New Newbie SMAC PBEM Game - Page 3

Solver · May 2, 2001, 11:18

Radagast,
The answer is no. That's what we agreed upon at the time of creating the ratings system, about a half year ago, and so, you'll get a rating of Librarian, which equals 18 points.

However, on rare ocasions we make amnesties. This doesn't happen more often than once in 3 months, but someday there might be a vacation letting improve you your rating this way.

Hutak,
We're waiting on you. Email and difficulty?

Everyone except Twister,
Mail me your passwords.

------------------
Solver the "Running Beer" - http://www.aok.20m.com

Solver · May 2, 2001, 11:20

Thanks if you let me play. Even though used to play SMAX, I hope I can make something with SMAC, too.

------------------
Solver the "Running Beer" - http://www.aok.20m.com

Solver · May 2, 2001, 11:22

And are you really sure you want to use Tech Stag? It'll get your tech advances to something like 15 turns, to me it seems a wrong choice for newbies. Your business, though.

------------------
Solver the "Running Beer" - http://www.aok.20m.com

Radagast · May 2, 2001, 11:22

If everyone else thinks so, Solver can play. But wasn't the whole point of this exercise in confusion that it be for newbies?

Twister · May 2, 2001, 11:26

I didn't like Tech stag either, but I went with the group on that one. I don't mind, as long as the turns keep going.

SITS · May 2, 2001, 11:42

Not sure I'm happy with Solver playing as this was supposed to be a Newbie game - nothing personal but for this game I prefer a level playing field. Also the guidelines suggest that the keeper of the passwords doesn't play. I don't mind you beating me in another game Solver!

As to tech stag there are plus and minuses to it and I can live with both.

Solver I'll email you my password.

Twister · May 2, 2001, 13:12

Rad,

I agree will all your points about Tech Stag.

The rule about Probe teams and Vendetta has been mentioned alot in the posts on this forum. The problem is that in the single player game, if you use probe teams the ai team knows and you get Vendetta. In PBEM this does not happen. You can probe and probe and nobody would know about it. This rule is a curtosy(sp) thing for PBEM games.

'Look First'
This allows you to look first before your pod lands. It gives you more of a choice (choose a square around the original position) to your starting location.

Twister

Twister · May 2, 2001, 14:40

Just another thought...did anyone reply to SITS about Random events? Do we have them or not? does it effect the Rating?

Radagast · May 2, 2001, 14:47

Twister:

Thanks, but doesn't one see the probe team coming toward one's base? And isn't there still the chance of the team getting caught, or on the other hand, blaming the action on someone else? As I said, I haven't played MP yet, so maybe I just need to wait and see, and then I'm sure it will be "Alles Klar!"

BTW: to whomever I will be emailing my turn to. Present technical difficulties MAY (not sure yet) preclude me from zipping files. I know that I can unzip for sure, but right now zipping is iffy. Hopefully it will work; I apologize in advance if it doesn't.

Maybe if everyone chips in you can all help me buy a new 'puter?

Twister · May 2, 2001, 14:56

Rad,

lol...nice try about the computer...

You would see them coming if they end their turn in your line of sight. But it is possible to get to your base on my turn and you wouldn't know.

I'll see if I can find the thread that was talking about this.

Twister

Radagast · May 3, 2001, 00:16

Re: Tech stag

Looks like this is coming up again, so since I'm an academic (in-game and in R/L) I can't keep my mouth shut (nothing personal

).

For the record, Twister and I have expressed "difficulty" with this. Hutak argued for it. SamIAm seems to have agreed without saying much, and SITS seems amibivalent.

I'm with Twister: I understand Midnight's argument about rushing the tech tree, and this has happened to me, playing Librarian and lower. Of course, by mid-game on those I am usually dominating the AI. But in the transcend game that I am playing, I have been stuck with Chaos guns for a while (discoveries about 9 turns, but getting faster). Two points:

1. Against good AI and/or Human players, no one will be able to sit back and comfortably research like crazy.

2. Even if we DO get midnight's problem, there is still a strategic dilemma to be solved by the player. Do you start building the Chaos Marines right away (and perhaps get Tachyon guns right after the first Marines come out), or do you stay happy with Missle guns for a few more turns? Of course, then you cannot start the Tachyon Marines till you get the tech, whereas if you had begun the Chaos Marines, you'd have a few good units just coming out when you were discovering Tachyon guns. And if you are in a tight spot, those one or two Chaos Marine units might make a big difference.

