PBEM tournament, looking for players!

[DinoDoc]

I would like to sign up. I can play at least one turn a day. I am willing to take on playing any faction from SMAC or SMACX. If it is not to late to sign up, you can reach me at wrlang86@ hotmail.com or wrlang@dixie-net.com.

[Myronides]

I 'd like to sign up too!
My faction preferences for the specific game as you described it:
SMAC: 1.Hive 2.Peacekeapers
SMACX: 1.Drones 2.Hive
I haven't play SMAC online yet, so please inform me, sould i download the SMAC 4.0 version, or having SMACX in my hard disc resolves the different version problems?
thanks.
[This message has been edited by Myronides (edited January 06, 2000).]

[DilithiumDad]

Wow, Zsozso! This idea is really a lot like my "Islanders" concept!

Since you're playing in Islanders, I'd like to reciprocate here. I can't do SMACX yet because I use multiple computers and do not always have access to the disk.

Faction preferences are Peacekeepers, Gaians, U of P, and Hive not necessarily in that order.

[zsozso]

DilithiumDad, yes you deserve all the credit for the base idea - your game inspired me to create this map and start up this tournament. But I wanted to make it even more balanced, in the sense that each player should be in the same distance and location relative to the others - hence the 3 player system. This way geography does not influence who can attacked faster.

Since we have enough players to start-up 2-3 games already, I think we should get going.

Some people would play SMAC only, others maybe interested in SMACX as well, so the best is to setup both. The SMAC version will have only the 3 players, no AI, the SMACX version will have the 2 progenitor factions played by the AI on the polar continents.

Here is the list of players so far:

Player	Email	Factions	AX
EdgeCrusher	edgecrusher2k@hotmail.com	???	+
Tau Ceti	larsheg@sensewave.com	Hive,Gaia,UoP,Drone,Cyborg	+
RockVille	rockville@zdnetmail.com	???	+
Giodenti	giovanni.denti@enet.it	any(PK)	later
DinoDoc	wrlang86@ hotmail.com wrlang@dixie-net.com	any	+
Myronides	myronides@otenet.gr	Hive,PK,Drone	+
DilithiumDad	pre@po.cwru.edu	PK,Gaia,UoP,Hive	-
Zsozso	zsolt@simbiosys.ca	Gaia,UoP,Sparta,Cyborg,Probe	+

I'd like to ask some of you to volunteer for CMN in games where I will be playing. Also, please indicate if you do not mind playing several games concurrently.

zsozso
[This message has been edited by zsozso (edited January 06, 2000).]

[Tau Ceti]

I will happily play as many games as you can throw at me, but not before the 10th. Sorry.

What does the CMN do?

[Paul]

Sounds interesting. I would like to play. I don't have SMACX. Favorite factions are University, Peacekeepers and Morgan

[Myronides]

I downloaded the game senario, but i didn't manage to play or edit it. Could someone instruct me how to, please?



[This message has been edited by Myronides (edited January 07, 2000).]

[zsozso]

Tau Ceti,
The CMN has to load in the scenario file into the scenario editor, reassign the factions according to the players choice and reassign the existing base and units too. Then save it, start it with "multiplayer scenario option" and play a single turn - not doin anything with the units, but assigning some passwords to each. Then send out the save after the full turn to the first player and send the appropriate password to each player.
Later during the game the CMN may need to step in if someone does not respond (dropped the game) or if there is a debate of any kind.

Myronides,
You need to got to the Scenario menu, end choose either "Edit scenario" or "Play scenario" and then select the downloaded file.

[Myronides]

I 'm afraid i can't volunteer for CMN or even play several games concurrently, due to lack of experience.

[Fistandantilus]

zsozso,
I would like to try out these settings but I have a couple of questions,
1) I think switching bases with the AI should be forbidden, am I right?
2) Is level of difficulty transcend?

Sorry in advance if this is already been answered.

About my preferences,
I *hate* spoils of war on.
Preferred faction is UoP, but can play with anything else, no prob.
No plain SMAC, I'm already playing too many PBEMs and I want to try xfire (I hope v 2).
I'll play only a game for now, maybe more in the future.

[zsozso]

Fistandantilus,

1) I could add that rule, but in this particular scenario it does not make any difference (I hope!), because I setup the prognitors to be in ubreakable vendetta with all human players also indicating attrocities committed by the human players against the progenitors and also setting the option "fight to the last man". In this mode, I do not think the AI will ever trade base or even talk to the players...

BTW, I also set agressive AI and put on some agenda, like focus on Air Power. All these settings make the progenitors a worthy opponent even played by the AI. At least as far as I could see in my play-testing of the scenario. First time in my life I was forced to use nerve-gas to be able to defeat the Usurpers, who came down on me with missile needlejets when my best unit was still impact rover.

2) I was thinking about Librarian (actually started the SMAC games that way already).
One reason was to avoid the maintenance-bug, although that is already fixed in v2 patch. The other reason is, that not everybody likes/used to the extreme drone problems associated with transcend level. On the other hand it does not make much difference against other human players.

The Spoils of war has a balancing effect: a player who is a bit behind another in tech, could catch up by taking over a few lowly bases. Without that, whoever grabs the first lead could easily ride the tech advantage to final victory. On the other hand, if the leading player has a substantial tech advance, then "Spoils of war" does not make much difference anyway.

But, of course we can change this if the majority of the players want to turn it off.
But we have to decide quickly, because I'd like to start ASAP and then I want to keep the games consistant.

Zsozso

[Fistandantilus]

1) Fine then.

2) Librarian? Then list me as 'I really would like to play UoP in this game' .

About spoils of war,
I don't like it because it helps too much momentum players, imho. You can simply get techs conquering bases instead of doing your research. It's just saying 'build a couple of rovers instead of a network node, you'll get much more'. If a player is behind in tech he should build probe teams, not rovers, imo. If everyone like spoils on though, it's fine for me. No prob.
[This message has been edited by Fistandantilus (edited January 10, 2000).]

[zsozso]

Spoils of war is turned OFF, as per majority vote!

I resend the first 2 SMAC games (nobody played a turn yet, so it is not too late).
Tau Ceti also found some inconsistent tiles on the map, I also fixed those too. The final scenario files are now reposted on the page: http://apolyton.net/forums/Forum27/HTML/000100.html

Zsozso

[edgecrusher]

i'll play Spartans in vanilla, or pirates in smacx.

------------------
"edgecrusher" Spartan Probe Team 'angelis'

[Tau Ceti]

Pirates? When you start in the middle of an island on a small world which is mostly land?