Strat Forum PBEM: Game 3

Dominae · January 17, 2003, 17:28

Please note that this game is now officially closed. If a game like this one interests you, please post on the 'Apolyton University PBEM' thread in the Strategy forum. You'll surely find a few other interested players.

Players:

In order of play:

Sir Ralph; Ottomans
Nor Me; Americans
jshelr; Chinese
Dominae; Carthaginians
alexman; French
DaveMcW; Egyptians

Settings:

World Size: Standard
Land Mass: Continents
Water Coverage: Normal
Climate, Temperature, Age: All normal
Barbarians: Restless

Rules: Default
Players: 6 human
Difficulty: Emperor

Game Version: PTW 1.14, AU MP mod, version 1.00

alexman · January 17, 2003, 18:09

Should we include AI civs? I have never played an MP game with AI present, so I don't know how it is.

How about this: 5 human players, 10 AI players, Huge, Continents, (or 4/8/Large), culturally linked starts on, with each one of us choosing a different cultural group. This way we would hopefully all get some AI players to kill!

Nor Me · January 17, 2003, 18:13

I'm interested but:

1. I've never played before.

2. I now realise my choices for map settings and civs are suspiciously identical to those you suggested in game 1 (perhaps I might put the Iroquois ahead of the Aztecs.)

Still, until I get a job, I will certainly have the time.
Where have I seen that avatar before?

Dominae · January 17, 2003, 18:20

alexman, I like your idea: SP civ as we know it, but a few Killer AIs (i.e. humans) thrown in to the mix. I prefer the 4/8/large option, personally.

Nor Me, no need to worry about not having played PBEM before, it's easy and fun. How does alexman's suggestion sound to you? Oh, and if you're referring to my avatar, it's a picture from a Magic card (seemed like a good source of pictures until I get a hold of the avatar I really want to use).

Dominae

Nor Me · January 17, 2003, 18:48

Quote:

Originally posted by Dominae
Oh, and if you're referring to my avatar, it's a picture from a Magic card (seemed like a good source of pictures until I get a hold of the avatar I really want to use).

I thought so but I don't know which one.

I wouldn't mind AIs. I know how play against them

.
Preferably not Deity level ones though. Large or huge is fine but I might have to find a non-American group civ I could play on them.
I'd prefer a pangea since with AIs continents could easily give someone a large advantage/disadvantage.

Dominae · January 17, 2003, 19:00

Ok, here are my preferences:

World Size: Large
Land Mass: Normal
Water Coverage: Normal
Climate, Temperature, Age: All normal
Barbarians: Restless

Rules: Default (includes Culturally-linked starts)
Players: 4 human, 8 AI
Difficulty: Emperor

Game Version: PTW 1.14, AU mod.

Civ choices in order of preference: Carthaginians, Aztecs, Zulus.

Assuming everyone agrees on the game type as suggested by alexman, we should be ready to begin shortly.

Nor Me, the card is 'Icy Manipulator'.

Dominae

Harovan · January 17, 2003, 19:05

Since 2 of my PBEM games are almost dead (including our Minitourney PBEM

), I'd play too, if alexman doesn't refuse to play with the bloodthirsty barbarian...

Dominae · January 17, 2003, 19:18

Ok, welcome Sir Ralph! Basically we have the same group as Strat PBEM 1, but with Nor Me added in. Nor Me, we usually play 3-4 turns per day, so you might need to get used to our fast pace!

Please post your preferences to confirm you want to play this PBEM, and I'll get someone to set up our map.

Dominae

alexman · January 17, 2003, 19:19

I would like China, America, or France in that order.

I'd be very excited to have you, SR, in which case we should play on a huge map.

By the way, I kind of like having continents, (or even archipelago) so the AI don't instantly put us all in contact with each other.

Harovan · January 17, 2003, 19:29

I second alexman, concerning continents or archipelago, if playing with the AI.

Nor Me · January 17, 2003, 19:35

Post first. Think later. I'd play continents. I suppose inequality is part of the idea.

I'll confirm America, Iroquois, Aztecs, Emperor, AU MOD, GMT, wait for a random hotmail adress, only the Ice Age version

.

If were playing an archipelago, I've chosen the wrong civs.

Dominae · January 17, 2003, 19:51

Ok, I've updated the initial post. I've put the map size at Large because that's my preference (Huge maps favor Expanionist a little too much, and this is a PBEM game after all, so completing a Huge game will take forever). If you want different map size, please say so.

Quote:

wait for a random hotmail adress

What does this mean, Nor Me?

Dominae

alexman · January 17, 2003, 20:08

The problem with a large map with 5 players is that we get just over 1 AI civ each. Some will get two, some will get one. With a huge map it will be more balanced.

If you leave it up to the map generator, you usually get 4 out of 5 cultural groups when you start a large game. You get 5/5 with a huge one. So if we each choose a different cultural group, we will be naturally placed nicely apart, among AI civs.

How about reducing the value of expansionists by playing a huge archipelago with maximum water? Less land will also shorten the game.

[Edit: also, are we playing the AU MP mod, or the standard one? I vote for the MP one, since it adds to the game without seriously handicapping the AI. We don't expect to fight killer AIs in this game, after all.]

DaveMcW · January 17, 2003, 20:20

I'd like to join if you still have room. I would love a game with 2+ turns a day.

Egypt, Persia, Iroquois

Harovan · January 17, 2003, 20:27

Playing a huge map with maximum water is a good idea, and the AU MP mod is just fine with me.

