Re: Turn 6
 

I'm going away for a long weekend too (Fri-Sun). So I'll need a sub as well if anybody is available. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

Edit: Actually, I might not need a sub afterall considering turn 6 doesn't host until Friday and I suppose turn 7 won't host until Sunday night (10PM EST) then I'll still have time to take my turn as I'll be home well before that. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

BTW, Pasha, I'll be up in your neck of the woods. I'm going to a NH state campground with the kids for the weekend. We were planning on going one near Old Orchard Beach but I decided against it since we do the beach thing down here in RI plenty. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/image...ies/tongue.gif So we're going to the woods instead.

Re: Turn 6
 

Hi Huntsman:

It's fine. We will shoot to host Turn 7 on Sunday night, but if you need a bit more time, I could host on Monday.

Have fun in New Hampshire, but watch out... they aren't right in the head over there. Strange folk! http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

Of course, in OOB, you'd be far outnumbered by French Canadians, and they see the world so darn differently, and they talk funny. On the other hand, you Rhode Island folk kinda talk funny, too. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

Pasha

Re: Turn 6
 

Pasha - For some reason, I do not have turn 6. Please re-send that to me.

Thanks,
Panther

Re: Turn 6
 

Well, here's something scary: I'm 50% French Canadian and from Rhode Island! Chew on that accent!

Ok, no problem for me for Sunday night. I'll probably be back around 2 or 3PM and should be able to take my turn before 10PM. Depends on what the wife has in store for me... http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif No, not that! I'm talking chores! Cut the grass, fix the walk, install the ceiling fan, etc... Doh

Re: Turn 6
 

SENT!! http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/smile.gif

Re: Turn 6 - slight delay
 

One player sent me a .trn file instead of the .2h file. So, I cannot host tonight. I sent the player a request for the correct file tonight. I will host tomorrow.

Re: Turn 6 - slight delay
 

Peoples : "2H" stands for "To Host", the file you send to the person hosting the game.

Re: Turn 6 - slight delay
 

The player in question was very seasoned, and he has apologized for being so "supid." He will get me his file later today, because he is not near his computer right now. The turn will be hosted later today.

Re: Turn 6 - slight delay
 

WE HAVE A NEW PLAYER TO TAKE OVER FOR BILL PAXTON. HIS NAME IS TEAL. YAY!!!!!

HE HAS THE NECESSARY FILES AND HE WILL PLAY TURN 6.

NOW, ALL WE NEED IS KING LEAR TO SHOW HIS FACE AGAIN!

Re: Turn 6 - slight delay
 

Here I come to save the day! The glorious forces of *@#@@! will rise again from the ashes and spread their glorious white candles everywhere. What this you say, your candles are white as well? No, that can't be they are an evil and vile black and we will remove all oxygen from their flames and snuff them.

Happy to take over here and learn the ropes of Dominions 2. Here's wishing everyone a fun game!

Teal

Re: Turn 6 - slight delay
 

Fun? This ain't about fun! This is about rooting out heretics, cleansing the unclean in rivers of blood with wire brushes. It's about burnings, putting peoples on crosses, tossing them down wells, razing temples, and making sure that virgins can't be used by the evil sorcerors of *@#@@! to perform their unholy rites.

Heh heh heh. Okay, that last bit can be kinda fun. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/wink.gif

Re: Turn 6 - slight delay
 

Ahh, learning more about Dom2 every day. Not about fun, check. I shall endeavor to do more of those things you mention, although my neighbors may complain about the screaming that results from all of them.

Turn 7
 

Turn 7 is out!

Let's try to get another turn in this weekend since it is so early in the game. So, the deadline for this turn will be Sunday, August 14, 10:00 pm, eastern time (Portland, Maine time, which is the same time in Boston).

Pasha

Turn 8 and Wyoming
 

Hi All:

Turn 8 is out!

One player is going camping until early Thursday. So, I think we will host this turn on Thursday at 10:00 pm eastern time.

I am traveling to the Great State of Wyoming from Friday through Wednesday. I am happy to turn the hosting over to someone else as a substitute, or we could put the game on hold while I am away. (I have no more big trips planned for months.) Also, I am happy hosting the game manually, but if folks want to set this game onto a server, fine by me.

Pasha

Re: Turn 8 and Wyoming
 

I will be gone over the weekend myself and welcome the delay. Also, the PBEM thing is working very well and I vote for keeping it just as is.

