Proposed new team game: KILL MONTY

[mmontgomery]

I would like to propose a team game with the purpose of killing me.

I am thinking of two possible formats:

Format 1: A 2 vs. 1 game. Setup something like Marky's Excellent Adventure, except I get no partner. To balance a bit, the 2 person team would not be able to pick University, Cycon, or Morgan, but could pick any other two factions they wanted. We would email our choices to the moderator, so no one would know ahead of time what the others picked. Everyone starts with two Colony Pods and 1 scout. In addition, I would start with 50 EC and a Former.


Format 2: A 3 vs. 2 game. I would take a single partner. Both Marky and Wdplays have volunteered for the job. Similar faction restrictions: the 3 player team cannot pick from University, Cycon, or Morgan, but could pick any other three factions they wanted. 1 faction of the two player team would have the same restrictions. So 1 player of the two player team could have University, Cycon, or Morgan, and none of the other players can choose from those 3 factions. No other handicaps.

Either game ends when my last city is taken, even if in Format 2, my partner is doing well. After all, the name of the game is KILL MONTY.

As for setup, I am thinking Marky's Excellent Adventure (on the modified balanced Vets Map) would be ideal. For Format 1, my sister continent would just be unoccupied. For Format 2, one of the 3 factions starts in the edge of the central island cluster closest to his teammates.

No pods. No copters. No attrocities.

I am flexible about whether we play with tech stagnation or not. I'll let the opposing team decide that.


So, is anyone interested in KILL MONTY?

[Darsnan]

Re: Proposed new team game: KILL MONTY

Originally posted by mmontgomery
I would like to propose a team game with the purpose of killing me. So, is anyone interested in KILL MONTY?

Hmmm, I just noticed on my "Things to do before I die" list is a line named "Kill Monty". I'm going to assume this refers to you.

Since no one else has replied here to this point, then I think there are several options:

1) I used to set up PBEM games in the past (CMN, like MART does these days). I can set up the game for you and whoever else would like to enter the fray. One thing I would ask is that I edit the #UNITS section of the game, as this would make any AIs involved much more competitive.

2) With others involved I participate in the game. Dibs on Gaians. I also would request a specific subset of units be included in the #UNITS section of the alpha(x).txt file so that the AIs are more competitive.

3) With no one else involved in the game I participate in the game. Again dibs on Gaians. Since per your original post this is supposed to be a team game, then the CMN gives me another faction (his choosing) perma-pacted to me, thus honoring the "2 on 1" theme you originally proposed. And again I request a specific subset of units be included in the #UNITS section of the alpha(x).txt file so that the AIs are more competitive.

Originally posted by mmontgomery
No pods. No copters. No attrocities.

No Problem.

Originally posted by mmontgomery
I am flexible about whether we play with tech stagnation or not. I'll let the opposing team decide that.

Lets see if anyone else shows up, and then have a quorum at that point.

D

[SmacxVeteran]

HI sounds good. 2v1.. you don't stand a chance mate

If you go gaians darsan, i'll go hmmm yang sounds good.

oh and i don't mind about tech stag. I think tech stag would benefit you more, but meh, watever. Up to you.

[florin79c]

Originally posted by SmacxVeteran
HI sounds good. 2v1.. you don't stand a chance mate

When is the last time you played Monty?

Afther few games with him i'm strating to figure things out, but i dont have the energy to focus right now. I'l just kill you some other time

[mmontgomery]

Sorry to be late checking back. Work is a bit of a zoo; I am transferring to a new position.

Darsnan, if you can set it up, that would be perfect; otherwise, we would have to get another moderator. I am not familiar with moderating. Since the setup almost identical to Marky's Excellent Adventure, perhaps you can use this as a starting point? I can send you the modified Vets Map if you don't already have it.

Setup would be as Marky's Excellent Adventure:
- SMACX
- Modified Vets map [very balanced starting postions]
FACTIONS:
- University mmontgomery -michaelTAmontgoTODus, in northeast starting position
- Gaia Darsnan, in southeast starting postion
- Hive SmacxVeteran, in southwest starting position
- Gaia and Hive permapacted
- No AI, just these 3 factions

STARTING UNITS:
- Hive and Gaia start with 2 colony pods, 1 scout
- University starts with 2 colony pods, 1 scout, 1 former, 50 EC


- Tech Stagnation
- No pods, copters, or attrocities



code:--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Map size | Vets Map
Ocean | Custom
Erosion | Custom
Life | Custom
Clouds | Custom
Pods on | No

Difficulty | Transcend

Transcend | Yes
Conquest | Yes
Diplomatic | Yes
Economic | Yes
Cooperative | Yes
Do or Die | Yes
Flexible start | Yes
Tech stag | Yes
Spoils of war | No
Blind research | No
Intense riv | No
No survey | Yes
No scatter | No ---> NO PODS AT ALL
No rnd events | Yes
Time Warp | No
Iron man | No
Rand person | No
Rand social | No
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Teammates (Gaia and Hive) begin with each other's comm frequency, and can contact each other immediately.

