Apolyton CtP2 Lemur Trophy: MP Tournament Thread

[Locutus]

As the Tournament is about to begin, it seemed like a good idea to start a new thread (the old one is here. Here's an overview of what you need to know (let me know if I left anything out or if you have advise/tips/etc to share).

Feel free to use this thread for contacting questions/problems/suggestions/etc, contacting your opponents and setting play dates/times, post game-reports and results, Tournament-related chat, etc, etc.

The first day of play is Saturday 14 September (tomorrow/today, depending on your time zone). Be in the lobby at 16:00h GMT (9:00h PST, 12:00h EST, 17:00h BST (UK), 18:00h CET), preferably a few minutes earlier so we can start on time (I hope that lobby can handle 12 people ). When the games will end is up the the individual teams to decide, same goes for when the next session will be played if the game can't be finished in one session. I will be online from about 15:45h-18:30h GMT and from about 20:15h-23:00h GMT (but I'll probably briefly check in around 19:00-19:15 as well) for questions/problems/etc (I don't think it's very useful for me to sit on my butt for 4-8 hours while you guys get to have all the fun). I can best be reached through ICQ or MSN, but PMs, emails or forum posts will work as well. I will be actively monitoring all channels that evening.

Once a game has finished, please report the results to me. I don't care through what medium (email, ICQ, forums, PM, etc) but I'd like to know ASAP. If possible I would like to be kept in the loop on when people plan to play as well, then I'll try to be online as much as possible during those times in case there are problems...

Game 4 (Wittlich, Shadow, Turambar) will not be played on Saturday as none of the players are available then. You guys will have to figure out amongst yourself when you do want to play. It would be best if you didn't start discussing this until after today's session though: if one or several players don't show up for some reason, I may decide to shift the teams around a bit (if FE TheArsenal has network problems, I could add him to your team so the rest of the guys from Game 1 can still play).


Good luck to all and have fun!



Participants
There are 14 participants. If anyone still wants to sign up, that's possible but most likely you'll end up on the waiting list and will only be able to play if someone else drops out.

X. Participant		Contact					ICQ		Location
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
0. Locutus		locutus@apolyton.net			 52912776	NL (CET/ +2)
1. Maquiladora		interstate_5@hotmail.com		137438704	UK (BST/ +1)
2. Oerdin		sgtjohnj@hotmail.com			131656140	US (PST/ -7)
3. Immortal Wombat	weaver1@tinyworld.co.uk			114083698	UK (BST/ +1)
4. Turambar		(NIR)		(no contact info)			UK (BST/ +1)
5. dregman		dregman16@hotmail.com					NL (CET/ +2)
6. Wittlich		wittlich@earthlink.net			110689330	US (PST/ -7)
7. Haupt. Dietrich	(NIR)		(no contact info)			US (EST/ -4)
8. Wise Ass		(NIR)		(no contact info)			US (EST/ -4)
9. ETB			scbryan@scescape.net					US (EST/ -4)
10. mkalthoff		(NIR) marcus_kalthoff@web.de		 49185609	GE (CET/ +2)
11. Shadow		(NIR) 					 20322833 	AU (GST/+10)
12. TheArsenal		fc_davejames@yahoo.com					US (PST/ -7)
13. Repistes		arda@su.sabanciuniv.edu			101930144	TU (EET/ +3)
14. mapfi		mapfi@hotmail.com					CH (CET/ +2)

(NIR = Not In (MP) Registry)


Rules

Most important rule of all: I am the organizer and moderator of this Tournament. If there are any problems/disputes/etc, I will serve as mediator and try to solve things. I'll make any decisions or extra rules or whatever if needed. Although I'm always open for ideas and I'll always try to make sure there's concensus among all involved, I'm the one 'in charge' and my decisions are final.

1) The games are to be playing on random donut maps.
2) The games will be played with the default, unmodded, patched game. No mods, no bug fixes, no file alterations of any time (please double-check your files before playing).
3) There will be 2 AI player per human player, but the total number of players will never exceed 8 (for the first and second round this means the total number of players will be 8: 3 or 4 humans and 5 or 4 AIs; for the final rounds the number of AIs will be 4, plus 2 humans).
4) Piracy and Pillaging are be allowed, wonders and nukes are to be disabled.
5) Difficulty level will Impossible, with barbarians in the maximum setting. Pollution will be on, bloodlust off.
6) Everyone will start with 4 Settlers and 10,000 Gold.
7) The size of the map will be Regular.
8) 1 call for restart (if a player thinks his starting position is really poor, he can request the game to be restarted - one can do this only once per round though so think twice if your starting position is only mediorce).
9) Map properties: maximum Wet, maximum Warm, 50% Land, 50% Continent, maximum Diverse and 80% Goods.
10) Their will be a limit of 5 minutes on the turnlength, to prevent people from walking away from the game or stuff like that.

