May Madness 2K2 -- Online SMAX MP IP Tournament!

[tfs99]

Read here the very first announcement of the very first "ALL WORLD" SMAX MP IP TOURNAMENT!!

I never did finish my first SMAC MP tourney three years ago and I'd like to make up for that by facilitating and hosting this new one.

Details to come. Sign up in this thread and others like it in Greater-SMAC/X-Land.

All that is required to sign up is the following information:

- SMAC/X Nick if different from one used here

- 1st, 2nd and 3rd choice of factions (NO ALIENS, lol)

- Nationality

- Subjective Experience Level (Grade Yourself as a SMAC/X player: A++ to F--)

- Time Zone relative to GMT

====================

Seating will be limited to the first 16 qualified applicants. First come, first serve.

The only limiting criteria will be your nationality. The field will be limited to 16 players:

- 6 Euro-Peons

- 6 North/South Amerikons

- 4 Other regions

(that is unless sufficient regional interest is not shown)

===============

There will be four rounds with the following games:

- Round 1: x4 4 player MP games (top two in points from each game advances)

- Round 2: x2 4 player MP games (top two advance)

- Round 3: x2 2 player MP games (winner advances to final game)

- Final Round: x1 2 player MP game

Games will be hand accelerated on custom maps provided by Slartibartfast Services (tm).

Each player will receive a certain number of SMAC/X points to play with to create initial base array.

====================

More details to follow.

PLEASE COPY AND POST THIS MESSAGE AT ALL SMAC/X BBSes. Thx.

====================

Cheers m8s ... Ted S.

[Flubber]

I am interested but the key for me would be when this is to be played. That will determine if I can actually play or not


Flubber

Factions depend on map size and setting parameters

Canadian (living in Calgary

Grade ?? -- I don't know . . . I'm not in the elite so perhaps a "B"

Mountain Time GMT minus 7


-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

The statements I wondered about were

"Games will be hand accelerated on custom maps provided by Slartibartfast Services (tm).

Each player will receive a certain number of SMAC/X points to play with to create initial base array. "


Also seeing that the "top two" advance, I wonder what you are using as determinative. Is it Smax score or could 2 players go for a coop victory and thereby allow a faction with a low "score" to advance.

I like the concept but have a few questions as to how it is all supposed to work


I am not certain what is meant by a game being hand accelerated and have no idea what "points are being played with to create the initail base array.

[John Paul Jones]

interested...

- Decker

- Peacekeepers, UoP, Hive

- Ireland

- C+

-GMT + 00:00

[tfs99]

Flubber, some excellent points and questions:

Originally posted by Flubber
I am interested but the key for me would be when this is to be played. That will determine if I can actually play or not.

Not sure what you mean by "when". The four MPIPer contestants will determine when they can best congregate to play/continue their game.

The actual timeframe when the first round will begin will be in early May, probably sometime after the premier of _Spiderman_ on 5/3 .

Factions depend on map size and setting parameters

Map size will be of the medium variety.

Settings will be along the lines of what I would term MPIP standard rules.

- No "early contact"
- No blind research
- No restart
- Map not visible
- Wet
- Hilly
- Pods scattered
- Numerous monoliths
- Every special map feature available
- Each faction will have easy access to one special feature
- Each faction will have similar resources available near to their initial base array
- Additional "Home Grown" special features will be present
(see copies of my original SlartiServices (tm) maps, if any copies still exist, i.e., _Tropical_Chiron_ as well as a couple of others)

Other settings will apply as I determine them in the next week or so.

Canadian (living in Calgary)

Won't hold _THAT_ against you.

The statements I wondered about were:

"Games will be hand accelerated on custom maps provided by Slartibartfast Services (tm).

Each player will receive a certain number of SMAC/X points to play with to create initial base array. "

I should have clarified.

SMAC/X points should be SMAC/X build points. Each unit/base improvement/tile improvement, etc. is assigned a value and players indicate which tiles they wish to place their initial bases.

Also players indicate:

A) base improvements contained in certain bases

B) units located in certain bases/on certain tiles

C) tile improvements upon certain tiles

SMAC/X research points will also be given to players and they will specify their initial tech tree based upon the number of points allotted. Each faction will have a varying number of SMAC/X Research points to spend.

Also seeing that the "top two" advance, I wonder what you are using as determinative. Is it Smax score or could 2 players go for a coop victory and thereby allow a faction with a low "score" to advance.

Should MPIPer contestants be able to play their game to conclusion in the time frame allotted, then the final two survivors will be awarded an advance-to-next-round.

Should more than two survive after physical (not game) time expire, than SMAC/X scoring points will be used to decide 1st and 2nd place.

I like the concept but have a few questions as to how it is all supposed to work.

So do I (i.e., like the concept).

I'll try to answer any questions as they arise during the preparation phase.

All contestants will be kept abreast via e-mail and forum posting as to the progress of their own and other games.

Hope this helps ... Ted S.

[Archaic]

Well, I must say I'm certainly interested, but like Flubber, the date the games are scheduled for would be a big deciding factor.

Archaic
University, Morgan, Drones
Australian
C-ish
GMT +10

[Arnathalon]

Same for me. Im interested too but it all depends on when the game will take place.

Arnathalon
Gaians,University,Consciousness
Sweden
umm... C
GMT +1

[Flubber]

Interesting stuff

I am particularly interested in the time and dates of play -- If it is to be "Agreed by the players" then I'm in. I am totally available every second weekend and pretty good most weekdays after work.


The concept looks interesting

So everyone gets similar terrain but then we can "spend" our "points" on improvements. So we can make choices between say a rec tank and 3 farmed squares for example . . . ( Is the points system established?)

And research points are the same? Would it be correct to assume that the better researchers get more research points to approximate the research edge they get in normal play? Do the better builders ( ie the Hive ) get more improvement points to approximate the extra facilities and formers they can build more of in the early game.


Anyway, I know enough to pick my factions

Hive, Uni, Drones


I really like the idea here and hope it works. My only fear is that when accelerating the game, play balance is always a little tricky. And giving each player one special feature is equally a challenge as some are much more powerful than others. It sounds as if this is pretty sophisticated so I will be interested to see how it comes out.