newbie PBEM game?

I haven't tried any multiplayer action yet and would like to get a PBEM game going. Anyone else interested?

OK Darius. I'm not too familliar with Xfire yet, so i was thinking of SMACv4 with standard rules. Xfire or a few rule tweaks wouldn't be a big deal for me though.

What's a good number of starting players? 4?

OK Darius. I'm not too familliar with Xfire yet, so i was thinking of SMACv4 with standard rules. Xfire or a few rule tweaks wouldn't be a big deal for me though.

What's a good number of players to start with? 4?

[Darius]

SMAC4 is fine with me. I prefer directed, not blind, research (you get to choose which tech to research next).

My other two games have four players each. Four is good, but it can be slow sometimes.

I propose that we wait a day or two to see if anyone else responds here, then start with whoever we have at that time.

Darius

[Nigel]

Sounds like a plan. Shall we start divying up factions? I'm partial to the Hive.

[Darius]

I'll play. I'm also new at MP. I'm in the early stages of two games now, my first MP games.

Darius

[stuntman19]

Nigel:

I would be interested in getting in your game if you still have room for another. My only experience with MP is hotseat games with friends in my area. I've never set up a PBEM game, but have smac or smacx so either is cool. I'm flexible on my faction you can both choose first if you like, just let me know whats taken. Anyway I'll check back and see if I'm going to be in or not.

[Simpson II]

If everyone here wants to play Smac rather than X, I wouldn't mind joining. I'm in a few games right now (one with Darius, in fact) but since I've yet to contact a human in any of them, you couldn't call it real MP experience!

I would go with directed research, and preferably do-or-die, though I'm not that bothered. Is everyone OK with transcend?

As to faction, I'm not that bothered; I wouldn't mind trying the University, but I think Darius may be a fan of theirs. We shall see.

j.moughan@excite.com

[Darius]

Sounds like we've got a foursome. Let's start a game with the following settings:

Smac (not X) version 4.
Directed research
Do-or-die
All average environmental settings
Transcend (Any objections?)

Nigel: Hive
Simpson II: University
Darius: I'll take Gaians
Stuntman19: Who do you want?

Darius

[stuntman19]

I would take the Peacekeepers of the remaining smac factions. My e-mail is stunt_man_19@yahoo.com. Whatever the group decides for settings is n\p for me. Look forward to getting started .

[Nigel]

Does average environmental settings mean a random, standard-size planet? I usually prefer BIG planets, but I suppose PBEM takes long enough as it is, no?

I guess we're ready to go. Do we select an emcee to collect passwords and generate the game?

[Googlie]

Nigel:

If you are not generating a scenario (such as giving the AI extra units/credits/landmark goodies, etc) you just jump right in and one of you generate the game - the game itself will tell you whose turn is first, and if not the generator's, just save without a password and e-mail it.

Each player then opens the game at his/her turn and gives their own password initially before commencing that first turn.

After that it's plain sailing.

If you need an MNC for rules interpretation, etc, I'd be happy to and can set it up before disappearing for my extended vacation.

Googlie

[Darius]

Yes, I meant random planet, standard size, with average native life, average clouds, average ocean size. I have no objection to big planets, but as you say, it will take a lot longer. Maybe we should stick with standard size for now.

If everyone is agreeable, I will generate the game later today with these settings and send it to the first player.

Googlie - what's this about an extended vacation?

[Darius]

Game started and sent to Nigel.

[Nigel]

2101 sent to Simpson II.

[Nigel]

Say, i was just trying to figure out the MP diplomacy system. It looks like we start with all the other player's frequencies. Why is this? Should we say no in-context communication until first contact?

[stuntman19]

Nigel:

It is the same in hotseat for some reason. I would vote for no communications until first contact- more realistic. Communications can take several turns, and work a little different but its cool though.

[Googlie]

6 weeks golfing in Scotland and Ireland

G.

[Simpson II]

Turn '01 to Stuntman19.

I second the no-contact rule, it spoils the idea of exploration.

[stuntman19]

Dnss2102 on to Lord Darius

[Nigel]

DNSS2102 sent to S II

Another question:
Are preference changes specific to the game or the PC?

[Simpson II]

Turn to Stuntman19.

Stupidly, preferences are game-specific, so if you play with odd settings like me, you may wish to change for some turns. Scares me when I don't get a chance to cancel a battle!

[stuntman19]

Dnss2103 to Lord Darius

[Nigel]

DNSS2103 to Prov S II

[Simpson II]

Turn 2103 to Stuntman19.

[stuntman19]

Dnss-2104 to Lord Darius

[Nigel]

DNSS2104 to Prov Simpson

The first time i took my turn, all my units had 'already moved' status at last turn's positions. I restarted the turn so i guess there'll be a tampering message. Anyone run into this before?

[Darius]

I've never seen that before. Do you mean that you opened the turn a second time and it worked correctly the second time?

[Simpson II]

Turn 2104 to Stuntman19.

What an odd bug. The game said that you had reloaded up to 3 times?

[stuntman19]

I received the save file from my previous turn from Simpson II, so I receive a tamporing notice right off. I have double checked it as I have no other zip or save files on my system. So I backed out of the enter screen and have e-mailed Simpson II to send me the most recent file. Will play my turn as soon as I receive the correct file.

Later