Need help in setting up a 2 player PBEM

cbn · May 19, 2001, 15:46

Arising out of a discussion of the strength of the Spartans, I am attempting to set up 3 games against Drago Sinio. He asserts that the Spartans are too strong for the other factions while I assert that other factions are equally strong. We decided to test our assertions in head to head play (not as champions of the factions but as pretty averagers SMACers)

I have never set up a MP game so I am seeking some help. Its my understanding that most MP games are set up by third parties so that there is no advantage to the person setting it up. What I am looking for is the help of someone in either directing us how to set this up fairly or someone to please volunteer to set it up. If you happen to have some maps with fair start positions that woule be great too.

In the games Drago will play the Spartans each time while I will play the Hive, University and Gaians in one game each. It will be regular SMAC with all the other regular factions on one standard planet, one large and one huge.

Settings

Size of Planet (Random): Huge, Large and Standard
Ocean coverage: 50-70%
Erosive Forces: Weak or Random
Native Life Forms: Average
Cloud Cover: Dense or random
Difficulty Level: Transcend.

Rules

Higher Goal: ON
Total War: ON
Peace in Our Time: OFF OFF
Mine, All Mine: ON
One for All: ON
Do or Die: ON
Look First: ON
Tech Stagnation: OFF
Spoils of War: OFF
Blind Research: OFF
Intense Rivalry: OFF
No Unity Survey: ON
Bell Curve: OFF
Time Warp: OFF
Iron Man: OFF

Note that diplomatic victory is off

If anyone thinks they could take the time to set this up or to let me know what I would have to do for me to do it please post here or email me at sharris41@hotmail.com . I am also posting this in the MP forum.

[This message has been edited by cbn (edited May 19, 2001).]

Darius · May 19, 2001, 17:45

quote:

Originally posted by cbn on 05-19-2001 03:46 PM

I have never set up a MP game so I am seeking some help. Its my understanding that most MP games are set up by third parties so that there is no advantage to the person setting it up.

In all of my MP games, I or one of the other players set them up. There is no advantage to the player setting it up. Just start up the game and click multiplayer, then new game. Fill in the first two factions with human players, and off you go.

MariOne · May 19, 2001, 22:12

If you don't need to apply particular patterns or restrictions, then the standard way Darius described in his easy-going way, should indeed do.

Only thing that will NOT be guaranteed in that case, is the fairness of the starting positions, which a neutral game creator would be able to control and eventually adjust.

ALSO, starting the default way it's NOT possible to get rid of unwanted AI factions (you NEED the Scenario Editor for that), thus you'd be forced to play one on one WITH a team of 5 dummies to obstacle you, or rather to make a leverage on to beat your human opponent.
But I know that here at 'poly it's a matter of pride in comparisons between humans to prove how good you are at beating to pulp a helpless AI...

Googlie · May 19, 2001, 23:01

I offered to set them up (over at the MP thread) - guess I should have duplicate posted here too.

AI can be tweaked somewhat via the Scenario Editor - and I posed the question there (in the MP thread) - do you want them strong, or pushovers?

G.

Aredhran · May 20, 2001, 18:19

If you want *only* the 2 human-played factions (ie. no AI), you'll have to use the scenario editor to remove the others.

Let me know if you need more details on how to do that.

Aredhran

cbn · May 21, 2001, 09:41

Thanks all

Googlie has provided maps and we are good to go!