Have a wonderful time in Wyoming, which is the site of the finest natural park the world has to offer (Yellowstone).


Panther

Re: Turn 8 and Wyoming
 

I am lucky to have a brother who lives in Jackson, just south of the Parks (Grand Teton and Yellowstone). http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/image...es/biggrin.gif http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/image...es/biggrin.gif http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/image...es/biggrin.gif

Re: Turn 8 and Wyoming
 

I guess I'm ok with PBEM, though I'd much prefer a server game if it goes quicker that way. Because we are taking over 3 days a turn, for the first few turns no less, which should take no more than 10 minutes or so. I guess my assumption that a game with every race would be fun, but because there are more people, it's a lot slower too. The pros and cons. And, it's summer time, so all the vacations have to be factored in too.

Oh well, maybe I'll go buy Dungeon Siege 2, just to have something to play. Doesn't look that bad...

Re: Turn 8 and Wyoming
 

I think for a game this size a fair pace would be 48 hour hosting, whether PBEM or server. BUt I'd wait until summer is over though so the vacations slow down some...

Re: Turn 8 and Wyoming
 

Just waiting on Goblin.

Re: Turn 8 and Wyoming
 

Ummm - I didn't get turn 8... but can do it very quickly if it is sent through. Sorry I was wondering why it was taking so long, but did check the last couple of posts to see it was already out.

Goblin.

Re: Turn 8 and Wyoming
 

Ops - I did get it... Sorry all, it has been sent in.

Goblin.

Turn 9
 

Turn 9 is out.

Turns due Wednesday, Aug 24 at 10:00 pm eastern time.

Re: Turn 9
 

Can´t we move to a server with 48 hour fixed/quick hosting some time now? Pasha does a really good job hosting, but he can´t be online all the time and the current 2 turns/week pace is pretty slow.

Re: Turn 9
 

It'd have to be fixed hosting, imo, else everyone is eagerly looking to see what nations are holding up the game, and then associate the nations with the players.

Re: Turn 9
 

Hmm, I didn't get the email. Maybe got sucked up by my spam filter... Can you please resend it? Thanks!

Re: Turn 9
 

Actually 48 hour fixed hosting would be my favourite hosting schedule. You don´t have to worry about uploading a turn early and you always know when a new turn has arrived.
With 17 players we will usually take the whole 48 hours anyway, so there is not much point in hosting it quickhost style.

Re: Turn 9
 

48 h fixed hosting is fine by me, it will certainly more then double the game's pace.

Re: Turn 9
 

It is also fine for me!

Re: Turn 9
 

I am fine with forced hostin as well!

Re: Turn 9
 

Forced hosting's fine by me. I'd say play by mail has a lot of very good points, so if Pashadawg is agreeable in my opinion we should just set a forced hosting cycle and continue with PBEM.

Re: Turn 9
 

But it should really be forced hosting - with 17 players, I doubt a week would go by without someone asking for a delay. The _bad_ thing about pbem is that people send the wrong files - though if people used good email programs like Pegasus that wouldn't be such an issue, since it keeps track of recent directories / files used for attachments. Hard to send the wrong file when the program shows the right file to send. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/wink.gif

Shame the latest versions of Thunderbird still don't have something like it - really makes PBEM games so much simpler.

Re: Turn 9
 

Hello! I am back. The Teton Mountains are impressive as ever. They were so craggy, I expected to run into Frodo, Gandalf, and the other members of the Fellowship during one of my hikes.

I am waiting for files from two players. One player might not have gotten his game file (I got a funky email message that said my email was rejected to four players, but the other three apparently got their files because they responded with .2h files???!!??)

The other player's file indicates that he had not "played" the turn. That happens every once in a while. Any ideas why? (It was a .2h file.) I have asked the player to send me the file as a zip. It only happens to his files. Hmmm.

Anyway, I have sent emails to the two players. I will host tomorrow night.

I now have no plans to travel for a while. So, 48h hosting schedule is fine with me. If the players want it to be strict, then I can make it strict. <Whip crack!!>

Pasha

Hosting Turn 9
 

Ok. We are just waiting on Arkas.

I sent him an email yesterday. He is the player who might not have received my email sent out with turn files for Turn 9 on Aug. 19.

I just sent him a PM this morning.

If he does not respond by 10pm tonight (eastern time), I will host nonetheless.

