The next AU course (after AU401)

[Dominae]

Hi everyone,

AU401 seems to have died, for some reason. The scenario was good, but there was probably a drop in interest with all the confusion around 'Poly going down and 401 being posted on MZO (etc., etc.). If you're still playing it and want the next course to be held up a bit, speak up now!

Ideas for the next course:

1. No Trading; you cannot receive or give anything to AI, other than Diplomatic Agreements (Peace Treaty, Alliance, etc.).

2. Total War; you must always be at war with every civ you have contact with.

3. One-City Two; a second OCC scenario.

4. Five-City; conquer the world with only five cities.

5. Blind Research; your next tech to research is always randomly selected (by rolling a die, for instance).

6. AU-X Revisited; re-do an old AU course.

7. AU-X Reloaded; re-do an old AU theme (for instance, "Island Hopping" but with an entirely different map from the original).

8. Other suggestions?


I know there have been more ideas, but I'll have to dig them up. Personally I'm leaning toward No Trading or Blind Research, saving Total War for everyone a later time (heck yeah, I'm scared!).


Dominae

[Nor Me]

I'd vote for nothing I can think of and certainly not 1-5.
Apart from the OCC, they're all warmogering scenarios and are highly artificial.

AU401 seems to have a record ratio of people claiming to have started it to AARs. I've finished and will post mine tomorrow. I certainly had fun with that one.

Keep the useful suggestions flowing everyone.

[alva]

1. No Trading; you cannot receive or give anything to AI, other than Diplomatic Agreements (Peace Treaty, Alliance, etc.).

I've played several games (emperor,non-AU) like, and the strategy works a lot better then expected. Depriving the AI the money it's makes from the human civ is really slowing him down.

[Dominae]

Originally posted by alva
I've played several games (emperor,non-AU) like, and the strategy works a lot better then expected. Depriving the AI the money it's makes from the human civ is really slowing him down.

That's okay. The poing of the theme would be to force players to do their own research, sort of as a practice run for the Total War game.


Dominae

[Theseus]

Hmmm...

I think we are ready, having done a huge map and an OCC (Machiavelli- and diplo-focused games), for Total War.

[rush]

TOTAL WAR, definitely.

For a non-warmonger like me, I would like to try out TOTAL WAR.

[Vlado]

I went for the blind tech part. The total war seems like fun but I'm so unused to it so I must admit that I'm afraid to...

Will this be availible for Vanilla civ as well?

[Mountain Sage]

5 cities
AU-X revisited
AU-X reloaded

As you probably know by now ( ), I am not a warmonger, this is why I didn't play AU401.

But I'm in favor of any game which gives you the opportunity to play it according to your style and compare the results.

I'm also in favor of playing a game which makes you play on a different set as the usual one (as archipelago for all pangea-lovers).

[Chemical Ollie]

Total War or No Trading (don't you get a no trading game if you have total war anyway?) I like playing AU for several reasons.
1) I get to discuss the game with other people who played the same map.
2) I think the AU rules make more sense. Especially archers doing auto bombardment as defence, industrial infantry being stronger than cavallery and lethal air bombardment vs ships.



Question regarding the AU mod: I have only played 2 games to the end since I got PtW. Both were set up under AU rules. I noticed today that my hall of fame is still empty. Do only unmodded games get registered in the highscore list?

[Dominae]

Originally posted by Olaf HÃ¥rfagre
Total War or No Trading (don't you get a no trading game if you have total war anyway?)

Yes, which is why if we do Total War first, No Trading will seem sort of pointless afterwards.

Question regarding the AU mod: I have only played 2 games to the end since I got PtW. Both were set up under AU rules. I noticed today that my hall of fame is still empty. Do only unmodded games get registered in the highscore list?

A game only gets registered in the HoF if it uses the original .bix rules file.


Dominae

[Jawa Jocky]

5 - city

[Fosse]

I voted for AUX reloaded. I think it would be valuable to replay some of those early themes that many of us were not around for. Also, if a different person creates the map for round two, then the original author will get the joys and practice of playing the old theme.

[Catt]

Re: The next AU course (after AU401)

Originally posted by Dominae
AU401 seems to have died, for some reason. The scenario was good, but there was probably a drop in interest with all the confusion around 'Poly going down and 401 being posted on MZO (etc., etc.).

That's me -- got busy and then lost with the whole 'Poly down for days episode and didn't make the effort to pursue to MZ (but kudos to MasterZen for making a home for the 'Poly regulars )

I still think that OCC ought be something akin to "auditing" a course -- valuable lessons to learn, but unless you love OCC, can become a little tiresome / repetitive IMHO.

My personal preferences are to preserve freedom of playstyle within AU, but at the same time trying to emphasize / focus on one or more aspects of the game for further study. I'd be interested in another "island hopping" or achipelago game -- I think we've only done one of these, and it seems to me that most posters habitually play a pangaea or continets game. The naval aspect of the game is not particularly strong, but IMHO many of us ignore it completely (and therefore miss some learning) and make do without it, because we can without suffering a loss but with, perhaps, missing opportunities.

Catt

[Zero]

PLaying OCC makes me wonder just what I can do with 5 cities....

5CC would be fun, but wouldnt a 400 level course have to be diffcult? 5CC would be lot eaiser than OCC challenge

[rush]

For me, the purpose of the University is to try out different playing styles that we are not familiar with, so as to improve our game.

It also involves comparing moves, rationale behind each move and decision. This is made easier because everybody plays the same map, under the same rules (eg OCC), and possibly same civilisations.

I voted for TOTAL WAR earlier.
But I forgot to mention - please include a nonPTW version please.