Re: BEST LA newbie game around! Still OPEN! Sign h
 

Ok, if you still need players i would like to join this one as Marignon with Pythium as second choice.

Re: BEST LA newbie game around! Still OPEN! Sign h
 

You get Marignon then http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

Re: BEST LA newbie game around! Still OPEN! Sign h
 

I just lost my last newbie game, so I'm looking to add another one, I suppose. How's Pythium sound?

Re: BEST LA newbie game around! Still OPEN! Sign h
 

Just been playing around with LA Atlantis in SP. Seems like a real challenge, but fun. Even though there is great potential to get hold in the water you can´t recruit mages or decent troops there, So I won´t be able to just settle for lurking in the deep. I will have to get hold on land as well.

And LA mictlan has good potential for water domination too, as good as me I´d say. We´ll see when we meet.

On the other hand Atlantis can be a useful ally due to it´s ability to strike behind enemy lines. It sure will be an interesting position.

Re: BEST LA newbie game around! Still OPEN! Sign h
 

Randvek:

It is different nation, but certainly not weak. Sacred hydras can do a lot of harm to anything http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

Re: BEST LA newbie game around! Still OPEN! Sign h
 

Just in case Pashadawg doesn't get back with updated start locations, I've attached a modified version of the Alexandria_no_sites map. It's been run through David Fidge's excellent Starting Locations Modifier with min_neighbors=5, and min_sea=3.

In summary, all provinces with fewer than 5 neighbors have been marked "no-start".

Re: BEST LA newbie game around! Still OPEN! Sign h
 

I've been speaking with Pasha and he should do it Monday-Tuesday. I don't want to make starting locations by myself because I play here. And random, even among good starting positions, is not a really fair solution - I don't want to repeat mistakes from Urapara, where Abysia got extremely good starting position.

Re: BEST LA newbie game around! Still OPEN! Sign h
 

I'll take a slot if any are still open. Just let me know whatever nation would be a good fit for the map given the current picks (e.g. if you need an Ocean race, etc.) I'm mentally prepared to get thrashed a few times...
-SSJ

Re: BEST LA newbie game around! Still OPEN! Sign h
 

BTW Heidrich is not going to play.

sansanjuan:

Take what you want http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif Free races:
Utgard [strong]
Midgard [strong]
Abysia [considered below average]
Caelum [well, less air, more death magic if I remember well]
Ulm [tin people teamed with vampires]
Man [not the one Man we know, they have nicer mages, can use communion and have crossbowmen too]

Re: BEST LA newbie game around! Still OPEN! Sign h
 

Thanks. I'll Try Utgard.
-SSJ

Edit: Quick question. WIll CBM 1.21 mess up a Worthy Heros Game I just started?

Re: BEST LA newbie game around! Still OPEN! Sign h
 

No, why would it? Every game you start individually loads required mods. And new CBM has just WH 1.8 built in, there was no new version of WH.

Re: BEST LA newbie game around! Still OPEN! Sign h
 

Roger that Z. Trying Mods and MP for the first time this week.. Was unsure if mods could become tangled up running different games with different mods on the same computer. I shan't worry my pretty little head.
-SSJ

Edit: so we're just waiting for the latest CB mod?

Re: BEST LA newbie game around! Still OPEN! Sign h
 

Yeah, I will force QM to release fixed version soon http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

Re: BEST LA newbie game around! Still OPEN! Sign h
 

Ok, game is now closed.

Settings:
Map - Alexander
Game name - Alexandria
Mods - CBM 1.21 [when released]
Gold, Resources, Supplies - standard
Independents - 6
HoF - 15
Renaming - allowed
Research - normal
Score graphs - off
Victory condition - standard, we end the game when everyone agrees there is a winner

Players:
Zeldor - Arcoscephale
hoo - Bogarus
Omnirizon - Agartha
DonCorazon - T'ien Ch'i
Cleveland - Pangea
Ylvali - Atlantis [be lucky there is no R'lyeh and you are the only water nation]
Siyfka - Mictlan
FrozenFalcon - C'tis
Elswamio - Jomon
Firewalker - Patala
spacht - Marignon
Randvek - Pythium
sansanjuan - Utgard

Game will probably start on Wednesday or Thursday. 24h turns for first 20-30 turns, then 48h per turn, we can extend it to 72 if we get down to like 4-6 players.
There will be also break from 29th February till 3-5th March because of my travel to China.

