I'm a rookie to MP SMAC/X But Want to play.

[Drogue]

I can't do thurs ... how about can do any other day (how about next weekend?)

[Hendrik]

I would be unable to play until 9:30 GMT on tuesday.

I am interested in almost anything else.

As far as rules, read the general tournament rules, and in IP games simultaneous combat doesn't work when two players are fighting each other. If combat between two players starts it is best to switch to PBEM for turn based combat.

The tourny rules cover other exploits/bugs that shouldn't be used in the game.

[Dreifels]

Originally posted by ksev
I invite anyone who is looking for the chance to try and play IP-online game to join a game.
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Well, some general hints:
1) most IP games are arranged "just in time" by ICQ. An ICQ list of active SMAC(X) player you may (downloadable) find at http://alpha-centauri-stuff.cjb.net/

2) To get a fast IP game, it's not only necessary that you have a BROADBAND connecton. This is worthless if there one of the player has a bad connection or there is an overloaded hub between.
Such you may check by TRACERT (in windows directory the tracert.exe) which lists you all serer and their pings which are between you and the destination.

3) as the slowest player slows also all other, it's recommendet that you switch off all voice transmits between the players in the game.

4) Before you start an IP, the player who is the host should check the ping of all other. If there is one with more than ~ 140 ms you may expect a slow game. If there is one with more than ~ 250 ms, you can forget it.

5) We already had (often) *very* good IP games where also player had joined who had only 56k modem. On the other hand we had bad IP games as one of those having broadband connection just made a longer download of a music file in background.

6) It also depends, how many join an IP and if you set "simultan" or not:
If you set "simultan", it works fine up to 3 player having a fast connection/transfer. With 3-5 players it works fine without setting "simultan". In fact, "simultan" does NOT speed up the game. As all unit moves are updated at once for all players, the game slows down the more the game will continue, as you then have very much upkeep in every turn. Furthermore, without setting" simultan" it is more stabile. So most of the more experienced players don't like to play simultan if they play with more than 3.

IPs with more than 5 players very often freeze.

7) It makes no sense to start an IP with a huge map. Recommended is the standard map size or the large (but then all should have much time). A normal game with 4 players and a standard map needs ~ 10 - 14 hrs to come to a victory (~180 - 220 turns you have to calculate).
So it's recommended to start Friday or Saturday early evening and plan to continue it next day.

8) It's easy possible to continue a long time running IP by PBEM and later switch back to IP. However, it should be the same player as host.

9) Changing host also is possible, but with a trick only: the sav file is to load by the new host without that an other player has joined already. The he waits until the automatic unit moves are done for all factions. Then he saves the game (without doing anything else!), exits SMAC(X) and reloads, and now the other player may join.

10) All have to start the same game version with same patch installed. I.e. if the host starts with SMACX patch 2, all other also have to start the terranX.exe with patch 2 installed.

11) You can't join or host an SMAC(X) IP if you're behind a firewall. Most firewall installations doesn't work with SMAC(X)

[Hendrik]

Oh BTW I am posting onder the name HenWen on the CGN forums, we are one and the same.

My ICQ is 56192410

[ksev]

So now I have made a tournament signup thread IP-Tounament-link .


So far I have been in contact with some players listed below. Now we need some kind of sign-up for the tounament.
Please everybody post on this thread that you want to join the tounamnet, write youre e-mail for any communication.
The list of participants will be posted on the Tournament thread and then gaming will begin. Any suggestions for rules and modification of the point-sytem most be posted NOW..then I will write them at the beginning of the thread.

I will like to hear from you all on e-mail:
E-mail to ksev
Subject: "sign-in-for-IP-Tournament"

jacobsev..........
Hendrik...........
Lazerus.........
Drogue.........
chopkii...........
If i forgot any or there are any newcomers you are more than welcome

[Dreifels]

don't make too much plans. The experience is that it's hard to organize an IP for a future date, the more, if you plan to arrange a complete tournament. Maybe you'll be disappointed.

The only way how arranging an IP works really, is by ICQ. Looking Friday and Saturday by IP around who is online and ask all who has time for a game.
Then you may get 3 or 4 who are seriously interested to join and will have more time than 2 or 3 hrs only. Otherwise you'll get lot of "yes" but after one or 2 hrs they have to exit as other interests had been coming, like meal or girlfriend or something else.

You need ICQ anyway, as it happens always that there is a crash or an other reason that all have to exit the running game and have to rejoin. And much player don't have a fix IP number, so a 'just in time' contact between the players is necessary.

Remember, a good IP game needs *minimum* 6 hrs, if all have experience and there isn't any problem (i.e. crash, wrong patch, running download in background, temporarily bad ISP connection) or long discussions (i.e. map, rules) when they login.

The best IPs we have made inhistory had been such which we started by IP Saturday (or Friday) evening
and secured that *all* also have time at the next day's (Saturday or Sunday) afternoon or evening to continue the game until a victory. Too often we had player who exit the game after one or two hrs already, maybe if they didn't have a good start or if they had other interests then. (The excuses a lot had been)

On the other hand, calculate to make a new start if really one gets an extreme startup (otherwise he will exit anyway soon and the game may be broken then. So it's better to make a restart at once if all agree)

General, you may count me every evening, but the best days the Fridays and Saturdays are to get more
who join. (Best games start with 4 human players and 3 AI then).

[Dreifels]

Originally posted by Hendrik
I would be unable to play until 9:30 GMT on tuesday.

you mean 9:30 in the morning?

[Drogue]

I agree with Dreifels, max 4 ppl per game and weekends probably best. Just mail me details or ICQ and ill be there