The New World, turn tracking thread

Qantaga · April 28, 2002, 18:34

The New World game has begun.

The players are, in turn order:

Arnathalon (Gaians) arnathalon@hotmail.com
smhfan86 (Hive) callistosdarkside@rogers.com
KrysiasKrusader (Uni) krysiaskrusader@sympatico.ca
zergling_zzh (Believers) zergling_zzh@hotmail.com
t_ras (Peacekeepers) martin_t@netvision.net.il

The CMN is Qantaga - Qantaga@aol.com

This is a classic SMAC game.

Map settings:

Large, Random map
Erosion, Native Life, Clouds, Oceans - average

Game settings:

All victory conditions are on
Look First: On
Tech Stag: Off
Spoils of War: Off
Intense Rivalry: Off
Directed Research (pick your own techs)
No Unity Survey (map not visible)
Pods are scattered
No Random Events
Time Warp: Off
Iron Man: On (doesn't matter in PBEM)

The two AI factions, Morgan and Sparta, have been eliminated.

I have given you each three Colony Pods and three scout patrols to start with. You will find them all in the same starting square, so it's up to you to find good places for them.

I have also taken the liberty of planting some goodies close to your starting positions to help speed up the early years a little.

Here is a list of the generally accepted rules. As I understand the thread, these are the ones you will want to go by, but if there are any questions let me know.

Rules:

• Communications - None until in-game contact, obtain commlink through legitimate in-game methods, or build the Empath Guild.
• SE switch "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 or council votes, citing candidates and votes. After each player's turn, post in the thread the running totals)
• Do not place Stockpile Energy in your build queues
• Crawlers Upgrade anytime - OK
• Probe actions: Must choose vendetta option when probing other players, unless you have previously gained permission to probe by e-mail.
• You cannot bribe the AI on council votes nor demand withdrawal of units (in other words, you cannot let the game AI make choices for your fellow human competitors).
• 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.
* You cannot trade bases with the AI. It is okay to gift a base to the AI.

If you have any questions about anything in the game, feel free to e-mail me about it.

From time to time, I may contact some of you asking for a game file. I want to keep an eye on the progress of the game for my own map-making experience.

This is a SMAC game, version 4, so you may want to make sure you have the latest patch. It can be found on this page:

http://apolyton.net/smac/

Please take a good look around on your first turn to make sure everything looks to be in order with your faction. The game should be fine, but there are quite a few things to take care of in the scenario editor, so please bring anything that looks funny to my attention.

The first turn will be on its way to Arnathalon momentarily.

The game will begin with Mission Year 2102 to allow me to set passwords. No units have been moved.

Best of luck to everyone. Please feel free to contact me if I can be of any assistance in the game.

Qantaga · April 28, 2002, 21:31

Hello everyone.

KrysiasKrusader sent an e-mail asking about Stockpile Energy. As I look back over the game setup thread, this particular issue was never specifically addressed, but the rules smhfan86 referenced for the Apolyton tournament thread do outlaw placing Stockpile Energy in your build queues.

I have played many SMAC/X PBEM games and about half of them allow SE and the other half don't.

This issue really has nothing to do with the game setup, so it should be resolved by all of you. The important thing is that everyone know the rule up front because it can be a gamebreaker if half the players are using it and the rest of the players aren't.

You may want to have a vote on whether the players in this game wish to allow placing Stockpile Energy in the build queues of your bases or not.

smhfan86 · April 28, 2002, 22:17

There may be confustion over the stockpile energy rule. You can still stockpile energy, you just can't put it in the queue, i.e. the list for what's next. I use to think it meant you couldn't stockpile at all.

What does everyone else think about the SE switch? yes allow it, or no? We should decide early.

We might want to allow SE switching, as there's really no way to enforce it. This way, we're all on a level playing field.

p.s. Thanks again Qantaga, hope to see the game soon.

KrysiasKrusader · April 28, 2002, 22:32

I,m not to sure what Stockpile Energy in the build que or not is the difference ???
So... since it seems to be an issue... lets play without it.
I can't take advantage ( nor would I want to ) if there is somekind of bug... or loophole...er,... or somethin' , ....oh whatever.... I don't care anymore...

Arnathalon · April 29, 2002, 09:24

Maby we should allow SE switching, as there is, like smhfan said, really no way to enforce it. BUT this gives some players a advantage because they know exaktly how to exploit it best. Some players dont know this and therefore i think it should not be allowed. We just have to be honest and promis not to use it

First turn sent to smhfan86
good luck everyone!

smhfan86 · April 29, 2002, 09:54

turn to KK. anyone else have a vote on SE switching?

KrysiasKrusader · April 29, 2002, 10:23

Turn 2102 sent to Zerggling_zzh.

I, Krysia's Krusader, do honestly promise not to use Stockpile Energy.

Qantaga · April 29, 2002, 10:38

It looks like the consensus here is to disallow placing Stockpile Energy in the build queue of your bases.

Just to be clear: You are fine as long as you do not manually place Stockpile Energy into the production queue. Stockpile Energy will occur automatically after the completion of a base facility or a Secret Project. That is okay!

