Looking to try out PBEM--modern era start?

[Random Passerby]

For the past few months I've been itching to try out a modern era start game in multiplayer. Unfortunately, on picking up PTW I find that my network doesn't seem to like the internet mode (and most people seem to tell me that it would crash anyways) and the AI remains woefully inadequate for such a thing (they keep trying to build modern wonders when they have 2 or 3 cities and 1 or 2 riflemen to defend the lot of them, and now with the new worker actions they seem to immediately spend their starting worker on a radar tower!) So, the next logical recourse seems to be PBEM.

Anyone interested in trying out such a thing, or who have tried modern era starts and have comments?

[Jack_www]

You what might be even better is to do a scenario that is based on recent times. I know that there is a 20 centery scenario out but is really big and was made for Civ3 and PTW, might be problems, but if we could get some short of scenario, that would be better

[Random Passerby]

Eh, maybe, but I'm still hooked on the idea of having all (or most of, anyways) the techs at your disposal and still starting out with 1 settler, 1 worker and building it all from scratch. You have the better part of the entire game's strategic concerns condensed into the immediate start, and compounded again because of other concerns--mostly related to the highly limited production capacity of your starting city, even if you use accelerated rates (I've tried a few test runs vs. the AI with and without accelerated production and am mostly indifferent; for PBEM I'd probably prefer accelerated production, but under other circumstances, the first few hundred turns will fly). It does unbalance civ traits/UUs a bit, I'll admit, but not so badly as to cripple multiplayer; there should be more than enough worthwhile civs to go around.

I do seem to be about the only person who cares about such a scenario, but perhaps that's just as well; I suppose I'd be best off trying a few regular games first anyhow.

[Buster13]

I'll give it a shot sometime if you are interested. I'm always into trying something new.

P.S. - I think it's funny that the AI would use it's only worker to build a radar tower!

[Jack_www]

I might play though, I think it would be neat to do something like this, but I am already in 3 PBEM games and may me in a PTW democratic game, so I dont know if I can do this one.

[miccofl]

This file might work, check it out. All civs are playable, up to 8 players. All civs are playable, all civs start out at the beginning of modern times the start year is 1950. The first 60 turns last 6 months, the next 90 last 3 months and the last 290 are one month each for a more realistic timeline. There are no other rule changes. (US PTW v1.04f)

Anyone want to play?

Edit: Removed gold bonus and turned off Accelerated Production, file is Version 2.

[Random Passerby]

I was actually just suggesting using the modern era start scenario supplied with PTW.

Anyways, I'd be willing to play (duh) but I like starting from scratch better; if people insist on using accelerated production, OK, but do we have to have the 1000 gold start? In my experience money is fairly easy to come by; obviously, with a single size 1 city it's gonna take a loooong time to research anything. Naturally people are going to rely on the 40 turn research limit, which lets them run at 80-90% taxes.

[Buster13]

You guys do what you gotta do. I'm just along for the ride on this one.

In general, since this is Random's idea, I say he makes the rules...short of:

Rule 1. I win

[miccofl]

The only changes the file I posted makes now is to the game date/timeline - since we now have the ability to play this type of scenario with realistic dates, we should definitely do so.

I would not be opposed to using the scenario that came with the game either, but I do have two questions: 1. Who will host? and 2. When do we start?

[Random Passerby]

This is a PBEM game, so hosting doesn't really matter much to me; I'd set it up unless someone else is really itching to do it, I guess. We have 3, maybe 4 people interested here and aren't too likely to get any more; you guys want to post email addresses and civ preferences? I don't think all-random civs would be very fair; there are enough good civs to go around (as I see it, basically that means Germany and any Industrious civ).

[Buster13]

I'll PM you my email address, and I'd like to play Carthage.

Even without thier UU, commercial/industrial is a nice combo...and I just can't stomach playing France.

[Buster13]

Double Post

[miccofl]

I will PM my email as well, I'd like the Americans.