15-06-2004 13:13									#1
	Alpha Base: Builders Unite! Signup Thread Support Apolyton, buy GURPS/ Alpha Centauri

A signup thread for several Pbems I'd like to get started.

Alpha Base: Builders Unite

{Edit: Still need 4 players as of my last post. C'mon Apolyton!}

I'd like to set up a fairly standard email game with an emphasis on the long game. There is nothing more gratifying than getting that last Tree Farm built or fortifying a beautiful builder empire. Long games are great for single players, but what about for multiplayer? If you can only play for a few weeks or want to stick it out all the way, this might be a good builder game for you. If you'd like to be a substitute in the future, keep an ear to the forums.

As we all know, many, if not most Pbem's die off just as they are getting interesting! To this end I'd like to make it No Passwords. If people don't play a turn in 24 hours without notice, it may be posted and played by a substitute. {Edit: This seems kind of harsh. I just mean that there would be a way to keep it going. Details can be worked out} Someone (me, if I'm playing) will post a turn to the forums every round. Hopefully, this will ensure that if any one player drops off, the game will keep going. So, builders unite!

Game: Smac or Smax, state your preference
Players: Up to Seven
Map: Huge
Format: Open passwords. Otherwise standard.
Rules: Random Map, Tech Stagnation, Transcend, Flex Start, Geography viewable, random personalities if any AI. Others?
Moderator: I'll moderate and/or play. Random map.


Make suggestions! I had an interesting thought. What if, every 10 game years we each posted a save-game position and a text commentary, all zipped up in a file? That would serve two purposes. First, should you have to leave the game (as often happens in lengthy email games), there will be a quasi-secret strategy guide for your replacement. Secondly, it might be fun to open up all the zipped comments and strategies at the end and post them to the forums as a play-by-play from each faction's perspective. This idea requires some trust between the players, not to open up the zip files! But I think it would be fine. Anyone who needs to open a 'Secret Journal of Lady Deirdre' must be in dire straights anyways Any other suggestions?

If you'd like to play the builder's game or be a future replacement, make a post.

Also, if you'd like to CMN such a game, let me know. We don't necessarily have to have an outside moderator, but it would make the trust issue of setting up the random map more palatable.


One-on-One

Anyone up for some rapid one-v-one games? I'll play! If you'd like to get a moderator to set up the map, etc., that's fine. Otherwise we can just use a random map and keep it simple.

Game: Smac or Smax, your choice
Players: You, Me, and Five AI
Map: Huge
Format: flexible.
Rules: I'm flexible on these..... Random Map, Tech Stagnation, Transcend, Flex Start, Geography viewable, random personalities if any AI. Others?
Moderator: I'll moderate and/or play. Random map.

-Smack, who needs a PBEM or three!

Last edited by smacksim on 19-06-2004 at 06:37

	15-06-2004 15:39									#2
	Support Apolyton

Count me in for an Alpha Base game (preferably Morgan, don't play other factions too well).

Tech stag AND Huge map could well be a bit too much (= too little action), especially for "builder" factions like Domai with an inherent research penalty.

Random map is fine as long as there is enough continent and 2+ nut tiles for everyone to start building (since you will have to wait for Doc:Flex a few years on a huge map...)

How about disabling Conquest victory?

The 10 years strategic guide is a very good idea.
In my opinion it is rather unimportant when the text gets read by a fellow player or not, since you talk about things past and not about future things.

	15-06-2004 16:04									#3
	Inflate your Upload Space

I would play, but my ISP has a habit of stuffing up.
I can play the turns if I have an e-mail address to send the turns to, and get the turns by e-mail.

As for the one-on-one, what times are you available? We might as well make a 6-hour gaming binge every day where we each go through 4 turns.

At the moment I'm studying for my final exam on Thusday, so I cannot start the game for 48 hours.

	15-06-2004 18:54									#4
	Enter the AD-FREE zone

As a 1-1 variant, try a same-faction game (ie an original 14 faction against its clone, with 5 AI)

You can get Lal, Morgan and Drone clone factions here

	15-06-2004 19:59									#5
	Support Apolyton, buy Galactic Civilizations: Deluxe Edition

Googlie, nice variant. I can see why one would do this to level the playing field.

Enigma_Nova, I'll PM you and perhaps we can get a game going after exams.

