[PBW] A House Divided - Discussion thread (PBW Setup Online!)
 

Step right up, I got enough positive feedback to ask for sign-ups! (see thread I'm Feeling Ambitious... for background)

Interested players
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

======

Starting resources: special
Starting planets: special
Home planet value: Good

Score display: All

Technology level: Low
Racial points: 2000
(All Humans, rock/oxygen, no racial techs)

Quadrant type: Mid Life
Quadrant size: Medium

Event frequency: Low
Event severity: Medium

Technology cost: High
Victory conditions: 200% of second-place empire/team AND conquest of Imperial Homeworld

Maximum units: 20,000
Maximum ships: 10,000

I anticipate using Universal Strategies and PvK Balance, do the interested players have any other suggestions?

I anticipate having one shipset for all (with player-submitted race and main pics for their factions), but I wouldn't stop someone from using a separate shipset if they justify it.

I anticipate a game heavy on the diplomacy, roleplay and treachery (with a separate news/story thread to accompany the game), so plan accordingly. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon6.gif

[ May 22, 2004, 19:35: Message edited by: General Woundwort ]

Re: [PBW] A House Divided - Discussion thread (PBW Setup Online!)
 

I was following the other thread. I for one would be interested in joining. For now I am off to bed, I'll check progress tomorrow.

Re: [PBW] A House Divided - Discussion thread (PBW Setup Online!)
 

Treachery, betrayal and plotting! What an appealing prospect indeed!

So I would be interested by such a game, and I would only have one suggestion for now: what about using a mod such as the one in Strange Races, in order to make some changes to balance the game a bit? (For example, weakning the strength of the Three, DUC, PPB and APB in this order)

And speaking of mods, I would second your mention of PvK Balance Mod as well, especially if you decided to make varied Empires as it was aluded to in the other thread.

Re: [PBW] A House Divided - Discussion thread (PBW Setup Online!)
 

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">One vote for StrangeMod.

Any ideas/suggestions for a shipset?

Re: [PBW] A House Divided - Discussion thread (PBW Setup Online!)
 

Sign me up.

Re: [PBW] A House Divided - Discussion thread (PBW Setup Online!)
 

I want in.

I'd lean against modding the techs, but it's not a terrible idea.

I vote for a nice, simple shipset: Stock Terran.

The portraits... that'll be fun. If we're going FASA on this one I want dibs on Steiner.

[ April 26, 2004, 22:28: Message edited by: Loser ]

Re: [PBW] A House Divided - Discussion thread (PBW Setup Online!)
 

Ohh Ahhhh, treachery? diplomacy? backstabbing?

Mee too!!

I would love to play this one.

Re: [PBW] A House Divided - Discussion thread (PBW Setup Online!)
 

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">One slot left! Step right up!

As far as race pics go, if you want FASA Steiner (or whatever), go right ahead. One vote for stock Terran, any other suggestions for the shipset? Speak now...

I was leaning against using a major tech mod myself. Colony mod is irrelevant given all players will be human. Racial techs are out, same reason. However, Strategies Mod and Balance Mod would be most useful for our purposes IMHO.

[ April 27, 2004, 01:47: Message edited by: General Woundwort ]

Re: [PBW] A House Divided - Discussion thread (PBW Setup Online!)
 

Incidentally, I just realised I read a book recently with this situation.Praxis. Its a large empire with conquered races. The heads of the empire all commit suicide (apparently when you make yourself immortal you run out of space in your head to remember things after a few hundred years). With the rulers dead the different races decide to keep the empire, but the oldest conquered race reckon they deserve to be the new leaders and civil war breaks out.

Edit: If we go the Inner sphere route, I grab Kurita.

[ April 27, 2004, 09:18: Message edited by: Randallw ]

Re: [PBW] A House Divided - Discussion thread (PBW Setup Online!)
 

Bada-BUMP bada bing

Re: [PBW] A House Divided - Discussion thread (PBW Setup Online!)
 

Boing!

