Platehead's is Moving

May 10, 2000, 22:44

The files didn't fit on Geocities anymore and I didn't feel like spending $2.50/month for every 5 megs beyond the default.

The new address is:

http://members.xoom.com/platehead/

...not much is new, but we are hosting Red Front and some other cool scenarios. I updated the links and am now hosting all the scenarios I link to "on site" instead of mooching off of others. Should save on the file link breakages, too, and makes for an easy way to makes sure sleague's review links stay current, too.

May 11, 2000, 17:09

damn...it's a museum

Xin Yu · May 11, 2000, 17:55

Blackclove: When I play a scenario I usually produce an Excel file (cut and copy from rules.txt) for unit stats. The files proved to be very useful when I played the scenarios, since they give complete information about units.

Currently I have 3 such files: a file for Red Front 1.4, sorted by unit slot then by season; a file for Spartacus, also sorted by unit slot then by season; a file for your dungeon scenario (Version 3.1), sorted by civ then by strength.

If you are interested I can send them to you, and maybe you can post them in your site for downloading.

May 11, 2000, 18:30

Thanks, Xin, sounds useful to me. I'll be glad to post them. Keep in mind that Platehead's is updated roughly once per blue moon, so after the current round of updating (which should end in a few days) I will mostly be focusing on SLeague again. Right now it just became imperative because we need a place to host old scenarios that vanished off the net.

May 12, 2000, 20:35

Stefan, feel free to post Toussaint. It's a tough scenario to win. We should turn it over to Xin Yu and see what he comes up with

I really wish someone would pay me to spend all day writing Civ II scenarios. Sadly, that doesn't seem to have happened yet. If MPS was willing I'd hire my dream team of you, Cam, Alex Mor, Captain Nemo, Jesus Balsinde, Harlan Thompson and Erwan and go to town with "The Ultimate Civ II Scenario CD". We could work full time and crank out 30 new scenarios for Civ II on 1 CD-ROM. Maybe while I'm dreaming we could get Mick Uhl, too

Captain Nemo · May 12, 2000, 23:25

I'd do it! But I don't think there is the kind of Money in scenarios that could pay for a fulltime design team. I did E-mail MPS and ask them what their interest would be in hiring independent "Contractors" to build scenarios for them. Never got an answer though.
The only way I would see them doing it would be if it could jump-start a ToT collection, since there is still so little available for ToT.
I thought "Contractor" because I don't think anyone could afford to quit their Day job to do this... At least I couldn't...unless there has been some drastic changes I haven't heard of in the payscale for that industry.

Stefan Härtel · May 13, 2000, 00:02

Your site still is one of my favourites.

By the Way, I'd like to open a favourite scenario section, and I wanted to ask you if I may post Touissant L'Ouverture to it?

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Follow the masses!
30,000 lemmings can't be wrong!

Our survival is based on continouus changing.
-Mao Tse-Tung
God might have created us as equals, but democracy and science pretty
much screwed that whole idea..
-Onepaul

Visit my Homepage at: http://members.xoom.com/SHaertel/Index.html

Xin Yu · May 13, 2000, 00:54

blackclove: please check your mail on yahoo. I have sent the files, plus some comments to Dungeon V3.1.

Xin Yu · May 13, 2000, 13:32

Great idea! TOT definitely needs a scenario CD to boost sales. There is a chance to get the contract!

We can add a book of 'walkthrough's to the scenarios in the CD. I can help with that.

[This message has been edited by Xin Yu (edited May 13, 2000).]

Xin Yu · May 16, 2000, 02:48

blackclove: I played a little bit Toussant today. I got Monarchy and also three wonder cities: Suntzu, Mich, SETI. It was only turn 9 (and can be improved!). However I got to restart since suddenly my reputation became dishonorable

. I hate to ruin my reputation!

The key strategy I used so far:

Talk to Spain on turn 2 to get 850 gold, or a tech and 700 gold (not sure which is better);
Rush build frigates, and use them to bombard the Southern and the barbarian. They will become vets (Sun Tzu effect). Later, when 2-deck ships are available, do the same thing to French/English cities. These are the best units for attack and defense.
Hire scientists in size 5 cities to get Monarchy quickly. Occupy the SETI city early helps. Give up land unit techs and go for sea unit techs. Should be able to dominate the sea before long. Then go for artillary to attack inland cities. Remains to figure out: how to defend from the Nasty british Adm ship and the French invasion event.

Xin Yu · May 16, 2000, 13:28

The initial infantry unit is enough for defense behind city walls, especially if paired with a cannon. But none of the units are good enough for attacking except the 2-deck ships. That's why I chose to build up ships instead of land units. 2-decks are also good at defense, and they can kill non-vet 3-decks. I'll build then in my coastal cities. However there's not enough enemy units to kill to make them vets, that's a problem

.

