts
illegal scripting programs or autologger program
illegal tools made for your alliance
bug use
hacking opponents account


This is not a complete list and anyone may add something here. The green ones are completely legal and well acccepted. The yellow are tactics that are not illegal or restricted by the game but are not well accepted by the whole AW community. The ones in red are not allowed by the game but players have used them and some are still used today.

It is up to each player how they want to play the game but in a smaller community the gaps between each play style make it hard to be competive and this has led to some conflict. Of course if everyone played the exact same way it would be quite an even game but should we fault players for using all legal methods to achieve excellence?

I won't simulate what would happen if two players played for the first time but if one uses all methods in green and yellow to be better, he would crush the other one in all phases of the game.

I would also like to say (suggested by Greenbird) that these methods to gain advantage can also be qualified in other ways. Access or activity enhancing, communication or coordination enhancing, development enhancing. I will also seperate them that way. Note some are not easily categorized and I have placed a couple in multiple categories.

Access
access to computer at work
smartphone
account sitting

Communication/Information
premium membership (allows incoming fleet notification)
alliance
alliance forum
Messenger or skype
accessible by phone or text
greenbird tools usage
special tools made especially for your alliance
spying from within enemy's alliance
hacking opponents forum account
illegal tools made for your alliance
hacking opponents account

Development
account sitting
cow accounts
friendly attacks
planet gifting
multi accounts
illegal scripting programs or autologger program
illegal tools made for your alliance
bug use
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vaport, calicojack, Thamuz, bassofondo, ske1eton, JohnnWayne
TC, TNR, TGE, FBSP, APG, ABYS, GdF, CREW, PSY, STFU, RIF

[Albatar]

yeah , just 1 in yellow all in green

...but i know who have the most in red
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Il vaut mieux montrer son cul par le hublot que pourrir debout .

[subleroy]

Friendly attacks shouldn't be yellow, unless you make it massive friendly attacks.

Who made PL 1 without FA? Usually works if you have many unknowns around, else you better exchange a few CV with someone.

[vaport]

Friendly attacks are friendly attacks to me. it is just as unfair to get pl 1 through FA for a player who doesn't as it is to get pl 7 later in the round.
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vaport, calicojack, Thamuz, bassofondo, ske1eton, JohnnWayne
TC, TNR, TGE, FBSP, APG, ABYS, GdF, CREW, PSY, STFU, RIF

[WaKaSaWaKaSa]

before PL1 nothing can be considered as FA as there are no alliances that can be joined...

coordinating attacks against each other to reach the goal of PL1 is absolutely known course of action and not shunned by the greater part of the AW community so following your own logic it mustn´t be yellow...
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When you´re done complaining
come visit me and I´ll crush you again

[vaport]

I am not seperating friendly attacks into categories. If it is an attack against a friendly player than it is a friendly attack. Getting 1000A$ early in the game or being able to join an alliance while another player who does not do this has no extra money for development or access to ally screen is a huge advantage. Probably one of the biggest in the game. That is why it is accepted because it is necessary to compete.

Realize I am not making judgements on the use of these tactics, I am merely compiling a list.

All tactics of play could be seperated into how much it is used. Obviously the more you use it the bigger advantage you have up to a point.
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vaport, calicojack, Thamuz, bassofondo, ske1eton, JohnnWayne
TC, TNR, TGE, FBSP, APG, ABYS, GdF, CREW, PSY, STFU, RIF

[matterhorn]

[Protonnen]

I guess that most cow accounts are just well hidden multi accounts.
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Surf or Sink! No Wuckas!