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**Enigma_Nova** · January 17, 2006, 06:23

Re: Skills, Hopes and Responsibilities

I will start with myself.
My Skills include Internal Organisation and General Strategy, with possible skills in Diplomacy that I wouldn't rely on.
I have interests in Micro, General Tactics, War, Peace and such in-game matters.
I also have a knack for making piercing comments and getting conflict started.

From Team Mercenary, I expect an efficient, productive team where all members have realistic notions of how important they are and thus how much respect they deserve.
I want the ability to show my skills, in-game and at organising others, to the extent that both are possible. I will be annoyed if there's a big fat slab of constitution that only gives me one-ninth of the power of the team (despite me being more important than average), or if it prevents me from delegating tasks and giving suggestions to others.

I will openly tolerate disagreement and abuse if it comes from people with a mind of their own. Any hive-mind activity will get one (1) considerate response, then the flames start.
While I do not demand my team be smart, attentive, dedicated, skilled or literate - I will demand that if they are not, they should stop pretending that they are and let the REAL team do the work.

I expect to use the Demo Game as an exercise in human behavior - to learn how to manipulate, direct and control others.
I also plan to play a mean game of Civ 4 in which Merc is Prosperous and its power is Respected.

I expect to have the responsibility to make the hard decisions regarding matters such as Personell, Team Feelings and Who's worth what - primarily because everyone else I've met is too PC for this position, or does not want to be accountable for such tough decisions.
I am also willing to accept any responsibilities within my skill that no other team member is skilled or willing to perform - I am unsure of how many of these will pop up.

The main non-negotiable demands I want met are:
My Slice of the pie. Either everyone speaks or nobody speaks - rules to the effect that someone else can state its opinion but I cannot won't be tolerated.
Team Respect. While I have my character flaws, comments to the effect that I am a "FUKING ***" or a "LMAO IDOIT" or a "WTF LUSR WIF NO FRENDS" will be met with scathing remarks, forum bans and/or site bans.
No Whiny McN00bs - People who Cry, Scream and Throw tantrums without realising why they throw tantrums, those who would sooner demand I shut the hell up than learn to wield the english language properly, or those who demand I join the group mind as their own mind is too under-developed.

Responsibility:
I am prone to avoid posting for a night if something catches my attention (An Assignment or a Housemate who needs to get in a fight), at which point I'll either not leave a message or leave a basic "Can't Civ, Busy" post.

I may move house at times during this demo game, you will be given notice and establishing an internet connection is my 3rd priority after making sure I have a place to sleep and a way to cook my food.

I'm prone to emotional outbursts that may invalidate my opinions or skill on particular subjects. You guys will probably have to point these out so I don't do something destructive.

I am not, however, prone to running off for Sex, Food or Sleep in the middle of a playing session, and although I have problems commonly known as "University" and "Work", I do not suffer from Girlfriends, Drugs, Parties or Children.

**polarnomad** · January 17, 2006, 08:52

2 of the members in the team list are mods, are members of all teams and will not be participating as such in the game. We're really 7.

**polarnomad** · January 17, 2006, 09:06

I have a pretty decent grasp on the game, though I tend to play on Noble most of the time, so I'm no expert by any means.

I'm also new to demo games, so as far as responsibilties are concerned, I still have to get a grasp on how it will actually work. Thus, I will defer to other members with more experience. This of course does not mean that I don't have an opinion, and I will express myself as I deem necessary.

My job keeps me on call 5 and 1/2 days a week, so I might be a little irregular, but I also tend to have a lot of free time in which to perform whatever duties are to be expected of me in this game. I usually check the forums multiple times a day. I also live alone, so there is no one to keep me from CIVing!

That said, I have been rather interested in the financial workings behind the mercenary concept, so perhaps I could find some use in a position that involves this aspect of our team. There are other areas as well, but that is just what came to my mind at the moment.

