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Nicosar's Master Challenge
I welcome all. Greetings from The Gameplayer.
I began playing civilization many years ago, off and on as the interest waned and rose again, leaving it for the latest thing yet always, inevitably, coming back to the game that allowed for the most freedom and consuming gameplay, and I began slowly, but surely, realizing that civ is not a game unto itself, but it is just a version of a specific type of simulator, more of a concept than a game, if you will, that emulates reality. The game is of course, skin deep, in practically all the almost infinite aspects of humanity that it does cover, which is only a limited set of them really, but it is the only game that successfully combines as many of these as the developers of these days could comprehend and pack into one program without completely ignoring the fact that it must be playable, and making it work and make sense, to a certain degree, provided one doesn't snicker about details or inspect it TOO closely, but most importantly of all, providing the player with no pre-ordained level to play on or a rigid set of boundaries but just a huge environment and freedom to do as the player wishes. It is this reason that makes this the best game today. That is, if one defines a game not as some flashy-looking rat maze where mindless shooting is the most intriguing factor but as an intense simulation which is so flexible it gives back only what the player puts into it in terms of creativity and originality of thought.
All of this variety, though, quickly fades against an opponent that maintains no atmosphere of puzzling subversion and fierce retaliation to keep you alert and focused as if your life depended on it, since such a player, such as the AI, becomes predictable all too quick and victory becomes a formula, not a triumph of the reactive mind. Then, when most people like me who had analyzed the game for what it really was but started to feel that it was just a meager version of it, its creators redeemed themselves by releasing another, superior version of the game that allowed for customizable freedom, and finally a chance to have battles against other types of opponents: intelligent ones.
Suddenly interest was again sparked like a wildfire, the old predictability of the game thawing from a stiff and unmoldable block of ice into a swirling chaos of steam, always moving, always changing; the players having to actually strain their minds to keep up in games against even a multiple set of human minds which never allowed them a moment's rest if they were to be able to counteract deadly maneouvers in time. All the old rules of how to win were burned into ashes by this new fire that existed only inbetween humans in favor of a constantly evolving environment. It is in the multiplayer aspect, then, of this game which is truly the only thing that makes it worthwhile as a game of strategy, the standard game against the computer seeming only as an initiation to learn the game's rules and basic concepts in comparison.
It is with this thought constantly in mind that this gameplayer has kept playing this 'human strategy simulator' throughout the years in many various forms, some clearly superior in the mobility of tactics they allowed then others which would stifle the player for the sake of the uniqueness of the scenario, to eventually come up with the richest version of the game possible.
In this custom version, all the units and rules and some sciences have been slightly altered, all the myriad of small and subtle changes amassing in their importance to make the game truly a master's version, embodying all the solid concepts of civ carefully refined and many more which add to the game immensely and raise it to terribly exciting new levels of deep and fulfilling strategy!This gameboard includes a 32,696 sq. GIGA map designed to resemble realistic terrain in all it's jagged and wild randomness and unpredictability, 13 new units ranging throughout all the ages but weighing more heavily in the modern era, though at a sacrifice of two rather expandable units, 10 new sciences and the general changes made to the game in all fields and respects but with heavy consideration as to how they would affect each other, and the invaluable honor code.
The honor code is actually what holds the game together the best, though if you download this gameboard and play against the computer it becomes quite useless since it is intended for a full human game, but it graffs a new concept unto civ 2 which is that of rulers, precious units which represent leader units (but these are not the leaders from civ3) which must be protected at all costs lest your empire be divided in the internal struggle for power after your rulers' death. It is not programmed into the game but works perfectly if held aloft by the integrity of all the players. All, or the vast majority, of all graphics have been changed to make Civ 2 look a new game, but a game designed by someone with a deep sense of visual aesthetics, and I would here like to thank the people that designed alot of these units and terrain squares. I did touch up work on the vast majority of those icons and even made some myself but had I to draw everything from scratch I'd STILL be working on it today, so I am in debt to those who have meticulously worked to make such fine pixel drawings.
