New 3 Player SMAC(X) Game

[Darsnan]

Originally posted by Googlie
If there is an alien AI. I'd propose moving gas way down the tech tree - maybe to "Secrets of the Manifolds" - otherwise it's just a pushover

.

I don't think the #ABILITIES section of the alphax.txt file is imprinted onto a game, meaning it wouldn't be moved from its original position. If I'm not mistaken, the only section that is imprinted onto a game is the #UNITS section. What we can do is just simply agree not to use gas on the alien AI (on each other, well, thats just a different matter (cough - Chaunk - cough)).

Getting rid of the Empath Guild is fine by me - I plan on having everyone infiltrated by MY 2137 anyways, so its really to my advantage.....

I would like sequential turns, simply to make the game go quicker. Not stuck on this, though.

Oh yeah,

Large map, 50-70% water? I'd prefer as close to 50% as possible please, with the pirates on board.

Do I hear someone lining up their excuses already?

Finally, we're gonna need a name for this turkey. Maybe "CGN 6, Part Deaux", or perhaps "Unfinished Business"?


D

[Chaunk]

Sounds good. I'm a big fan of sequencial turns, otherwise this game'll act like a six player, which would be less than optimal fun. And in fairness, we all have that same advantage as each other.

Agreed with the nerve gas move. Secrets of the Manifolds may be too far... perhaps Bioengineering?

Also agreed about the EG. I'd rather not disable the counsel, just have a house rule that no governorship can be had (If everyone agrees, I'm happy with that rule.) Then infiltration must be earned the hard way

Large map, 50-70% water? I'd prefer as close to 50% as possible please, with the pirates on board. Otherwise there's way too much of an advantage for them there.

C

[Googlie]

Sorry for the delay - my new cable internet service got splotchy there for a day or 2 (as in NOT)

Some thoughts from past 2 x 3's i've set up that seemed to work:

Any AI would be equidistant from all 3 players - equally accessable to all and equally threatening to all (might "want to talk" to one of your 2 factions and "an atrocity victim" of the other??)

The other games I've set up have requred a player wanting to move a unit (say a former, or rover) to his other faction to pass through another players territory (those were in pre-pirate days, which kind of subvert that concept, so maybe I won't apply it this time)

In other 3 x 2's no-one liked sequential turns. A player could, for example, snatch the CA and build nothing but choppers in one faction, and with the other snag the CN and CF and churn out high morale drop defenders. You open a turn to find ten bases chopped and dropped and you couldn't do a thing about it (like rushing defenders to an empty base, etc) It just seemed to give far too much power to the momentum combos

But I'll go with the majority decision on this one

If there is an alien AI. I'd propose moving gas way down the tech tree - maybe to "Secrets of the Manifolds" - otherwise it's just a pushover

I suggest disabling the EG - I think concensus now is that in PBEMs it too overpowering an SP - certainly my most enjoyable games are where one has to probe rather than just snag the EG. With just 3 players - and an ineligble alien AI I'd suggest disabling Council as well (no Governor and automatic infiltration for him - and human players always seem to ignore the sanctions anyway - obviously you can't ignore the economic in-game sanctions for atrocities, but mostly automatic vendetta by everyone upon PBing an enemy just don't happen in human-controlled games)

A large map with 50% to 70% water would resemble earth, as well as the default Map of Planet

G.

[Darsnan]

Originally posted by ChairmanSlick
another thing, will supply pods be included?? -- sometimes i feel that just resource bonuses are better.. in most cases at least more fair...

and another question - what will the affect of probe cruisers inthe game be?? For the AI i mean.. do they subvert form the coast and ****??

Supply Pods are a normal part of any PBEM. And yes, Probe Cruisers can subvert coastline bases (which of course means the Pirates have the most to worry about in this case).


D

[ChairmanSlick]

another thing, will supply pods be included?? -- sometimes i feel that just resource bonuses are better.. in most cases at least more fair...

and another question - what will the affect of probe cruisers inthe game be?? For the AI i mean.. do they subvert form the coast and ****??

[ChairmanSlick]

cool, thanks a lot-


yeah it doesn't really bother me i just wanted to choose my faction..

so i want Zak & Yang- which i think googlie is doing anyway..

if we have a large map - please have PLENTY of water...
i think that too much land is suffercating.

i am relatively new to pbem but have played IP for a few years now.. so i will have lots of question-i hope this is not annoying for u....


--- what does setting stockpile energy credits in build que do??

are we allowed to treaty with each other??

ie. the humans??

... please make it that the alien, or whicheve AI it happens to be does not start on one of our continents and not another. It is a big disadvantage to have an aggressor next to u, and not next to someone else. *for obvious reasons.*

[Darsnan]

Originally posted by ChairmanSlick
In this game do our faction start seperately on the map.... OR adjacent to each other???