**UnOrthOdOx** · January 17, 2006, 10:50

Re: Skills, Hopes and Responsibilities

Originally posted by Enigma_Nova

1. Skill and Interests
What areas of the Democracy Game are you interested in doing or are good at doing?

Propaganda and Recruitment
Internal Organisation
War, and Troop Movement
Diplomacy
General Tactics - What we should focus on and our immediate goals
Decision-Making and Reaction - because barbs happen during turns
Writing
Listening to Mr Builderer (aka Kloreep)
Getting Mr Builderer to actually build troops.
Getting Mr Builderer to translate cost of unneeded crap, like 'temples' or 'granaries' into rational terms, like 'warriors' or 'archers' (1 granary = 2 archers, etc)
Being the public face and/or scapegoat for a team.

2. Desires
What do you want from Team Mercenary?

To have fun and stick to our theme.

What do you want from the Demo Game?

To be hired by every team, hopefully against every team too, and generally mess with all their heads as a result.

What positions and responsibilities do you want to have? (Be Realistic!)

Whatever's needed. I don't expect we'll need specific positions. Whoever wants to play turns can. Whoever wants to do diplo can. etc.

What do you expect to Learn / Achieve from this?

A better Merc team for the next game.

What non-negotiable demands do you expect to be met?

We WILL stick to our theme, remain neutral, and only attack for money.

3. Responsibility
For the tasks that you are willing to perform, the skills you are going to use, or the wisdom you are going to impart,
How reliable do you expect to be in performing these?

I go on vacation from June 10 to 19. And will be generally unavailable in October. Other than that, I'm here.

What do you think is your failure rate? How much error in performing your duties do you find tolerable?

Mistakes happen. I'm rated at 99.98% accurate at work. Know of no such metrics for Civ.

What are the odds of you not being available for contact on any particular day? (If odds differ from weekends to weekdays, state this)

Weekdays You'll get me via PM. Weekends will see more of a delay, but I'll be around.

What is your stance on short-term leave (periods of more than 24 hours without contact with the team)?
What is your stance on mid-term leave (periods of more than 72 hours without contact)?
What is your stance on long-term leave (periods of a week or more)?
For which of these leaves can you be relied upon to find a replacement to yourself prior to going on leave?
Are you prone to taking any of these leaves without warning?

We have lives. Some leave is expected over the course of a year. As stated above, I have vacations planned.

Do you have a medical problem (Heart conditions, Epilepsy, Children) that may impair your ability to function at times?

My kids are a severe medical impairment, and as such my 3 year old has been known to hit 'end turn' on me while dealing with my 7 year old and away from the computer. Should not be an issue in the only play one turn style of PBEM's as we have here. I can schedule enough time to play a turn.

Do you have a practical problem (On-call or self-employed work, irregular study, moving house) that may impair your ability to function?

Stable in the house, I may be called away on business travel, but will have time to warn you all.

Are you prone to suddenly going AFK?

Yes. Kids. One potty training. Do the math.

Do you suffer from a crappy computer that cannot play a large game of Civ 4?

"Cannot" is probably not the right term. It lags to all hell, and is not enjoyable, but does play.

**Kloreep** · January 17, 2006, 17:59

Re: Skills, Hopes and Responsibilities

Originally posted by Enigma_Nova
1. Skill and Interests
What areas of the Democracy Game are you interested in doing or are good at doing?

Micromanagement - something of a passion when it comes to DGs, as UnO can untest to. The PBEM format, and probably PitBoss too for that matter, is perfect for obsessing over the maximization of everything; and DGs, with their generally slower pace, are even better. Given that teams have the time and opportunity to do some fine-tuning inbetween saves, I hate to see that opportunity go to waste if I can help it.
General Strategy - Techs paths, long-term goals, etc. - Always interesting to me, though given my lack of experience with CIV, not really a skill.
War, and Troop Movement - more of the "interested in" than "good at doing." Just when I felt I was getting a good grasp of CIII combat, CIV comes along... And now I have another system to learn the ins and outs of.
General Tactics - Again, always interesting to me, though again, not much CIV experience yet.
Decision-Making and Reaction - because barbs happen during turns - Like pretty much anything related to turnplay, also an interest to me.

2. Desires
What do you want from Team Mercenary?

To have fun learning to play CIV and our particular variant of it better.

What do you want from the Demo Game?

Pretty much the same things as above, and also ditto UnO. If we're hired by and against every team in the game, I'll be happy.

