New PBEM. Pre-Game Setup

wgabrie · January 12, 2002, 16:27

This is the place to sign up and vote for your settings of choice in the next Mac PBEM game.

* Players Sign-up
* Alpha Centauri or Alien Crossfire?
* Player's Faction choice?
* Vote on game settings.

illiria · January 13, 2002, 15:42

Yep, count me in for SMAX.

I prefer playing the Hive, Gaia and possibly the Peacekeers.
Game settings:
Librarian,
Medium to small map size,
few aliens...

wgabrie · January 14, 2002, 22:17

Peacekeepers, Spartans, or Believers

Game settings:
Small Map
Librarian
Directed research
Spoils of war

FlameFlash · January 15, 2002, 13:30

SMAX
I like HUGE maps, and usually a lower difficulty level just so I can enjoy the computer players as more cannon-fodder and concentrate on my human opponents.

Pirates, Gians, (planet loving aliens... [just can't remember the name... *sighs*]), Morgan, Hive, and then Cult.

All methods of victory.
Spoils of war... good.
Directed research... good.
Do or Die... I hate seeing computer players pop back up unless they're rescued by somebody.

No look first...

Admiral · January 15, 2002, 22:59

University, Hive, Pirates

large map
2nd to highest difficulty level
directed research
all other choices default

wgabrie · January 16, 2002, 01:08

Results so far:

This is SMAX

Players in order of posting, are:
Hive: illira
PeaceKeepers: wgabrie
Pirates: FlameFlash
University: Admiral

Settings so far:
Large Map
Climate ? random?
All victory conditions
directed research
Spoils of war activated
Do or Die on

Does everyone agree so far? Make your voice heard before game setup.

illiria · January 16, 2002, 02:59

Re: Map

A large map willgive us a LOOONG game, and with 4 players this could mean moer than 1 year... so I would suggest using a small or max. a medium sized board.

Climate: Wet and Hilly, Continents.

Ok, lets get this thing going!

FlameFlash · January 16, 2002, 12:16

I'm happy, though I'll defer to illiria on map size since this'll be my first PBEM. Maybe medium?

The climate illiria proposed also sounds better than leaving it to chance.
And I'm biased on the amount of water the game has just because I'll be pirates, continents sounds fair though.

Question though... are there going to be computer players? And if so, Random, or which ones?

wgabrie · January 16, 2002, 14:08

Do you want the factions to lean towards the hybrid to momentum side?

Hybrid to Momentum factions:
Gaians
Hive <-- Taken
University <-- Taken
Pirates <-- Taken
Spartans
Believers
(Alien or...) Peacekeepers <-- Taken

Or do you want the factions to be more of the builder type? Any preferred faction, or one you don't want?

FlameFlash · January 16, 2002, 15:53

Not to show my newbieness... but what does the Hybrid ---> Momentum mean?

And I'm fine with that list.

wgabrie · January 16, 2002, 17:58

I guess everyone is ready then?

There are three main styles of play:

Builder aka. Morgan
Likes to build up their bases, and hates wars.

Momentum aka. Believers, Spartans, Hive, and Aliens
Places war above building. Loves early game rover rushes.

Hybrid aka. Peacekeepers, Gaians, University, and most others
Combo of both. Likes to build, but is aware of the danger of surprise attack, so likes to get a small army up and running quickly.

FlameFlash · January 16, 2002, 21:38

I'm ready if everybody else is.

Admiral · January 16, 2002, 22:12

email notification seems to be spotty.
Medium map, wgabrei's factions, agreed upon preferences.
Lets begin.

FlameFlash, if it weren't for the fact that i am about to start a game against you, you might consider looking at Velociryx's strat guide (btw, anyone know where that is?)

wgabrie · January 16, 2002, 22:22

Vel's SMAX guide can be obtained here:
http://www.gubookstore.com/shopgu/au...ntID=GRTU00118

FlameFlash · January 16, 2002, 22:47

Thanks Admiral... and wgabrie.

wgabrie · January 16, 2002, 23:21

I have just asked Googlie to help me setup this game.

FlameFlash are you running Mac Os 9+ and all the latest SMAC/X updates? We've had a compatibility problems before and I just want to make sure you're up to date.

FlameFlash · January 16, 2002, 23:24

Mac os 9.2, Smac 1.5 and SmacX 1.2.1.

If there's been a newer update, then I'll need to get those.

wgabrie · January 16, 2002, 23:29

Don't worry FlameFlash you're up to date.

FlameFlash · January 16, 2002, 23:31

Great!

Ready when everybody else is.

wgabrie · January 17, 2002, 14:11

Googlie, I want my e-mail address for this game to be: wgabrie@optonline.net

(Message to Googlie, who is setting up.)

FlameFlash · January 17, 2002, 16:53

Who's googlie? And should I post my e-mail addy on here too?

wgabrie · January 17, 2002, 18:13

Googlie is the one who sets up the SMAC/X games here at the Alpha Centauri - Multiplayer board. You can trust him.

I asked Googlie to set the game up for me; because, he knows how to set player passwords. Can't have anyone cheating now can we.

You can post your email here or I can email it to him directly. He will email us our passwords when sending out the first turn.