It goes without saying that no cheating of any kind is allowed! No mods, SLIC files, rush-buy bug, etc. I ask you all to make plenty of savegames so I can inspect these in case cheating is suspected (I will probably want to inspect some inspect some savegames anyhow - sort of like an online anti-doping test). The rush-buy bug (see FAQ: being able to rush-buy things cheaply by changing items on the build queue during your opponents turn) is the most famous example, but other forms of cheating are not allowed either. When you're not sure whether or not something qualifies as a cheat or a valid strategy, contact me and I'll evaluate it (in private, if you prefer and if it's reasonably possible).

Tips

1) Make sure you have a working version of servers.dat installed. If you don't have this, you won't be able to enter the lobbies
2) Unless all players in a game can agree otherwise, play in the nl.alink.gamepoint.net server. Usually this is the most reliable server available.
3) Make sure the player with the fastest connection and PC is the host, this will reduce resynchs.
4) Use Dynamic Join, this way you can get back into the game if you loose connection.
5) Make sure you only have CtP2 running while playing MP games, close all unneeded applications
6) Make sure you play on a server that has a good ping rate for all of the players and that the server isn't over loaded with other games.
7) Once a date & time to play has been established, it's best to meet in the nl.alink.gamepoint.net lobby (forums and email are too slow to find each other properly and not everyone has an Instant Messaging program), unless you can agree to meet elsewhere. Be there and be on time! You'll waste a LOT of time if a session can't be played because one player wasn't there.

Tournament Structure

** Round 1 **
For the first round, all names were thrown into one big pool and players were divided at random. Exception: players who can't play on the first day of the Tournament were put together in one game (Game 4) and players of whom thes status was unclear to me were put together.

Game 1
1. Haupt. Dietrich
2. Oerdin
3. Wise Ass
4. TheArsenal

Game 2
1. Repistes
2. Maquiladora
3. mapfi
4. ETB

Game 3
1. dregman
2. mkalthoff
3. Immortal Wombat

Game 4
1. Wittlich
2. Shadow
3. Turambar

** Round 2 **
The winners of round 1 are thrown in one pool and randomly drafted: two will play in game 5, two in game 6; same goes for players who finish second. The players who finished 3rd or 4th are thrown in one big pool and divided over games 7 and 8.

Expert Group - Game 5
Drafted Winner 1
Drafted Winner 2
Drafted Second 1
Drafted Second 2

Expert Group - Game 6
Drafted Winner 3
Drafted Winner 4
Drafted Second 3
Drafted Second 4

Regular Group - Game 7
Drafted Player 1
Drafted Player 2
Drafted Player 3

Regular Group - Game 8
Drafted Player 4
Drafted Player 5
Drafted Player 6

** Round 3 **

Champion Group - Semi Finals
Game 9: Winner Game 5 vs Second Game 6
Game 10: Winner Game 6 vs Second Game 5

Expert Group - Game 11
Third Game 5
Third Game 6
Fourth Game 5
Fourth Game 6

Regular Group - Semi Finals
Game 12: Winner Game 7 vs Second Game 8
Game 13: Winner Game 9 vs Second Game 7

Regular Group - Consolation Game
Game 14: Third Game 7 vs Third Game 8

** Round 4 **

Round 4

Game 15: Champion Group - Final
Winner Game 9 vs Winner Game 10

Game 16: Champion Group - 3rd Place
Loser Game 9 vs Loser Game 10

Game 17: Expert Group - Final
Winner Game 11 vs Second Game 11

Game 18: Expert Group - 3rd Place
Third Game 11 vs Fourth Game 11

Game 19: Regular Group - Final
Winner Game 12 vs Winner Game 13

Game 20: Regular Group - 3rd Place
Loser Game 12 vs Loser Game 13

(Game 21: Consolation Price?)
Winner Game 14 vs Locutus?

[Locutus]

Okay: first problem arose: TheArsenal can't play today and Wise Ass not that early on the day. The easiest solution would be if Game 1 would be postponed a few hours so at least Wise Ass can still join. TheArsenal would in that case be moved to team 4. Oerdin, Haupt. Dietrich, is that okay with you guys? (I'll bring this up again in the lobby in a half an hour - I still have to eat so I hope I won't be late myself )

[Locutus]

Where is everyone??? Only 4 of the 14 above players there, plus one reserve (Wildbore)... All please go to the NL server or post here ASAP...

[Locutus]

Okay, IW brought up a good point. The server is rather clumsy to use. From now on, lets try to meet in the Apolyton chat room before the game, rather than on the server itself...

[Locutus]

Okay, 2 games are playing right now.

Repistes is having problems so Game 2 started without him.