What positions and responsibilities do you want to have? (Be Realistic!)

Turnplaying and micromanaging are the things I like to do. I'll definitely go for micro planning if no one else will,

What do you expect to Learn / Achieve from this?

I'm hoping to learn to play CIV in general and demogames in particular better.

What non-negotiable demands do you expect to be met?

That we stick to the Merc principles of fighting only for money (or retribution) and aiming to do business rather than win.

How reliable do you expect to be in performing these?

Fairly so. Occassionally my RL is busier than otherwise, so I could not be a solo turnplayer.

What do you think is your failure rate?

I'm not sure what you mean by failure. A subpar job? Losing the game?

How much error in performing your duties do you find tolerable?

Depends on the duty. If I'm looking at a war turn determining what enemy units are where, most mistakes will be big ones that aren't tolerable. If I'm juggling city workforces to optimize tile use, a missed commerce/shield/food here or there isn't a big deal to me; I of course wouldn't waste it on purpose, but if I later realized I failed to optimize something, it doesn't bother me.

What are the odds of you not being available for contact on any particular day? (If odds differ from weekends to weekdays, state this)

Not available for contact: very slim chance. You can generally get me at an e-mail address if nothing else. Not available for turnplaying or such can be a different matter.

What is your stance on short-term leave (periods of more than 24 hours without contact with the team)?

Fine so long as you inform the team of any commitments you can't fulfill. Unless it's an emergency where the time simply can't be taken, anyone with a responsibility to the team does need to inform the others that they will be gone, and until when if an estimate is possible. I view that as pretty much the only responsibility there is (and not blowing off a commitment just because you'd rather play single player would be nice, but that's really individual conscience). RL happens and it takes priority.

What is your stance on mid-term leave (periods of more than 72 hours without contact)?

Same deal.

What is your stance on long-term leave (periods of a week or more)?

Same deal.

For which of these leaves can you be relied upon to find a replacement to yourself prior to going on leave?

It's not the timeframe that matters, it's the suddenness. If I need to go spend time with someone before they go into chancy surgery, whether that's for a day or a week, I'm simply going to post before I leave and whoever's left is simply going to have to deal. If I have a vacation planned or know I'm going to be studying for an exam or somesuch, I'll try to find someone ahead of time as part of planning for it.

Are you prone to taking any of these leaves without warning?

No, but again, it's the unplanned leaves that always have to gum up the works.

Do you have a medical problem (Heart conditions, Epilepsy, Children) that may impair your ability to function at times?

Nope.

Do you have a practical problem (On-call or self-employed work, irregular study, moving house) that may impair your ability to function?

Irregular study would be me.

But most days I can spend at least a little time on CIV.

Are you prone to suddenly going AFK?

Not often. Sometimes for a minute or two if I'm interrupted at the comp. I haven't saved up enough for an Immersion Pod yet, and I don't think it'd fit in the room anyway.

Do you suffer from a crappy computer that cannot play a large game of Civ 4?

I haven't tested my comp's limits yet, but I do know that even Standard maps begin to lag sometime in the Industrial. So, basically yes.

**Enigma_Nova** · January 17, 2006, 18:04

Originally posted by polarnomad
2 of the members in the team list are mods, are members of all teams and will not be participating as such in the game. We're really 7.

Well, UnOrthOdOx and Kloreep are mods, and you and I are active - so it seems that I'm going to get 50% of whatever power the mods aren't using.
That will probably be around 25% of the power. That's good.

And if I act fast when somebody has to go on vacation for real life issues, I can grab a good deal of their responsibilities and get like 45% of the power. Then, all we need is for someone to be AFK for the day so I get 65% of the power, then I vote myself in as supreme overlord and everybody wins!
/me has the plan all figured out

Originally posted by polarnomad
I'm also new to demo games, so as far as responsibilties are concerned, I still have to get a grasp on how it will actually work. Thus, I will defer to other members with more experience. This of course does not mean that I don't have an opinion, and I will express myself as I deem necessary.

