29-11-2000 10:27									#1
	zsozso's Ultimate Builder Challenge Tired of ads?

Remember this?:

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Ultimate Builder Challenge

I would like to invite all Builder-style players to participate in this single-player challenge and post periodic reports (e.g. every 50 turns) to compare the performances. Of course, non-builder style players can also participate.

The title simply reflects the fact that the game setup is choosen to give a hard time to the builder style

The short description:

Play this scenario and try to win by transcendence.

I told you it was going to be short...

The long description:

Download this scenario file:

(no longer on original site - see below for downloading)

Play it and try to win by transcendence! All victory conditions are enabled, so the AI has the chance to beat you in any way, but if you win by any other way than transcendence, that means you have not fulfilled the challenge.

The game is almost a standard SMACX game with a very specific set of setup option and faction choice which makes it hard to transcend.

The factions
1. Planet Cult - the human player, i.e. You
2. Hive
3. Believers
4. Spartans
5. Pirates
6. Caretakers
7. Usurpers

Rule options:
* All victory conditions ON - for the AI, but you must win by transcendence!
* Do or Die ON
* Look First ON
* Tech Stagnation ON
* Spoils of War OFF - can't steal it
* Blind Research ON
* Intense rivalry (aggressive AI) ON
* Bell Curve ON - better comparison chances for the challenge
* Iron Man ON

Difficulty: Transcend (of course!)

The game is played on the Huge Map of Planet - so that everybody has the same chance to know it including me, because I want to participate too without unfair advantage.

For the same reason, I give you the starting locations (pods/scouts, look first is on, so you can walk about before putting down your city).

Of course, you can also load the scenario into the editor to look around before you play.

Just don't use the editor during the challenge game...

1. Cult (You) start at (69,17) - Isle of Deianira
2. Hive at (91,71) - near Monsoon Jungle
3. Believers at (110,32) - near Upland Wastes
4. Spartans at (32,102) - near Freshwater Sea
5. Pirates at (74,78) - between Sea of Unity and Geothermal Shallows
6. Caretakers (15,55) - near The Ruins
7. Usurpers (46,54) - near Garland Crater

Now, the only remaining thing to explain is the almost above, i.e. what makes this scenario very different from a game started up with the same setup parameters and factions. It is the diplomacy setup!

Each AI faction has the following special diplomacy setting:
* Vendetta with Planet Cult
* Attrocity victim of Planet Cult
* Want revenge against Planet Cult
* Fight to Death with Planet Cult
* Pact with all other AI factions
* Surrendered to all other AI factions (yes the Scenario editor allows
both ways surrendered state - go figure )
* The current diplomacy status is fixed - cannot change during game!

BTW, do not hope to get some freebie tech or Alien Artifacts from the Unity pods. These 2 goodies are disabled.

So, imagine those 6 warmonger AI factions in ubreakable submissive pacts with each other (meaning they will share every tech discovered and help each other) all against you in a fight-to-death vendetta, pissed off because of your alleged attrocities against them. And now, you have to transcend under blind research tech stagnation with a very weak builder faction (-1 economy, -1 industry).

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Well, thanks to Tau Ceti for supplying the original start scenario.

You are the Cult, in permanent vendetta against all six other factions.

You can download this from the Spartan Chronicles site's "Fall Challenges" page (last page in site):

http://clik.to/sparta

and play and compare to the "greats" of yesteryear (sorry vel and zso )

(edited on Nov 29th - Bravenet is installing a new server so the fast URL is disabled - you can alternatively click on:

http://googlie2.tripod.com/spartanchronicles/

to dowwnload)

Remember it is a scenario, so load into your scenarion folder, and choose "play scenario" to open.

You can check the progress of players past in the archived thread:

http://apolyton.net/forums/Archives...-31-000174.html


Post your game logs in this thread (the original is padlocked and archived)

G.



[This message has been edited by Googlie (edited November 29, 2000).]

	29-11-2000 14:55									#2
	Help yourself to an AD-FREE life

Hell, this sounds like the punishment for someone who has killed his own mother and father!

But I will give it a try, If it works on my German SMAC version.

	30-11-2000 14:45									#3
	Support Apolyton, buy Civilization: The Boardgame

The setting that I don't love is "Fix current status as permanent" Guess why?
But I love challenges and I accept this one.
I've give to all of the faction their "landing techs"
and
Cult:2 C.Pods, 1 Scout, 1 Worm
Hive,Believers:2 C.Pods, 2 Scouts
Spartan:2 C.Pods, 1 Scout, 1 Unity Rover
Pirates:2 Sea C.Pods, 2 Gunfoils
Caretakers:2 C.Pods, 1 Former, 1 B.O.MK1
Usurper:2 C.Pods, 2 B.O.MK1
If you want I can send by E-Mail my scenario.
I will post here my comments about this game.

	30-11-2000 17:32									#4
	Get a bigger avatar today!

Aaaaiiiieeeee!!!!!!!