Game 3: IW's oppoenents didn't show up so he's playing against two new (backup) players now: Wildbore and King Eirie.

Game 1 was delayed as stated ealier. Haupt. Dietrich, I don't have any contact info for you, could you email me?

Game 4 wasn't scheduled to play and won't play today.

From the rest of the players: dregman, repistes and marras (aka mkalthoff), I can make a 5th team. When they will play is up to them to determine...

[Locutus]

So new teams (I will work out round 2 etc once all round 1 games have started):

Game 1
1. Haupt. Dietrich
2. Oerdin
3. Wise Ass

Game 2
2. Maquiladora
3. mapfi/Mauro
4. ETB

Game 3
1. Wildbore
2. King Eirie
3. Immortal Wombat

Game 4
1. Wittlich
2. Shadow
3. TheArsenal

Game 5
1. mkalthoff/marras
2. Repistes
3. dregman
4. Turambar

(I added Turambar to game 5 so that this game is still on if Repistes's problems turn out to be permanent. Plus it doesn't seem like a good plan to have Australians, Americans AND Europeans in one game...)

[Turambar]

I might be able to play Sunday afternoon if not it'll probably have to be a week night providing I can get on for 3 hours straight or however long it takes. I'll definatly be available next Sunday though.

You can contact me at turambar6@lycos.co.uk (same email for MSN).

[mkalthoff]

is there a setup file, so we do not have to enter all the correct startup setting by hand?

[mkalthoff]

@turambar and all Game 5 members:
i can play tommorow afternoon. as well. Or even now until 2:00 am :-)

[Immortal Wombat]

Wildbore and King E, are you guys still here?

*echo*
Helloooo....
*/echo*

[Locutus]

Wow, ETB and co are still playing. At least one game is going well

IW, what happened, you guys went on a break or something?

[Immortal Wombat]

King E needed to disconnect for "5 minutes" That must've been a half hour ago. I've been knocking around the lobby on and off, but I don't see anyone.

The game is saved, so we can continue when we're all back.

[Locutus]

Okay, one last change: Repistes moves to Game 4. Dregman wasn't there tonight because of virus problems, but he *can* play tomorrow. Since mkalthoff and Turambar can as well, I suggest you three play tomorrow. Please use this thread (or email or PM) to arrange a time.

Repistes,
If you can make it at the time that these 3 guys will play tomorrow, feel free to join them (I would prefer this to having to move you to team 4). If you're still having the problems you had tonight (what *was* the problem anyway?) or can't make it for some other reason, you can join Game 4 with Wittlich, Shadow and TheArsenal and arrange a date and time with them. If you need any help from us to solve your problem, please let us know, we'll gladly do so if possible.

PS I will be working all day tomorrow and won't be home until +/- 20:00 CET (14:00 EST), so anyone trying to play tomorrow is on their own if it's before that time.

[Locutus]

IW,
You *do* have some contact info for King E, I hope? He's a total question mark for me, I can't even PM the guy, so if he doesn't show up anymore he might be gone for good You'd have to start all over again with Wildbore and some other player (Don't tell me I have to move Repistes again? )

[Locutus]

Hopefully final list of games:

Game 1 - will most probably start sometime tomorrow
1. Haupt. Dietrich
2. Oerdin
3. Wise Ass

Game 2 - currently being played (or at least, it was half an hour ago)
2. Maquiladora
3. mapfi/Mauro
4. ETB

Game 3 - was started but is on hold as King E is MIA
1. Wildbore
2. King Eirie
3. Immortal Wombat

Game 4 - time and date for play TBD
1. Wittlich
2. Shadow
3. TheArsenal
4. Repistes?

Game 5 - will most probably start tomorrow afternoon CET/BST
1. mkalthoff/marras
2. dregman
3. Turambar
4. Repistes?


Edit: BTW, IW, Wildbore: if King E doesn't show up anymore, he's simply lost and you two can continue without him. His loss... (I'll leave it up to you guys to determine how long you want to wait for him - the "5 minutes" is already over an hour if I'm not mistaken, so you can drop him now, you can wait another hour, you can wait another week - your call)

[Immortal Wombat]

Originally posted by Locutus
IW,
You *do* have some contact info for King E, I hope?

Never even considered it. I was working on the assumption we'd finish the game, and then discuss future matches later.

You dropped the word "Apolyton" in a few times, maybe he'll register.