Same. I'm a newb, so I expect that others will take the brunt of the work until I figure out how to do things on my own.
But I get the strange lurking feeling that Real Life is going to suddenly take everyone away from the game at once at some point, so I'll just have a turn in front of me and an inactive forum like "wtf dudes".

That said, I have been rather interested in the financial workings behind the mercenary concept, so perhaps I could find some use in a position that involves this aspect of our team. There are other areas as well, but that is just what came to my mind at the moment.

You wanna be a Salesman? It's a bit of Micro and a bit of Diplomacy and a bit of Logistics.

---

Originally posted by UnOrthOdOx
I go on vacation from June 10 to 19. And will be generally unavailable in October. Other than that, I'm here.

Marked it on my calendar.
Jun 10: An important dude is sick from the game with the "Real Life" virus.

Mistakes happen. I'm rated at 99.98% accurate at work. Know of no such metrics for Civ.

Do you consider Civ 100% as Seriously as Work? If so, then you're 99.98% Accurate at Civ. Otherwise, if you only (say) 50% as serious, then you're 49.99% Accurate at Civ.
And if you're precisely 65.392% (repeating), I will slap you around a bit with a large trout.

Yes. Kids. One potty training. Do the math.

Kids + PBEM = Problem
Adoptrion Agency + Kids = Problem solved!

---

Originally posted by Kloreep
I'm not sure what you mean by failure. A subpar job? Losing the game?

Pop-rushing the wrong city. The type of mistakes you make because you're not paying attention and later think "oh crap".

If I need to go spend time with someone before they go into chancy surgery, whether that's for a day or a week, I'm simply going to post before I leave and whoever's left is simply going to have to deal.

Life as a Surgeon is tough. Though if you're an emergency doctor I'm not entirely sure if you'll have the time to post "AFK Lyposuction" on the forums.

I haven't tested my comp's limits yet

Can I remote-desktop into your machine and set up a few programs then?

**UnOrthOdOx** · January 17, 2006, 23:32

I've never met a city I didn't want to poprush, though.

Especially if it was for something shiny. Like a swordsman.

**polarnomad** · January 18, 2006, 02:16

Originally posted by Enigma_Nova

Well, UnOrthOdOx and Kloreep are mods, and you and I are active - so it seems that I'm going to get 50% of whatever power the mods aren't using.
That will probably be around 25% of the power. That's good.

And if I act fast when somebody has to go on vacation for real life issues, I can grab a good deal of their responsibilities and get like 45% of the power. Then, all we need is for someone to be AFK for the day so I get 65% of the power, then I vote myself in as supreme overlord and everybody wins!
* Enigma_Nova has the plan all figured out

Hehe. I was talking about Aeson and snoopy369.

Originally posted by Enigma_Nova
You wanna be a Salesman? It's a bit of Micro and a bit of Diplomacy and a bit of Logistics.

UGH! Did I really just volunteer to be a salesman?

I think I'm gonna be sick...

**rush** · January 18, 2006, 02:22

Re: Skills, Hopes and Responsibilities

Originally posted by Enigma_Nova
1. Skill and Interests
What areas of the Democracy Game are you interested in doing or are good at doing?

Statistical Analysis. (Civ III statement)
Event logging.
I am still experimenting on Civ IV. Can win at Monarch level most of the time now. Now moving to Emp level.

Originally posted by Enigma_Nova
2. Desires
What do you want from Team Mercenary?
What do you want from the Demo Game?
What positions and responsibilities do you want to have? (Be Realistic!)
What do you expect to Learn / Achieve from this?
What non-negotiable demands do you expect to be met?

I will not be seeking any leadership position. I have to be clear upfront, my RL job does not allow me to be active all the time. Sometimes I can be very free, other times I will be working past midnight everyday continous for >2 weeks including weekends.

I like spreadsheets. When the game started, I will comment on the statistics screen whenever I can.

English is not my natural language. Although I am able to write and understand what you are writing, I am very proned to spelling mistakes and grammatical errors.