One slot left in what promises to be a very interesting game.. Step up!

BTW, I dont mind about ship sets.

Re: [PBW] A House Divided - Discussion thread (PBW Setup Online!)
 

To the Big Five (and you know who you are...)

To keep things moving, here's the plan re: starting the game (also giving time for that one Last victim to volunteer...)

1) Get The BALANCE Mod if you don't already have it. The Default Strategies Mod from Fyron's USM will also be used, but not until the game actually "begins".

2) Make your race's Main and Race pics. If you don't/can't make one, I'll make a race/main for you based on your empire file, and send it to you for approval. Also indicate if you want a shipset OTHER THAN the stock Terrans.

3) Make your race's empire file - 2000 points, rock/oxygen, no racial abilites or techs that are not "human". A little background on your faction would also be helpful (more on that below).

4) E-mail me the EMP file and pics. I'll set up the shipsets and post them to PBW for you. Then I'll set up the game in PBW for you to join.

Background - I'm trying to keep it as "generic" as possible, but the basic outline is that a human world inhabiting an isolated star cluster sent out 5 (or 6 http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon10.gif ) colony ships after astronomically surveying their surroundings. These ships colonized the most desirable worlds in the cluster, and formed the core of the competing factions. At the time, travel and communications were primitive, so they had a chance to "develop" with a certain degree of freedom, but they still owed allegiance to the Empire back on homeworld (think feudalism). Now, communications and travel are much faster, and there is a power struggle between the regional governments and Homeworld (think transition from feudalism to modern nation-state). A particularly power-hungry (and also inept) Emperor has recently attempted to consolidate power - and got removed in a spectacular fashion (watch for upcoming story thread). This leaves the players to fight out who will run the show, and the game begins...

EDIT - The BALANCE Mod, NOT THE PROPORTIONS MOD. (Smacks forehead repeatedly...)

[ April 29, 2004, 11:18: Message edited by: General Woundwort ]

Re: [PBW] A House Divided - Discussion thread (PBW Setup Online!)
 

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">We playing proportions? I dont recall that bit, it is a big change is it not? I have not played it before will that be a problem?

Re: [PBW] A House Divided - Discussion thread (PBW Setup Online!)
 

Wait, we're using Proportions?
I thought it was just the PvK Balance Mod...

is everything going to be colonized, or will it just be that our shipsets are the same?

Perhaps I misunderstood the original message.

Re: [PBW] A House Divided - Discussion thread (PBW Setup Online!)
 

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">We playing proportions? I dont recall that bit, it is a big change is it not? I have not played it before will that be a problem?

Re: [PBW] A House Divided - Discussion thread (PBW Setup Online!)
 

ACK!

Note to self: don't post at 4:30 in the morning.

I meant The BALANCE Mod.

Sorry.

Re: [PBW] A House Divided - Discussion thread (PBW Setup Online!)
 

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">What kind of abilities should we not take when making our empire files? Or rather, what would qualify as being adequate settings? (For example, Temporal Knowledge wouldn't quite qualify as being human, but what about the characteristics?)

Thanks in advance!

Re: [PBW] A House Divided - Discussion thread (PBW Setup Online!)
 

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">Organic/Crystaline/Temporal Technology, Mechanoids, and Emotionless would probably be out of bounds.

Characteristics I'm less worried about.

EDIT - since this is a basic SEIV setup other than the Balance items, better nix Religous as well. That Talisman would be just too... well...

[ April 29, 2004, 15:58: Message edited by: General Woundwort ]

Re: [PBW] A House Divided - Discussion thread (PBW Setup Online!)
 

Thanks for the quick answer!

Incidentally, I seem to recall that you *may* need the USM mod when creating your Empire in order to have access to these formations during the game. Or rather, Fyron eluded to this, as he said that you could play a vanilla game with these extra formations provided you made your Empire with this mod. Don't quote me on that though, since my memory is likely faulty.

Re: [PBW] A House Divided - Discussion thread (PBW Setup Online!)
 

