new PBEM game for relative newbies

[freshman]

Hi,
I'm hoping to play multiplayer with 1 or 2 others who have only just begun to experience multiplayer play. If interested reply to this thread and I'll start up a game. Are there standard rules to adhere to when playing MP that any experienced player could point us to?

I'm on the ACDG team - but those turns just take way too long. I myself have never played MP and am interested in a more interesting game.

I'm hoping we can whip through the turns fairly quickly.

Has anyone tried a network game vs. a PBEM game? I'd be willing to try a network game just to get through our turns a little faster for an hour each night.

[sentry33]

Not very much of newbie here anymore, but have still a great deal to learn.

If You do not mind that i have played in few PBEMs already (none finished yet), i can start playing handicapped - weak faction (cult of planet) and/or starting position.

Benefit of having someone who has a bit of experience is that you can ask questions and learn

We'll need someone to volunteer for being CMN for us - any takers?

[Ellestar]

I want to try multiplayer. SMAC or SMAX by the way?
In singleplayer i played mostly with University.

I know this post with the basic rules about bugs/exploits. http://www.civgaming.net/forums/showthread.php?t=700

[Lord_Icewind]

Me! Me!

Hey, I've only played 2 network games, and both of didnt get over the first 40 turns or so...so im a "relative" newbie in MP...
I would like to play it, preferably network, but I can try Pbem too...
I suppose it would be SMAX, so I would like Svengaard, Deirdre or Zakharov.

[binTravkin]

Answers:

1.rules - some rules and good strategies can be found here:

http://www.civgaming.net/forums

2.MP and PBEM can be mixed. You just need some trial and error to get acquainted with it.

3.SMAC or SMAX - thread starter freshman decides.

4.so how many players there will be, freshman wanted 2-3, now there are 4?

Table:

freshman: ? (Gaia possibly, you're a Gaian team member after all)
Sentry33: ? (I think he will be taking hive.. )
Ellestar: University (I suppose)
Lord_Icewind: Svensgaard (right? )

Game type: undecided
Difficulty: Transcend (I guess)
CMN: I recommend Darsnan or Googlie

Map settings: undecided

Victories: undecided

Other settings: undecided

[freshman]

We'll be playing SMAX
OK - Map : Random Victories: All
Difficulty: Transcend
freshman: Gaian
Sentry33: Hive
Ellestar: University
Lord_Icewind: Svensgaard
CMN: How do we ask Googlie to be our CMN? Does he start up the game and set our passwords for us?
Computer factions: How about letting the CMN decide how to make a balanced game?

Here are some rules we could use (from civgaming.net):
The difficulty level will be transcend - again, unless specified otherwise.

All victory conditions enabled, including co-operative. However, no more than two players may participate in a co-operative victory.

Do or Die - eliminated players are not restarted
Non-Blind Research

Restrictions - general gameplay:
- A player may not restart a turn without good reason. The player should specify the reason in the game thread if he was not able to avoid reloading the turn. (Obviously, if a player has suffered some sort of crash during a turn, such a reload is unavoidable)

- A player is not permitted to establish contact with another faction prior to having met them in-game.

- If a player performs a probe team action other than to infiltrate against another player with whom (s)he is in a truce, treaty or pact, they must inform the probed player what it was they did and what they stole/sabotaged. They must also choose the 'declare vendetta/cancel pact' option when they perform the action.

- A player is not permitted to make more than one social engineering change per line, per turn. For instance, one is not permitted to start the turn in wealth, switch to power mid-turn for the extra disbanded minerals, and then switch back to wealth that same turn, getting the refund.

- A player is not permitted to use the 'demand withdrawal' feature against another player, leaving the AI the decision of whether to withdraw or not.

- A player may not accept a bribe from another player's AI during council sessions.

- A player may not perform multiple airdrops in a single turn with the same unit using the right-click menu.

- A player may not use the F4 screen when infiltrated to change an opponent's workers to specialists.

Contentious issues

- A player may not insert stockpile energy into the build queue after the production of a military unit. Due to a bug in the game, should you put stockpile energy into the queue, you will get the benefit of the extra energy on the same turn as production of your military unit.

- If a player declares vendetta upon another player, either directly or indirectly, they must not accept a pending diplomatic agreement between the two factions in the same turn.

- A player may not upgrade a particular type of unit using the design workshop, and then attack with that unit in the same turn.