Re: BEST LA newbie game around! Still OPEN! Sign h
 

How do we get the pretenders to you?

Re: BEST LA newbie game around! Still OPEN! Sign h
 

You will upload it on llamaserver, by e-mail. But I need for new CBM, because you need to activate the same mod that will be used in game while creating pretenders. I will write here when game on server is created and you can upload pretenders. Meanwhile test your nations and check what your opponents have. And check pretender designs, scales matter more in CBM so bless is more expensive. And some pretenders have changed a lot.

Re: BEST LA newbie game around! Still OPEN! Sign h
 

Zeldor;

Sorry if I missed something, but did the mod fixes get released? I went to the CBM thread and looked but didn't see any obvious announcements.

[EDIT: Oops, dumb question.]

Re: BEST LA newbie game around! Still OPEN! Sign h
 

No, not yet. QM told me it will be that week but I do not know exact date. I will write everyone a PM when that mod is released and game is started.

Re: BEST LA newbie game around! Still OPEN! Sign h
 

Can we tack on +4 hrs to each hosting? I intend to play my turns @ the same time each night, and that can be a problem in 24hr quickhosts.

Re: BEST LA newbie game around! Still OPEN! Sign h
 

Why would it be? You do a turn every 24 hours, so there is no way you can miss a turn.

Re: Alexandria - battle for balanced glory [closed
 

Will it be quickhost?

Re: Alexandria - battle for balanced glory [closed
 

Yes.

Re: Alexandria - battle for balanced glory [closed
 

The problem you're thinking of, Cleveland, can be fixed by taking two turns in a row when the deadline creeps close to the time you take your turns. Then you are sorted for ages.

Re: Alexandria - battle for balanced glory [closed
 

any updates on this game?

Re: Alexandria - battle for balanced glory [closed
 

Still waiting for the next version of CBM. It's frustrating, but it'll be well worth it.

Am I correct in assuming that Utterdark & Arcane Nexus will be fair game? Personally, I think that's good...banning spells is just silly.

Re: Alexandria - battle for balanced glory [closed
 

No spells are banned. And I really really want that game started already, especially with all that postponed hosting in my other games.

Re: Alexandria - battle for balanced glory [closed
 

Globally annoying global enchantments can be countered by players massing astral pearls for one player to cast dispel. This raises the trust question, of course, but still, someone will have astral magic.

Re: Alexandria - battle for balanced glory [closed
 

And I guess we will get new patch soon, fixing that ugly scale bug that can ruin games. And that bug is nasty to especially Utgard, Bogarus, Atlantis with their cold scale.

Re: Alexandria - battle for balanced glory [closed
 

So, update is out. Can we start?

Re: Alexandria - battle for balanced glory [closed
 

Please post a link to the correct patch in this thread. Thnx.
-SSJ

Re: Alexandria - battle for balanced glory [closed
 

CBM 1.21 can be downloaded HERE .

Mod installation is easy: unzip the file, copy all of it's contents to the Mods folder in your Dominions 3 directory, open the game, select Preferences-->Mod Preferences-->Conceptual Balance Mod.

This game will presumably begin later today, so I HIGHLY recommend practicing w/CBM asap; at least try out the new pretenders, most have been tweaked.

Re: Alexandria - battle for balanced glory [closed
 

Yep, I hope we can upload pretenders today, max tomorrow. So you can make them ready. You know all settings, you know the mod http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

Re: Alexandria - battle for balanced glory [closed
 

I have my pretender made..what do i do next?

Re: Alexandria - battle for balanced glory [closed
 

Hoo,
Currently on www.llamaserver.net the following games are in play. I believe our game will show up under "Games waiting for pretenders" as Alexandria. When that happens follow the instructions at this link.

http://www.shrapnelcommunity.com/thr...?Number=531116

Games waiting for pretenders:
Balance

Games currently running:
Acouchi
Agouti
BAG
Blessing
Capuchin
DoomChicken
Elli
EpicHeroesII
EpikBattel
Feohtan
Forseti
Highlander
Khaldun
KingOfTheIsle
Manatee
Marmoset
Sloth
SlowBoat
TigerCat
Urapara
ZyliDuel

Re: Alexandria - battle for balanced glory [closed
 

Pasha had to manually place starting locations for us, and he had to do it few days ago. I do not want to do it myself because I am in that game and I could make better starting position for myself.

