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Okay ... so I got this crazy idea for a ... different sort of competition. Rather than a full-game competition, rather a test of skills. 
I'd love some comments on 1) would anyone ever try this? 2) are the skills I chose the right ones? and 3) what possible issues would come up?
Setup: Scenario, with no normal techs. Totally redone (and simple) tech tree. Not going very far into the game, really.
Triathalon
Setup: 5-7 civs; Average to small sized map, Pangea with some created islands. Pangea would be pre-created and pretty boring; all 8 civs would have a spot to grow in. Players would probably start in the center, with 1 settler 1 worker each. All 8 players would play as the same civ (or clone-civs); probably no civ traits, or else something like "expansionist and commercial" or something boring. The map would be pre-known, so the pre-race (to get to the 8 spots) might be interesting.
Part One: Learning
The first part is measured by your speed of scientific development. The first part of the Tech Tree is linear - you have no choice as to what tech you research. The first player to the fifth tech (which will be named "Finish Line"!) wins this race.
The techs would be something like:
1. Religion: Allows Temples (but 0 culture value). Also, a 0/1/1 unit (for military police).
2. Learning: Allows Libraries (but 0 culture value).
3. Money: Allows Marketplaces.
4. Potable Water: Allows Aquaducts.
5. Finish Line: Finish Allows CTemple (1 shield cost, or minimum possible, requires Temple, does nothing but produce 2 culture); CLibrary (same, but for library; still 2 culture, though). Also allows a bunch of new techs, that allow military units and the like.
Score would be (50) - (turns taken to finish the techs). Tech difficulty worked so the average finish would be 25-35 turns.
Part Two: Culture
The second part is measured by your speed of cultural expansion. The first team to X cultural value wins. (Perhaps 1,000?) OR, the first team to X units of territory wins (although this hurts ICS folk)...
During this period (and the first period), military conquest is STRICTLY PROHIBITED. In fact, you cannot build any offensive military units (by rule). It's not possible to physically prevent it, but anything that has a nonzero offensive number is prohibited from being built in this phase.
Score would be (40) - (turns taken to accomplish culture). X would be figured so the average turn length is 15-20 for the culture.
Part Three: Conquest
The third part is pure conquest. The players play "King of the Hill" with some AI-controlled cities sitting on a ton of VPs each. Winner is first to X VPs. The AI would not be able to build any units - just start with a bunch of defensive 0/6/0 or something units. Players at this stage are permitted to attack each other, but not to attack any player-built cities (you can attack captured AI cities, and you can attack units anywhere, and in fact can pillage homeland if you really feel like it).
Score would be 40-(Turns to achieve X VPs) where X is set so that it usually will be about 20 turns to achieve (tho this may vary a lot).
OVERALL WINNER
Each round is judged both seperately and together. You gain the following:
(SCORE 1) + (SCORE 2) + (SCORE 3) + (Bonus: 5 for each first place finish) + (Bonus: 10 for completing all 3 first; does not require first place finishes in any one part) + (Bonus: 10 for first place finish in all 3 parts seperately).
Example scores:
(Turn 18) (Turn 42) (Turn 60) = (50-18) + (40-24) + (40-18) = 70 + bonuses
(Turn 22) (Turn 44) (Turn 61) = (50-22) + (40-22) + (40-17) = 69 + bonuses
(Turn 15) (Turn 38) (Turn 62) = (50-15) + (40-23) + (40-24) = 68 + bonuses
Bonuses based on those 3 finishes:
Player 1: 70 + (no firsts) + (10 for finishing first) = 80
Player 2: 69 + (0,5,5) = 79
Player 3: 68 + (5,0,0) = 73
So Player 1 wins, even though he did not win any one race. If two players tie any one race or bonus, they split the bonus in half (or thirds etc.)
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Does this sound feasible, or interesting? I think that, if many players were interested, we could set up something like heats - ie, say 4 heats of 5 and the 4 winners + 1 best nonwinning time would make the finals. Accelerated Production would likely be on in the heats, with no AP in the finals.
