No Way Jose - Turn Tracking Thread

[johndmuller]

The Players:

->Chairman Yang of the Hive
->Provost Minute Mirage of the University - NOSPAMminutemirageathotmail.comNOSPAM
->Provost Smacksim of the University (2165) - NOSPAMSmacksim@charter.netNOSPAM
->Don Primus GiovanniSan Matsumura of the Syndicate
->Foreman Rubin of the Drones - NOSPAMrubin_datalinks@hotmail.comNOSPAM
->Colonel Santiago of the Spartans
->Prime Function jtsisyoda of the CyCon - NOSPAMjtscheidt@hotmail.comNOSPAM
->Academician Archaic of the Academy - NOSPAMArchaicEternalathotmail.comNOSPAM
->Academician Hobbes of the Academy (2141) - NOSPAMjcrocombe@aardvark.net.auNOSPAM

SMAX, v2 - Large Planet, average everything (although substantially modified)
All victory conditions enabled, Directed Research, ... essentially 'normal'.
The discussion thread that generated this game is here.

Basic Rules are described here - variations will be posted below.
-No variations as yet-

There are 2 non-standard factions in play - I have enclosed the faction files for them, which need only be copied into the 'Sid Meier's Alpha Centarui' directory (you might save off any files of the same names that you might have already). There is also a file called "faction-list", which is the appropriate substitute for the list in your 'Alpha Centarui.ini' file, which will link in with those faction files and the other 5 standard ones to display the correct graphics and color schemes for each player. Having the correct names in the 'Alpha Centauri.ini' faction list (and the appropriate faction files loaded) will enable you to see the appropriate graphics and see their faction profiles; without the faction files, the game will generate a (seemingly non-fatal) error message and continue, seemingly none the worse for wear (although maybe not??); without the correct faction list in effect, the graphics and color schemes will reflect whatever factions are in the faction list, although the faction 'profiles' may still be correct. Using a faction list without having the referenced faction files in the 'Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri' directory may cause the game to fail during its loading. It's not as hard as it sounds, although changing 'Alpha Centauri.ini'files for each PBEM is a PIA which causes some people to blow it off and live with the color schemes and confusing faces in the negotiation windows.

The 'Academy' is a variant of one of Googlie's University Clones - with an alternate set of graphics files from the Network Node (as Googlie's graphics were from the Drones, which is already in the game). Aside from the graphics and the base names and a few name substitutions of no consequence to the game, it is an identical clone.

The 'Syndicate' is based on an apparent proto-faction which some of you may already have on your machines, in a dysfunctional form (apparently some of the faction-setting syntax or basic setup terminology changed and this faction was not updated). It also has substitute graphics from the Network Node, as its own graphics were for SMAC and displayed the unit/base flags (and some other stuff) in a sort of transparent background style, which added to Matty's mysterious nature, but was hard to see in many places. It is a Morgan-like faction in any case, whose faction data I resurrected and tweaked. They differ in that as a Mafia Syndicate, the police function is a family affair, and does not suffer under the Syndicate version of Free Market economics; that is, of course, a major advantage, so Matty will be a serious player in the game.

The other two AIs are their usual selves.

As they had a bit of a head start on the other factions, and the lions share of the Unity's terraforming equipment, their land is extensively developed (hopefully) beyond their inate ability to mess it up. I gave them each 2 early techs (some duplication) and several nice bases; they have a number of 'interesting' units, which could be a PIA, but for the most part are not handled that well, so they won't be destabilising. They provided me a serious opponent in the playtesting, so don't regard them as pushovers, although you should do better than I did, as you will be focussed on only one faction, instead of juggling all 4 at once.

I will send out the passwords and files and post when I distribute the 1st turn to MM.

[johndmuller]

The Story Line - Part 1

---------------------------------

"D.I.E.R.D.R.E...A.N.D...C.H.A...D.A.W.N...D.E.F.I. N.I.T.E.L.Y...I.N.S.A.N.E...S.T.O.P...", the message scrolled across the lasercomm's frustrating one-line display, the four heads in the Unity's control room glued to its every individual letter as they appear and make there way left in that maddeningly slow march.

