What is AU?

[MyOlde]

Can someone please explain this AU business? What is it? What are AU SPOILERS?

Do I need this? Do I want it? Them?

Thanks.

[planetfall]

I think AU stands for "apolyton university".
Spoilers means knowing details about a game before the black fog receeds in the common game you are playing.

I think the idea was to clone civfanatics game of the month idea but to focus on methods of improving strategy. The users who started it are good players and looking to improve their play. I have not had time yet to play the AU games nor the GOTM. However, sometime next year hope to have figured out this game enough to have meaningful participation.

-- PF

[FNBrown]

On another note, AU is the abbreviation for gold on the periodic table of elements.

[BillChin]

AU is Apolyton University. There are periodic posts with scenarios attached for players to download and play. The spoiler threads discuss the games. Many players want to enjoy the surprises in store for them and wait until their games are finished before reading the spoilers.

AU started with a "curriculum" of types of games to include. Another ongoing part of AU is tweaking the rules to improve the AI, make for more strategic decisions, and balance various techs and units, while preserving the overall feel of the unmodded game. For each AU scenario a player chooses the difficulty level so all players from novices to the most experienced are invited. The player may choose the standard Civ III rules or the modded AU set up.

While Civfanatic's Game of the Month gets a lot more participation, in some ways AU is contribution to the Civ III community is greater. A lot of thought is being put into balancing the game. Trial balloons and ideas are floated and often shot down. Some changes are put in and work well, some are put in to be taken out or watered down in the next version. Hopefully, Firaxis is taking notes, because the play testing and comments made on the AU threads offer perspectives and opinions that the in-house play testers can not offer.
- Bill

[MyOlde]

Thank you. I appreciate the time you took to explain this -- especially you, Bill, for your extensive explanation.