AND will they be doing there own SEPERATE research and earning there own SEPERATE energy credits??????

I've never played a 3 X 2 before so really can't answer whether a players 2 Factions start adjacent each other or not ( I don't care either way myself). Each Faction will be doing their own research and earning their own energy credits, but I would think (and hope) that a player can immediately start trading techs and EC's back and forth with his 2 Factions. FYI.


D

[Chaunk]

I would hope that starting separately or not, they would start in contact with one another. I certainly don't want to have to wander over to where my other faction is just so I can trade centauri ecology for example.

Secret projects only affect one faction, each does their own research and building etc. Completely separate to most intents and purposes.

Googlie, whatever you think with regard to an AI and therefore map size. I'm quite partial to an AI, and Darsnan's idea for an alien ai sounds good. I'm somewhat against giving the ai an SP if you can avoid it though. I'd much rather they were all still buildable.

Request that we allow stockpile energy in build queues as a house rule, and otherwise use standard 'Poly rules.

C

[ChairmanSlick]

btw... thanks Googlie -- top stuff mate

[ChairmanSlick]

ok so i still don't know answer to my question:


In this game do our faction start seperately on the map.... OR adjacent to each other???

AND will they be doing there own SEPERATE research and earning there own SEPERATE energy credits??????

[Enigma_Nova]

The faction teams I would figure are:

Uni//Hive
CyCon//Drones
Morgan//Believers
Gaians//PKs

That's if you're starting apart, and thus do not have access to the starting tech of the other faction.

For a tech-fling straight to IA,
Angels//Morgan is the way to go.
If you're looking to snatch the SoftHB,
Uni//Cult is your best bet.
For Impact Rovers,
Spartans//CyCon is the way to aim.

Many possible combinations.
In such a game, I'd likely go Uni//Hive, second to Gaians//PKs.

[Darsnan]

Hi Googlie,

thanx for setting this up for us!

Originally posted by Googlie
(By start together do you mean sequentially in turn order, or adjacent to each other on the map?)

Start with 3 scouts (1 sloop for the pirates), 3cp's and (Darsnan, do you want to give away the Gaians centauri ecology advantage) 3 formers to each faction (seaformers for the Pirates?)

If an AI, I'll see what I can do to make it an interesting competitor

By start together I mean sequentialy in turn order. Giving up the Gaian advantage of Centauri Ecology in the early game is OK, and Sea Formers are a definate Yes for the Pirates. Sea Monoliths would also be a nice touch, but may help the Pirates too much.

I'd like an AI, but not stuck on it. Maybe Hmnneee with the PDL, or Roze floating around lots of Probe Cruisers.

Another question: probably obvious to u guys... but will sercret projects affect BOTH of our factions or just one??

Only the one Faction possessing the SP.


D

[ChairmanSlick]

do our factions start next to each other on the map---

coz. if they are seperate i would like aki since i think she can handle herself better than zak.

If our factions do start together on the map then yes... Zak and Yang.

Another question: probably obvious to u guys... but will sercret projects affect BOTH of our factions or just one??

I guess it goes without saying that they will have seperate economies an seperate research-- does it??

i do not mind if they are seperate-- just curious and am preparing my self for the onslaught...

[Googlie]

I can set this up for you (I have set up a couple of other 3 x 2's - but both with no AI in the game)

If 7 factions I'd suggest the large map - if 6, then a custom smaller variant perhaps. But with 3 players a large map shouldn't drag the game down

Chaunk - Morgan & Believers
Darsnan - Pirates & Gaians
ChairmanSlick - UoP & Hive

(By start together do you mean sequentially in turn order, or adjacent to each other on the map?)

Start with 3 scouts (1 sloop for the pirates), 3cp's and (Darsnan, do you want to give away the Gaians centauri ecology advantage) 3 formers to each faction (seaformers for the Pirates?)

If an AI, I'll see what I can do to make it an interesting competitor

[Chaunk]

Originally posted by Darsnan
If not, we can keep you posted (at least until Chaunk gets eliminated, that is......).

D

It looks as if you made a mistake here D, it should have said:

Originally posted by Darsnan
If not, we can keep you posted (at least until I get eliminated, that is......).

D

Factions, I'll go Morgan & Believers I think, so long as we play SMAX.

I too think the larger the world the better (I admit it, I'm a builder at heart!), but so long as it's larger than standard I'm ok.

I'm ok with more units to beat Darsnan up with, a CMN of your choice D, and the turn order proposed. I should like to have Morgan -> Believers in the turn order please!

Lets get this bad boy on the road

C