I will also put the game onto a strict 48 hour hosting schedule (except that I would like the hosting to fall on a Sunday night and not a Saturday... we will tweek that later), but reserving the power to grant rare extensions of time according to the host's infalible discretion. I encourage players to find substitutes when necessary.

Thanks.

Pasha

Re: Hosting Turn 9
 

Yay, Pasha, you're the best! Thank you for the hard work! [img]/threads/images/Graemlins/icon44.gif[/img]

Re: Hosting Turn 9
 

Sunday night hosting would be good, especially for the late summer trippers in the US like me (3-day kayak trip coming up in September...!!). http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

Re: Hosting Turn 9
 

I am happy with a shorter than 48-hour hosting schedule, if players get their turns to me quicker, but that I would not FORCE a host in shorter than 48 hours.

Also, on weekends, I will shoot to allow folks until Sunday night to get their turns to me, in case someone has a weekend trip.

Pasha

Re: Hosting Turn 9
 

What I would suggest is a fixed 3 times per week hosting schedule. That way, the players know exactly when to have their turns done and sent in. This was done in my massive Faerun TCP/IP game and it worked great AFTER they removed the QH option!

At least the players would then know when they must get a sub if they are gone too long. Or they could give our splendid and esteemed host (mumble, grumble, crumble, it is SO hard to say something nice about a lawyer) some rudimentary instructions, like perhaps recruit a mage, a few troops, attack province XYZ, build a library, etc.

I propose host times of Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at a late hour on the US East Coast (such as 9 PM). The biggest problem for active players in a huge MP game is not knowing exactly when the game will host, imho.

Obviously, we can skip a hosting or two anytime the host leaves town because his Maine clients are coming after him with a big stick.

Set Hosting Schedule
 

How about this:

Turns will be hosted on Sundays, Tuesdays and Thursdays, with player turns due to the host by 9:00 pm eastern standard time (USA), which is Boston time (and Portland, Maine time).

Oh... and I doubt that Panther the engineer had any real choice in praising the lawyer. He probably performed some calculus and the math just worked it's magic and proved that lawyers rock.

Pasha

Turn 10
 

Turn 10 is out.

Deadline is Sunday, 9pm EST.

Re: Turn 10
 

I agree with the fixed hosting schedule. To speed things up, I suggest we establish firm hosting deadlines as follow:

May
September
January

http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/wink.gif

Re: Turn 10
 

Smarty pants!

Re: Turn 11
 

Turn 11 is out!

Deadline is Tuesday, Aug. 30, 2005 at 9pm EST.

Pasha

Re: Turn 12
 

Turn 12 is out.

Deadline is Thursday, Sept. 1, 2005 at 9pm EST.

Thanks.

Hope y'all are having fun!

Re: Turn 12
 

We are, but if we tell you about it, we have to kill you.

Re: Turn 12
 

LOL, yes, ireally have fun, but it is impossible to make here feedback!

Re: Turn 12
 

Players can certainly direct comments about their hopes and dreams to the host by email. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

Re: Turn 12
 

I did notice the difficulty of not speaking to your neighbors. Diplomacy is so ingrained in Dominions, it is very odd to play a game without it! I keep wanting to write a message to someone or anyone, assuring folks of my peaceful intent.

It is hard to know when a neighbor is being agressive towards you or is just paranoid. Every troop on your border is a suspected part of an invasion army. Every move must be carefully considered. Wars will be frequent, I would expect.

Certainly this is a real change of pace from the usual Dominions fare.

Re: Turn 12
 

Absolutely!

This is my 2nd "no diplo" game and it's very nerve-racking because you have no idea what to expect and there's nothing you can do to sway anybody's opinion/stance/etc when you run into situations that are cause for alarm. You can't just say "Hey, don't worry about my army in Province A because we're just moving to the indie over at B." or "Hey, I'm getting pounded on by Player X who is clearly the biggest threat on the board--could you give me a hand?!"

http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/shock.gif

BTW, if somebody sees my army on their border don't worry! They're just admiring your landscaping.... http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

Re: Turn 12
 

I miss the diplomacy side as well. A problem with "regular" MP dom2 is that almost everyone starts out by negotiating NAPs with every neighbor, expands a bit, then races for their endgame strategy.

I wish there was a halfway - but that would take a group change in playstyle.

Re: Turn 12
 

It's a jungle out there...

Goblin.