I hope that the moderators of this site will not remove this game to some sort of scenario section, since this actually belongs in the multiplayer forum almost more than any other thread; the very purpose of this being to attract those who are interested in my so called ELITE CHALLENGES and download the games that I will be playing elsewhere with a full host so that they may practice on a master's gameboard while waiting for the next game, and therefore the next map, to arrive, hence being able to participate in a fresh competition with all the rules and changes they have become accustomed to but with all new players and new terrain. I have a method by which I make maps, involving the zoom and limiting of how often I see everything at once to form a cohesion of all the lines and climates in my head, which leaves me mostly in the dark about the specifics of that which I myself created, but I will further this step even more by producing 5 maps with the same methods of creator-oriented obscurity and pick the first one, so narrowing my knowledge of it even more as it fades in memory, and then creating a sixth map if I want to use the second, and so on.
It is especially important, however, that this thread and its downloadable contents remain here since this is where me and my fellow players will come to (as well as its sister-thread at the fanatics center) in order to report the outcomes of each game, share the in-game stories and make further challenges to each other, etc. I am boldly, since such an effort could easily be despised and abused, trying to create an environment of serious gameplay, serious meaning intense, being offered only to those gamers who wish to reveal themselves, honorably and graciously I hope, as players of skill and endurance, who seek always a challenge in the paths of great strategical planning and execution and are not satisfied to play even just a couple other humans in mediocre settings but who require the highest caliber gaming that civilization 2 can provide them!
I hope this is well-received, since I wish for all to enjoy and read its contents and share in the excitement of such a place erected with the tension of sportsman-like competition which all good players enjoy, but I would ask those fond of replying back and forth amongst themselves otherwise specific-thread-irrelevant comments and conversation to keep their unelated dialogues to an absolute minimum, since I would wish that this thread remain open to anyone wanting to talk in earnest about the challenge I have presented or participate in its events without feeling they are interrupting page-long chats of those who have plenty of space elsewhere to carry on to such lengths their unrelated thoughts or being subject to the mean-spirited analyzations of other gamers who would inexplicably want to mock this site or those who come hear with pure purposes at heart involving only this great game and their love for it.
I trust all the members of this forum to have a bit of foresight, singling out no one in particular but voicing my concerns and feelings on the matter to all equally, that once this thread develops without the hindrance of those who would choose to see it abolished, preffering that everyone be in the same common ground which you must admit has not made any exceptional effort in organizing people in such a specific and personal way, that it will be an incredible resource not only for the best maps available (you'll see this for yourself) but for willing and comitted talent such as only these two sister websites can muster in such commendable numbers
It is also a fond wish of mine that the moderators keep an eye out for this thread, as I hope and trust they have an intimate wisdom enough concerning people and games, having done this for any amount of time as they have, so that it will be held precious, at least slightly, if I could choose, as an effort quite rare and done with a surprising level of grace I have even surprised myself with! I am used to appearing boldly and rashly up-close in the face of others when wishing to voice my thoughts above all others and gaining more enemies than friends with such methods but I hope the gentleness of my tone in this thread, which I have started with a will to not impose myself upon the space of others unwanted or dishonorably, will not be taken advantage of and the verbal graffiti may be kept to a minimum.
I would even maybe ask if all thoughts voiced here could be thought out and well-phrased pieces of intelligent discussion (!), but there, I believe all the odds in the universe are against me! I would therefore only ask that the debates remain topical and the mood be maintained as civil as all you unarguably fine gentlemen are capable of summoning from your better halves!
I will now attach NICOSAR'S MASTER GAMEBOARD scenario files, which include precisely: the files themselves, the original map, and all the documentation concerning the changes to the game and the honor code, which in all numbers 4 pages of units, 4 pages of techs (which are designed to be printed and arrayed as a poster) the general rules page and the 5 pages of the honor code. Just go to this website and look for 'Nicosar 1', ignoring all the other junk.
Enjoy this one; there will be more, and even, if you all have enough coordination inbetween your hectic schedules, organize a game for yourselves while I am engaged in my own full-human game! It would be quite spectacular if we could post two sets of outcomes for the same scenario with two different groups of skilled gamers!! This is but the first round of maps and games; i intend to be doing this quite a while now, since games are my specialty and this is my favorite one, and I hope that a brave and glorious host of inveterate pros will be here conducting their own negotiations and challenges when I arrive victorious from my tournament! But beware! At that point you will all have to stop feuding amongst yourselves and gather all your strength in alliance if you are to defeat me!!! AHAHAHAHAHHA!!
