Gathering Storm

[Arrian]

I wonder...

UnO, would the Merc team consider renting units at a different price if said units were merely to serve as deterrant forces (stationed inside cities/inside the hiring civ's territory), only to fight if the hiring civ is attacked?

-Arrian

[UnOrthOdOx]

The answer would be not in the current iteration of the concept. We are renting for a price no matter what the job.

Currently, within the Civ IV mechanics, I believe costs will have to be X + (Y * Z)

Where X is % of hammer cost: Goal would be to make units affordable, but not cheap with this %, and to scale cost in relation to unit type.
Y is support cost for unit outside borders...which I'm still trying to get a total grasp on what exactly that cost is...
and Z is number of turns.

However, we are always open to suggestions to improve, and therefore, we are always fluid and capable to respond to such requests. So, yes, we would consider any request, but any changes we decide on would be made in a public announcement, and available to all teams.

[Arrian]

I was just trying to envision a way for a "builder" style team to have a mercenary army as their deterrant force and have it be affordable long-term. If the economics of it make sense... hell, hiring Mercs could be a really good option. Especially if, say, your civ lacks horses and you rent a handful of horse archers for rapid response duty.

Anyway, I'm ok with having a Merc team, mainly because I know you're so determined to make it work, UnO, and I have a certain amount of faith in your ability to pull that off.

-Arrian

[UnOrthOdOx]

We will be offering units for purchase. (don't know cost on that yet.)

That would probably be a better long-term option for a buildererish team.

Mercs will work if we're allowed to. Kloreep, Togas, Myself, and WIA formed the original backbone of the concept, we have 1/2 a demogame under our belt as a 'beta test'.

Hell, no one hires us, and Kloreep's going to have a ball going all builderish on me while I try to convince him to set up a Great Person auctionhouse.

[Kloreep]

You can trade Great People too? Awesome. (Though yes, we definitely have to keep one for ourselves now and then. )

[UnOrthOdOx]

I haven't tried yet, but I believe it's possible.

[DeepO]

Originally posted by UnOrthOdOx
I haven't tried yet, but I believe it's possible.

My first game, I gave a GM away... I think the neighbours woke up at me cursing I 'lost' my first GM without even knowing how to use him (mind you, we had no manual, nor civilopedia)

DeepO

[alva]

You can trade Great People too? Awesome. (Though yes, we definitely have to keep one for ourselves now and then. )

They make good spies too.

[Ennet]

From how i have counted this is what i got.
Should we allow a team mercenary:
Yes: 3
No:
Abstain: 4
(ziet not counted)

Should the map be designed, fully random or random with oversight?
Fully random: ½ (Ennet)
Random with oversight: 6 + ½ (DeepO) + ½ (Ennet)
Designed: ½ (DeepO)
Abstain:

Votes counted
Merc:
Ennet-yes
NicodaMax-yes
DeepO-Abstain
Krill-yes
Arrian-Abstain
ziet-(yes if they play to win)
nye-unsure
Cort Haus-abstain (?)



Map
Ennet-Random w/ oversight or fully random, not designed..
NicodaMax-Random w/ oversight
DeepO-Certainly not fully random. Which of the other two depends on who is making the map. And even after one creates the map, we need another to check it.
Krill-Random w/ oversight
Arrian-Random w/ oversight
zeit-designed (ok with random w/ oversight)
nye- (random w/ oversight
Cort Haus - random w/ oversight

EDIT: Removed PlatypusRex vote as he is not on this team..

[Ennet]

Btw, when are the private forums going to be set up? Would be nice to have them up some time before the game started so teams get the chance to discuss selection or leaders and other things you might not want to discuss in public..

[DeepO]

Originally posted by alva

You can trade Great People too? Awesome. (Though yes, we definitely have to keep one for ourselves now and then. )

They make good spies too.

Especially the GMs, as they can enter enemy territory (the others are only explorers, not spies)

DeepO

[DeepO]

Originally posted by Ennet
Btw, when are the private forums going to be set up? Would be nice to have them up some time before the game started so teams get the chance to discuss selection or leaders and other things you might not want to discuss in public..

yeah... we're not using the Civ3 one, as there are still a couple of people not included, and others that have joined other teams (e.g. Trip). I'd like to start discussing certain things too.

DeepO

[alva]

Originally posted by DeepO

Especially the GMs, as they can enter enemy territory (the others are only explorers, not spies)

DeepO

You can use the GE to see what an opponent is building.

Having said that, I'm not sure you still can, been awhile since I last played.

[Cort Haus]

I'll say Yes to the Merc team.

[vulture]

Coming in rather late to the voting, I'd vote 'yes' for a merc team (it adds interest) and random with oversight to maps. And if there is going to be a vote on map trading before paper, I'd be in favour of that too.