Can't resist. I just can't resist, I'm going to have to have a go at this. It is going to hurt, though, believe me, and should provide you with some entertainment at least....

When it's done, how about we play it as an OCC? (Vel, I was joking.... )

	30-11-2000 23:59									#5
	Got spare money?

Oh dear. I can tell that this is going to be a long hard struggle. Basically, I gave up at 2151 after losing all five of the early SPs. I would post the log, but it's too depressing. Oh yeah, and I had the grand total of six techs at that time. Bummer.

Oh well, the only way is up, I suppose.

Mark13

	01-12-2000 04:08									#6
	Support Apolyton buy from Amazon

Vultur:

I'm not sure that the spirit of a compare challenge is maintained when you edit the scenario to adjust the starting situation.

The intent of resurrecting this one was to let current players compare themselves to the victors in the original challenge (thread archived and padlocked).

It's no longer the same game when you have made changes.

G.

	01-12-2000 04:24									#7
	Increase the size of your Attachments

Cha Dawn of the Planet Cult, Zsozso's Ultimate Builder Challenge:

2101 - Pod, monolith. Start as you mean to go on
HQ founded
2102 - Pod - monolith
2105 - Pod - nut resources
2109 - Pod - MWs
2112 - AppPhy
Pod - monolith
2113 - MWs destroy former. Yuck.
2119 - now 0/3 in mind worms captures
2120 - Biogenetics
2122 - MW captured at long, long last....
2124 - Earthquake three spaces east of HQ.
2132 - InfNet
2147 - WP begun - have half a chance this time at least....
2148 - PlanNet - switch to Planned

S'pose we should have a report at 2150....

8 bases (12 pop)
6 techs
Tech cost - 144 Tech per turn - 11
Turns every 14, next in 11

6th in powerchart - Two progs ahead in all categories, split 3/3
Order - Caretakers, Usurpers 98%, Hive 65%, Pirates 60%, Santiago 50%, Cha Dawn 40%, Miriam 20%

Income - 3/turn
What passes off as a military:
7 Scout Patrols
2 MWs, 1 SL
6 Formers, 1 CP

A few musings:
Certainly a lot better first 50 years, I am but two techs away from the ultimate goal, IndAuto, although the next tech is an explore . However, labs production is not all that bad, and if we can continue to build at this rate, we should grow a fair bit in the next 50 or so years. Things are looking good. For now.

	02-12-2000 07:38									#9
	Lose 30 kilos (of popups)

Vultur:

Didn't mean to be carpy or cranky - just wanted to "preserve the integrity of the challenge."

I understand that Tripod (which hosts the Spartan Chronicles site) can occasionally be balky re downloads, so I've e-mailed you the .zip file

Googlie

	02-12-2000 20:19									#10
	Support Apolyton, buy Galactic Civilizations

2101 Found Nut (68,16)
2102 Founded Dawn of Planet (67,17)
Found 2 Monoliths (66,18) and (72,18)
2105 Founded Concordat of Worms (71,11)
2107 Found Nut and Worm (72, 24)
2108 Found Min and Transport (80,14)
2109 Found 25 Credids (82,12)
2110 Found Rover (86, 20)
2114 Found Nut (74,12)
2115 Discovered Applied Phisics
2116 Found Min (72,14)
2119 Found Minerals for CoW's C.P! (86,4)
2121 Founded Remain in Light (72, 22)
2123 Discovered Information Networks
2124 Found Isle of Deep (73, 7)
2127 Founded Consecration Pit (77, 7)
2130 Dawn of Planet built Rec Commons
2133 Transport destroied by Pirates' GunFoil
2134 Captured Mindworms (69,11)
2137 Marr begin Command Nexus
Discovered Biogenetics
2138 H'minee begin Command Nexus
2139 Yang begin Command Nexus
2142 Remain In Light built Colony Pod
2148 Santiago begin Merchant Exchange
2149 H'minee discovers Secrect of Human Brain
Dawn of Planet and Concordat of Worms built Network Node
Dawn of Planet begin Weaver Paradigm
2150 Founded Dawn's Chancel (81,15)

Bases
5 bases 13 pop, 1 secialist (Consecration Pit)
Tech
E 4% Tech accumulated:73
D 10% Tech Cost:100
B 4% Tech per turn:10
C 4%
Energy
Total Income:4
Costs:3
Energy:90
Units
6 Scouts
1 Mindworm
4 Formers
Power
1st: H'minee
2nd: Marr
3rd: Yang
4th: Santiago
5th: Svensgaard
6th: Cha Dawn (Me)
7th: Miriam
SCORE: 36
[This message has been edited by Vultur (edited December 03, 2000).]