- A player may not make air drops using the right click "air drop to" function, when it is not possible to do so with the "i" button, ie. after already having moved or made a drop.


Are these rules OK with everyone?

[binTravkin]

CMN: How do we ask Googlie to be our CMN? Does he start up the game and set our passwords for us?
Computer factions: How about letting the CMN decide how to make a balanced game?

Just find any of his posts and there stands a "pm" option at the top of the post.
He can decide AI factions, yes, but admit that you're quite new players, so he dont boost em too much (he has a tendency to overboost AIs, so they build their first SPs around 2125).

Map settings still undecided:

map size:
ocean coverage:
native life:
rainfall:
erosion:

[Darsnan]

Originally posted by freshman
We'll be playing SMAX
Map : Random
Victories: All

Hi All,
freshman PM'd me about being a CMN for your game. I am setting up an H2H game right now, and can do this immediately afterwards - probably have it done around Monday. FYI if this works for you.

As far as the "Map: Random" is concerned: with Sven it'll have to be at least 50% water. I also am in the habit of dotting my maps with Sea Monoliths (which act just like Land Monoliths), as well as other enhancements for sea faring Factions.

What I would need from each of you is a prefered password (if you have one - otherwise I'll choose), a name for the turn tracking thread, as well as any other agreed upon settings. Also, I will start each Faction with one Colony Pod, 2 Speeder Pods, and 3 Scouts (Sven would get sea equivalents, and only 2 foils because of their range).

Finally, how much do you want the AI's built up (real tough, or just ensure they are the normal AI's but located such that they won't immediately overwhelm you)?? Do you want the AI's to build Probe Cruisers? How about non-standard units such as armoured land probes, SAM units, etc.?


D

[Ellestar]

...they won't immediately overwhelm you...
--
Do you want the AI's to build Probe Cruisers? How about non-standard units such as armoured land probes, SAM units, etc.?

Ok, looks like AIs will overwhelm me not immediately, but after a small delay

By the way, what's with other settings like "No Unity Scattering:Supply pods only on landing sites", "Bell Curve:no random events"? Personally i prefer less random conditions.

[freshman]

Thanks Darsnan! I'll PM you my preferred password. The name of our turn tracking thread - how about: "Newbies arrival"
I like unity pods and random events. The pods encourage folks to reach out and touch each other, and pod-popping strategies are part of the game IMO. Random events test creativity and versatility in handling different situations - be they bad or good.

Please just use normal AI - no beefing up. The human players will be enough of a challenge for me!

And Monday sounds good to me.

Why do you have startup units like that? Is that a more balanced/exciting startup?

[Darsnan]

Originally posted by freshman
Why do you have startup units like that? Is that a more balanced/exciting startup?

Sorry - I should've been more specific: the units I was listing would be available upon discovering certain techs. Example: Googlie came up with the Cruiser Probe ship being available upon the discovery of Doc:Init. Other units would then be available upon discovery of various techs.

Regardless, good point about the AI's not being too powerful for this game - I just like to make players aware of some of the options CMN's can give players in a PBEM.


D

[freshman]

oops my ? was about
quote:
Also, I will start each Faction with one Colony Pod, 2 Speeder Pods, and 3 Scouts (Sven would get sea equivalents, and only 2 foils because of their range).

Why those startup units?

[Krec-USA]

can i get in on this game , please email.

[Darsnan]

Originally posted by freshman
oops my ? was about
quote:
Also, I will start each Faction with one Colony Pod, 2 Speeder Pods, and 3 Scouts (Sven would get sea equivalents, and only 2 foils because of their range).

Why those startup units?

One regular Colony Pod because the game is hardcoded and would crash if it doesn't "see" at least one regular CP for each Faction (except Pirates, where its looking for the aquatic version). The 2 Speeder CP's are for accelerating the early game by allowing players to plant their 2nd and 3rd bases sooner (the early game in PBEM's tend to drag a little - this speeds it up somewhat). 3 Independent scouts allow you to explore your immediate surroundings more quickly.

Originally posted by Krec-USA
can i get in on this game , please email.

Usually PBEM's are best if there's no more than 4 players in them. I'd say post a thread in this forum, and other players looking for a game will post to it. FYI.

D

[sentry33]

It all looks good

Great work Darsnan!

Yep, i'd like to play Hive if you do not mind