Does this make AI fair?

[Wiglaf]

Very well

Is betterAI too passive in your expert opinion Solver?

[Ecthy]

Where is that Better AI forum located at?

[Wiglaf]

http://forums.civfanatics.com/forumdisplay.php?f=245

[Wiglaf]

My contributions were
A- AI never declares war
B- blake left without notice, which seems odd

Are apparently too hot to handle..

[Solver]

Too passive compared to what Wiglaf? Not compared to the vanilla AI, with its early rush strategies. But I'd be more interested in why you believe Blake has abandoned the mod, and why you believe BtS testers can talk about being testers.

Ecthy: http://forums.civfanatics.com/forumdisplay.php?f=245

[Ecthy]

Bloody hell that's one ****ed-up sub-forum structure

(Solver )

[Wiglaf]

Originally posted by Solver
Too passive compared to what Wiglaf? Not compared to the vanilla AI, with its early rush strategies. But I'd be more interested in why you believe Blake has abandoned the mod, and why you believe BtS testers can talk about being testers.

Ecthy: http://forums.civfanatics.com/forumdisplay.php?f=245

It's passive because it rarely goes to war..again there are threads confirming this in the forum, I'll link them if you want me to.

I don't think Blake abandoned the mod, he might be working on BTS (and from your intimations he probably is). I was wondering why he doesn't post anything on cfc anymore...seems rude, considering I doubt he's prohibited from talking by his NDA. Since there'd be no reason for firaxis to sign him to an NDA that prohibits him from posting on forums, since firaxians and testers do all the time...

[Solver]

Tick the aggressive AI option and don't play an island map - with the latest version of the mod, that will give you plenty wars.

Interestingly, people from the community who did work for Firaxis were even prohibited from saying that. If Blake posts on CFC, regardless of what he's currently doing, he'll be getting dozens of questions asking him about the status of the project. That wouldn't be terribly productive...

[Krill]

You'd be suprised what testers are required to do with regard to forums and peoples speculative posts.

[Wiglaf]

If Blake is involved with BTS, I don't think he'd be a tester, right?

And even if he is bound by the NDA you describe...nothing stops him from saying "Sorry guys, I got to bug out of this forum for a while -- will be back in like 6 months". Right? I mean this is why I mentioned you, solver. you were and still are prevented from discussing BTS, but certainly not moderating...

[Solver]

If Blake is involved with BTS, I don't think he'd be a tester, right?

Wrong. Blake, or anyone else now, hasn't been hired by Firaxis in a permanent capacity, the way, say, Trip was. People who get temporary contracts with Firaxis are still testers. For example, Locutus and Dale here had a contract for vanilla scenarios but were still testers.

And even if he is bound by the NDA you describe...nothing stops him from saying "Sorry guys, I got to bug out of this forum for a while -- will be back in like 6 months". Right? I mean this is why I mentioned you, solver. you were and still are prevented from discussing BTS, but certainly not moderating...

Well, I'm not Blake so I can't tell you why he does or doesn't something. Though if he posted something like what you suggested it'd be too, well, transparent.

Moderating is a different deal entirely. Warning people or closing threads has nothing to do with BtS. Nor does answering vanilla/Warlords questions, which I also do. But I don't participate in any speculation threads, that's what testers are expected to do. When you know who the other testers are, it's quite a clear pattern, none of them posts anything that is speculative in the slightest.

Also, you know that I'm a tester for BtS just because you know I was a tester for Civ4. Old testers are fair game, so to speak. With Civ4, though, the testers weren't known until the day it was released. Well, a few were known, myself included, but they were all known with good reason and were cleared by Firaxis.

[Krill]

If you work in the games industry you pretty much always have to sign an NDA, no matter the position you are in. It doesn't matter if you are Q&A, a code monkey, software engineer, "Gaming Consultant". Everyone would have to sign an NDA, and abide by it and try to act like they are not involved at all.

Of course, there are ways to figure out if someone is a tester or not without asking...but people have been known to move about into positions of power.

[Krill]

But I don't participate in any speculation threads, that's what testers are expected to do. When you know who the other testers are, it's quite a clear pattern, none of them posts anything that is speculative in the slightest.

Er. Yeah, right. Why would a tester never post in a speculative thread again?

[Solver]

Yeah. Wiglaf, I don't know if you've ever seen an NDA like the ones testers have, but what the text of it boils down to is, don't reveal anything that isn't publicly known, don't make "educated guesses", and act as if you weren't involved.

Obviously, it's not always technically possible. For example, after I was invited to be a tester, my posting habits changed dramatically. I started posting far less in the Civ4 section, stopped posting about the game's future and stopped posting in speculation threads. So in theory, someone who was watching me could figure out that I became a tester. So it's not a perfect system, but no tester is going to compromise himself.

[Solver]

Er. Yeah, right. Why would a tester never post in a speculative thread again?

Because if a tester makes smart guesses about what, say, the new civs might be, it's quite inappropriate? You know what sort of speculation I mean...