AU 106: ideas

[Jawa Jocky]

I have found that the AU, Mini-T, and monthly tournaments were more fun than random starts. The individuals responsible for starting these games did a great job creating a variety of different and still fair challenges.

Thank you!

I also enjoy comparing my game to others. I learn a lot (mostly what I'm still doing wrong). I wish I had more time to do quality write-ups (like Catt), but I'm 3 weeks into being a father and have very little spare time (a few hours on weekend mornings) and like to spend that time actually playing.


Since the weekend is approaching I was hoping to inspire someone to create AU 106 before the weekend.

[vulture]

Well Theseus is the chancellor of the AU, so I guess it's up to him when the next one comes around, and which one it is. Having said that, I'm quite happy to make the map for the next one, whatever it is. Looking at the list in the curriculum, I'd guess that 'Isolation' is next, which sounds like a painful exercise in coming from a long way behind in the tech race and will annoy all the warmongers (oh, I forgot, I've become a warmonger too...)

[FrustratedPoet]

You guys are up to AU 106 already!

/me hopes nobody realises he's been skipping classes for the last month.

anyone care to lend me their lecture notes?

[Konquest02]

Don't look for AU 104, it was mysteriously skipped...

[Catt]

Re: AU 106: ideas

Originally posted by Jawa Jocky
. . . . but I'm 3 weeks into being a father and have very little spare time (a few hours on weekend mornings) and like to spend that time actually playing.

I got hooked on Civ III with newborns! Went to bed at 8:00 pm, letting my wife take care of the kids until about 2:00 am, then woke up at 3:00 am to bottle feed, letting my wife sleep until 9:00 am. The kids were quiet (when not eating) between 3:00 and 9:00 -- I've never had enough Civ III time since they started sleeping through the night.

Originally posted by Konquest02
Don't look for AU 104, it was mysteriously skipped...

The Tale of Banana Island was AU 104, though wasn't labeled as such.

For those relatively new to the MiniTourney / AU concept, check out this thread. The "themes" of most games we've played have come from Theseus' initial compilation (with Sir Ralph's offering up Banana Island). Alexman has frequently carried the burden of modifying the map - though we should take turns on this and, in any event, I suspect alexman may still be on honeymoon.

Anybody have any strong preferences from the unplayed games in the AU thread (above)? I also think we ought to add an "always war" game to the syllabus, as Gastric ReFlux suggested a few weeks back -- constant warfare could teach some pretty valuable lessons and provide for some entertaining games, I think.

Catt

[Killerdaffy]

Originally posted by vulture
Looking at the list in the curriculum, I'd guess that 'Isolation' is next, which sounds like a painful exercise in coming from a long way behind in the tech race and will annoy all the warmongers (oh, I forgot, I've become a warmonger too...)

Banana Island was kind of 'Isolation', even though not very long. We might want to build another one where you don't even meet the other civs until, say, industrial... That might also make for a nice test bed for the AU mod 'Killer Civs' vs. normal, due to human non-interference.

That being said I vote for 'always war'. My usual strategy is to only fight ultra-short wars in Dem / Rep so I'll definitely learn something new here.

[Theseus]

Hey guys!!

I've been finding I like, or even prefer, shared maps / games too, including also *gasp* 1337's first challenge (which was sort of a joke) and helping Knightblade over the weekend.

I think the next few (not in order) should be Isolation, Always War, and Science.

Isolation - I still really want to do this, including modifying it as Catt originally suggested (more water, fewer civs), but I'm concerned people won't want to play because of map size.

Always War - Can someone suggest the set-up and the rules? Sounds like fun.

Science - If anything, I'd like to do this first, but maybe changed a little... there's been a lot of discussion about research lately, and I think it would be fun to be able to point to examples from a group game. I don;t know if the goal should necessarily be being one full era ahead, but should be more about using science and tech trading to dominate the game. Any thoughts?

Anybody have any strong preferences?

[Killerdaffy]

Originally posted by Theseus
Isolation - I still really want to do this, including modifying it as Catt originally suggested (more water, fewer civs), but I'm concerned people won't want to play because of map size.

Aren't the computing power problems more related to the no. of AI civs and/or cities & units to be moved? So if the map is huge but there is little dry land the game should still be playable for most people.

[Catt]

Originally posted by Killerdaffy


Aren't the computing power problems more related to the no. of AI civs and/or cities & units to be moved? So if the map is huge but there is little dry land the game should still be playable for most people.

I hope so (and I think you're right, but I can't say for certain).

I went back to read the AU thread - seems like so long ago but was only a couple of months!

I think the suggestion I made re: Isolation in the original thread was only 4 or 5 civs on a huge map - that might be overkill, as, IIRC, my suggestion was targeted at making sure that there was no contact until ocean-going ships arrive. With our later penchant for having someone modify the map to suit our needs, we can probably get by with a Large or Huge map with a fair number of civs -- the map-maker just needs to be certain that there is a good deal of ocean between land masses and, perhaps we institute a rule against suicide ships -- i.e., all human players will know from the start that no land is reachable from the home continent without risk, and we all voluntarily agree to not take the risk in hopes of making contact?

BTW, I'm still fairly busy in RL (not much time for civving), so can play with the map for whatever game we decide to select as AU 106.

Catt

[Harovan]

We could just eliminate Galleys from the build tree and assign Caravels to Navigation, making it mandantory. Case solved .

[Catt]

Originally posted by Theseus
Always War - Can someone suggest the set-up and the rules? Sounds like fun.

Gastric Reflux's post suggested a succession game from CivFanatics as an example. That game was played as:

Originally posted on CivFanatics
Game parameters:

- Large map - only 9 enemies (10 total civs)
- Continents with 70% (middle) water
- All win conditions enabled

Variant:
- NO PEACE! If we can contact a civ, we must declare war on them -- that turn. Some trading is allowed before the war declaration but only of hard goods (cash and tech, no per turn deals). Similarly, no peace treaty will ever be accepted.

Not sure what to make of the game parameters - continents might provide some breathing room since a pangea map would give you a bunch of foes on the same landmass. Map size could be anything, I suppose. The "variant" is probably the most important aspect of the game.

What civ would make sense in an always war game? The English?

Catt

[Harovan]

Originally posted by Catt
What civ would make sense in an always war game? The English?

What about Gandhi?

[Theseus]

So do people vote for Isolation or Always War?

[Gastric ReFlux]

Heh, English for Always War.

There are advantages to playing Panagea for an AW--it might seem crazy but the chance to make early contact with all the opponents can be a big advantage. Although surviving the initial onslaught can be frightening.

Continents can make the early times easier, less opps banging on the door, but it has future difficulties.

[Catt]

I would try and play either one - no real preference for me (especially since the map will be spoiled for me if no one else really wants to make the map).

Catt