Looking to start 2 new "themed" PBEM's

[Darsnan]

Game 1: "Here there be Pirates". Game specifications:

- Huge Map, 80-90% ocean
- starting positions would be "archapeligos" (as opposed to the traditional open water starting positions for seafaring Factions)
- Sea Monoliths
- Sea Boreholes (or Boreholes accessible to sea bases)
- Subs available w/ Doc: Init
- Carriers available w/ MMI (or Doc: Air - not sure which would be better)
- 4 players max
- beefed up AI's, at the CMN's discretion
- If this is a SMAX game, then we can discuss the option of giving every Faction the "Marine Detachment" option, as well as +1 Min's for each sea tile.
- Also, if this is SMAX, then clones of other people's Factions allowed (i.e. 2 Uni Factions allowed, 2 Believer Factions allowed, etc.)
-CMN needed
- plan on starting game in about 3 weeks


Game 2: "Puppets States R - Us". This would be a variant on the One City Challenge (OCC) in that each human player would only be allowed 1-3 bases for themselves. They would then be perma-pacted to an AI of their choice, and it would then be the goal of each human player to either put their AI Faction on top, or actually "step from behind the curtain" at the last instant to claim a transcendent victory. Game Specifications:

- this is a SMAX game in order to allow the CMN to set the play order for each human player and his AI pactmate (i.e. so they can follow one right after the other).
- human players aren't allowed to capture any bases: humans can empty bases of defenders for their AI ally, you can turn over units to your AI pactmate to capture bases, you can "swap" bases with the AI's, you can kill one of your bases and found another, etc., but under no circumstances are you allowed any more bases than the agreed upon starting amount.
- victory conditions would be any and all for the AI's, but humans cannot win by Conquest
- a human player "loses" if all his bases are eliminated and he cannot build/ start another base (note exception immediately below)
- a human player can still win if all his bases are eliminated, but his AI pactmate becomes supreme
- 3 human players max
- If 3 human players, then there will only be 6 Factions total
- If only 2 human players, then should have full compliment of non-aligned AI's, either chosen between the 2 human players, or by the CMN
- Other points (map size/ conditions, etc) TBD
- CMN needed
- plan on starting game in about 3 weeks


As a final note, if there is enough interest in a second set of these games, then I will be available to build these in about 3 weeks as well. FYI.


D

[binTravkin]

I sign up for the second as Data Angels and want Pirates be my AI ally.

[binTravkin]

Regarding city count - I'd very much like it be 1city and the starting location a bit beefy for a better start.

Also AIs should also be boosted a bit, all for a faster and more fun PBEM.

[Googlie]

For gameset #2: I'll take the Cult, with the Gaians as my perma-ally

[Kirov]

Darn you, Darsnan. I wanted to start a "waterworld" game and ask you for CMNing, but not before September as I'll be unable to do any turns during the summertime. I hope you'll find some spare time after that...

BTW, I planned for such a scenario that in order to keep the theme the air power should be seriously cut down - movement halved or only transport module allowed or only the weakest weapons (1-2) allowed. Otherwise it is possible people will use navy only for capturing bases. What do you think about it?

[Chaos Theory]

I'm keen on the naval game

[Darsnan]

Originally posted by Kirov
Darn you, Darsnan. I wanted to start a "waterworld" game and ask you for CMNing,

Well, I did say I'd be available to start setting up games again in about a month, so shouldn't be an issue by September for me to do that for you.

Originally posted by Googlie
For gameset #2: I'll take the Cult, with the Gaians as my perma-ally

Crap! I knew I should've posted my Faction preferences first! Actually, I'm leaning towards Drones w/ the PK's being my AI "Front".

[binTravkin]

So we're ready to go look for CMN for theme 2:

binTravkin: DA
puppet AI: Pirates

Googlie: Cult
puppet: Gaians

Darsnan: Drones
puppet: PKs

Have you guys noticed that all of presently most active CMNs here have signed up for this?

(so who's gonna make it?)

[Googlie]

Bring Tau Ceti out of retirement!!

