Fast game

[Franses]

These rules sound good. I prefer a mailing to everyone because the forums are quite slow. The mailing does not need to contain more than a subject like "Turn x sent to player y". At the other hand, if someone has good reasons to use the forum. No problem with me.

I agree with arranging the play times. That may be the turbo we want. I am at GMT+1 and prefer to play my turn between GMT 18 - 23 but can often also play between GMT 8 - 18.

Looking forward to playing a fast game,

Franses

[Stavros]

I prefer GMT 17-20. I also check mail GMT 8-10, but too many turns in the morning, and I can't play them all (otherwise I never get to work!!). Aditionally I check before bed GMT23-3, but expect more than a fair share of stupid drunked decisions, and unprovoked voilent acts Alcohol does have that effect on me (luckily only in Gaming!!!)

[Franses]

Aaginor,

I suppose you are in GMT+1 like me, but be aware of the summertime which sets me, and I think you also, at GMT+2 untill somewhere in October.

Franses

[Aaginor]

Hi Folks!

I am interested to join the game. But some questions ... I need to change the settings, right? So, if I play other civ games (AI, MP, other PBEMs), I have to change the settings everytime to adapt them to the current game ...
That sounds a bit like heavy cut 'n paste ...

How do you handle this? I also would like to try some of those MODs from Apolyton. Just to see, how it works and how the effects on the game are. Is there a tool to keep track of the changes and easily change from one setting to an other?

... and, I am always a bit confused about this GMT. Am I GMT-1 or GMT+1 (Germany). I think, when it is 18:00 in Good Ol' England, it is 19:00 in Germany. So it is +1, right?

I would suggest the ICQ for comunicating about making the turns ... (Send to multiple recipients, and ICQ is ALWAYS on (at last at my comp))

Aaginor

[TheBirdMan]

As far as I know, the only one who may have a problem is the one, that makes the game.

Thereafter, all nessesary settings - included units, advances etc. are in the .csg file - just the same as normal playing with scenarios?!?!?

Until now, I have found only one file - the color00.txt - that are able to make changes to a running game. But on the other hand - I have not searched for any.

Anyone - your comments and expirience to above pls.

[Franses]

I am afraid that if you make any changes in the .txt files, these changes have to be loaded by everyone else in the game (preferably as a scenario). I have had such nasty experiences with this that I stopped doing it.

One of the experiences was that in multiplayer mode we were not able to research advances beyond the first age. This is nasty because you only discover that after you have done quite a number of turns.

I have had discussions with several people about it but none of them knew how to avoid it or even how to test it in an acceptable manner.

To avoid this from happening I would prefer not to make any changes in these files.

Franses

[TheBirdMan]

Franses - I just hate you (no - I don't, just hate that you have too much right)!

Until now, I have played a couple of test games up to turn 10 (3 players, 2 "human" and 1 AI). Map.txt: Ok. Const.txt: Ok (as long as settings refers to the map). Government: NO - NO - NO. If/when my new file is in the default folder, everythings ok, replace it with the origin, setting is back to normal. Replace it with my mod, then it is as I wanted it

New replace with origin all back again: Mean game is mostly depending of the files in the default folder. Have tried to make changes in the civpath file - no succes.

Result, game is almost ready. But we will NOT HAVE ANY CHANGES IN THE GOVERN.TXT. I'll just warn you, who want to join my new game: Be very careful about choosing your capitol (right click on a tile beside the suggested settler and choose one in the "middle" of your area - else your in deep s...)!

If you - Franses - have much more right. Then I'm going to "just" join others games or pull myself back in a corner - keeping my arms around my head. But I hope.......

------------------
Woodstock was here!
[This message has been edited by TheBirdMan (edited September 15, 2000).]

[Franses]

Dear Birdie,

Please, don't hate me.

Franses

PS1: If it is any comfort to you, I also spent a lot of time searching for a solution to this problem (and as you know without success). It is a pity because if things like this could be done we could make the game even more fun.

PS2: What do you mean by "click on a selected tile next to the suggested settler"? Do you mean by suggested settler, the point where all the settlers start? Or am I missing something here?

PS3: Good luck with your preparations. I am looking forward to the result.

[Arthur]

My time is GMT -7. I usualy play my turns 10pm to 1am. my time which is Mountian standard time. So I guess that would mean that I take my turns between 5 GMT to 8 GMT. Is that right?

[Aaginor]

As I understand it, the problem is, to have always the same modified files in your civ-dir, when you play the game. So, maybe it can work this way:

Keep a copy of the original files in a seperated dir.

Whenever you modify some files for a game, also save them to a separeted dir. When you then play this specific game, just copy the related files into the original (the civ) dir.

You just have to keep track of the files which you need to replace. The simplest thing may be, always copy EVERY file, that may be modified.

Did anybody already tried something like this?

[TheBirdMan]

Hey Franses.

During my testgames with many settlers I have noticed the game never choose a settler "in the middle". So if/when you just accept the "proposal" for the first city (your capitol), then several of your other settlers are quite a distance for capitol already when the game starts (great unhappiness if you settle these).

Therefore I deselect the first settler and choose on from the center.

This was just an advise.

To Aaginor:

Yes, that's the way I started - now I have learned how to use scenarios.