	03-12-2000 19:32									#11
	Support Apolyton, buy Call to Power 2

2153 Discovered Planetary Networks. Chosed Planned.
2156 Remain in Light built Recycling Tank
2157 Fellowship City(Hive) built Command Nexus
2158 Warrior's Armony(Usurper) built Weather Paradigm
Dawn of Planet redirect efforts on HGP
2161 Melody of Souls(Caretaker) built Human Genome Project
Dawn of Planet redirect efforts on Virtual World
2163 Leader's Horde(Hive) built Merchant Exchange
2167 Founded Trance of Purity (64,10)
2179 Discovered Ethical Calculus. Directing Research on Explore/Conquer
2180 Great Interwining(Caretakers) built Empath Guild
Dawn of Planet(My HQ) built Virtual World!!!
2187 Used Colony Pod for adding population to DoP
2190 Used Colony Pod for adding population to DoP
2191 Yang landed 2 units! (71,25) and destroyed 1 of my formers!
2193 The Hive (Guess who?) built Planetary Transit Sistem
Hive's Units conquest and destroy Ramain in Light &
Used Colony Pod for adding population to DoP
2194 Discovered Doctrine:Mobility
2197 Used DoP Mindworm to destroy Hive's Rover
2200 Destroyed Hive Laser Infantry-No enemy on my land!
Bases
5 bases; 20 pop
Tech
E 13% Tech accumulated:110
D 20% Tech Cost:270
B 4% Tech per turn:17
C 4% Next Tech:10 years
Energy
Total Income:15
Costs:6
Energy:161
Units
4 Scouts
2 Mindworm
6 Formers
4 Probe Teams
Power
1st: Yang
2nd: Marr
3rd: H'minee
4th: Santiago
5th: Svensgaard
6th: Miriam
7th: Cha Dawn (Me)
SCORE: 108
NOTES:
I'm using probe teams to protect terrain enhancement from Pirates'Arty's Gunship, and seem to work
Tech is too slow but without WP I can't borehole when I want... mindworms are the only weapon that works againts my enemys
[This message has been edited by Vultur (edited December 03, 2000).]

	06-12-2000 14:17									#12
	Support Apolyton

I tried this scenario. I didn't get very far. The pirates had me boxed in. I took to using my captured spore launcher to bomb there ships away from my island. I got doc flexability a found a base belonging to Yang. I captured it with mindworms and then the pirates captured three or four of my main bases, I had nothing that could beat there plasma steel armor so I called it a game.

	10-12-2000 11:21									#13
	Tired of ads?

2102 Founded Wattle
2105 Founded Iris
2113 Discovered Biogenetics
2120 Discovered Secrets of the HB ---> Ethical calculus
2134 Captured first native- sporelauncher
2137 Discovered Applied Physics
2138 Founded Cactus
2143 Founded Kelp
2152 Started Human Genmome Proj. at Wattle
2155 Founded Spruce
2160 Hive completed Command Nexus
2161 Captured MW
2164 Usurpers completed Weather Paradigm
2169 Switched to Democratic
2170 Pirates call election, Yang elected
2172 Usurpers completed Human Genome Project (I had 5 turns to go) discovered Doctrine Flexibility
2173 Hive completed Merchant Exchange
2177 Pirates commence bombardment of improvements near Kelp
2179 Founded Sargasso
2180 Pirates destroy Spore Launcher
2191 Hive sank my exploring foil
2195 Hive joins Pirates in shore bombardment
2202 Discovered Nonlinear Mathematics Usurpers land near Kelp
2203 Kelp captured by Usurpers
2205 Coralite (seabase from Kelp escape pod) founded
2212 Liberated Kelp & destroyed their escape pod withg my Impact Squads
2214 Hive invaded near Spruce & destroyed it
2217 Discovered Industrial Base
2220 Hive invaded near Kelp sank Pirate foil with my foil
2221 Hive sank my foil Pirates captured Coralite
2227 Hive & Usurpers invaded near Kelp
2228 Hive invade with Needlejets & capture Kelp
2230 Hive established Plex Anthill on my territory near Kelp
2232 Liberated Kelp again
2233 Hive completed Planetary Transit
2235 Conquored Plex Anthill
2238 Hive invaded near Kelp
2239 Destroyed Hive invaders
2250 Caretakers invaded from 2 points simultaneously
2251 Caretakers captured Wattle
2252 Discovered Optical Computers
2255 Hive invaded near Kelkp
2256 Destroyed Hive invaders
2257 Spartans invaded
2258 Destroyed Spartan invaders

Took a break!

Damn this is hard. Most if not all have airpower & I'm nowhere near. I'm invaded by 3 factions at once! Don't like the looks of it! Has this actually been done by anyone?

Hobbes

	10-12-2000 21:00									#14
	Inflate your Upload Space

Hobbes:

Yes- Misotu holds the record for transcendence(I think in 2364

Here's the original thread:

http://apolyton.net/forums/Archives...-31-000174.html

Good luck,

Googlie

	19-02-2001 09:04									#15
	Enter the AD-FREE zone

Yup, you're right Googlie. So ... did anyone even manage to finish the damn game in this second run?