Call it a dream... -Nicosar the Gameplayer-
I began playing civilization many years ago, off and on as the interest waned and rose again, leaving it for the latest thing yet always, inevitably, coming back to the game that allowed for the most freedom and consuming gameplay, and I began slowly, but surely, realizing that civ is not a game unto itself, but it is just a version of a specific type of simulator, more of a concept than a game, if you will, that emulates reality. The game is of course, skin deep, in practically all the almost infinite aspects of humanity that it does cover, which is only a limited set of them really, but it is the only game that successfully combines as many of these as the developers of these days could comprehend and pack into one program without completely ignoring the fact that it must be playable, and making it work and make sense, to a certain degree, provided one doesn't snicker about details or inspect it TOO closely, but most importantly of all, providing the player with no pre-ordained level to play on or a rigid set of boundaries but just a huge environment and freedom to do as the player wishes. It is this reason that makes this the best game today. That is, if one defines a game not as some flashy-looking rat maze where mindless shooting is the most intriguing factor but as an intense simulation which is so flexible it gives back only what the player puts into it in terms of creativity and originality of thought.
All of this variety, though, quickly fades against an opponent that maintains no atmosphere of puzzling subversion and fierce retaliation to keep you alert and focused as if your life depended on it, since such a player, such as the AI, becomes predictable all too quick and victory becomes a formula, not a triumph of the reactive mind. Then, when most people like me who had analyzed the game for what it really was but started to feel that it was just a meager version of it, its creators redeemed themselves by releasing another, superior version of the game that allowed for customizable freedom, and finally a chance to have battles against other types of opponents: intelligent ones.
Suddenly interest was again sparked like a wildfire, the old predictability of the game thawing from a stiff and unmoldable block of ice into a swirling chaos of steam, always moving, always changing; the players having to actually strain their minds to keep up in games against even a multiple set of human minds which never allowed them a moment's rest if they were to be able to counteract deadly maneouvers in time. All the old rules of how to win were burned into ashes by this new fire that existed only inbetween humans in favor of a constantly evolving environment. It is in the multiplayer aspect, then, of this game which is truly the only thing that makes it worthwhile as a game of strategy, the standard game against the computer seeming only as an initiation to learn the game's rules and basic concepts in comparison.
It is with this thought constantly in mind that this gameplayer has kept playing this 'human strategy simulator' throughout the years in many various forms, some clearly superior in the mobility of tactics they allowed then others which would stifle the player for the sake of the uniqueness of the scenario, to eventually come up with the richest version of the game possible.
In this custom version, all the units and rules and some sciences have been slightly altered, all the myriad of small and subtle changes amassing in their importance to make the game truly a master's version, embodying all the solid concepts of civ carefully refined and many more which add to the game immensely and raise it to terribly exciting new levels of deep and fulfilling strategy!This gameboard includes a 32,696 sq. GIGA map designed to resemble realistic terrain in all it's jagged and wild randomness and unpredictability, 13 new units ranging throughout all the ages but weighing more heavily in the modern era, though at a sacrifice of two rather expandable units, 10 new sciences and the general changes made to the game in all fields and respects but with heavy consideration as to how they would affect each other, and the invaluable honor code.
The honor code is actually what holds the game together the best, though if you download this gameboard and play against the computer it becomes quite useless since it is intended for a full human game, but it graffs a new concept unto civ 2 which is that of rulers, precious units which represent leader units (but these are not the leaders from civ3) which must be protected at all costs lest your empire be divided in the internal struggle for power after your rulers' death. It is not programmed into the game but works perfectly if held aloft by the integrity of all the players. All, or the vast majority, of all graphics have been changed to make Civ 2 look a new game, but a game designed by someone with a deep sense of visual aesthetics, and I would here like to thank the people that designed alot of these units and terrain squares. I did touch up work on the vast majority of those icons and even made some myself but had I to draw everything from scratch I'd STILL be working on it today, so I am in debt to those who have meticulously worked to make such fine pixel drawings.