"Damn that thing!", shouts MM, "Couldn't you have used a bigger screen, 'Yoda? By the time the whole message comes out, we'll have forgotten the beginning of it; it doesn't even hold a whole sentence at a time."

"Not all of us are so absentminded, MM", responds 'Yoda dryly, "I didn't see you two eggheads designing anything better to punch some comm through that interference down there. If we had this before, when Dee and Cha were down there doing whatever it was that got them in trouble, then maybe we wouldn't be in such deep sh*t now! We'd have been able to --"

"Now, Now, 'Yoda", interrupts Archaic,"Don't you drag me into this, MM. I think the, err, ... 'gadget' of 'Yoda's is quite the thing, ehhem..., where was I, ... yes, quite the thing - yes, indeed, and very quaint of you to use that ehhem, ... 'Morse Code', ... ehhem, to effect this low bandwidth, ehhem, ... 'brute force' method; not very, how shall we say, ... 'elegant'..., but effective nonetheless, in its way, ehhem ... One can almost, ehhem, ... see the message with the naked eye, given enough practice with the ehhem, ... 'encryption algorithm', so to speak. In point of fact, ..., I dare say, ... isn't that what Rubin and his gophers are doing over there by the VisSpectrum Monitor?"

"...T.H.E.Y...M.U.S.T...R.E.M.A.I.N...H.E.R.E...I.N .D.E.F.I.N.I.T.E.L.Y...S.T.O.P...", as the message resumes, this time spelled out, perhaps even more mechanically, in painstakingly slow letter by letter detail on the wallscreen by the crewman styling himself "Freeworker" Irwin.

"This is just as bad over here!", roars MM, flecks of spittle spotting one of the immaculate white robes that has been his fashion for some months now; "What do they mean: '...Must remain here...'? What are they talking about? Who is this sending the message, anyway?

"I guess it wasn't the SIZE of the display that mattered after all", muses 'Yoda, "Perhaps someone's been skipping their sessions with the Dr. Shrink program ..."

"Like we need all this bickering ...", puts in Rubin, "I thought we sent all the loonie Fascists down there on the search and rescue - you three fancy yourselves the brains of this operation, don't you? So just read the bleeding message and stop this petty sniping. It seems like they found them alive at least, though if I were whacko, I sure as hell wouldn't want those three taking care of me, ... talk about 'Compassionate Conservatism', ... yeah right; the only things Mattie gets compassionate about are those Madison Avenue Psychommercials. I Doubt that he can brainwash Cha and D into getting better."

"Just cause Don Matsu seems to be, err, ... ehhem, ... lately, shall we say, err, 'getting along', ehhem, better with your old pal Yang than you are, doesn't mean that he doesn't know his stuff," ventures Archaic, "... I think the crew has pretty much traded in the Earthside half of their pay packages for those ... ehhem, 'SensoSim' things he sells, not to mention his so called 'Stock Market'. Why do they want to keep them donwbelow anyways?"

"...S.E.E.M...A.D.D.I.C.T.E.D...T.O...F.U.N.G.A.L.. .E.M.A.N.A.T.I.O.N.S...S.T.O.P...", continues the message in silence....

"Oh man, now drugs too - the Matsu's got the Sex and the Gambling wrapped up already ... and now the Drugs", moans Rubin, "...Maybe this stuff will get him hooked too, ... serve him right."

'...P.O.S.S.I.B.L.E...D.A.N.G.E.R.S...T.O...M.I.S. S.I.O.N...S.T.O.P...I.M.P.O.R.T.A.N.T...Y.O.U...R. E.M.A. I.N...I.N...O.R.B.I.T...S.T.O.P...W.E...W.I.L.L... S.T.A.B.I.L.I.Z.E...S.I.T.U.A.T.I.O.N...D.O.W.N... H.E.R. E...S.T.O.P..."