Originally posted by Enigma_Nova
3. Responsibility
For the tasks that you are willing to perform, the skills you are going to use, or the wisdom you are going to impart,
How reliable do you expect to be in performing these?
What do you think is your failure rate?
How much error in performing your duties do you find tolerable?
What are the odds of you not being available for contact on any particular day? (If odds differ from weekends to weekdays, state this)
What is your stance on short-term leave (periods of more than 24 hours without contact with the team)?
What is your stance on mid-term leave (periods of more than 72 hours without contact)?
What is your stance on long-term leave (periods of a week or more)?
For which of these leaves can you be relied upon to find a replacement to yourself prior to going on leave?
Are you prone to taking any of these leaves without warning?
If so, what are the odds, and how do you plan to deal with the work when you return?
Do you have a medical problem (Heart conditions, Epilepsy, Children) that may impair your ability to function at times?
Do you have a practical problem (On-call or self-employed work, irregular study, moving house) that may impair your ability to function?
Are you prone to suddenly going AFK?
Do you suffer from a crappy computer that cannot play a large game of Civ 4?

Ask yourself, "Am I fit for a position of power where people will rely on me not to be a lazy selfish half-asleep slob with no love for his work or team?".

That's a long question. As I said earlier, because of my RL work, I am not seeking a leadership position.

But I do agreed with you that if you are the leader, then you need to be around and assume the responsibility. I played the saves in the MZO C3DG for the Imperalist, if I knew i could not play the save, I would ensure that somebody in the team will take over from me.

I am using an IBM Thinkpad T42, good enough to play Civ 4.

**polarnomad** · January 18, 2006, 02:34

Re: Re: Skills, Hopes and Responsibilities

Originally posted by rush
Sometimes I can be very free, other times I will be working past midnight everyday continous for >2 weeks including weekends.

**inamirrordarkly** · January 19, 2006, 03:46

1. Skill and Interests
What areas of the Democracy Game are you interested in doing or are good at doing?

I don't really know what I might be good at, but I would be willing to do most anything if asked.

What do you want from Team Mercenary?

Have fun, get to know people, learn CIV.

What do you want from the Demo Game?

See above.

What positions and responsibilities do you want to have? (Be Realistic!)

Asked and answered.

What do you expect to Learn / Achieve from this?

To be a better CIV player.

What non-negotiable demands do you expect to be met?

CIVility.

What do you think is your failure rate?

Well, I haven't lost a game of Civ 4 yet. But I haven't played the higher levels yet. At work, I can't remember the last time I had a work order error, no matter how minor. UnO's number sounds pretty close.

How much error in performing your duties do you find tolerable?

At work, zero, but that's what they pay me for. In CIV I'm more laid back.

What are the odds of you not being available for contact on any particular day? (If odds differ from weekends to weekdays, state this)

I'm online almost every day.

What is your stance on short-term leave (periods of more than 24 hours without contact with the team)?
What is your stance on mid-term leave (periods of more than 72 hours without contact)?
What is your stance on long-term leave (periods of a week or more)?

Like UnO said, people have lives.

For which of these leaves can you be relied upon to find a replacement to yourself prior to going on leave?

N/A as I don't expect to be playing a critical role.

Are you prone to taking any of these leaves without warning?

Probably not.

Do you have a medical problem (Heart conditions, Epilepsy, Children) that may impair your ability to function at times?

Does girlfriend count?

Do you have a practical problem (On-call or self-employed work, irregular study, moving house) that may impair your ability to function?

I have two moves coming up. At the end of this month I will be moving out of my apartment. I don't currently know how much affect this will have. And, the second week of February I will be moving to Seattle. I will be unavailable for 2-3 days sometime between 2/10 and 2/15. Depending on how long this game goes, I also plan on being married in the later part of this year.

Are you prone to suddenly going AFK?

No.

Do you suffer from a crappy computer that cannot play a large game of Civ 4?

To date I have not had any problems.

**UnOrthOdOx** · January 19, 2006, 08:50

It's beautiful in Seattle.

Future wife lives there I take it? Or perhaps just a job up there?

Perhaps I'll have to look you up next time I get sent up there on business.

**inamirrordarkly** · January 19, 2006, 11:33

Future wife is there, and I'm lucky enough to have a job that can transfer me there.

**polarnomad** · January 19, 2006, 12:26

Nice one! Congrats!

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Skills, Hopes and Responsibilities

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