Rules:
MULTIPLAYING RESTRICTIONS

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)
* 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.
* Council notification - immediate broadcast to all players(Post in the thread and e-mail to all immediately by player who has called elections, citing candidates and votes. After each player's turn, post in the thread the running totals).
* 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 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.
* A player may not use build queue manipulation or other loopholes to hurry production at a cost that would be lower than directly hurrying the item that one intends to build.
* A player may not use build queue manipulation or other loopholes to build something you could not directly add to the build queue.
* A player may not upgrade a particular type of unit using the design workshop, and then attack with that unit in the same turn.
* Copters are banned from the game.
* All attrocities banned.

[Darsnan]

Originally posted by mmontgomery
Sorry to be late checking back. Work is a bit of a zoo;

NP - I'm in a similar state right now, as I've worked the last 16 days straight.

Originally posted by mmontgomery
I am transferring to a new position.

Congrats!

Originally posted by mmontgomery
Darsnan, if you can set it up, that would be perfect; I can send you the modified Vets Map if you don't already have it

I can do this np - just send me the map file and I can put it together from there.

Originally posted by mmontgomery Since the setup almost identical to Marky's Excellent Adventure, perhaps you can use this as a starting point? .

Setup would be as Marky's Excellent Adventure:
- SMACX
- Modified Vets map [very balanced starting postions]
FACTIONS:
- University mmontgomery -michaelTAmontgoTODus, in northeast starting position
- Gaia Darsnan, in southeast starting postion
- Hive SmacxVeteran, in southwest starting position
- Gaia and Hive permapacted
- No AI, just these 3 factions

STARTING UNITS:
- Hive and Gaia start with 2 colony pods, 1 scout
- University starts with 2 colony pods, 1 scout, 1 former, 50 EC


- Tech Stagnation
- No pods, copters, or attrocities

Looks fine except for the following:

Originally posted by mmontgomery
No AI, just these 3 factions

I guess I should have read the "Marky Mark's" thread you referenced, as what I am looking for is a PBEM where I can see how well the AIs would utilize some pre-designed units I tossed into the alphax.txt. Would there be any interest in a parallel game with some AIs on a randomly generated map?

Regardless, I can still play this game if you want. Or I can set it up for SmacxVeteran to play both factions (and he could choose the two factions he would like to play). Just be aware that I am going on vacation from 8/10 - 8/17 (taking the kids camping), so will be incommunicado during that timeframe. FYI.


D

[mmontgomery]

I have attached the Vets Map as modified by Mart for balanced starting positions. Everyone should download the map and open in with the editor in SMACX so that they can familiarize themselves with the map before the game starts.

Dual games sounds fine with me. I will be glad to help you test your AI patches in one game, and enjoy the challenge of facing you and SmacXVeteran in the other game.

As for your vacation, don't worry about it. As long as everyone is aware, it is not a problem. It is only if someone disappears from a game for weeks with no communication that things get dicey.

The main reason I avoid having AI is that they tend to unbalance the game between the human players in two ways.

1. In the early game, starting next to an aggressive AI can really hinder early economic development and expansion of the human unlucky enough to be in that position.

2. In the middle to late game, AIs are generally much easier to absorb than humans. You can generally beat an AI into abject surrender, and then they give you all of their money and tech. They also tend to make other kinds of odd diplomatic decisions.

But that being said, we can avoid (1) by just not including the ultra-aggressive AIs (like Spartans, Believers, Hive, ...) in the game. I would suggest AIs like Peacekeepers, Morgan, University, Gaia, Angels, Drones, etc.

For the random game with AIs, I would like CyberCon, unless we are playing with pods, in which case I would like Gaia. For a moderated game, any number of players can play the same faction. In fact, we could have all 3 human players with CyberCon or Gaia if they wanted.

As for turn order for the games, just put me last in both games. That way if someone else builds a secret project on exactly the same turn as me, they get it, because the come earlier in the turn order. And if I get it, they have no gripe because that means they must have been 1 turn later than me in completing the project.