The unfair advantage of the game awarding more energy than it should only occurs if you manually place Stockpile Energy in a build queue immediately following a unit (formers, crawlers, colony pods or military units).

It is also okay to let a base continue to Stockpile Energy once it has completed a facility or secret project.

zergling_zzh · April 30, 2002, 01:03

2102 to t_ras.

And what is the SE switch rules?
More than one switch in one turn is not allowed?

smhfan86 · April 30, 2002, 01:22

I have a question about SE switching. Doesn't it take one full turn before any of the effects take place? If you switch to increase your moral, it doesn't take affect till the next turn. so what's the point? the only thing i could see it do, is make your relations with the AI a little better, i.e. switch to democracy when talking to lal, then switch back. Am I missing something?

KrysiasKrusader · April 30, 2002, 01:28

... I, Krysia's Krusader, do honestly swear that I will not switch Social Engineering choices ...

zergling_zzh · April 30, 2002, 01:45

You can switch to Plan to build secret project and switch to free market to earn money. I think this effect take place before one full turn.

t_ras · April 30, 2002, 02:44

turn sent.

lake this start- 3pods/3scauts-fine!

Arnathalon · April 30, 2002, 09:47

turn sent to hive

smhfan86 · April 30, 2002, 13:12

03 to kk

i didn't know about the planned trick. in that case, i guess we should just ban SE switching altogether. Is everyone in agreement?

KrysiasKrusader · April 30, 2002, 14:23

2103 sent to zergling_ss

Hey ! How come Brother t_ras is ahead of me in tech ?

smhfan86 · April 30, 2002, 16:39

kk, i wouldn't put much stock into the who's leading what categories just yet. last turn, i had 1 pop, and the gaians had 2 pop, but it listed me as leading in pop.

i think it's usually a turn behind or so.

KrysiasKrusader · April 30, 2002, 17:27

Well... even if it's a turn behind, I START with a free tech.
So unless he popped at least two pods (unlikely) AND got a tech each (highly unlikely), then somethin's amiss...

Whats the story? ... Qantaga ?

( I don't want to sound like a cry baby here, but compared to the rest of you guy's, I would like to make sure that I have some strong suit

)

Qantaga · April 30, 2002, 18:05

There is nothing amiss.

In 2103, you have two techs and t_ras has one. The game will continue to recognize t_ras as the tech leader until you get your third tech. The game does not recognize your free tech when computing the tech category "leader". That is a good thing for you because it means that free tech (for the Uni) does not count against your tech discovery rate when computing the cost of your next tech.

I am more than happy to send a copy of the game file, and all passwords, to any other veteran CMN you can think of, Googlie, Tau Ceti, or someone of your own choosing if you wish to have independent verification.

KrysiasKrusader · April 30, 2002, 18:22

Okay that makes sense to me.

Excuse me a minute ... " Ivan, please reassign Nataliya to Recycling Tank cleaning duty.

And if she squaks, tell her she can think about how she misinformed me in front of the council"

Allright, now back to my reaserch...

Qantaga · April 30, 2002, 19:05

No problem.

For all of you, my offer to provide independent verification was a genuine offer (not to be read as a defensive statement on my part). It would not bother me in the least if any of you ever want to seek outside advice. I do not pretend to know everything there is to know about SMAC. This is your game and I do not expect you to take my word as gospel on anything.

Please let me know if anything pops up that looks amiss.

smhfan86 · May 3, 2002, 01:41

ok, where's the turn now? Has it gotten lost?

t_ras · May 3, 2002, 06:17

sorry , my mistake
thought i sent it and i didnt....

smhfan86 · May 3, 2002, 15:05

ok. that's why it's a good idea to post here on the turn tracking thread every time you send it.

we had this problem a lot in my other games, till we made it a rule to post every time a turn was sent. then if the person didn't recieve the turn, they could ask for a resend.

we should do the same here.

KrysiasKrusader · May 3, 2002, 19:07

Ivan : " Provost ! Come and see. The Peace Keepers and Hive both bare the same face ! "

Zakharov :

" Yess... You are correct, Ivan. They both pretend to be thinkers.

Ivan : " Why should they masquerade as such ? "

Zakharov : " An obvious attempt at trying to establish themselves on our good side, Ivan. However... I shall consult the datalinks for more information... (I wonder if this is perchance the begining of a conspiracy ?... ) ... ?!? ... ( Bah! Let them play their childish pranks, back to my research...)

t_ras · May 4, 2002, 02:17

why do YOU hide your face camarade Sacharov?
is there something your hiding too (might it be a conspiracy?)......

Arnathalon · May 4, 2002, 09:54

turn to hive

smhfan86 · May 4, 2002, 13:07

04 to kk

KrysiasKrusader · May 4, 2002, 13:35

2104 to t_ras

KrysiasKrusader · May 4, 2002, 14:34

" In the name of #@^&*%, this masquerade of identical faction faces has interfeared with our communications

... Ivan ! have the comm. specislist transfered to the X-gas experiments... HOW MANY MORE OF YOU WANT TRANSFERS ? "

turn 2104 sent to the proper face, zerglig_zz,

(I hope, uh-oh... Zak's commin', he looks pissed... lets split)