Well, it’s going to be quite interesting to see how that plays out, then. Maybe communications with the northern alliance will lead them to unite more genuinely against a common threat.
I also find it interesting that someone mentioned that three of the four northern alliance members have a peace unless attacked strategy. This is almost half, and it would be interesting if such a policy ended up creating relative peace a la MAD. In practice, I think it will eventually fall apart, because I doubt the players aversion to losing is in any way commensurate with the aversion to being atomized which makes MAD work.
I think I claimed that yebellz, Martin and le_4TC have such a strategy. Mostly because yebellz and Martin said so explicitly, and le_4TC played like that in the last game.
Mostly opposed to bugcat, who seems to be going 100% into forcefulness, intrigue and secret plans.
I believe, judging by Piggy’s and Martin’s logs, that bugcat’s double motives are quite apparent.
Initially, I probably thought the -1 was excluding something, but I suppose that’s just the way binary works Oh duh it is excluding something, because we’re technically counting from zero (I get confused easily). With 2 players, 00 - no players in a chat, 01 and 10 - player 1 or player 2 on their own, and 11 - player 1 and player 2.
I guess Martin wasn’t excluding anything, but you just have to interpret no players as kibitz maybe (well you could for fun ) and all the players as the game thread like Vsotvep said
So then 2^8-(8 single player threads +1 kibitz thread+1 game thread)=2^8-10, other threads with at least 2 players involved and not everyone.
I’m expecting fireworks with all the attachments last round
It looks like @PiggyStardust and @yebellz and @Maharani are staying loyal to the northern alliance and expanding out apace. I assume @le_4TC would be too, if he had not been dragged into severe fighting.
It seems plausible given these latest moves that @Haze_with_a_Z and @le_4TC may have an accord against @kingkaio. It will be interesting to see if this fighting puts @le_4TC in a better or worse position than @Maharani and the other members of the northern alliance.
Unsurprisingly, @Vsotvep’s insider information was correct and @bugcat and @martin3141 are playing out a less cramped mirror of the right side. I’m interested to see what the other players do about this, since a single winner in the lower theatre could be a significant threat to the rest of the players.
PS: I almost have all of the color-player pairs memorized. I only had to cheat for @bugcat and @martin3141.
The kosumis in the top left I think would be a good way to make the 3-3 point less contentious and settle it peacefully early. Maybe the players would want the 3-3 as a good option for later though to get an edge - yebellz and PiggyStardust.
Then in the bottom left I kind of expect a collision at the 4-4 point for bugcat and martin3141.
The right side is hard to call but it looks like a nice point for Haze_with_a_Z to play at L3 while bugcat is busy although maybe that could upset the alliance in future.
With this picture, not that I know, but it’s a great picture to use!
Talking about bugcat, seems from their kibitz log like they’re having a lot of trouble finding allies… I think bugcat is a bit too ambitious, and doesn’t seem too happy to compromise, rather having their own plan than giving something up to gain the trust of another player.
Interestingly, Haze said that they see no benefit at all on playing in the lower right corner. I’m not sure what he thinks is bad about playing there: it looks to me like the only and most sensible move for blue. Moreover, if bugcat were to get that corner move, bugcat would have a very large potential to get two corners.
Kingkaio went for protecting their stone in atari. I think the cutting point at M10 is more important, though, as would L11 have been. I’m assuming their next move will be to play M10, but I can imagine something like Haze playing M8 and le_4TC playing N9, practically capturing the three stones:
On the other hand, if kingkaio can convince Maharani to play, for example, K9, and they’d play K8 themselves, it would look more comfortable for them. They could conceivably proceed with trying to ally Haze as well to push le_4TC out of the game.
Bugcat being very forceful again, demanding the help of their right side allies:
Either one of you helps me this round or I cash out, which means martin gets everything and probably wins.
Meanwhile this aggressions seems to have united Piggy and Martin in a collaborative attack on bugcat’s lower left stones. Haze is going to play M3 this round, which will make it difficult for bugcat to keep the right corner as well. It’s looking dicey!
I wonder what le_4TC is thinking about their current position. Their first move is M8, followed by M10. I’m assuming this means le_4TC is expecting kingkaio to play M10. If kingkaio’s stones there are captured, le_4TC is looking safer, but has little to no entry into the centre…
That’s what I thought. What does bugcat mean by “cashing out”, then? I assume the statement that he is resigning is just a non-binding declaration that he intends to submit passes from now on (presumably unless other players act in a certain way).
I’m not even sure if bugcat can really use this as a threat: Martin would indeed get a chunk of the corner, but I don’t really see it necessarily being more than Piggy, Haze or yebellz potentially can make. Haze can secure more profit by splitting the bottom with Martin, so I don’t think it’s in Haze’s interest to help. Meanwhile, le_4TC and kingkaio are occupied with their own scramble in the top right, I don’t expect either of them to help.
Maharani might be the only option bugcat has. But what motivation does Maharani have to play in the bottom left? the stones played there are almost surely not going to survive to the end.
) and all the players as the game thread like Vsotvep said
yebellz and 
PiggyStardust.
bugcat and 
martin3141.
Haze_with_a_Z to play at L3 while bugcat is busy although maybe that could upset the alliance in future.
le_4TC
kingkaio
Maharani
