Ladders

[Keygen]

Yeah, sure I could help but I think it would be better to have a more experienced player to help us like Tau Seti or Misotu.
Send me info about the current CTP rating system.
And ...I hope you bought Alpha Centauri .

[Solver]

Quinns, I think that these rated games should be more of a trial rather than a real rating system, but finally we're going on here. Keygen, you be the one to make the proposal for the others, as we're busy enough with CTP already.
I'm rabbing my palms in impacience to be CtP/AC PBEM Ladder Administrator and take the first decisions here . And all this stuff going on leads me to a decision: time to get my SMAC CD back, and go into a few PBEM games. Even though haven't played it for most of 2000, I bet I'd yet be able to kick someone here and earn some rating points.

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Solver - http://www.aok.20m.com

[Keygen]

Yeah, I could start a new PBEM for you two SMAC PBEM newbies .
Well, I am new to SMAC PBEM too and I could start one with me, you, Quinns (when he gets SMAC) and a couple more players.

[Solver]

Thanks for the proposal, this will give the system a good try.

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Solver - http://www.aok.20m.com

[Googlie]

Solver and quinns:

I think that the jury is still very much out on this one, waiting to see exactly how "ranking" in ten year increments will be determined.

Let me give a couple of examples (and maybe you need to have played some smac PBEM's to get the flavor):

I'm in 16 games right now, pacted in maybe half of them (three are team games)

my pactmates and I are co-ordinating research, fast tracking to a specific technology some six to eight techs away on the tech tree

The rate at which you discover techs is impacted by (among others) how many techs you currently have researched

So we will not automatically trade to each other every tech we have ourselves researched (why take a tech before we need it to build a specific faciltiy in a base when that tech will only slow the research rate for the other techs)

Other players in those games may not necessarily be following that tactic, and might be trading techs willy nilly.

They therefore at turns 9,19 and 29 will be far in advance of us in the various graphs thru their tech swapping, but in reality (IMO) we are managing our factions better. How would that be accounted for in the periodic ranking charts issued - or was it never an issue in CtP?

Second example:

I have Industrial Automation (allows one to build and use crawlers) and every base is churning out crawlers.

I am neglecting base facilities and combat units, so my smac periodic score is low. One turn I cash in those crawlers for a Secret Project, worth oodles in the smac ratings. So, say, in turns 19,29 and 39 I am weakest in the graphs, but if my SP is, say, the Civil Defense Force, with its contribution to a facility in every base, defensive bonus and the SP points themselves I may jump to # 3 or 2 in one turn.

How can this be recognized during the "crawler accumulation" phase - or doesn't it matter?

As I say, we need to use this thread to air all the factors that players feel should be recognized and let you guys postulate a formula for debate and fine tuning.

But I do think you need to immerse yourselves in smac for a time to gain perspective - and joining some pbems is good (but a lengthy process) - an IP game or two would fast track you.

Just my thoughts today from sunny Palm Springs, California (where it's again 75 degrees today)



Googlie


[This message has been edited by Googlie (edited December 27, 2000).]

[Solver]

I am an experienced SMAC (and basically, all Civ games) player. Quinns, crawler is a unit you place on the map, where resources are, and it gives the base you produced it at extra resources, thus many Crawlers is real power.
Goolgie is right by many means, we need to look at different possible problems, but I yet think we'll be taking the AC score instead of the powergraph as a measure.

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Solver - http://www.aok.20m.com

[quinns]

Well I DID get SMAC for Christmas... YAY! You are all right, it is quite complicated. I just started reading the 2000 page instruction manual, and I'm pretty lost. I think I'll just start a game and refer to the manual when I get confused... which I'm sure will be quite often .

I'll let you all know if I come up with any good ideas on translating SMAC into the existing CTP rating system.

Thanks, Solver, for your explanations of some of the workings of SMAC.

edit: Oh, and Keygen, sure... start it up! I think I'll learn faster if I play a PBEM game of SMAC. It will force me to learn the rules better because I HATE to lose -- (who doesn't )
[This message has been edited by quinns (edited December 28, 2000).]

[Googlie]

quinns:

a good guide to get is Vel's Strategy Guide - Vel is a legend here at the AC site.

You can download it from the "what's new" page of The Spartan Chronicles website:


http://clik.to/sparta

or:


http://go.to/googlie

Cheers



[This message has been edited by Googlie (edited December 28, 2000).]

[quinns]

Thanks Googlie. I downloaded Vel's Guide. Thanks a lot! ANOTHER book to read on AC!!

Actually, I skimmed through it and it seems pretty helpful. Thanks.

I played the Quick Start and found myself at the top of the heap in about 50 to 60 turns, by just kind of guessing. So I think I'll move on to a harder level. I'm sure that I'm missing a lot, and that PBEM will be much harder.

[Keygen]

I'll start a PBEM SMAC or SMACX game in a couple of weeks Quinns and Solver. So get trained well!
I hope two weeks are not long time .

[Solver]

I need no training - have beaten Transcend. I would like this is less than a week, but let it be. I have SMAC, not SMACX, fav factions are Gaians and the University, even though I like Spacers, a custom faction, too.
I'm looking forward to it.

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Solver - http://www.aok.20m.com

[Keygen]

Sorry, Solver I just have to much things to do first .
And Yesterday I began testing Lotus' buggy Workflow at work! Damn man, so many bugs!

Good news guys!!!
Keygen's Classic and Keygen's Alien Crossfire will be the first PBEM games to be rated by the Ladders, when they will be ready (make good preparation, but harry up!).

[Keygen]

Sorry, Solver I just have to much things to do first .
And Yesterday I began testing Lotus' buggy Domino Workflow at work! Damn man, so many bugs!

Good news guys!!!
Keygen's Classic and Keygen's Alien Crossfire will be the first PBEM games to be rated by the Ladders, when they will be ready (make good preparation, but harry up!).

[This message has been edited by Keygen (edited January 03, 2001).]

[Solver]

I'm getting the Alien Crossfire for SMAC in less than a week, probably, so I'll be ready to play it. However, I'll need practice with the new factions, especially Drones.

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Solver - http://www.aok.20m.com

[Solver]

And, what do I need to play PBEM? A patch, like with CtP, or just the game?

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Solver - http://www.aok.20m.com