"Sounds like Santi, with all that 'Mission' cr@p", blurts MM, "*&^$#in 'Remain in orbit!', What, does she think we came all this way for the *(&%$in view. 'Stabilize the ^%$%$^in situation', ^%^%#$in 'Danger'; I'll show her some #@*(*^ !^%$ed 'Danger' ....."

"Okay, ... Okay" soothes 'Yoda, "We've had our little vent now, ..., nothing like letting off steam, ..., releasing those pent up emotions you academics like to talk about; I guess at least one of us doesn't use those SensoSims. You know, Santi took down all the military stuff, ..., the marines too for that matter; I guess she is prepared to 'Stabilize' things down there."

"...And Yang took more than half the factory modules", chimes in Rubin, "... do you think they were planning a long stay all the time, or is it just Santi's 'Be Prepared' attitude?"

"Remember", adds Archaic, "that Dee and Cha had already brought all that ... err, eco-stuff of theirs, even all the 'formers that they hate so much, even a couple of pods with nothing but ehhem, ... 'infant trees', of all things. Those greenies must really have it in for that red stuff, hey, ... where was I, err ... maybe that fungus is, ehhem, ... fighting back at them, ha ha ha. Oh well, at least we've got just about all the library datapods all to ourselves."

"...W.A.I.T...F.O.R...F.U.R.T.H.E.R...I.N.S.T.R.U.C .T.I.O.N.S...S.T.O.P..."

[johndmuller]

The Story Line - Part 2

-----------------------------

"#@%&*!in' Cha Dawn did WHAT!! ?", roared Yang into the Commset, "Why the HELL did he do THAT?? and How!!! ... and WHAT the ^%^#'in HELL are those things??"

"They seem to be some kind of weapons systems, Sir Seething", replied Santiago drolly, "and it doesn't say what they are in these notes, only that the control system interacts with the native---"

"Looks just like some of the Chairman's industrial waste in those pictures, if you ask me", interruped Matsumura, "Is that the 'before' or 'after' view we/ve got there?"

Santiago scowled, then cleared her throat loudly and resumed "... the controls seem to react to the native life somehow, maybe it was supposed to be some kind of additional defensive system; obviously their perimeter defenses weren't up to the job."

"Seems like someone was trying awfully hard to shut it down", said Matty, indicating the nearby monitor, "See all those 'Priority One: Emergency Stop' commands in the log?"

"Yeah, and each one says 'Shutdown Aborted by System', right after it." points out Yang "Sounds like the kind of *&%^%ed up coding those two would do; can you pull the plug, Santi?"

"Don't know, Mr. Blue, sir", Santi replied, "If you believe this schemo, the system is somehow tied in with those towers and other funny stuff they have on the ground here. Maybe they are power sources; maybe Dee prayed to them and they're putting out for her. Unfortunately, Don Primus over there has got all the good techs working on another of his wierd drugs or something. I think we're supposed to drink it and then we'll all bow down and give him all our money, or something like that."

"Yeah, Right! ... as if Your money is ever gonna be worth anything again" replies Matsu, "... as if you two would ever bow down to anyone ... you know damn well, Santi, that we're working on the long range surveilance planes - to see if all those pretty colored lights on the SatMap over there are part of any of this."

"WHAT THE #@(*&(*^ do you geniuses think 'DEPLOYMENT' means on that stickon", yells Yang, "It's right on the #&*@(*&*# SatMap monitor; do you think those are their favorite picnic sites."

"Well, that one over here, at coordinate (70,28)", relied Matsu, "I sent a U-proto over there, and the pictures it beamed back were simply breathtaking - some more of those ruins, but you can see how beautiful it was - and still is, for that matter. I'm gonna make that the site of my first SensoSim on Chiron, I'm sure it'll be a smash dahling."

"Great!", sneered Santiago, "Planetary Porn, by Primus Productions - that's not the kind of Recon those expensive remotevids are supposed to be for; we're looking for Intel, not voyeur material; and how do you tell when those fungus things are doing it anyhow? Besides, didn't something shoot down that U2 over there - I told you we need to go faster and higher."

