What do you think of the demogame?

Voltaire · August 21, 2003, 22:13

In recent times I've found myself less inclined to post on the Hive forums, I visit them daily and get updated on the in-game situation, but we're running smoothly and few decisions have to be made, hence the lack of official activity on the forums. Personally, though I still like the demogame, the honeymoon is over though, and the enthusiasm and fun of the first few weeks has slowly receded. A similar thing occurred in the last demogame toward the end, where activity drooped off.

The question is what does everyone think of the demogame? Is it still as fun as it used to be? And most importantly how can we improve it?

-Chairman Voltaire

Snowflake · August 21, 2003, 22:30

I would like to participate more actively again. To start, I would like to be assigned to monitor one faction, as Kody had suggested before. I would need to know the exact task. The duties I gethered from chatting and reading include monitor major players' forum activity after they received the turn, and monitor tech development through in game dip window? Not sure if there are anything else. But I really want to be more actively involved again. And I hope other people could take other factions. I have warned you all very early that if we don't get everybody participate in the game the interest level is going to subdue. Re-read my PM please if you like, dear Chairman. We don't have to get everybody to play the turn, but we need to give everybody something to do.

Kody · August 21, 2003, 22:37

We need city and borehole placement planning.

Also someone checking which techs other factions have using the diplomancy window.

Also an elevation analyst. To look at likely spots where other factions are situated.

Also a rush buying analyst would be good too.

Also what facilities should we be building in future. I figure we need to build recycling tanks, but what else and I would also like a report on why we need to build those facilities.

Vev · August 21, 2003, 22:58

One of my main gripes is that we are stuck on an island and so far unable to communicate and have inter-faction wide discussions. Although I am not suggesting to do so, but the game may be more interesting if everyone was inflitrated with everyone else, that way we can openly discuss current events. Although everybody will be peeking over each others' factional information and second guessing like mad their intentions. Due to the hush-hush policy everyone is adopting, one can hear crickets in the forums.

Because it is horrible slow at the moment, we have more or less ran out of things to consider at had. Asides base placement which seems to be delayed until HGP is running, the current plan at the moment is the construction of HGP and possibly VW SPs. Finding decent borehole spots will be interesting and fiddly but it will be awhile before it is put into practice.

Octavian X · August 22, 2003, 01:23

We appear to have spotted an isthmus. I expect things will pick up soon.

I've been playing democracy games for a solid 14 months now. I've seen them rise, fall, etc. Believe me, this is just a down period. Things will pick up again. It's only a matter ot time.

Jamski · August 22, 2003, 03:15

Its still a few weeks untill some people go back to school, so then we'll see the return of certain members who once again get internet access. I hope.

Perhaps we need more democracy, to make things less "smooth" in the decision making. As it is we have a poll, and everyone just agrees, since its best for the Hive... although I'm pretty annoyed at Kody because we don't have any SP's yet

Hmmm, anyway perhaps we could get Flex for our next tech, and build probe foils to meet and infilterate the other factions. Then things will get a bit "hotter"

-Jam

Googlie · August 22, 2003, 10:33

Quote:

Originally posted by Jamski

Hmmm, anyway perhaps we could get Flex for our next tech, and build probe foils to meet and infilterate the other factions. Then things will get a bit "hotter"

-Jam

Hmm - I don't know what happened to the Hive pod foil. Maybe you didn't build coastal bases then pop a coastal foil? (I can't remember the sequence of your pod-popping)

Or maybe it's in the unexplored isthsmus (or maybe the earthquake made it non-coastal, thus negating the foil)

In any event, it has hampered your exploration and contact somewhat

G.

Kody · August 22, 2003, 21:21

You actually put a pod with a foil in it?

I always thought foil from pods were fairly rare.

Googlie · August 22, 2003, 23:55

No - you can't actually specify what's in a pod, (just what's not in them, as with techs and AA's in this game) but trial and error show that if, in addition to the random seeding of pods, the CMN places pods on the map these latter pods don't produce worms or events , but are usually monoliths or units if inland, foils if on the coastline, and energy if at sea.

So for each faction I put a pod on the coastline near where the second or third base would likely be built, just to give an additional means of getting out and about exploring.

But yours doesn't seem to have popped yet (or as I say, 'cos I remember an early earthquake, it might have become an inland one and become a monolith or a scout unit or rover.

G.

Googlie · August 23, 2003, 00:03

LOL - checked the current turn against the scenario map, and would you believe that you haven't popped that pod yet !!!

Of course now that it's 2130 or thereabouts you might get a chopper (If Roze has Fossil Fuels by now)

G.

Kody · August 23, 2003, 01:17

Now the real question becomes where is that pop with the unity foil.

Jamski · August 23, 2003, 05:29

Or we might get a DEMON BOIL!!!!!!!!!!!

-Jam

Vev · August 23, 2003, 07:43

Oh goodie I just love mindworms.

Googlie · August 23, 2003, 10:04

Quote:

Originally posted by Jamski
Or we might get a DEMON BOIL!!!!!!!!!!!
-Jam

Maybe, but I doubt it - for some reason the game seems to differentiate between randomly seeded pods and specifically placed pods

(Although in discussions in the old ACOL CMN Smoking Room no-one could fathom why as the same algorithm should apply whenever a pod was popped. We deduced it was because those CMN placed pods were predominantly at tiles where bases would be built adjacent, so that more or less ruled out the nasty results)

So just put a base next to it and the odds of it being a tranny would be large. (But it might be faster - and more secure - just to research flex and build a foil or two)

G.

Kody · August 23, 2003, 10:26

The problem is there aren't any more pods as far as we can see.

Googlie · August 23, 2003, 19:34

It was on 20:12 (I asumed that a base would be built at the mouth of the river on 21:11). I think the rover moving to that landbridge at the NE popped it last turn or so - looks like a nutrient special now

When I replay the 2128 turn and move the rover thru the base, and pop the pod, I got a foil once in about six tries (I'm sure the odds would increase if it were in a base's radius). Once I got 75 credits, once a cloned rover, and 3 times a nut special

G.

Kody · August 24, 2003, 00:01

On the actual work allocation of this demogame.

There's plenty of things that need to be done.

If others were to pitch in, then the only things I would need to do is the mircomanagement of our turns, half the dipolmatic messages, and balancing of conflicting priorities.

Things that I haven't gotten around to.
* Running opinion poll on flexibility versus ecological engineering in tech goals. (Haon could be doing this)
* Tassadar would make a person to get people moving on assigned tasks, that haven't been started.
* Chairman perhaps could run polls on general long term goals 50+ years, and also allocate tasks that need to be done.
* We still need someone to do the proper in game spying on the other factions.
* I'm currently thinking of balancing production after we finish the SPs and a few more colony pods. (someone else could start generating suggestions now and save me many hours) Do we build probes, go after a 3rd SP, military, or certain facilities.
* I would also like someone that works on focusing people on certain decisions that need to be made. Or goes around fishing for ideas, or opinions. (Need someone to gather opinions and ideas on the current base placement and borehole placement setup)

PS: Everyone give feedback on the base placement and borehole plan Jamski and I hammered out.

Jamski · August 24, 2003, 11:30

Like Kody says, we spent hours on MSN and Photoshop hammering that together.

SO LOOK AT IT COMRADES!

/me fetches the nervestapler again *

Think we need this, Kody?

-Jam