My choice: Ottomans, Japanese, Germans

Nor Me · January 17, 2003, 20:38

Quote:

Originally posted by Dominae
Nor Me, we usually play 3-4 turns per day, so you might need to get used to our fast pace!

Not a problem.

Quote:

Originally posted by Dominae
What does this mean, Nor Me?

Just don't worry about it. Everything will be alright.

From what I've seen the AU MP mod should not be too different to the standard one.
I'd prefer continents but am happy with smallest landmass.

Dominae · January 17, 2003, 20:42

Welcome DaveMcW; since we're agreeing on playing a Huge map, there is definitely room for another.

Edited first post again, to reflect new developments. If you wish to switch your civ preferences in response to the fact that we're playing a Huge map with Continents, now is a good time to do so.

Dominae

Dominae · January 17, 2003, 21:06

I need everyone's opinion on some things:

We now have 6 players. There are 5 cultural groups. Thus, two players will most likely be close to one another, while the others will be free to "exploit" their nearest AIs. I see this as being a problem.

Possible solutions: 1) remove a player (DaveMcW was the last to sign up, although jshelr still has not confirmed his position yet), or 2) play on different map settings.

I prefer the second option. The main idea with playing Continents was that we could not meet one another so quickly. On reflection, I do not see this as a problem. It would actually call for a game with far more strategy. In this case, it would also not be necessary to play a Huge map, which I think is impractical for PBEM; by the time we all meet each other, many of us will have quit this game already (a harsh reality).

So, I'm for: 5 humans, 7 AIs, Pangea (as before).

Dominae

alexman · January 17, 2003, 21:08

Since we are now 6, and there are only 5 cultural groups, we might have to trash the cultural linkage and have someone else take a look at the map to make it's even. (Otherwise the two people who pick the same group will know that they're near each other).

Also, the first post says we'll use AU mod 1.15, which is the SP version. Let's use the AU MP mod v1.00 instead.

One other thing. I'm going on a ski trip and won't have access to Civ from tomorrow morning until Monday evening.

I'd prefer to play my turn, but if you want to start without me, go ahead. You can have the person who sets up the map play my turn.

alexman · January 17, 2003, 21:10

X-posted with you, Dominae. I'm assuming you mean 6 humans, 6 AIs.

I still like the continents idea, even if we play on a large map instead of huge. Just turn off cultural linkage so we don't know who starts next to whom.

DaveMcW · January 17, 2003, 21:11

I don't mind taking a European civ to even out the groups. But I guess I'll wait for jshelr to kick me out first.

Dominae · January 17, 2003, 21:14

Turning off cultural-linkage is another option. I think this is the best one, assuming we can find someone to generate the map for us and make sure everything is balanced (for instance, there's no way I'm starting next to bloodthirsty alexman or Sir Ralph!).

Dominae

alexman · January 17, 2003, 21:22

I don't think we need to worry about fairness in this game. It will not be completely fair anyway, unless we make the map symmetric. The purpose of the AU is to see how much you can do with what you've got.

One more thing. If we play with cultural linkage off, my preferences become reversed:
French/Americans/Chinese.

Harovan · January 18, 2003, 06:17

Quote:

Originally posted by Dominae
(for instance, there's no way I'm starting next to bloodthirsty alexman or Sir Ralph!).

If I was bloodthirsty, I would be the Aztecs and not the French. I'm being ganged up against and to sit in my hole like a rabbit and to wait till it pleases my enemies to attack me with their superior UUs is just not my style.

jshelr · January 18, 2003, 09:17

Sign me up please. How about China, unless I'm next to Ralph. Then I want to be Carthage or Greece.

I have not read the thread yet, but I've got no problem with six players if everyone can respond multiple times during a day

By the way, with a group this size, my recommendation would be to go all random and let the chips fall where they may. We are taking on a large committment of time and effort here. Good luck all.

Dominae · January 18, 2003, 11:15

Edited the first post again. Everyone is signed up, and (presumably) ready to go. I want to stress that we should endeavour to play as many turns as possible in any given day (Strat PBEM game 1 is exemplary). I'm sure we all have RLs, but I'm just hoping for a certain level of commitment to this game.

Thanks for joining, and let's have fun!

I'm going to try and get BRC to set up this game for us; he did a pretty good job on AU203 (I'll ask him to reduce the "evil genius" factor on this one). We should be ready to go soon.

Dominae

P.S: I'm surprised the only real warmonger civ among our first picks is China. Are we seeing a new trend in MP play?

jshelr · January 18, 2003, 11:28

"I'm surprised the only real warmonger civ among our first picks is China."

I resemble that remark

DaveMcW · January 18, 2003, 11:57

Industrious is definitely the trait of choice.

Playing a "warmonger civ" makes diplomacy harder. Good luck jshelr.

BRC · January 18, 2003, 15:05

Guys. Things are going good, except....

Aren't you only allowed to have 8 civs in MP games??

If this is true, you guys need to discuss settings again, or at least tell me to take out some of the AI's.

If this is false, someone please tell me how to get the game to allow 12 civs to play PBEM.

Thanks.

Dominae · January 18, 2003, 15:19

Quite right BRC. Here are the alternatives:

1. One game, 6 humans, 2 Deity AIs.

2. One game, 6 humans, no AI.

3. Two games, 3 humans, 3 Emperor AI in each.

4. Two games, 4 humans, 4 Emperor AI in each.

The last two options seem best to me, because the turns will go faster and alexman's idea remains intact (AIs and humans). Ideally we find 2 more players and implement number 4. What do you guys think?

Dominae