Re: Alexandria - battle for balanced glory [closed
 

Ok, here is the map in attachment, unrar it into your maps folder. You still need .tga file from original map, here

Re: Alexandria - battle for balanced glory [closed
 

Bogarus prtender has been sent and is called "invalid nation name" I'm guessin I should have sent an email saying..

alexandria bogarus?

anyway my pretender is there.

Re: Alexandria - battle for balanced glory [closed
 

Zeldor, I think that players actually just need the tga file of the map. I may be wrong though.

Re: Alexandria - battle for balanced glory [closed
 

.tga is image http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif .map file has information about borders, starting positions, etc.

hoo:

I guess there was no game with Bogarus yet, I will talk to llamabest about that.

Re: Alexandria - battle for balanced glory [closed
 

Not with these start locations...I propose we declare Acro the winner and save ourselves some trouble.

Re: Alexandria - battle for balanced glory [closed
 

Haven't check them yet to be honest. I am Arco and I surely do not want to have uber starting position. If that is the fact I will talk to Pasha to repair it and we will restart.

Re: Alexandria - battle for balanced glory [closed
 

are we using the set starting locations?

I don't think that's a good idea, we will all know where the other players are, taking the majority of diplomacy and expansion strategy out of the game.

Re: Alexandria - battle for balanced glory [closed
 

Omnirizon:

I don't think it will decrease diplomacy. MAybe make spies a bit less important, but with graphs off it should make interesting game.

Cleveland:

Hmm... look at TC, I think they have better location. But still - I do not want it to be unfair, so more people should look at it, we can still restart it and adjust starting positions a bit.

Re: Alexandria - battle for balanced glory [closed
 

How do I see the actual start locations on the map? I loaded it into the map editor, but there nothing obvious. I must be missing something.

Re: Alexandria - battle for balanced glory [closed
 

Firewalker:

Easiest way probably is to start game with all nations that will be here and set victory by VP and use only VPs per capitol, so every star will mark a capitol.

Re: Alexandria - battle for balanced glory [closed
 

If any noobs haven't read Sheap's MP tips, you will find this thread interesting:

http://www.shrapnelcommunity.com/thr...?Number=511258

Re: Alexandria - battle for balanced glory [closed
 

Hi:

Unfortunately, Zeldor has caught me when I don't have a lot of time to manually do up a set of starting positions from scratch. I did the current set up quickly without knowing who was playing which nation. While it is true that Arco has a nice starting position, it is a wraparound map, and Arco needs to worry about Marignon, Jomon, Atlantis and Utgard.

If players agree that it is too unbalanced, then I'd suggest two things:

(1) start the game over and let the AI set the starting positions. There are several spots that are "no start" on the map, and so, I think there's a good chance that no one will get a "sucky" starting position.

(2) Zeldor or someone else could do up a set of manually placed starting positions that are assigned randomly by the AI. That way, no one will unintentionally favor himself/herself.

It's very easy to edit the map file. The command lines are in the map edit pdf that came with the game. The full list of nation #'s was updated in the modding pdf. Beware that the list states Jotunheim where it should state Jomon. The time consuming part is deciding where the starting positions will be.

As a third choice, I'd be happy to edit the map file, if someone else could tell me where the non-nation-specific starting positions should be. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

Pasha

Re: Alexandria - battle for balanced glory [closed
 

Can someone post the map in normal form - I don't seem to have whatever program "unrars". Thanks

Re: Alexandria - battle for balanced glory [closed
 

winRAR is a shareware program that will unpack RAR. You should go ahead and install it, because it is a popular file format and you are bound to run across it many more times in your internet life. Better to have rather than having to always ask for a differently packed format.

http://www.rarlab.com/download.htm

If you do not plan to actually by winRAR after the "40 day trial", and have some moral objections to this, then there are plenty of freeware RAR unpackers. Look at the bottom of the wiki page for RAR, and it should list some.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RAR_(file_format)

Re: Alexandria - battle for balanced glory [closed
 

DonCorazon:

Unfortunately forum does not allow to attach .map file and forces me to .rar or .zip it.