Ctp Competition Rule Discussion..

[yoda]

Printing the Map

Does anyone know how to go about printing a hard copy of the map? This would be very nice for tournament play.

Thanks in advance,

yoda

By the way, Dr. Doom is wondering when the tourney is scheduled to start. He agrees with Paul that the map should have starting positions on the opposite sides of the world. He also thinks yoda's map is much better than the original choice for the tourney (his words, not mine... LOL).

[yoda]

Edited Maps

Ok, I have a couple of questions for anyone who can help. Now that I have created a map, how do I go about playing it as a MP game? I've created the scenario and can load it up as a MP game, but there are some problems. The second player comes in and gets more gold/PW than I set, more tech and they seem to learn tech at the same rate as an AI? What have I missed? How can I get the map out of this problem and into normal play?

Thanks in advance,

yoda

[Solver]

Sorry, I was RL busy yesterday, so I didn't take look at the new maps, and couldn't start a poll for the three .

My vote would go to 1 Settler, that being the hardest condition, but I'm afraid it might be too long, so I can give in to 2 or 3, no more.

Gold, really, give more arguments. I like Pin's points here.

Anyone who will be found cheating (yeah, viewing those saves IS hell of a work) will be permamently expunged from both the Internet and PBEM Ratings. As the Ladder Admin, I have a right of taking a decision, and here I use it. This decision is final.

[Gavrushka]

ALL PBEM players start with 5000 or 10,000 gold Solver- to punish them by giving them 100, not on the basis of any strategy to improve game play - but because of the fear of someone cheating is a very tough decision to take - I assure you that any cheating will be found out - The very fact that Blackice has offered to help on this side will secure this - I really thought the subject of cheating was dead and buried 6 months ago - The powergraph (especially in first 40 turns) gives an extremely good indication of when a cheat has taken place . I vote for a gold range of 2000- 5000 - ALSO on a gigantic map when you settle far from base you will have capitol distance distress- and a strategy for many will be speding 500 gold on a temple on city build - Starting with 100 gold will preclude the ability to expand empire properly in early game...

Now on the maps - I have an idea... Quinns sym4way is a superb map - try playing it to see what I mean! ..... there are four islands connected by a land bridge - With multiple single islands (mountains) in the sea surrounded by deep water with 4 trade goods each - Just look at it before you make decision..

[Solver]

I am currently finally having a free moment (yay!) and am going to view all the maps.

Here's what we have.

Wonders OFF, except Wormhole.
Piracy OFF.
3 Settlers (I think everyone is OK)
3000 Gold

Doesn't anyone think there should be PW to start with?

[Pin]

no pw

and the old tourneys back in 99 and 00 was all played with 1000 gold starting i think.

Also why should a player start in 4000 bc with a hell of a lot of gold. Its a part of the game to make youre trade etc to save gold. If you need a certain amount of gold at a given time to buy the needed improvements, well then you should sacrifice some on the other taxes. e g luxury and science. It should demand skills to get that gold and not be given it by default.

And if you guys are used to play with high starting gold. Well (no offence plz) then you might not be that top player we are looking to find in this tourney.
Cause my strategies also based on buying certain improvements, but my stragety is buildt on me earning that gold trough trade and commerce

So as it was stated in the old thread we wanted to test players under the hardest settings well do 100 gold then. I agree on the settlers due to the speed of the game. But gold is about skills to get it by playing and not given.

well my vote go for 100 gold and i hope my points are taken

[Solver]

Yes, I wouldn't mind 100 gold either, because the hard conditions (100 gold, 3 Settlers) will do better to show the best player. Pin, you aiming for the title, eh?

[J Bytheway]

I was planning another map based on an idea from Gav, but have been so snowed under with revision it's barely begun. It'll probably be too late, but I'll try and find a little more time to finish it. To address one of the criticisms of my previous map, the starting places would be as far apart as is possible on a huge Earth world...

With respect to my previous map - adding goods is no problem (I actually thought I'd been quite generous but I usually play with sparse goods so that skewed my judgement rather a lot). The start locs are not really that close - they are half a world apart, and there's a fair chunk of mountains to travese in either direction.

I certainly won't be insulted if you use another map, and I'm happy to make any minor changes (like adding goods) which would help. Whatever you do, I hope you all have fun, and I'll see if I can get that other map together in time for you to look at.

[Solver]

I certainly won't be insulted if you use another map

I really hope so, for we'd hate to insult anyone with the choice. This is also the reason why I didn't vote on the poll immediately after it was created.

[J Bytheway]

Just don't think that just by mentioning it I'm trying some subtle reverse psychology or anything . Probably should never have brought it up...

[Solver]

Hehe... no problems.

[yoda]

Map Problems

Originally posted by J Bytheway
I was planning another map based on an idea from Gav, but have been so snowed under with revision it's barely begun.

You seem to be the expert on map creation. How do you export the map or whatever it takes to get it into MP with the right settings?

Thanks,
yoda

[J Bytheway]

Re: Map Problems

Originally posted by yoda
You seem to be the expert on map creation. How do you export the map or whatever it takes to get it into MP with the right settings?

I'm sorry to undermine your confidence in me, but I don't know . I've never played an internet game. If I were doing it in PBEM I'd load it through a scenario, but I don't know if internet games are comparable... Gav said something about loading a single player saved game and other people joining, but I can't remember for sure.

[Gavrushka]

J Bytheway - Quinns is the guy that will be able to help us load a map online - BUT essentially make sure the two start locs are set, and hand over from there - I think the biggest issue in a game is to make sure players are located north and south not east and west. - As the security of an earth world is good for civ development . I believe that you are extremely technically adept at creating maps, and I like very much the one you have created - and I think just moving start locs will make a tremendous difference - You brief for map creation was extremely sparse! - and as you pointed out you have not played on line - which is such a different game.


I think that your map was superb - and I want to make a suggestion - IF we poll for maps now, I think we are being naive - I think we should first get all three maps played online and see how they compare - I suggest a few EXTRA days to get us up to speed on not just what the maps look like but HOW they play too - I also want to make a suggestion of a team game competition - I noticed that Yoda, Doom, Dragon and Paulno1 play those - Again part of the strategy of a Multiplayer game - It may attract more PBEMers where team play is more the norm anyhow - but that I think is one for the future.

[J Bytheway]

(Advance warning - the fact that I'm doing a maths degree is obvious in this post )

The fact that I chose a translational symmetry for that map determined that the players would be east-west separated (though you could of course put both players at or near a pole) - the map I am now working on uses a slightly more ambitious glide reflection symmetry to allow for north/south segregation but without the obvious local repetition you find at the centre of maps like Quinns which rely on rotation or simple reflection symmetries, since I find that rather annoying in its unrealism (Of course gameplay is the first consideration, but aesthetics are important too). Unfortunately this makes mistakes somewhat more common and slows everything down - but I'm sure I'll get used to it soon.

I'll have a look at Yoda's and see what he's done. Maybe from that I'll be able to infer more of what's good in an online map.

Anyway, thanks for the compliments (again ). I hope you do get those test games running so that I can have some feedback about my map.

I'm not sure whether the start locs are properly set on the last version of the map I relesed. If it doesn't work I can fix it in a jiffy.