PBEM, story-oriented

[Authyrean]

I thought that at least setting up game won't take too much time. So I'm waiting for your views on my proposals.

[Mart]

Usually discussion of settings takes few days. It is worth this time, since pbems take months to play.

Setting up simple game is several hours for a GM. Map, developing it beyond what smac engine offers, balancing it, scenario parameters and testing.
adding more fancy stuff like modifying AI, pre-defined units can add, but it depends how much you modify these things, and if you have new pre-defined units tested before.

[Mart]

Summarizing settings so far:
- standard size map, medium everything else? (cloud cover, erosion, native life)
- Human Factions presently:
Gaians, Morganities, Spartans.

I can start making the map once all map settings are decided.

[Authyrean]

I vote for the Planet of a standard size with average parameters.

P.S. so what about ACRP?

[Ironwood]

For the AC game, rather than setting up "quests" and such (as I don't think that really fits at the macro level faction leaders operate at), how about we simply take the notion of promoting our agendas seriously... as in, we really try to get into the shoes of someone that would actually have that agenda, and really try to convince one another of the merits and demerits of various SE settings (and not in game terms, but in real life terms).

I've also considered trying some kind of elaborate score multiplier that takes into account how often players act according to your agenda as opposed to otherwise, and if you're interested in the idea, I'll try to straighten the concept out into words. So, we'd be trying to "win" as usual, but winner would be decided by our ending score modified by a multiplier. So, if you're playing Lal and manage to get elected Supreme Leader, but everybody spent the game in either Fundamentalism or Police State fighting each other, your final score would suffer accordingly.

As to rules, I'm not by any means an experienced PBEM player (and I play one level below Transcend!), so I don't even know what half of those rules mean. For example, what is "prototyping" and why is it generally banned?

As to a possible text RP, I'd only want to bother with it if I could get some people into a chat room somewhat regularly. In my experience, email roleplaying only really works when it's an aside to an established real time campaign. I've seen message board roleplaying, but I've never really been able to get into it... the pace of play is just to slow, in my opinion. (But here I am getting into PBEM SMAC? lol)

If I were to run it, I've decided I'd use d20 Modern, since it's what I'm familiar with. I'll gladly create characters to specifications for those that don't know the system. I'd start the game out right on board the Unity. Characters should be created with the notion that they would actually be accepted as colonists for the mission. Obvious types include scientists, engineers, and soldiers, but such an endevor would also require tradesmen of all sorts, from farmers to plumbers to any skill set required for the transplanting of Earth's civilization. Heck, maybe there could even be a few stowaways.

[Mart]

Authyrean started this game, and since there is no objection from Ironwood, the map will be standard size with average everything.

I'll prepare list of all settings.

[Authyrean]

First of all, ACRP would be totally indenpendent from this PBEM. Secondly, I accept that this should be a quite standard game with RP as a flavor.

Personally, I wouldn't modify the final score. If someone convice other players to accept his agenda then it is possible that they would end up in an alliance. Remember the name of the ship that brought us on this rocky Planet In this cause I would say that everybody wins. After game we could talk about our experience and rate each other RP skills and commitment. But, I don't care about my in-game score too much (although my leader would take it into account), so I'm open to interesting ideas.

[Mart]

Any idea for the game name?

[Authyrean]

How about "Future of Civilization"?

[Mart]

Summarizing the settings. The settings that are standard are as follows. Note Blind research.

Story Oriented PBEM

Future of Civilization Pbem


SMAC 5.0 (with WinXP patch)


Faction
Player


Gaians
Authyrean
 


Hive
AI
 


University
AI
 



Morganities
Andijvie
 

Spartans
Ironwood
 


Believers
AI
 


Peacekeepers
AI
 


---


CMN
Mart
marcin777TAgmailTODcom


---


Preference
Settings


Map size
Standard, 40x80


Ocean
50-70


Erosion
Aver


Life
Aver


Clouds
Aver


Difficulty
Librarian


---


Transcend
Yes


Conquest
Yes


Diplomatic
Yes


Economic
Yes


Cooperative
Yes


---


Do or Die
No


Flexible start
No


Tech stagnation
No


Spoils of war
No


Blind research
Yes


Intense riv
No


No survey
Yes


No scatter
No


No rnd events
No


Time Warp
No


Iron man
No


Rand person
No


Rand social
No

[Authyrean]

I wonder if difficulty setting is high enough. I'm not sure if AI is of any challange without bonuses. How other players feels about that?

[Authyrean]

???

[Authyrean]

Should I start looking for different PBEM? I'll wait one week for a reply before I resign from this game.

[Mart]

The game is launched here:

http://apolyton.net/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=177010

do I have your emails to post in the game table?

[Authyrean]

antispambot version: ptrswk NA gmail (add ".com")