Googlie · January 18, 2002, 02:02

OK - game is ready to go - just need illiria's e-mail addy to send out the first turn

So far:

SMAX, Thinker level (second from hardest)
Standard Planet
30 - 50% water (continents)
wet (so plenty of nutrients)
hilly (so plenty of minerals)
temperate (so less aridity but not jungle)

Players (in turn order)

Hive - illiria
UoP - Admiral
PKs - wgabrie
Pirates - FlameFlash

AI: Gaians, Sparta and Drones (I took the liberty of dropping the Believers in exchange for Domai - trust me, it'll be a better game)

I gave you the usual PBEM accelerated start - 3 colony pods and 3 scouts (gets the game started more interestingly)

Playing settings:

all victory conditions on
spoils of war on
directed research
look first (you have 3 colony pods and 3 scouts on your starting square - Pirates have 3 sea pods and 2 gunships - no scouts)
do or die on
Random events off
AI not aggressive (but no pushovers either - usual Googlie tweaks to their diplomacy and strategy)

Suggested rules:

(these are the Forum Wars rules for the inter-forum PBEMs):

• Communications - none till contact, obtain commlink, or build EG
• Total freedom in Design Workshop (upgrades anytime, during turn or on-field,
• Retro-engineering - OK, except for using the probe rover chassis before discovering Doc. Mobility
• SE switches "quickies" forbidden - (obviously you can experiment to see what effect various SE choices have, but cannot change, play moves, then change back in the same turn)
• 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)
• Stockpiling energy in Qs anytime - OK
• Crawlers Upgrade anytime - OK
• Probe actions: Must choose vendetta option when probing other players, rebuke if a pactmate (OK to probe teammate at any time)
• Using the AI - Cannot use the AI to bribe on council votes nor to demand withdrawal of units
• Cannot use the right click feature for multiple drop moves to extend range (ie limited to 8 tiles unless owning the Space Elevator SP)
• Cannot use the 'set waypoint' feature for automatic worm hunting/lifecycle enhancements
• Must 'Accept' or 'Decline' an offered Pact or Treaty that the other player has indicated 'Accepted' before exiting the diplo box and playing the turn (i.e. no accepting pending treaties/pacts *after* declaring vendetta in the same turn )
• Cannot use the F4 feature (or the bases feature of the F2 screen) to change an infiltrated faction's workers to specialists

Can everyone send me an e-mail to:

googlie@mybc.com

and that way I'll have your addies to send passwords to (and the first turn to illiria)

Cheers

Googlie

FlameFlash · January 18, 2002, 12:13

My e-mail has been sent to googlie... I'm only curious now as to how we send on the turns after we're done... to the next player, or googlie? If the next player, then I'll need illiria's e-mail addy... or with the council voting rules, won't we all need everybody's addy?

wgabrie · January 18, 2002, 14:17

At the end of your turn a pop-up box will appear asking for the next players password. Choose the Save and Exit button to save the turn as a file. Then attach the file to an email and send it to the address of the next player. This file cycles around to all the players, then when it gets back to you it will be the next turn for you to play.

Googlie usualy creates a turn reporting thread for each game. There you can obtain the other players email adresses. Handy if you want to conspire with someone against the other factions.

Googlie · January 18, 2002, 15:05

Usually when I send out the passwords I also give the e-mail addy of the player you send the turn on to

2101 is ready to go as soon as Admiral sends me his e-mail addy. I have everyone else.

This morning I did my ritual playtesting (usually about ten turns or so, just to make sure that the start positions are fairly evenly balanced, that the AI can't make an early rover rush, and that native life is fairly quiescent)

Was having so much fun that I played 45 turns of all 4 factions, then saved for later playing. It promises to be an interesting game.

As would be expected (I'm not giving away any secrets here) the Pirates took an early lead (by virtue of their being able to found 3 bases that first turn, ans early seapod popping that gave techs and facilties completion.

Uni soon caught up, though, as their greater research capability took over, but then stalled as they went about fixing their drone problems, and that let the Hive flourish as by now their industry was really kicking into gear.

I want to continue the game, though, as the PK's are just coming into their own and I'm sure that it's their turn to shine now.

I wonder if it will play out that way in real life, with 4 different players, or if that's just a feature of my own personal playing style (ie trade with the AI rather than fight them)

Come on, Admiral - visit this thread and send me your e-mail address so that the others can get underway

again, it's to:

googlie@mybc.com

btw - what do you want the game to be called?

Googlie

FlameFlash · January 18, 2002, 15:08

Cool, thanks...
And with the conspiracies those would be required to wait until comlink signals in-game were retrieved, right? (From reading what googlie posted with the suggested rules.)

I think I'm going to like this.

FlameFlash · January 18, 2002, 15:14

That's one reason I like the pirates.

I have no name preferences... you've seen parts of the map, googlie... if games are generally given names by the planet that we're on, I don't mind it being something that shows a characteristic of that.

And Admiral's e-mail update feature never seems to work properly from these forums... I remember him complaining about it earlier.

Googlie · January 18, 2002, 18:37

Hmmm - there's nothing too distinctive about the map - a couple of interesting fjords for navies to explore - the 3 landbased factions can eventually contact one of the three AI factions before getting doc flex (and vice versa, of course) via small isthmuses.

If I'd left the Believers in it could have been "the 3 Witches" (Dee, Miriam and Corrie)

If we go with the initials of the human factions, it could be HUPP (Hive, Uni, Oks and Pirates)

Or it could be WIMF if we go with the intials of the 4 players

My working title is SMAX-4-MAC in my gamesave

"Rumble in the Jungle" maybe (since I never give that to a human player) - but you'd have to oust the incumbent first

"Santiago's Folly" perhaps, since she thinks she'll be able to conquer Planet from her starting position

Do any of these appeal?

G.

Admiral · January 18, 2002, 19:28

email address equals elaccent@cstone.net, and has been sent to googlie.
in regards to a name, i think WIMF is good, but await the opinions of others.