"But the best view is up close and personal, My dear Santi", retorted the Donny, smirking at some private joke, "...as to how you tell, ... well, what do you think it means when those organ pipes pop off like that - they don't have 4th of July parades down here, you know."

"Look, you two...", said Yang sternly, "...just figure out the rest of their notes; some of the other stuff looks very &*^%in' do-able with just regular tech; but it sure does looks better than anything we brought with us. Just take this thing - ugly as hell - but the early version we've got, its pretty much indestructable - a few of those, and there will be nothing comin' into my bases."

"All that defense is so boring, Yang, and those sentries of yours, they just get drunk and/or wander off anyhow.", teased the Colonel, "Check out this thing they called 'BigFoot'; its got some defense too, but that offense really knows how to make them dance, ha ha ha."

"I'm just getting myself established here before those bozos come down and start having endless meetings", said the Chairman, "Lets just tell them it's too dangerous and leave them up there til they get fed up and come down anyway."

"Well maybe not quite that long", replies Don Matsu with a thin smile, "Maybe just a moment less than that - so that we can tell them where to land and send them over to those areas ...., you know, where it is so beautiful looking ..., ha, ha, ha."

"Looking is right, ..., they'll believe us alright about the danger then," adds Santiago, "and I think I can arrange to make up for any 'Danger Shortfall' they might experience later on. I'm almost ready for them to come down right now."

--------------------

[Chaunk]

JDM, I've gotta get you to CMN one of my games at some point.... actual narration! Awesome

[Minute Mirage]

Looking very good and interesting so far JDM, thank you very much for CMNing the game!

And off we go, 2102 sent to Rubin of the Drones.

[jtsisyoda]

I have received the faction files and copied them over.

[Rubin]

Great! Now you'll also have the turn, jtsisyoda. A very interesting start...

2102 to the Consciousness.

Come and listen for a moment, lads, and hear me tell my tale
How across the sea from England I was condemned to sail
Now the jury found me guilty then says the judge, says he:
Oh, for life, Jim Jones, I'm sending you across the stormy sea

[johndmuller]

Rubin mentioned to me that he thought there may have been some non Poly-standard-tourney rules agreed to for this game. That may well be, as I didn't feel that I had the time to check that out before I cited the standard set in the 1st post; Rubin certainly caught me out here . Obviously, if there were variances agreed to, those are the rules for the game, its just a matter of setting them out in the thread. At some point, I'll have the time to read the thread to check that out; anyone else who has the time sooner, feel free to lay them out earlier. I'll adjust the 1st post according to what turns out to be the rules.

[jtsisyoda]

I think I sent the turn on to Archaic yesterday.

[Archaic]

You did. I had to pick some people up from the airport today, so I only just go to play the turn. Onwards to MM.

[Minute Mirage]

2103 to Rubin. Archaic, remember to change the year when you send the turn to me.

[Rubin]

Drones complete 2103

But take a tip before you ship to join the iron gang
Don't get too gay in Botany Bay or else you'll surely hang
Or else you'll surely hang, says he: And after that Jim Jones
It's high above on the gallows tree, the crows will pick your bones

Turn 2103 passed to jtsisyoda.

Note: I didn't accumulate ANY research points (I still have ZERO). Isn't that too severe a penalty for the Drones? Is this a bug or am I missing something? (and yes, I do have energy allocated to research).

[Minute Mirage]

Re: Drones complete 2103

Originally posted by Rubin
Note: I didn't accumulate ANY research points (I still have ZERO). Isn't that too severe a penalty for the Drones? Is this a bug or am I missing something? (and yes, I do have energy allocated to research).

The Drones don't accumulate any research points until M.Y. 2110, just like the Believers. This is an undocumented property of the -2 Research.

[Rubin]

Thanks Minute Mirage. Oh well, I'm not very experienced with the Drones...

[jtsisyoda]

2103 to Archaic.