Anyway, I'm more or less arguing for the sake of argument. If Hutak has found that this occurs often in PBEM games as well as vs. the puter, then I can't argue (at least not on ground #1).

You guys probably think that I'm setting up my persona for the game as the argumentative professor. If only you knew me in R/L!

One thing: some of the rules Midnight/Hutak set up earlier had to do with diplomacy. I don't yet understand how this works in MP games--I assume that the main point is that Pacts and Treaties influence trade. But why do I have to declare Vendetta before using Probe teams? If I'm that untrustworthy, then my reputation for being a sneaky S.O.B. will get around. And if my probe team is good enuf for me to make my opponent think that someone else did it, all the better for my elite intelligence agency!! (of course, there is always the increased risk...) I don't suggest that we change the rules, I just want to know how diplomacy works in MP (I'm assuming people don't get mad at you because of your economic and political views, for example). Maybe the best way is just to play and find out!

Also, what is "Look First"?

Also, concerning communication:

I assume that once we have contacted someone in the game, we can freely exchange emails/ICQ/etc. with them outside of the game.

Thanks for putting up with last minute questions!

-Rad

SITS · May 3, 2001, 01:16

After reading Radagast's post I would prefer a game without tech stag.

I seem to remember reading something about probes and MP where you can get the other faction to give you something which hasn't been agreed by the player. So to be fair to the other player if you get the option to declare a vendetta after one of your actions then you must declare it. I think!

Twister · May 3, 2001, 07:54

Well, now we just need to hear back from Hutak...does anyone have his email address?

Twister

Solver · May 3, 2001, 10:06

quote:

Originally posted by Twister on 05-03-2001 07:54 AM
Well, now we just need to hear back from Hutak...does anyone have his email address?

Twister

I can use special rights to get his email even if he refuses to show it.
We have Look First ON,
Random Events ON,
Tech Stag ON,
Right?
Ready to start, when Hutak comes.

------------------
Solver the "Running Beer" - http://www.aok.20m.com

Twister · May 3, 2001, 10:09

Yes, ready to start! Now sombody find Hutek :-)

Solver · May 3, 2001, 10:21

And one more note:
When the game is started, a new thread will be created. There you will post turn notifications, like turn to Twister. You must do that, so that everyone knows.
And again - for the first turn, you will set your passwords yourself. They're emailed to me so that someone also has them in case password is lost/forgotten, or the player is lost/forgotten and the game is stuck.
Shame you didn't allow me to play here

.

------------------
Solver the "Running Beer" - http://www.aok.20m.com

SITS · May 3, 2001, 13:08

I vote for no Tech Stag and no Random events.

If we don't get replies soon then I suggest we just start the game with what has been previously agreed.

Hutak · May 3, 2001, 16:02

quote:

Originally posted by Solver on 05-03-2001 12:25 PM
then we gotta wait or start without him.

I suggest instead that we don't panic, and scrolling a little back up, see that Hutak last post was yesterday, so that it might not be so unreasonable to think that, since I'm may not be refreshing this board 24/7, I might never-the-less post something today.

Having said that, it seems that Solver has become our moderator? Ok I guess. What does a moderator do, anyway? Am I still creating the game, or is Solver doing it?

One last thing before we start, since we've always proceded in a democratic fashion, and since Twister changed is stance on the matter, making the vote 2-3 against Tech Stag, we'll be playing without it. Not that I particulary like it, but hey, I'm not the boss!

Ragadast: about vendetta and probes teams. Remember when playing in single player, sometimes the AI would send probe teams in your cities, even if you had a truce or a treaty (or even a pact!!)? Remember that little window that pop-ups asking you if you wished to let the whole thing go or if you wanted instead to cancel your treaties and declare vendetta? Well, in multiplayer, when you send one of your own probe teams against another player, that windows pop-up during your own turn, not the turn of the player who was the victim of the probe team attack. Since you're then basicaly asked to make a decision for the other player, the rule is that you have to declare vendetta, unless there was a previous agreement between you two. Otherwise, the other player would never find out that one of his cities was probed.