AndiD, you're in the Alpha Base game. Good suggestion for disabling the conquest victory. I see reasons for this and against it. As to map/tech stag, etc.. here's what I suggest in more detail:

Pods on
Random map, with some possible options, most of which require a moderator to set things up....

1. Map could be checked by a moderator to see if anyone's position is so bad as to warrent re-rolling the map.
2. We could all be given Doc:Flex to start
3. The 'Disband all units to re-spawn +1 former' trick could be made legitimate.
4. A CMN could put Nut Specials near the starting locations.

Personally I only like options 1 and 3. But as I said, I'm flexible.

-Smack

	16-06-2004 16:10									#6
	Support Apolyton, buy Civilization: The Boardgame

Hey smacksim!
Lets play a 2x2 game!

I already have a map, if you wanna play, Ill show it to you!

Available teams are:

Believers + Gaians
&
Morgan + Spartans

Choose one & the other will be mine!

I will just set up the commlinks then & tomorrow we can start

Mapsettings:

Huge ( 3 large, 1 smaller continent)
Ocean ~ 65-70%

average everything (IIRC)

starting assets: 3 CPs & 5SPs & 1 UR for each (3 rovers & 3SPs for spartans)

SMAX, definitely!

Youre in?

	16-06-2004 19:08									#7
	Lose 30 kilos (of popups)

Smacksim, your suggested PBEM games are very interesting.
But I can only send turn every 4-5 days so I need a very slow pace.

	16-06-2004 19:58									#8
	Put an end to popups!

binTravkin, I'm in. How about a random map though? One neither of us has seen completely exposed. IE, hmm, where is the jungle, where are the flats? If you mean that you've started a 2x2 game and havn't looked at the map in the scenario editor, that's fine with me. I'll PM you with my email and we can get going. I'll play either set, but the Morgan-Spartans look more powerful than the Believer-Gaians. I do love the Gaians though, so I'll take them!

Knightsoul, perhaps you could partner with another builder for the builder game? Typically the first few turns happen rather quickly and then a game slows down. With (hopefully) seven human players, turns every 4-5 days is reasonable.

-Smack

	16-06-2004 20:33									#9
	Support Apolyton, buy Galactic Civilizations

You want an unexplored map?

I've played on that map once & viewed it a few times in scenario editor -> I could transfer it to you & you take a look too..

Flats & Jungle is by AI

Gaians & Believers have a small thermoshallow sea IN their continent
Morganites have Mount Planet in close vicinity

will post map here in a few mins

	16-06-2004 20:42									#10
	Scenario Support Apolyton, buy Civilization: The Boardgame

It is a SMAC scenario, but I will try to re-make it to SMAX

If I wont manage, will debate for another map (but I would greatly like to play on this)

Attachment: map2x2_smack_2101.zip
This has been downloaded 4 time(s).

	16-06-2004 21:21									#11
	Put an end to popups!

binTravkin, lets take this discussiong to PM. I think we can work things out and get started. Looking forward to it.

-Smack

	16-06-2004 21:37									#12
	Full PM-box? Change here!

Yeah, lets start PMing -> I already sent one to you!

	17-06-2004 15:16									#13
	Inflate your Upload Space

4-5 days?!
Never mind the Alpha Base game.

	17-06-2004 15:26									#14
	Support Apolyton, buy Call to Power 2

1on1 is with speed turn in 1 day EN!

	19-06-2004 06:43									#15
	Help yourself to an AD-FREE life

We still need 3 or 4 other builders for the builders game. Is anyone out there wanting to play?

I'm still looking to get more 1v1 games started. binTravkin and I start next week.

-Smack


E_N,

What I mean is that a round being played in 4-5 days is pretty good actually. Not that each player would take 4-5 days. That would make 28-35 days per game year! -S

	19-06-2004 13:55									#16
	Support Apolyton buy from Amazon

If we can get this thing reliably moving...

I'm skeptical of anyone who can't play the turn within 24 hours. (Yes, this includes me until my ISP is back up...)

The problem is timing it. I'll be taking 8 hours per turn easily by 2180. I am Kody's apprentice, after all.

	19-06-2004 19:24									#17
	Remove this text

Yes, the problem is timing it. It's interesting to look at how the turns would fall if you have players at varying speeds. Even in your best case scenario (8 hours per person), it would take 56 hours to play one round with 7 'fast' players. If any one player can only play at X time of day, you'd think the pattern would settle around them, but this requires the round to be in increments of 1-Day. So a 56 hour round would then grow to 72 hours, the next 1-Day cycle.