It seems like E-mail games uses default directories, therefore your suggestion is the only one, that really works.

But most of us play in more that one game - and personally I don't like copy files to and from before taking my turns.

As I see it we have to keep changes within a few files (DiffDB.txt and script.scl - and now map.txt and maybe const.txt). To keep changes made to the map file, you have to place it in the default dicectory when you make the game - thereafter you can place the original files back.

It will NOT work if you make changes in the scenario folder and load that twice - just as you can with scenarios if all the changes do not show up first time.

------------------
Woodstock was here!

[Aaginor]

Hi Bird Man!

Can you tell me, where I can get some tips to use scenarios? Isn't it possible, to play a scenario as PBEM?

To the rest:

What about the game now? I am eager to start!

Aaginor

[Franses]

Aaginor,

Even when you take your approach I am not sure that you won't get the problem I mentioned before and I prefer not to find this out only at turn x.

I also fully agree with Birdman regarding playing more than one PBEM. Even more so because I play my PBEM games from different computers.

Birdman,

Thanks for your explanation. The games I started sofar with many settlers always started with all the settlers in the same tile. I understand you did not?

Franses

[TheBirdMan]

Yes, I'm using these lines in the scipt.slc:

messagebox 'MakeSettlersMessage' {
Abort();
CreateUnit(player,UnitType("UNIT_SETTLER"),unit.1.location,0);
CreateUnit(player,UnitType("UNIT_SETTLER"),unit.1.location,1);
CreateUnit(player,UnitType("UNIT_SETTLER"),unit.1.location,2);
CreateUnit(player,UnitType("UNIT_SETTLER"),unit.1.location,3);
CreateUnit(player,UnitType("UNIT_SETTLER"),unit.1.location,4);
CreateUnit(player,UnitType("UNIT_SETTLER"),unit.1.location,5);
CreateUnit(player,UnitType("UNIT_SETTLER"),unit.1.location,6);
CreateUnit(player,UnitType("UNIT_SETTLER"),unit.1.location,7);
CreateUnit(player,UnitType("UNIT_SETTLER"),unit.1.location,8);
CreateUnit(player,UnitType("UNIT_SETTLER"),unit.1.location,9);
CreateUnit(player,UnitType("UNIT_SETTLER"),unit.1.location,10);
CreateUnit(player,UnitType("UNIT_SETTLER"),unit.1.location,11);
CreateUnit(player,UnitType("UNIT_SETTLER"),unit.1.location,12);
CreateUnit(player,UnitType("UNIT_SETTLER"),unit.1.location,13);
CreateUnit(player,UnitType("UNIT_SETTLER"),unit.1.location,14);
KillUnit(unit.1);
GrantAdvance(player,Agriculture);
GrantAdvance(player,Toolmaking);
GrantAdvance(player,Mining);
GrantAdvance(player,Domestication);
GrantAdvance(player,Bronze_Working);
GrantAdvance(player,Stone_Working);
GrantAdvance(player,Writing);
GrantAdvance(player,Religion);
GrantAdvance(player,Geometry);
GrantAdvance(player,Trade);
GrantAdvance(player,Jurisprudence);
GrantAdvance(player,Ship_building);
GrantAdvance(player,Philosophy);
GrantAdvance(player,Bureaucracy);
GrantAdvance(player,Astronomy);
}

These different starting locations gives you a big area, that you can call your homeland from the start. This also accellerate the game.

[TheBirdMan]

Game will soon start. 24 hours turn rule. Either e-mail to everyone or post on the forum. Prefer no AI to be used, either "next" or find substitute.

Players:

TheBirdMan - Russian - Ivan - thebirdman@lyngbes.dk or max.reiff@get2net.dk, 05:30-08:00 + 16:00 - 18:00 GMT, sometimes more.
Arthur, ?, ?, Arthur@cc.usu.edu, 5:00-8:00 GMT
Stavros, mexican, DonCarne, steve.auch@myokay.net, 17:00-20:00 GMT sometime 08:00-10:00 GMT.
Krzysztof, normally assyrian + Creator, krzysiekc@systembureau.com, ?
Franses, ?, ?, ?, 18:00-23:00 GMT, sometimes more.
Aaginor, ?, ?, aaginor@t-online.de, 18:00-24:00 GMT
Thor, chinese, Taipan, mustansir@telocity.com, 23:00-05:00 GMT

15 settlers (be careful, remember penalty of empire_size and capitol distance).

15 advances: Agriculture, Toolmaking, Mining, Domestication, Bronze_Working, Stone_Working, Writing, Religion, Geometry, Trade, Jurisprudence, Ship_building, Philosophy, Bureaucracy, Astronomy

15.000 gold.

Other settings:

Map, going from 0 (zero) to 10 (ten)

6 (dry)
4 (warm)
5 (ocean/land)
9 (continent)
10 (diverse)
5 (Goods)

Size: Supergigantic.

Diff: Deity with roving bands.

Shape: Doughnut World

PERCENT_RIVER 25 # percent of land with a river on it
RIVER_LENGTH 35 # average river length

Game will start as soon as I have missing details.

Suggestion for name of starting tread?
[This message has been edited by TheBirdMan (edited September 17, 2000).]