As I said above, also comments on the specific trials are very much appreciated ...
I'd love some comments on 1) would anyone ever try this? 2) are the skills I chose the right ones? and 3) what possible issues would come up?
Setup: Scenario, with no normal techs. Totally redone (and simple) tech tree. Not going very far into the game, really.
Triathalon
Setup: 5-7 civs; Average to small sized map, Pangea with some created islands. Pangea would be pre-created and pretty boring; all 8 civs would have a spot to grow in. Players would probably start in the center, with 1 settler 1 worker each. All 8 players would play as the same civ (or clone-civs); probably no civ traits, or else something like "expansionist and commercial" or something boring. The map would be pre-known, so the pre-race (to get to the 8 spots) might be interesting.
Part One: Learning
The first part is measured by your speed of scientific development. The first part of the Tech Tree is linear - you have no choice as to what tech you research. The first player to the fifth tech (which will be named "Finish Line"!) wins this race.
The techs would be something like:
1. Religion: Allows Temples (but 0 culture value). Also, a 0/1/1 unit (for military police).
2. Learning: Allows Libraries (but 0 culture value).
3. Money: Allows Marketplaces.
4. Potable Water: Allows Aquaducts.
5. Finish Line: Finish
Allows CTemple (1 shield cost, or minimum possible, requires Temple, does nothing but produce 2 culture); CLibrary (same, but for library; still 2 culture, though). Also allows a bunch of new techs, that allow military units and the like.Score would be (50) - (turns taken to finish the techs). Tech difficulty worked so the average finish would be 25-35 turns.
Part Two: Culture
The second part is measured by your speed of cultural expansion. The first team to X cultural value wins. (Perhaps 1,000?) OR, the first team to X units of territory wins (although this hurts ICS folk)...
During this period (and the first period), military conquest is STRICTLY PROHIBITED. In fact, you cannot build any offensive military units (by rule). It's not possible to physically prevent it, but anything that has a nonzero offensive number is prohibited from being built in this phase.
Score would be (40) - (turns taken to accomplish culture). X would be figured so the average turn length is 15-20 for the culture.
Part Three: Conquest
The third part is pure conquest. The players play "King of the Hill" with some AI-controlled cities sitting on a ton of VPs each. Winner is first to X VPs. The AI would not be able to build any units - just start with a bunch of defensive 0/6/0 or something units. Players at this stage are permitted to attack each other, but not to attack any player-built cities (you can attack captured AI cities, and you can attack units anywhere, and in fact can pillage homeland if you really feel like it).
Score would be 40-(Turns to achieve X VPs) where X is set so that it usually will be about 20 turns to achieve (tho this may vary a lot).
OVERALL WINNER
Each round is judged both seperately and together. You gain the following:
(SCORE 1) + (SCORE 2) + (SCORE 3) + (Bonus: 5 for each first place finish) + (Bonus: 10 for completing all 3 first; does not require first place finishes in any one part) + (Bonus: 10 for first place finish in all 3 parts seperately).
Example scores:
(Turn 18) (Turn 42) (Turn 60) = (50-18) + (40-24) + (40-18) = 70 + bonuses
(Turn 22) (Turn 44) (Turn 61) = (50-22) + (40-22) + (40-17) = 69 + bonuses
(Turn 15) (Turn 38) (Turn 62) = (50-15) + (40-23) + (40-24) = 68 + bonuses
Bonuses based on those 3 finishes:
Player 1: 70 + (no firsts) + (10 for finishing first) = 80
Player 2: 69 + (0,5,5) = 79
Player 3: 68 + (5,0,0) = 73
So Player 1 wins, even though he did not win any one race. If two players tie any one race or bonus, they split the bonus in half (or thirds etc.)
----------
Does this sound feasible, or interesting? I think that, if many players were interested, we could set up something like heats - ie, say 4 heats of 5 and the 4 winners + 1 best nonwinning time would make the finals. Accelerated Production would likely be on in the heats, with no AP in the finals.
As I said above, also comments on the specific trials are very much appreciated ...
well done
)
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