New type of diplo game

[Pinchak]

No Space Victory?
Yes

No tech trading? OR no tech brokering?
No. No. No tech trading at all.

Huge Earth?
Depends on final number of players. If we do decide to do huge earth we should use the 35 civs earth mod... no question about it. Also, if using an earth map, consideration should be given to what civs are allowed. It would be a bit unbalanced to have 5 europe civs, 2 asian, 1 african and 2 american for example.

18 hour timer after 2000 BC? (10 hour timer till then)
Yes.

Epic speed.
Yes.

I'm certain most will want to pick their civs.
No. (I love random but don't mind if we pick either)

No elimination until after 1000AD say
No. Considering every other element of diplo is being stripped of this game I don't know why we would hang on to this. With no stories or diplomacy posts, a weak civ in 1000 AD will probably be hoping someone will take them out.

[trev]

Personally I would prefer timer on 18 hours from start of game. Those who cannot move more than once a day suffer from lost hut chances, loss of scouts to barbs etc and therefore find it much harder to get good start.

[trev]

Elimination should be allowed earlier, maybe 0AD, 1000AD is too late for a civ that gets very poor start.

[Pinchak]

So are we ready to pic civs?

[St Jon]

I agree with Pinchak on random civs. I have my own favourites but I have those that I never play like America or Vikings. Best fun is be stuck with what you get and try and do the best you can.

OK, No Tech's is normal practise in MP.

No way 18hrs for the first 50 - 100 turns as all of us will miss some, I'll miss 2/3, at 8hrs but otherwise the early game will go so slowly with nothing to do apart from hit 'end turn'! When things start moving then it must be 1 a day or you will have people missing wonders and wars.

[deity]

Thanks for input guys.

I will summarise the settings based on this feedback in a few days.

Then we await Cyber's second server...

I was wondering if we couldn't play all together next weekend or asap on a late USA Sat night?

This was the time slot that suited:

EDIT ---- made mistake -----

UK/Europe = Sat night

USA Sat aftenoon

Australia Sunday morning.

END EDIT ----

Quite a few MP games were played in this slot very successfully.

We just need one solid starting session (played on the pitboss) but all playing together for 3 or 4 hours, thus ending turns.

Is this a possibility... ?

[Pinchak]

That time slot works for me.

[BranksDilly]

I can't this coming Saturday but next may be a possibility.

Are you Eastern Standard Time, if so, when would we start?

Might be difficult to have everyone present at the same time though, maybe we are best to use the 8hr turns at the beginning? I can't play every single turn but most, and am alright with that.

[Hercules]

Yeah I can make Eur, Saturday Night.

[Robert Plomp]

I don't think a session will work.
We have all kinds of login problems, players that can't be logged in at the same time.

It'll be very hard for me to find a moment to play a session as well.
I can't play during the nights anymore. I have 2 young kids that need my attention at 7am, if I'm lucky 8am. I can't let my wife deal with them till 11am, especially not after she's been dealing with them in the morning during week days as well. (I work far from home, she brings them to creche)

My only option would be a friday european evening (19u - 24u GMT/UTC (London time))
That's America afternoon and Australian morning.
But even then I doubt that we all can be in the game at the same moment.

I'll setup the pitboss server asap.

[St Jon]

I agree with Cyber. I think it really is much better to have the first turns on a very short clock. I will miss turns but so will we all who have to work. I'm not going to phone in sick because someone else is going to get a goodie-hut before me if I don't!

[deity]

* No Space Victory allowed

* No tech trading at all(simplifies things)

* Earth may cause a long discussion on civ placements/customisation etc so I'm happy with a random Terra map OR an off the shelf equivalent ozzy map. Cyber to decide.

* 10 hour timer till 2000 BC; then we vote for a continuation till 0AD (Trev, I have an idea that will allow you to cope with this)

* Epic speed.

* Pick civs or I think an individual can pick random (Cyber?) but I'd prefer that top players handicap themselves if possible e.g. no financial trait etc. But don't get complicated. Do what you want No judgements to be made.

* No elimination until after 1000AD is safer

Basic premise is we trust each other to be responsible to the game and there will be no arbitration process.

IC you must watch your back and always cover yourself militarily even if you think your neighbours are friendly - watch for the betrayal. We are all own our own ultimately. Play diplo style and work to your civs advantage.

As soon as Cyber can get it up we'll start!! Less talk and more turns...