[Locutus]

Yes, but I didn't give him an URL. Oh well, not anyone's fault this, he came in VERY last minute, more an act of desperation on my side to get 2 more people playing than a really well-thought out decision (and unneeded as well, as several others showed up later on on the evening who were able to play as well)

Well, Platypus Rex signed up for the Tourney in the other thread, this gives us more options. He's on the reserve list for now but, in case King Eirie actually doesn't show anymore, it gives you and Wildbore a choice: you can either play on with 2 players and regard King Eirie as lost (he'll end up last in the rankings, which is actually kinda good since that way none of the guys here will have to fear ending last anymore ), or you can either restart or continue the game with Platypus Rex as replacement for King Eirie. Both are fine with me but if you and Wildbore decide on playing with Platypus as replacement, please wait with playing until the other games have all started - if today was any indication, we may yet need Platypus Rex elsewhere. (The very fact that you will have to wait could be a good reason NOT to take Platypus Rex as replacement ).

Edit: This of course, is only if Platypus Rex is still interested now he's on the reserve list and doesn't have the guarantee of playing (or playing from scratch)... Platypus?

[Immortal Wombat]

I think I pissed Wildbore off a little too much with my slaver to go in 1 on 1 with him. I need a non-AI player in between us

[Locutus]

Well, that's something you should have thought off earlier, shouldn't you?

[Immortal Wombat]

yup

[child of Thor]

I have a very harsh attitude to being slaved too! 1 on 1 is kinda harsh, not much room for diplomacy - good luck IW!

Locutus I think this tourney should be veiwed very much as a test-bed. When you play against people you don't really know, you will always get a few that will let you down. At the end of it you will know the players who can be relied on(I hope King E is ok, you know didn't fall down the stairs or something ). So for the next one this will help.
If i wasn't working(yep really) i'd have been able to join in as a replacement.

[Wise Ass]

I will be online all night tonight and hopefully back around 2pm EST tommarow. I have a mees up sleeping schedual. :ack:

[mapfi]

10 straight hours played - turn 200 - and we're all being too nice to each other! having fun though - if only ETB could read my green writing on the green background, but his old eyes won't allow him to...

[Maquiladora]

Okay we just finished for tonight. We managed to complete 200 turns (800AD) Things are looking pretty even at the moment, with the only gap being with me and Mauro/Mapfi having a 5(or so) tech lead over ETB We're upto about Fascism and no one has declared war on each other yet but i have a feeling things might happen soon (that doesnt mean im planning something)

I crushed the Scottish and 1/3 of the Americans, while Mauro took the other 2/3. ETB hasnt declared war on anyone yet, IIRC I managed to get New York upto size 26 with slavers near the end too

im off to bed now

[Maquiladora]

Yeah he couldnt read my blue writing either We should type in captials!

Yeah i forgot to mention theyre plotting against me

[mapfi]

(that doesnt mean im planning something)

whatever!

And I think ETB is battling the Irish, isn't he?

Yeah i forgot to mention theyre plotting against me

If ETB could read my writing - maybe

[ETB]

Maquiladora and mapfi are definitely doing better than I am. Those Irish sure are stubborn! The each managed to knock off an AI neighbor, while I failed to get rid of the Irish. We are still dealing with some stubborn AIs for sure, and of course each other! Ii'm impressed that these Europeans were willing to go so late tonight/morning. We are likely to see some big time action tomorrow/today when we resume.

I assume that we will finish on Sunday. I will be travelling during the week, so we definitely should wrap it up before then.

Good luck to all players!

[Locutus]

Good to hear you guys are doing so well and having so much fun!

As far as the other teams go, are you guys making appointments in private or not at all? I would really like to get this Tourney going and have as many games start this weekend as possible - if it takes 2 weeks just to make an appointment we'll still be playing this next Easter

So, if you're making appointments in private, please ignore this paragraph, but if you haven't arranged anything yet, I would like to propose that the Game 1 (Wise Ass/Oerdin/Haupt. Dietrich) starts at 12.00h PST / 15.00h EST and Game 5 (mkalthoff/dregman/Turambar/Repistes?) at 14.00h CET / 13:00 BST (/ 15:00h EET, if Repistes can make it). If you're not making arrangements through PM/email/whatever, I would like to ask all players of games 1 and 5 (again: Wise Ass, Oerdin, Haupt. Dietrich and mkalthoff, dregman, Turambar, Repistes?) to post here ASAP to either confirm that can play at these times or to propose a better time...

Well, I'm off to work now, I hope you guys will all be able to play today!

[Wittlich]

I'm logging on to Apolyton via my in-laws computer. Looks real good (even with the hic-ups). I am planning on playing next Saturday or Sunday [Sep 21/22]... What says everyone else in my league/game/team/cubby-hole/what-ever?

Of course, this question is for:

Game 4 - time and date for play TBD
1. Wittlich
2. Shadow
3. TheArsenal
4. Repistes?
5. Or whoever else was placed in the mean time

[mapfi]

Ok, ETB and Maq - I've managed to free my Sunday up totally after all. I'll be ready to play whenever you are. I'be checking mail and forum at full hours.