New diplo game: big discussion needed

[St Jon]

Sorry for any confusion but Poly have merged my ancient old a/c from 7/8 yrs ago so I'm no longer FF but still same person. Good old Solver!

[St Jon]

I am in BtP, although I'll refrain from identifying my Civ. I've probably said to much already. I think you and I are the same type of player.

I think I can pretty well guess who from the writing style and if I'm right you do at least post to the story thread. Maybe not Capo style but not many can touch that.

[The Capo]

I rely on those story votes because of my lackluster skills.

[St Jon]

And I agree, not about your lack-luster skills LOL, because if you don't have the stories and silly cartoons you lose too much from the game. I've read a number of threads for ongoing games and it's just a post 'Turn to xxxx' and even an old fashioned pbem 'kill or be killed' should be able to motivate a little more imagination than that!

If you are playing on a big map you are always going to have sustained periods of peace, diplo or not, and you need the propaganda to keep things alive. Civ is not, as bamf226 said, just be a wargame. If in diplo you cannot get your pts from stories then you need to get them from other parts so disliking the story pts is like moaning about the military ones because you never go to war or diplo because you never talk to anyone!

[Robert]

Yes, but I agree with everyone who says that reading stories shouldn't take as much time as reading books. Perhaps we should put a limit on the number of characters that every civ can story-post per month. Quality over quantity.

That'll also make the votes more fair.

[St Jon]

Yes, but I agree with everyone who says that reading stories shouldn't take as much time as reading books. Perhaps we should put a limit on the number of characters that every civ can story-post per month. Quality over quantity.

That'll also make the votes more fair.

But people do read the stories! Not just people in the game but if you look at the visit counts for the BtP story thread you can see that others look and follow what is going on. If nothing else it is a good advert for the whole diplo-game idea.

[deity]

Yes, but I agree with everyone who says that reading stories shouldn't take as much time as reading books. Perhaps we should put a limit on the number of characters that every civ can story-post per month. Quality over quantity.

That'll also make the votes more fair.

I agree with this.

I suggest one post of x size per turn maximum.

x size might be 100 words or 20 lines or something easily identified.

It is critical for game dynamics that everyone writes and reads the basic storyline.

BTP falls apart totally on this with many not posting at all and others posting way too much.

[Robert]

St Jon: yes, some do, but not everybody. and right now it's a lot easier because only a few are posting. But imagine that everybody posts such long stories.......

[The Capo]

I don't really think there should be a limit on posting. Why do that? Sometimes you have a lot to say. I disagree with any limit on posting. The votes are for the quality of the posts, not the quantity anyway.

[Robert]

If they're for the quality why do you have a problem with a limit?
The reasons for a limit have been posted above. It's becoming too much during a pitboss game.

[St Jon]

I don't really think there should be a limit on posting. Why do that? Sometimes you have a lot to say. I disagree with any limit on posting. The votes are for the quality of the posts, not the quantity anyway.

I agree. You look at the first BtP Story Thread when nobody really had anything to say and yet the posts were massive and the contributors more numerous. You lose Korea and Piercia, two of the very best and most imaginative, and the srories are going to be dominated by only a few players. About the only way I could pull my score up as a sub was by writing stories and creating charaters. Not everyone can be a SuperPower so you've got to get the pts in somewhere. But I will quit writing stories if the consensus is against it.

Does seem seem strange that you are supposed to use the story thread to justify a war but cannot do more than a few lines of text. How is the world supposed to know that a new ruler, with very different policies, has taken over? Where do your mad little movies with you wrapped in a sheet declaiming to the world go, Cyber? The game lost a lot with Korea and Piercia, not that I was long enough in the game to appreciate the latter, just because of those stories and pretty pictures.

[deity]

I don't really think there should be a limit on posting. Why do that? Sometimes you have a lot to say. I disagree with any limit on posting. The votes are for the quality of the posts, not the quantity anyway.

You have to look at the bigger picture of game dynamics I think.

It is a reality that some post far too much for many others to follow.

If they don't follow the posts then it defeats the purpose. I'd guarantee that only 4 or 5 players out of 18 followed every post thoroughly.

We need to find a nice balance in the interests of the game.

One idea I had was a drill down. Maybe we have a restriction at the top level of the thread but link through to another "DETAILED" thread.

Thoughts?

Everyone could ensure that in the top level thread all the key diplomacy communications are in place. The drill down thread is full of as much story and colour as you like. When key diplomacy points are integrated in the DETAILED thread just provide a precis at the top level.

[deity]

Suggested Diplo Code of Behaviour

Another thought I've had is to develop a simple Code of Behaviour.

Alongside a few simple game rules this should keep us friendly to each other OOC.

A few suggestions for the code (DCOB):

* Never accuse anyone of cheating in the thread. Always approach the person directly and say you have a fear that something is wrong and thrash it out between the two of you. This avoids thread grandstanding and OOC politicing.

* Never divulge or seek out information about the game or the players OOC (e.g. identity of players, friendly agreements etc)

[deity]

Player handicaps

Another thought is to adequately compensate players so that an even player field is evident.

Suggestion.

Once we get a selection of interested players we look at the games they have played in and come up with a rough clustering of groups:

1) Players with considerable diplo experience and solid understanding of game mechanics

2) Players with considerable diplo experience but indifference to or lack of knowledge of game mechanics

3) Players with a solid understanding of game mechanics but little diplo experience

4) Players with some diplo experience and some game skill

5) Players with little or no diplo experience and little game skill

I think most of us could fit into onme of these categories. Maybe we need more but 5 would be good to work with.

We then mutually agree which category we best fit.

Then we decide on appropriate handicapos for each group of players.

[deity]

Handicaps listed

* Restrict traits

* Restrict religions

* Restrict wonders

* Restrict corporations

* and restrict map locations/starting positions etc.