Hoping we can get started soon,
-Hutak
[This message has been edited by Hutak (edited May 03, 2001).]

SITS · May 3, 2001, 18:55

Hutak I hope you are alright with all this. Sounds like you feel your nose has been pushed out of joint. That certainly wan't my intention.

I too hope the game can be started soon as I've got tonight off and can do plenty of turns!

[This message has been edited by SITS (edited May 03, 2001).]

Hutak · May 3, 2001, 23:17

Not at all SITS, I'm absolutly fine with everything that has been decided by you guys.

What I was pissed at was the email I got from Solver, basicaly saying that I was guilty of crimes against humanity for not being on the board 24/7 (my last post was yesterday for god's sake!!) and threatening to kick me out of the game I started. That got me going for sure.

However, I'm sorry if I let it transpire in my previous message and that it looked like I was pissed at the rest of you at or the decisions you made. I'm really not and I look foward to getting this started since I think we're all going to have fun.

[This message has been edited by Hutak (edited May 03, 2001).]

SITS · May 4, 2001, 00:09

Solver - I'm not sure all the details have been agreed, especially Tech Stag. I've also questioned the random events but not really had a response. I'm ok to start with the rules that you've stated just so we can get going soonest.

I hope we can get hold of Hutak.
[This message has been edited by SITS (edited May 03, 2001).]

Solver · May 4, 2001, 00:25

Agree on the rules then. I got Hutak's email (special power

), and will email him. Perhaps he's out of town or something, then we gotta wait or start without him.

------------------
Solver the "Running Beer" - http://www.aok.20m.com

SITS · May 4, 2001, 05:36

I'm glad Hutak and I'm too looking forward to starting!

Twister · May 4, 2001, 08:03

Glad you were okay with some of the decisions Hutak...

Also, I don't think I went back on my previous decision...I said I didn't want it, but if everyone else did then I was okay.. .I just restated that I didn't care for Tech Stag..

Anyway.. lets just get this beast going

Twister

Darius · May 4, 2001, 08:05

Hey, Guys.

I was just browsing your thread here. Not that it's any of my business, but allow me to point something out here. You don't need a moderator. Anyone can start a game, create the appropriate number of players, and send it off to the first player. So don't let Solver push you around. If you want to start your own game for newbies only, go for it!

(I was a newbie myself not long ago.)

Darius

Twister · May 4, 2001, 08:21

Darius,

Thanks for the info... I believe that the moderator stuff is becuase this game is going to be rated.. maybe it was a bad choice for our first game :-)

Twister

Solver · May 4, 2001, 09:42

Hutak,
You don't agree to the rules. You don't like me being the moderator here. Did my email contain at least one offensive word to you? I just asked you to look at this thread.
You started getting these youngbloods into a PBEM game, but you didn't finish it, so I came, to let them play in a PBEM game. And now, just because I did work to let them play, you're insulting me. I don't want to see my efforts undone.
Hutak, please forget this, state your highest AI level beaten, and play with the others. But I don't want to see crude words here, and I don't want to be insulted. I don't tolerate insults.

Why need a moderator? Not because the game is rated. Someone to supervise the game and store the passwords, it's simpler. And looks like you are now all going to hate me, after this.

------------------
Solver the "Running Beer" - http://www.aok.20m.com

Solver · May 4, 2001, 13:06

Thanks SITS. Hope for a game, too. And how do you know English isn't my second language, only third?

------------------
Solver the "Running Beer" - http://www.aok.20m.com

Twister · May 5, 2001, 00:03

Hey Solver.. no worries

SITS · May 5, 2001, 00:32

Not at all Solver. Sometimes your posts are a bit 'strong' but I take that as the normal problem with email as it is hard to convey inflection and I also understand that English isn't your first or second langauge. I believe you are coming from the right place, don't worry. Look forward to meeting you in a future game!