[Flubber]

Originally posted by Googlie
For gameset #2: I'll take the Cult, with the Gaians as my perma-ally

hmmm-- note to googlie's opponents-- TRance/empath units and high morale is your friend

[Darsnan]

Originally posted by Chaos Theory
I'm keen on the naval game

Excellent - good to have you aboard on this one, CT!

Originally posted by binTravkin
I sign up for the second as Data Angels and want Pirates be my AI ally.

Hmmm - having Probe Foils immediately available wasn't what I had in mind when I was thinking about this format, but considering with one or the other Factions getting them no more than 12 turns later, why we can probably deal with it....

Originally posted by binTravkin
Have you guys noticed that all of presently most active CMNs here have signed up for this?

I was originally thinking of Senethro, however he seems to be offline right now.

Originally posted by Googlie
Bring Tau Ceti out of retirement!!

That'd be GREAT! IIRC he set up the "Lost Secrets" PBEM, which to this day I think is one of the best I've ever been in! Since you probably know Tau Ceti better than I do, any chance you can arrange this?

btw up to two slots still available in the waterworld game, if anyone is interested. ....

D

[Senethro]

Oh, I'm sneaking about somewhere.

Naval game: I think I can do this one but it'll be tricky. I've not edited alpha.txt with intention of making a scenario before but I understand the theory.

Perhaps also you would like +50%/DOUBLE naval movement? Perhaps slash a min row from foil and cruiser chassis?

When messing about with a custom faction of mine, I found that a free independant Isle of the Deep speeded up a naval faction a lot. Its an offensive unit that can drop land terraformers on nearby islands giving better mineral collection for less support.


Puppet states: IMO you will be wanting a smallish map with much land. You will be quite unable to co-ordinate CPU activities across even a Large map. As PBEMs are slow already without being limited to 3 cities you might want +2 Ind/+2 growth to all human factions.


These are just my first thoughts. Your comments please. And if someone wants to throw a pre-modified naval alpha.txt my way, that would be good as well.

[H0bbes]

I would like to be University in the first.

Hobbes

[Darsnan]

Originally posted by Senethro
Naval game: I think I can do this one but it'll be tricky. I've not edited alpha.txt with intention of making a scenario before but I understand the theory.

I can build the alphax.txt file if this helps out. Essentially all that has to be done is to edit the #UNITS Section of the alphax.txt file to place a carrier to be available at the appropriate tech, and a sub to be available at Doc: Init.

Originally posted by Senethro
Perhaps also you would like +50%/DOUBLE naval movement? Perhaps slash a min row from foil and cruiser chassis?

I don't think we need this, as it would probably entail having to swap alphax.txt files in and out.

Originally posted by Senethro
When messing about with a custom faction of mine, I found that a free independant Isle of the Deep speeded up a naval faction a lot. Its an offensive unit that can drop land terraformers on nearby islands giving better mineral collection for less support.

I did this in an H2H between Mongoose and Zerglingzzz - worked out really well! So if no one is going for a Green Faction (or if everyone wants a fere IoD at the beginning of the game) then I'd say yeah, lets do it!

Originally posted by Senethro
Puppet states: IMO you will be wanting a smallish map with much land. You will be quite unable to co-ordinate CPU activities across even a Large map. As PBEMs are slow already without being limited to 3 cities you might want +2 Ind/+2 growth to all human factions.

If bT is really wanting to run with Angels and Pirates (meaning he will be able to build Probe Foils immediately) then I think for the beginning of the game distance is our best ally, an so would think we'd want a large or huge map.

Originally posted by Senethro
if someone wants to throw a pre-modified naval alpha.txt my way, that would be good as well.

I can do that. Essentially it'll be just what I detailed above in that it'll have the two naval units added into the #UNITS Section.
On a side note if we are going to hacve some AI Factions in this one why we might also want to give them the Marine Detachment capability. Any thoughts on this?


D

[Hercules]

I would like to be in the naval game. I haven' t played the Cyborgs in a while.