Gaian Headquarters

[Hydro]

mart7x5 – the reason I’m concerned is that if you give a unit to a faction they can then build that unit without having the tech, which in this case is Centauri Ecology.

In a recent PBEM game I was Morgan, and I was very irritated that the Cyborgs had decided to incorporate me forcibly into their logical empire. They showed up with impact rovers and infantry and were **ahem** upset when I bribed them away (it was the best 150 megacredits I ever spent!). As a result, I could then build impact rovers and infantry without having Nonlinear Mathematics. The same situation will be true if formers are given to every faction – they will then be able to build formers without restriction. In effect, they will have the benefits of Centauri Ecology without having to take the time to research the tech.

If I understand folks here then this is a non-issue since formers will not be given to other factions.

Hydro

[FlameFlash]

Umm... that's true for bribing, but I've never been able to build nor design formers unless I have cent ec. It's something to do with the whole bribing/gifting process... but just finding a unit (ie. rover pods, chopper pods, or transport pods) doesn't mean you can suddenly build then. Likewise if everybody starts the game with a 6-6-2 you're not going to be able to build more of them, unless you bribe an oppoent's.

[Kody]

mart7x5 – the reason I’m concerned is that if you give a unit to a faction they can then build that unit without having the tech, which in this case is Centauri Ecology.

I believe, there's a subroutine that checks to see if the new unit is a default unit or already in the design workshop. That's to prevent multiple designs of the same kind being in the workshop. When getting a former it is a default unit and hence isn't added to the design workshop. So you can't build more without getting ecology.

This works the same for custom built units that a CMN gifts to people. They can't build more if it's one of the default units in the alphax.txt.

Formers ofcourse are one of those default units.

[GeoModder]

I don't think that CE or formers should be spread around to all factions. Basically every team could ask then for the initial 'benefit' of every faction, hence imagine that everyone can construct probes, rovers and formers + having 110 ec's as start up capital.

While formers are a strong unit to start building up your empire, the others are basically evenly matched for their purpose, IMHO.

In short, I think this should be a non-issue

[MrWhereItsAt]

Originally posted by FlameFlash
And obstructor was worried about having a weak team...

Yeah, where IS Obs? In some kind of elated ecstasy in the trees somewhere, I suppose.

[Maniac]

Originally posted by MrWhereItsAt
Yeah, where IS Obs? In some kind of elated ecstasy in the trees somewhere, I suppose.

He's probably banned. I got a PM from him this noon that he can only PM and no longer post. I advised him to contact the moderators to ask what's the matter, but I haven't heard of him there after.

[Skanky Burns]

Maybe they launched a new round of bannings over bounced emails. Rasputin has disappeared since last night too.

[Hydro]

What are "bounced e-mails"?

[GeoModder]

Unpostable emails when subscribed to a thread, I think.

IIRC, Happens when someone is subscribed to a thread that interests him (receives a mail everytime someone posts in that thread, but his emailprovider or inbox refuses to accept those mails due to his mailbox setup.

[MrWhereItsAt]

More likely that one's email is out of date, so when that message is sent it bounces (no such email).

Update your profiled emails!

[Maniac]

Or because he uploaded a supposedly non-game related file.

[FlameFlash]

I've been 'banned' due to the whole e-mail bouncing thing... what really got my goat was that it was an accurate e-mail, so it was something wrong with their end... took quite a while to get put back on (of course, that's me being addicted to 'poly talking... so it was more like about one weekend...)

[MrWhereItsAt]

Well I hope they don't ever ban me for something silly like that - I'm paying them for Poly!

[Darsnan]

Originally posted by Googlie
I don't think anyone from the other factions is expecting formers (only happened in the current game 'cos the gaians weren't in it, and to give the teamplayers something to discuss in the early turns).
And in my CMN games I don't give formers when the Gaians are a team.

G.

That is very good to hear, indeed! I think if the shoe were on the other foot (i.e. if other teams were getting a free Probe Team, or a free Scout Rover) the appropriate Factions would have been b1tching, as well.

Originally posted by Hydro
mart7x5 – the reason I’m concerned is that if you give a unit to a faction they can then build that unit without having the tech, which in this case is Centauri Ecology.

This isn't true in the case of a CMN giving initial units to a Faction. In this case the Factions cannot build anything other than what their initial techs allow them to build, regardless of what a CMN has initially given them. FYI in case you get involved in future PBEM's.
My root concern for bringing the subject of free Formers up is that in some games I CMN I give as many as 3 free Formers to each Faction. Considering that each of our Factions in the next ACDG will probably start with as many as 3 CP's each, then the Gaian strategy of xoxoxoxooxoxoxoxoxooxoxoxoxoxooxoxoxox oxooxoxoxooxooxoxoxoxooxx (edited out by Gaian Military censors) would be defeated!


D

[Darsnan]

Treatise on the Formation of a Symbiotic Relationship with Planet
Part Two: the Conscious/ Subconscious Parallax
By Dr. David Suzuki, Gaian Chief of Natural Sciences

If the Gaian concept of becoming one with this world and imprinting our ideals and beliefs onto the very being of a planet are to be realized, we must first understand ourselves.
If the casual human is observed during the course of a typical day's interactions, it can be seen that the Subconsciousness is continually active, through controlling the respiration process in response to exhertion, to glandular actions such as salivation and liver enzyme flows, to digestion, and finally the maintenance of the 4 - 10 hour sleep period each day, it can be seen that the Subconscious plays a major, if not dominant roll in the life of an individual.

And so then how do we categorize the Consciousness of an individual? Is it the "Controller", always in charge of our actions, or is our Consciousness only allowed to operate under a strict set of tenets set forth by our real masters, the Subconsciousness? For how many times in each day can it be seen that an individuals "reflexes", or "reactions" take charge in a situation, completely casting aside the authority of the Consciousness in favour of the Subconsciousness's decision making process?

Or is there a third option where two sentient beings view the world through the same set of sensory organs: one Conscious, the other Subconscious, and the individuals resultant actions then being determined by how their environment is percieved?

By delving into this introspective realm the Gaians hope to ascertain the truth behind the Conscious/ Subconscious Parallax, and use this knowldge to springboard forward their understanding of a planet, and of achieving a Greater Gaia in result.

Dr. David Suzuki
Gaian Chief of Natural Sciences