When the game is served log in as often and as quickly as you can to get the wheels turning... regardless of the timer pitboss advances as soon as you all press enter.

[deity]

* Toni
* Cybershy/RP
* Hercules
* St Jon
* BranksDilly
* Trev
* deity
* Pincak

Raz?
ozzy?
other DoC players or diplo players out there?
Marcus?
Nolan?
Capo?

[deity]

Trev

If Raz doesn't play I think we could ask him to play your in between turns under your instructions provided his computer is fixed up for Civ. Otherwise Marcus may be keen to work for you on this one?

I'd like to keep up with anonymity too. So best that regular players don't sub for each other.

Another idea is that we have a game keeper like ozzy, if he is not playing. This person can sub for whoever asks and generally keeps an eye on things the way ozzy does in DoC.

[The_Aussie_Lurker]

Hi Deity, you can count me in on any pitboss game you're playing. Been too long since I've played a good Civ game !

Aussie.

[Toni]

Toni is still here and waiting

Settings look good Deity.

[The_Aussie_Lurker]

Yep, everything sounds good to me. Just give me a start date & I'll be there !

Aussie.

[mzprox]

count me in.

Hopefully it won't take as much time as DoC.

few comments:

I'd prefer random civs

I think normal speed would be better

I'm not really fond of terra maps for multiplayer games. I'd prefer a handmade map or a random continents maybe.

I don't see what is the problem with space race in this kind of game: what are the alternatives? realisticly only culture, though I wouldnt mind if someone would try a domination win.

Before we start I'd like to see the exact rules we use during wartime, including the rules about double moves-if no rule at all I can accept that, but I don't think it could work.

I think elimination should be allowed earlier though I think wars should be prohibited in the first x turns (30?). I just hate warrior choke and the chance that your capital could be taken by a wanderinng warrior while your warrior also wanders somewhere looking for huts)

iI'd like to play w/o huts btw, but I know I'm minority with this

[mzprox]

About posting:


We should have an in-character topic
no pressure on posting, but if someone wants they should be able to. Good place to make announcements etc.

We also should have annon accounts for pms. It works much better than ingame messageing and allows the communication between more than 2 players.

I'm thinking maybe we should limit alliances somehow, but not sure and no idea how. This is in the non-defined "diplo spirit". we will see how it works in this kind of game.

[Robert Plomp]

Ok guys, game is up.
server: plomp.eu:2065
password: none

random civs, so there are now 10 civs waiting to be picked up.
Turn timer: http://www.playyourturn.com/?page_id=17&gameID=109 (yes, that's a new type of turntracker! It's anonymous!! and it knows BtS civs!)

I suggest that everybody picks a civ on a first come first served base.
But you can't change when you've picked one!!!
If your start is too awfull, so be it, ok?

And good players (who?): restrain yourself by picking a civ!
All have fun, first turn takes 96 hours (=4 days) (or till everybody has picked a civ).

After that: 10 hours per turn.

Game name: Doom of the Diplomats

[mzprox]

Thanks Robert. ( I thought we are still talking about the settings and waiting for more players)

[Robert Plomp]

Game's up again

@mzprox, if I'm correct we settled the settings/rules.
double move is being handled in game. (so it's frowned upon but we're not going to make it a dreadful game rule, just everybody restrain yourself to not take advantage)

If we have a story thread, we also need anonymous id's, etc.
And the chance that we reveal our identity is large.
If all want one then I'll obviously want to set one up.
But we can also use the message system of Play Your Turn (the turn tracker website) to communicate with each other.

Maybe we can start while we discuss these issues as well.

[deity]

Make sure you put a password on the civ you select so that someone else doesn't double select it.

Well set up Cyber.

Please can everyone who put their hand up for this game select their (randomly chosen) civ asap...

THIS IS A NON POSTING DIPLO STYLE GAME - A simple game with no arbitration as Cyber says.

With good diplo players we expect a game with integrity and common sense.

Settings are as posted above.

[Robert Plomp]

perhaps send a PM to everybody!

[deity]

OK

Just did.

[Pinchak]

Was this map evaluated for fairness by anyone?

[Robert Plomp]

No. Nobody saw it.

[mzprox]

The playyourturn page says the speed is quick, is that true or false information?

[Robert Plomp]

it's false, speed is epic.
I'll update it.

[deity]

OK, 9 out of 10 civs selected...

good going