It seems that Toussaint only needs to avoid back stabbing Spainish to keep a spotless reputation, but I'm not sure. Spain is my best trade partner, I really don't want to piss them off. That stupid Toussaint...

By the way, I'll get many vet frigates as well since they have a move 6 so they won't get lost when crossing the sea.
[This message has been edited by Xin Yu (edited May 16, 2000).]

May 17, 2000, 00:13

Wow - not bad. I usually go the opposite route and build up my land army. We then leave coastal cities undefended except for Wonder cities and focus on destroying any incursion from the sea. If no units occupy the coastal cities, enemy ships can't bombard them.

By the time I have unified the island I usually have enough troops to defend against anything the enemy throws at me.

Oh yeah, and Toussaint's reputation is supposed to turn dishonorable

. He backstabbed just about everyone in his attempts to create a free Haiti.

Leonidas · June 1, 2000, 13:18

When you say "dream team" that is an understatement - the scenarios all of you guys are turning out is incredible - makes anything in CivII that was done by the "professionals" amateurish by comparison.

With the knowledge and skill you fellas have developed, you could probably start your own game company and develop your own "civ" game - and I'd definitely help out on the historical research part

Keep up the excellent work fellas - just great work by all of you....

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Go tell the Spartans, passerby:
That here, obedient to their laws, we lie.

Xin Yu · June 2, 2000, 00:55

Blackclove: How's the contract thing going?

I played Toussaint again till turn 4. Again I used Spanish money and also sold some improvements to rush build frigates. I have the SETI, MICH, SUNTZU. (Nothing new here).

Then I talked to the Americans, which on turn 1 declared war on me. What I had was -- alliance and two techs (trade one, gift one)!

I have to restart to maximize the benifit. My plan is:
Talk to everybody on turn 1 and ask for tribute so they'll declare war.
Get 'Enlightment' from Spain on turn 2 (so American won't give me it as a gift), then after capturing the Mich city (event will give me a tech), trade with American for 'American tech', allied with it, and get a gift tech of 'Industry' (this is my science under research so my bulbs can be used for Monarchy).
Talk to French and trade 'American Tech' for 'Naval Architecture'.
Net effect: be able to produce 'Americans' (better defense than any Haiti units) and '2-deck ships', and soon will get Monarchy (hiring scientists will get me there by turn 6-7).
Drawback: French will be more difficult to defeat if it has the American units, so got to be fast to attack it.

If it works the game is pretty much won. I'll keep you informed. In the next version perhaps you can make the American tech cannot be traded?

Xin Yu · June 2, 2000, 01:09

The approach of my previous post really works. The only condition was that my reputation must be spotless (otherwise American and French won't trade tech). Which means, either I must provoke Spain to declare war on me by turn 5 (later than that an event will put my reputation to dishonorable), or I must seal the deal before my reputation drops. It is not always possible to make Spain declare war, but sometimes it works.

By turn 8 I got Monarchy. The net gain was huge (5 techs, 4 of them very useful, occupied 3 wonder cities, plus produced some vet frigates and was able to produce good land and sea units). Diplomacy wins this scenario.

Mao · June 2, 2000, 23:42

Blackclove, are you still working on Heaven and Hell or is your life too busy for it now? Just curious

June 3, 2000, 10:04

Xin Yu - very interesting strategy! Somehow I am not worried that diplomacy actually works. Seems pretty historically consistent, and a great change from the usual scenario where negotiations are completely turned off, or lead always to war when they're on.

Mao - Yeah, I am working on it... but not very much. From time to time I draw a new unit or come up with a new idea. Right now I am leaning towards eliminating the "earthlike" terrains entirely and extending the events file considerably. I also had an interesting idea for making the cities of hell more interesting and more difficult to attack... we'll see how it works. I alternate working on Heaven & Hell and on Martin Luther King, but I think H&H will be finished first.

Xin Yu · June 5, 2000, 10:59

Blackclove: Actually things are getting better and better. I modified my strategy and occupied a French city on turn 5. Afterwards they sue for peace and gave me Monarchy and 150 golds.

I will try not to occupy the English island city (with SETI in it), so my caravans will have a good place to trade.

Phoenix · June 5, 2000, 19:56

You still have one of the best looking civ sites on the net, blackclove.

How do you do it?

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I'm not saying I'm number one. Oh, I'm sorry, I lied. I'm number One, Two, Three, Four and Five!

June 5, 2000, 21:04

I have discovered that sleep is really unnecessary and I only update Platehead's like once every month or two. The secret is caffeine and keeping my girlfriend from finding out I'm working on websites

Phoenix · June 6, 2000, 18:08

Huh. Everything I do while sleep deprived looks like ****. Oh well, I guess thats why you're a doctor and I'm not! Keep it up, buddy!

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I'm not saying I'm number one. Oh, I'm sorry, I lied. I'm number One, Two, Three, Four and Five!