Predefined Games

[Gramphos]

I posted something about it in a topic on multiplaying yesterday, but I think it deserves an own topic.

Every time you start a game you have to make a lot of chooses. I, myself, have observed that I always makes the same chooses, maybe some variance. I have anyway to setup everything from the beginning every time I start a new game.
I'd like to be able to create Predefined Game Setups with map size and type (landmass, climate, age and so on) or a mapfile, rules, difficulty level, civ- and leadername titles, and everything else you have to setup before you start a game.
Then after created the gametyps you usually play, it will just take 2 chooses to do what earlier took a lot more clicks. Just select "Start Predefined Game" and then select the name of the predefined game to start, and start the game.

[airdrik]

I like it, it would include things like: standard rules+ raging hordes+ 7(or max) civs+ romans+ Julius Ceaser+ large map+ large masses+ continents+ wet+ warm+ 3M years.

Also, when starting a customized game, you would have a final option to 'save as predefined game', and predefined game files would be editable ala rules.txt.

[EnochF]

Excellent idea. Especially for when you have to re-load because your civ started with one Settler on a big desert.

[Gramphos]

Is my suggestion to perfect?
No negative Critics?
No Improvement suggestions?

Gues the only thing we can do now is to wait for any reaction by Firaxis.

[airdrik]

I know the feeling. Back when I was a newbie with great ideas, I had one where this eventually happened. I would guess that everyone is in agreement that this is a good idea, though the people at Firaxis have the final say as to if it is actually implemented or not (though the more we talk about it the higher chance that they will look at it).

[SerapisIV]

SMAC doesn't have that option explicitely shown, but if you start up a new game, the highlighted choices will be the ones you last used unless you specifically change them

[airdrik]

It does that in civ 2 as well, but (I think in both games) you still have to set up the rules (diety, raging hordes, 7 civs, indians, ...). This idea encompases those rules, so you can just open 'mypre.pdg' (PreDefined Game) and it will go straight to generating the map, placing civs, etc.

Now that I think of it, you should be able to save it using pre-drawn maps (w/option of random/standard locations in the file) as well.

[EnochF]

This week I decided to go back to playing Alpha Centauri for a while. I never bought the game; my roommates did. Anyway, SMAC gives you the opportunity to customize the rules in your game. That means you can, for example, turn off blind research, disallow various forms of victory, slow tech research, get rid of "goodie hut" pods, all sorts of things. Then it gives you the option to "Play With Current Rules." It remembers the last set of rules you gave it.

Unfortunately, it doesn't have an option to "Play With All Current Settings," including the size and makeup of the world, the faction you were playing, the name you chose for yourself, the difficulty setting, the rarity of barbarians, etc. And that would be something very useful for Civ III.

[Gramphos]

As no one finds anything to write het I'll just place a POLL on it here.

Do you want Predefined Games to be in Civilization III? Yes No Don't care

[airdrik]

You must like those polls. You're sticking them everywhere!

Anyway I got the second vote yes, for yes: 100%

[Ilkuul]

I think this is a great idea - save a lot of boring repetition before each game - so I've just added my Yes to the poll, gaining 20% of the results! (I was the 5th to vote! )

[King Richard]

Must agree! Great idea! I've always had the same problem. Since I am a bit of a perfectionist, I will start a game over and over again, until I find a starting position and a map that is close to perfection. This means that I save the game before I build my first city, "cheat" by showing the map. If the starting-position has room for a research-city, a production city and a wide variety of key resources + that I start alone on a big island, then I'm ready to start playing. Then I'll just load the game I have saved. Unfortunately this often means that I'll have to start a game 10-20 times (sometimes more!) before I'm satisfied, which is very irritating when I have to go through all the menues! Call me a nutcase, but that's how I like to play!

[Gramphos]

quote: Originally posted by airdrik on 04-17-2001 05:15 PM You must like those polls. You're sticking them everywhere!

You are absolutely right, I like them and as I still develop them and trying to make as few things to do to set one up. Right now I'm down to half an hour if I'm at home.

[airdrik]

That long? I was thinking it wouldn't take that long. Oh well I don't know that much about such things. Maybe you could design a program which designs them for you? That would cut the time down to just a few minutes, don't you think?

[Gramphos]

quote: Originally posted by airdrik on 04-18-2001 11:55 AM That long? I was thinking it wouldn't take that long.

I think it is less, as I have a new system for the POLL-definition file, but I haven't timed me setting up a poll. I just approximated it to half an hour, it's more likely 15 to 20 minutes with the current system.

quote: Oh well I don't know that much about such things. Maybe you could design a program which designs them for you? That would cut the time down to just a few minutes, don't you think?

I'm working with that. Most of the time right now goes to making the post page, and I'll try to make a forum for defining polls this weekend. It should make the definition file and generate the code I've to post. Right now I have to manually modify it for the specific poll, and make sure there is no line breaks in the code when I posts it.
To set up a poll without post ability takes just a few minutes.