Drago Sinio - cbn Spartan Challenge Series

cbn · May 21, 2001, 09:34

This challenge arose out of a discussion in the general threads about the attributes of the Spartans. Drago asserted that the Spartans, played with a specific strategy, were unbalanced if not unstoppable given sufficient time to build up an industry to support their military. As a believer that the factions are relatively well balanced, I resisted this idea and raised the idea that Drago would test his theories against human opposition, me.

Drago has never played MP before and I am a relative newbie to MP (having not yet completed any games)so we do not purport to be the experts or the champions of the factions. This is a challenge between two regular players. My hope is that I can show that the other factions can acquit themselves well against the Spartans but hey, if I get rolled I will have learned something about the value of those Spartans.

I wish to thank Googlie for providing maps with fair start positions and for all the advice on start-up issues to be determined. There are 3 games, played on 3 different size maps as follows.

1. Standard- Hive (cbn) vs Spartans (Drago Sinio)
2. Large - Gaians (cbn) vs Spartans (Drago Sinio)
3. Huge - University (cbn) vs Spartans (Drago Sinio)

The game is regular Smac and all the other regular factions are present (although Googlie indicated the preferences are tweaked to make them a little smarter). This thread will serve as a turn tracking thread for all three games. Also Googlie has volunteered to look at the games at 20 year intervals and post non-sensitive data to give a sense of our progress. I will likely post "flavor" from time to time to try to make it more interesting (just in case anyone else reads these threads).

cbn · May 21, 2001, 09:36

The first turns in the Hive and Gaian games have been sent to Drago. The initial turn of the University game started with Drago

Drago Sinio · May 21, 2001, 11:17

Okay the Spartan Rovers are all fired up and rovin around looking for trouble.

Spartan turn in each of the three games sent to cbn. (if i did it correctly)
L 2102, S 2103, H 2102

Drago Sinio · May 21, 2001, 15:17

s 2104, L 2103, H 2103 back at you.

Yikes! I was already attacked by a worm! I hate Worms. My first kill! Go Spartans!

Drago Sinio · May 21, 2001, 23:15

Sent back the 2105 turns, had a problem with the Gaian game.

cbn · May 22, 2001, 00:46

The turn is passed

Hive (s) 2103
Gaians (L) 2102
Uni (H) 2102

Too early to tell anything much about the maps yet except none of my factions started in the jungle (darn fair maps LOL)-- I am looking forward to this and it is great to get 3 turns in a single email.

Drago Sinio · May 22, 2001, 08:00

Correct gaian 2105 sent to cbn.

cbn · May 22, 2001, 20:11

Turn passed

Hive 2105
UNI 2104
Gaians 2104

Drago Sinio · May 22, 2001, 21:04

2106 to cbn

cbn · May 23, 2001, 17:50

Turn to Drago

Drago Sinio · May 23, 2001, 18:29

2107 to cbn.

cbn · May 23, 2001, 23:06

And all 3 turns right back atcha

Drago Sinio · May 24, 2001, 01:08

2108 turn sent

Drago Sinio · May 27, 2001, 18:31

2110 sent to cbn

cbn · May 27, 2001, 23:07

2110 back to Drago

The planet appears to be hostile to all 3 of the anti-Spartan factions. Between them they share one landmark-- Unfortunately it is the Great Dunes LOL!

Thus far all nations are undertaking routine exploration of their lands and have little to report

Drago Sinio · May 29, 2001, 12:51

2111 to cbn

cbn · May 29, 2001, 18:31

2111 to Drago

Drago Sinio · May 29, 2001, 20:08

2112 to cbn

cbn · May 30, 2001, 05:31

And 2112 back to you

Drago Sinio · May 30, 2001, 17:43

2113 turns sent on their merry way

cbn · May 30, 2001, 22:06

And back to you again

Drago Sinio · May 31, 2001, 10:47

to you

cbn · May 31, 2001, 18:02

and return-- 2114 to you

Drago Sinio · June 1, 2001, 22:33

sent

cbn · June 2, 2001, 09:02

2115 turns back to Drago plus a bit of color

Hive

Emporer cbn was relatively pleased with the situation of his fledgling explorers. he would soon be in a position to implement the police state governmental style and the colonies were flourishing. There was adequate arable land, rivers and towers with magical powers. Explorers were ranging as far as possible to discover other survivors since sensors indicated that someone was out there.

Gaians

Cbn shivered as he considered the lands on which they were attempting to make a home. To date, with the exception of a single river, all the explorers could find was desert, unrelenting and flat, and pink fungus which was almost inpenetrable. He resolved to not only protect this ecosystem but to enhance it.

University

provost cbn revelled in the geology reports as they reached him. There appeared to be ample farmland in all directions. The colonies remained in significant danger but starvation was no longer an issue. His people grumbled at the need for physical labours but the rotation system, which allowed people time to continue their studies, appeared to alleviate most of the discontent. the provost knew there could be hard times ahead and had focused research efforts in those areas he judged would be nmost beneficial.

Drago Sinio · June 2, 2001, 09:30

to cbn

cbn · June 2, 2001, 10:17

2116 back to Drago

Drago Sinio · June 2, 2001, 11:15

back to you

cbn · June 2, 2001, 13:13

and back to you-- thats 3 turns of a 3 game set by midafternoon-- pretty soon we should be in the fun stuff !!!

Drago Sinio · June 2, 2001, 16:16

to cbn