March Madness!

[smellymummy]

my vote: no restarts

[Rommel2D]

Its nice to have some guidelines for ettiquette and exploits. There are some unenforcable rules for PBEM that make for a better experience if everyone is aware of and adheres to them. This thread will take you to a couple discussions on the topics. Please bump them or post here if you have any comments.

[Paddy]

they all look good to me

word is the new patch will be here in the coming week

[Conqueror]

How about this game, now that 1.22 is out ?

[Rommel2D]

Once again Sir Ralph proved to be prescient- he originally warned me to allow for a month after the patch's release before starting this tournament. Well, it took Firaxis that whole month to release the patch in the first place, and I'm not even sure if the fallout from 1.22 has subsided enough yet.

I've done some testing and it looks like the 40% ocean feature of the MPTournament.biq feature doesn't work. Either that, or I'm going about map generation wrong. Alexman, have you had a chance to check this file out at all?

Other than this, is everyone here still interested and set to go with 1.22? My passive advertising isn't generating any more hoop-la for this tournament, so we need to do something to pull in at least six more contestants. I might have a nice surprise in store if we can get the critical mass needed to start...

[smellymummy]

the 1.22 patch is fine with me.

and what's the nice surprise?

[Mickeyj]

Gents, I'm keen to give this a crack.

I'm GMT time and away this Easter weekend with a week or two away In July-August.

[ricketyclik]

Yep, still keen to go.

[alexman]

Originally posted by Rommel2D
I've done some testing and it looks like the 40% ocean feature of the MPTournament.biq feature doesn't work. Either that, or I'm going about map generation wrong. Alexman, have you had a chance to check this file out at all?

The 40% Ocean in MPTournament.biq is a feature that many dislike because it gives too much land. Here's an example of a complaint.

Also, you're right that the MPTournament.biq seems to have been designed for fast online games in mind, not for PBEM. They moved maps back to Map Making, for example, because no online games apparently reach Navigation. The also have changed units (the Enkidu) that are good for rushes, but in PBEM you have the time to do more diplomacy, so rushes are not as powerful anyway. Overall, I'm not too keen on the idea of using the MPTournament.biq any more. Let's just play stock rules.

We do need to set some house rules, however. What exploits are allowed? For example, is it allowed to pillage and road in the same turn so that you and your ally effectively benefit from the same resource? Are you allowed to send screenshots before you can trade maps in the game? Can you contact each other before you have met in the game? Do you have to have an in-game alliance to both attack someone else? Are you allowed to discuss with others your research plans, so that you don't research the same tech? Can you change your citizens around during your build phase to work powerful tiles twice in the same turn? I'm sure there are other such things...

[smellymummy]

how can you work tiles twice in a same turn?

[alexman]

It's a terrible exploit for those with lots of time to micromanage. And in PBEM, you have lots of time to do this sort of thing.

[Rommel2D]

Mickeyj added, back up to 11

[Rommel2D]

Thanks for the links, I don't have time to get over to CFC very often...

Originally posted by alexman
The 40% Ocean in MPTournament.biq is a feature that many dislike because it gives too much land. Here's an example of a complaint.

That's not much of a complaint. I've come to agree with your earlier point that 40% ocean would reduce the possibility of bad starting positions on a random map. Of course this wouldn't apply to archipeligos, but it would for continents and especially pangeas. Unfortunately, for just 4 players it would create a rather large land mass, so I am reluctant to use it here, also.

We do need to set some house rules, however. What exploits are allowed? [...] Can you change your citizens around during your build phase to work powerful tiles twice in the same turn? I'm sure there are other such things...

I've always thought you should put the "disable city scroll arrows during production phase" in 100-pt. flashing pink text in your simple fix thread. After the PBEM load bug, this seems to be the most rediculous exploit in the game. Beyond the tile MM trick, you can manage citizen moods after loss of luxuries and other shady things too, right?

I don't remember where this was suggested (one of the strat forum PBEMs?), but I like the idea of working within the mechanics of the program's diplomacy- no communication until contact, no alliances until an embassy is established, no screen shots (or precise verbal descriptions of the map) unitil map trading.

Coordinated research is more of a grey area. I'd rather play without it, but it seems ubiquitous in most games.

Any volunteers to attempt to locate or compile an exhaustive list of exploits to give everyone a chance to agree to avoid them before starting?

[Moonbars]

If there is still space, I would love to play - not been at all satisfied with the online Civ experience so far.. Read Rommel's first post and it was almost as if he had read my mind..

I am in GMT, and should have no issues with the time element. I have also been on my holidays already this year, so nothing now till Christmas (yikes!)

[Rommel2D]

Moonbars's entry makes for 12 out of 16 players.