At 72 hours, this is 3 days, which, though probably slow from each player's perspective, isn't at all unreasonable for a pbem with 7 players!

-Smack

	20-06-2004 14:04									#18
	Support Apolyton, buy GURPS/ Alpha Centauri

Hey u guys, how about making that 2x2 into a 3x2

i would love to play and 3 human players is much more interesting don't u agree?

U can choose my factions and all the settings. i don't care... i just want to play. I can play within 24hr no problemo.

	20-06-2004 21:55									#19
	Support Apolyton, buy Alpha Centauri

Fine by me Chairman, binTravkin is away this weekend. PM me and perhaps we can convince him.

-Smack

	21-06-2004 09:19									#20
	Support Apolyton, buy Galactic Civilizations: Deluxe Edition

My playing time is erratic (sleep disorder), so I can play at pretty much any time.
If the previous player has IM, I'll get the turn a lot faster if he/she sends me an IM when the turn is in.

This Alpha Base game... might as well count me in, since this PBEM doesn't seem so time-intensive.

EDIT:
Alpha Base says 'builders unite', but nowhere in the rules does it prevent a conquer victory.
Was that intentional, or are we meant to avoid chopper bumrushes?

	21-06-2004 12:21									#21
	Suffering from ads?

You're in then Enigma. We need 3 more. Possible only 2...waiting on a PM.

As to the rules, turning off Conquer Victory won't prevent someone from conquering and then waiting it out. On the other hand, it would be nice to focus this pbem on building. Perhaps some other rules? I'd like to not go fiddling with the alpha.txt, etc., for the sake of simplicity, but perhaps there are other play rules we could adopt.

Ideas for Builder-type rules:

1. No more than half an enemies bases may be conquered in a single assault, or every 10 years,

2. A faction may be wiped out, if all the other factions agree to terminate them.

3. Choppers and/or Insertions are illegal.

Others?

I'm not too worried about it, especially if we play huge-techstag. Sure, there will be wars, but they will be based largely on a players ability to build.

So, again, we are looking for 2 or 3 more players who like to focus on building. Any experience is fine, though it would be nice to have a mix of wise old players with some fairly new players.

-Smack

	21-06-2004 14:54									#22
	Got spare money?

You could divide the planet into 'sections' by stretches of fungus, rocky tiles, dunes, or any place where people won't build a base.

The rule could be that wars would be fought only over Sections, as opposed to a whole empire - and that both parties must consent to the conquering challenge.

"I bet I could take over Morgan South West."
"Wanna gamble University Highlands on it?"
"Hell yeah! Vendetta on you!"
Mutually consentual war could work.

I am, as always, the University of Planet.

	21-06-2004 19:35									#23
	Support Apolyton, buy Call to Power 2

Excellent ideas EN, and perhaps you'd like to make such a map? For this game I'm pretty set on a random map. The great thing about random is overcoming obstacles or knowing that you will be a target because of your prime location.

-Smack

	21-06-2004 20:39									#24
	Remove this text

I'm not precisely the type to do this, Smacksim.
Send me some Huge maps that others have made, and I'll model our map from theirs.
For the time being, I haven't played enough Huge games against players... to know what to make. >_<''

	22-06-2004 13:40									#25
	Avatar Enlargement: We've got the solution

^
Trolling through randomly generated maps on a rediculously huge map now...

EDIT: Never mind.
There's got to be a way to design something like this...
The sections should each be about 1/12th of our territory...
Which would consist of 2 territories of energy park and 10 territories of bases, right?

Last edited by Enigma_Nova on 22-06-2004 at 15:20

	23-06-2004 09:13									#26
	Tired of ads?

...Never mind...
* Enigma_Nova goes off to find someone who -can- do this...

	23-06-2004 10:49									#27
	Put an end to popups!

Now that I've been drawn into Bear Baiting, I'm at my max.
I cannot do Alpha Base.

I have:
Testalossa-0 (4 players, 2115 era)
Heard of Fire (7 players, 2120 era)
Life is only a Game (4 players, 2115 era)
You Think You Know Everything (3 players, 2115 era)
Open Book (I'm the CMN + 3 others, 2100 era)
Bear Baiting 101 (7 players, 2100 era)

It will be some time before my PBEM load goes down.

	30-06-2004 19:06									#28
	Support Apolyton or Terrorists Win

bump!