[vyeh]

Excuse me for interjecting.

Could I suggest that the AI's be placed in the center?

That would eliminate (1) and depending on the enhancements Darsnan gives to the AI's, it could eliminate (2). An AI faction starting among the Ruins and expanding through those four Monsoon jungles could be quite tough!

[Darsnan]

Originally posted by mmontgomery
I have attached the Vets Map as modified by Mart for balanced starting positions. Everyone should download the map and open in with the editor in SMACX so that they can familiarize themselves with the map before the game starts. As for turn order for the games, just put me last in both games: that way if someone else builds a secret project on exactly the same turn as me, they get it, because the come earlier in the turn order. And if I get it, they have no gripe because that means they must have been 1 turn later than me in completing the project

Just dl'd the Vets map. I will set up the "Kill Monty" game as you suggest above in that the Gaians start in the southeast corner, Hive (a la SmacxVeteran) in the southwest corner, and you (Uni's) in the northeast, and no AIs. Play might be slowed at first as SmacxVeteran and I straighten out our joint strategy on how to kill you. Nothing personal, you understand, right?

Originally posted by mmontgomery
Dual games sounds fine with me. I will be glad to help you test your AI patches in one game, and enjoy the challenge of facing you and SmacXVeteran in the other game.

Thank you - definately appreciated. I am attaching an alphax.txt file which incorporates the units which I would like to playtest. Since I'm going to be OOT fo the next week then if you've got the time and the desire, why feel free to play an SP game with these units included in order to see how they impact gameplay. If you do choose to playtest this, then please set the game to either a Large or Huge world, with 50-70% water.

Originally posted by mmontgomery
The main reason I avoid having AI is that they tend to unbalance the game between the human players and AIs

Completely understood. Personally speaking, I think I have developed a set of units which enhances the AIs significantly in regards to how they respond in a PBEM environment, specifically for a Large/ Huge aquatic world (i/e 50-70% water). This is what I would like to specifically focus on.

D

[Darsnan]

Hi All,

I will be setting up the "Kill Monty" game this evening and sending the first turn off to mmontgomery. FYI.


D

[Darsnan]

First turn attached for Monty. Turn order is Monty, SmacxVeteran, Darsnan. I haven't set passwords at this point.
I've sent an E-Mail to SmacxVeteran with my E-Mail address.


D

[mmontgomery]

There are a couple of problems with the setup which will have to be redone.

1. The game seems to be set up for blind research. This needs to be fixed. I think blind research hurts strategic planning too much to be enjoyable. I get frustrated enough when the regular research does not allow me to pick what I want.

2. University did not start out with a bonus tech. If the bonus tech activation is difficult, then just give University the tech Planetary Networks, which is what I would have picked anyway.


Darsnan, what is your email address? Either post or directly email it to me.

SmacxVeteran, do you want me to use the same email address from our last game?

[Darsnan]

Originally posted by mmontgomery
There are a couple of problems with the setup which will have to be redone.

1. The game seems to be set up for blind research. This needs to be fixed. I think blind research hurts strategic planning too much to be enjoyable. I get frustrated enough when the regular research does not allow me to pick what I want.

Hmmm, I'm pretty sure I checked that on initial setup. I will review and correct as necessary.

Originally posted by mmontgomery
2. University did not start out with a bonus tech. If the bonus tech activation is difficult, then just give University the tech Planetary Networks, which is what I would have picked anyway.

Will do.

Originally posted by mmontgomery
Darsnan, what is your email address? Either post or directly email it to me.

abdnandal@twcny.rr.comab

minus the ab on both ends.


D

[Darsnan]

Originally posted by mmontgomery
There are a couple of problems with the setup which will have to be redone.

1. The game seems to be set up for blind research. This needs to be fixed. I think blind research hurts strategic planning too much to be enjoyable. I get frustrated enough when the regular research does not allow me to pick what I want.

I just checked the file and the game is set up for directed research (you can verify this by playing one round of the game: on round two you will be given the option of which tech you would like to research next). My mistake was not advancing the MY to 2101 where it would allow you to choose your research option (sorry - been a while since I did this).

Originally posted by mmontgomery
2. University did not start out with a bonus tech. If the bonus tech activation is difficult, then just give University the tech Planetary Networks, which is what I would have picked anyway.

For some reason this didn't seem to work in this game! Anyways, I've re-gen'd the game and am attaching it here in this post. I've verified you get to select whichever tech you want as your free tech. FYI.

D

[mmontgomery]

Setup is fine, I think. Looks like this will be a fun game!

2101 to Hive