The rules people play in MP games

[Ming]

In Civ II, there were a lot of bugs, and we had to come up with MANY rules that helped negate some of those bugs.

In Civ IV, it seems like the only rules I've seen are revolved around the simul combat. In Rah's Saturday night games, when you declare war on somebody, they play that you can't just end your turn right after the declaration... That you have to wait until the person you declared war on tells you it's ok to end your turn... giving the other person a chance to realize what's happening, and make a move. This stops the classic double attack before you are ready crap.
However, after the first turn, there is no limitation.

Some other rules I've heard... If you capital (starting position) is within 7 squares of another civ... restart.

And I've been in games where people aren't allowed to attack in the first 10 turns or so....

So... what rules if any do you play, and why?

Is the game just so flawless that we don't really need them...

Are there some rules you should play, and why?

Discuss

[Robert]

We play TORST, Trade Only Self Researched Techs.
We do this to limit the whoring and award inventing techs yourself.

For our diplogames wer have a lot of gentleman rules that aren't solid, like: don't capture the cap of another player, don't capture or raze big wonder cities. Have a background story for everything you do (no sudden invasions that aren't backed up by an in-game reason) etc. But that's typical diplogame style.

[rah]

We play no tech trading at all.

[Robert]

That's boring for diplogames.
Tech trading is an important part of alliances and friendship.

But it's a difficult matter indeed.
With open tech trading the result is factually that all players have all techs.

[rah]

We're more concerned that in the larger games that blocks of civs would vastly outstrip those more isolated.

[Toni]

I'm totally against tech trading!

[Glohithia]

Id like to see a Diplo with no tech trading myself. While tech trading is a big part of alliances the way it is used now and was used in past Diplo games, I question the idea that it would make the game boring if we did without it.

And there are certainly enough other reasons to ally (and backstab) that the lack of tech trading wouldnt limit the ability to form alliances at all.

[rah]

Originally posted by Toni
I'm totally against tech trading!

Me too.

[Robert]

Originally posted by Glohithia
Id like to see a Diplo with no tech trading myself. While tech trading is a big part of alliances the way it is used now and was used in past Diplo games, I question the idea that it would make the game boring if we did without it.

And there are certainly enough other reasons to ally (and backstab) that the lack of tech trading wouldnt limit the ability to form alliances at all.

We could try the next game without tech trading, but you don't wanna be in the next one :P

[Glohithia]

Well, you could tell me how it worked Or we could do it in the next game, HOTW Wintertime! Its just not right to spend warm summer nights playing CIV, but cold winter nights are perfect.

[kbarrett]

I would like to see a mod that makes tech trading possible, but expensive. Maybe tying up a city for a while.

Maybe allowing a player to build a research team ... a unit that can partially lightbulb a tech the building player has.

Make tech trading possible, but expensive and time consuming. A player will think twice about it if they have to choose between gifting a tech or making an improvement or several combat units.

[N35t0r]

a mod to replace outright tech trading with blueprint trading a la HoI2 would be interesting indeed.

[rah]

I do miss being able to choose/steal a tech when capturing an enemy city ala CIV II. It provided more incentive to go on the war path. (like we needed another excuse, ahahhah) Yeah, the money is helpful, but a tech would be icing on the cake. Even though you'd have to have a rule in MP games that you couldn't keep trading a city to bypass the no tech trading rule.