I hope that the moderators of this site will not remove this game to some sort of scenario section, since this actually belongs in the multiplayer forum almost more than any other thread; the very purpose of this being to attract those who are interested in my so called ELITE CHALLENGES and download the games that I will be playing elsewhere with a full host so that they may practice on a master's gameboard while waiting for the next game, and therefore the next map, to arrive, hence being able to participate in a fresh competition with all the rules and changes they have become accustomed to but with all new players and new terrain. I have a method by which I make maps, involving the zoom and limiting of how often I see everything at once to form a cohesion of all the lines and climates in my head, which leaves me mostly in the dark about the specifics of that which I myself created, but I will further this step even more by producing 5 maps with the same methods of creator-oriented obscurity and pick the first one, so narrowing my knowledge of it even more as it fades in memory, and then creating a sixth map if I want to use the second, and so on.
It is especially important, however, that this thread and its downloadable contents remain here since this is where me and my fellow players will come to (as well as its sister-thread at the fanatics center) in order to report the outcomes of each game, share the in-game stories and make further challenges to each other, etc. I am boldly, since such an effort could easily be despised and abused, trying to create an environment of serious gameplay, serious meaning intense, being offered only to those gamers who wish to reveal themselves, honorably and graciously I hope, as players of skill and endurance, who seek always a challenge in the paths of great strategical planning and execution and are not satisfied to play even just a couple other humans in mediocre settings but who require the highest caliber gaming that civilization 2 can provide them!
I hope this is well-received, since I wish for all to enjoy and read its contents and share in the excitement of such a place erected with the tension of sportsman-like competition which all good players enjoy, but I would ask those fond of replying back and forth amongst themselves otherwise specific-thread-irrelevant comments and conversation to keep their unelated dialogues to an absolute minimum, since I would wish that this thread remain open to anyone wanting to talk in earnest about the challenge I have presented or participate in its events without feeling they are interrupting page-long chats of those who have plenty of space elsewhere to carry on to such lengths their unrelated thoughts or being subject to the mean-spirited analyzations of other gamers who would inexplicably want to mock this site or those who come hear with pure purposes at heart involving only this great game and their love for it.
I trust all the members of this forum to have a bit of foresight, singling out no one in particular but voicing my concerns and feelings on the matter to all equally, that once this thread develops without the hindrance of those who would choose to see it abolished, preffering that everyone be in the same common ground which you must admit has not made any exceptional effort in organizing people in such a specific and personal way, that it will be an incredible resource not only for the best maps available (you'll see this for yourself) but for willing and comitted talent such as only these two sister websites can muster in such commendable numbers
It is also a fond wish of mine that the moderators keep an eye out for this thread, as I hope and trust they have an intimate wisdom enough concerning people and games, having done this for any amount of time as they have, so that it will be held precious, at least slightly, if I could choose, as an effort quite rare and done with a surprising level of grace I have even surprised myself with! I am used to appearing boldly and rashly up-close in the face of others when wishing to voice my thoughts above all others and gaining more enemies than friends with such methods but I hope the gentleness of my tone in this thread, which I have started with a will to not impose myself upon the space of others unwanted or dishonorably, will not be taken advantage of and the verbal graffiti may be kept to a minimum.
I would even maybe ask if all thoughts voiced here could be thought out and well-phrased pieces of intelligent discussion (!), but there, I believe all the odds in the universe are against me! I would therefore only ask that the debates remain topical and the mood be maintained as civil as all you unarguably fine gentlemen are capable of summoning from your better halves!
I will now attach NICOSAR'S MASTER GAMEBOARD scenario files, which include precisely: the files themselves, the original map, and all the documentation concerning the changes to the game and the honor code, which in all numbers 4 pages of units, 4 pages of techs (which are designed to be printed and arrayed as a poster) the general rules page and the 5 pages of the honor code. Just go to this website and look for 'Nicosar 1', ignoring all the other junk.
Enjoy this one; there will be more, and even, if you all have enough coordination inbetween your hectic schedules, organize a game for yourselves while I am engaged in my own full-human game! It would be quite spectacular if we could post two sets of outcomes for the same scenario with two different groups of skilled gamers!! This is but the first round of maps and games; i intend to be doing this quite a while now, since games are my specialty and this is my favorite one, and I hope that a brave and glorious host of inveterate pros will be here conducting their own negotiations and challenges when I arrive victorious from my tournament! But beware! At that point you will all have to stop feuding amongst yourselves and gather all your strength in alliance if you are to defeat me!!! AHAHAHAHAHHA!!
Call it a dream... -Nicosar the Gameplayer-
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