That doesn't make much sense, as the DefaultStrategies file doesn't really affect any other data files - but it wouldn't hurt to have it set up before you do your empire file anyways.

Re: [PBW] A House Divided - Discussion thread (PBW Setup Online!)
 

Im a bit confused. I have downloaded the Balance Mod but how do I use it AND the US Mod?. Do I need to copy the US Mod data files into a copy of the Balance Mod so I effectively have the Balance Mod using the US Mod data files for formations and strategies ?.

Re: [PBW] A House Divided - Discussion thread (PBW Setup Online!)
 

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">Yeah, just copy USM's formations and strategies files into the Balance Mod data folder.

Re: [PBW] A House Divided - Discussion thread (PBW Setup Online!)
 

I suggest that we do this as the Inner Sphere from FASA's Battletech universe. We don't have to follow their timeline or their specifics, I just think it'd be cool to use their flags, colors, and portraits.

And maybe, just maybe, a gentleman's agreement against glassing. That's a bit out there, but it's something I'd like to propose.

Re: [PBW] A House Divided - Discussion thread (PBW Setup Online!)
 

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">No maybes about it; I agree, and hope others do too.

Re: [PBW] A House Divided - Discussion thread (PBW Setup Online!)
 

I prefer to capture planets rather than glass them, so I have no problem with it. Perhaps if some dastardly warlord does glass a planet they will be considered a war criminal. Might we have a limit though. There is a difference between totally destroying a military base of 1 M (1 million is a lot, but its the minimum) and commiting genocide on 4 Billion civilians.

Re: [PBW] A House Divided - Discussion thread (PBW Setup Online!)
 

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">Good idea on the capture only. We are fighting our own distant relatives so wholesale genocide is not as likely.

Re: [PBW] A House Divided - Discussion thread (PBW Setup Online!)
 

In case there is someone else who is as bad with strategical battles as myself, would it be possible to make a few tweaks making planets almost impossible to glass by a mistake?

Basically, it would basically be an increase of the amount of damage needed to kill one million settlers, to prevent from unintended disasters when there are weapon platforms on the planet. Incidentally, are the settlers killed when the platforms are damaged, or are they only in danger once all cargo is gone from the planet?

Re: [PBW] A House Divided - Discussion thread (PBW Setup Online!)
 

That can be easily arranged...

Go to your data folder in the Balance Mod, open "Settings", and change this line...

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">to this...

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">We can add this to the "gentleman's agreement".

Has anybody started on their pics and EMP files yet?

Re: [PBW] A House Divided - Discussion thread (PBW Setup Online!)
 

i wana play this game too. Sign me in.

Re: [PBW] A House Divided - Discussion thread (PBW Setup Online!)
 

1. Alneyan
2. Randallw
3. TerranC
4. Loser
5. Joachim
6. astruskustuvas

OK - all slots are filled! Just to review, here are the steps to set-up...

1) Get The BALANCE Mod and the Ultimate Strategies Mod. Copy the defaultstrategies and formations files from USM into the Balance Mod data folder. Also, change this line in the settings file...


quote:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Damage Points To Kill One Population := 10
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

to this...


quote:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Damage Points To Kill One Population := 100
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


2) Make your race's Main and Race pics. If you don't/can't make one, I'll make a race/main for you based on your empire file (use stock terran as a default in step 3), and send it to you for approval. Also, indicate if you want to use a shipset OTHER THAN the stock Terrans.

3) Make your race's empire file using Balance Mod - 2000 points, rock/oxygen, no racial abilites or techs that are not "human". A little background on your faction would also be helpful (more on that below).

4) E-mail me the EMP file and pics. I'll set up the shipsets and post them to PBW for you. Then I'll set up the game in PBW for you to join.

Background - I'm trying to keep it as "generic" as possible, but the basic outline is that a human world inhabiting an isolated star cluster sent out 6 colony ships after astronomically surveying their surroundings. These ships colonized the most desirable worlds in the cluster, and formed the core of the competing factions. At the time, travel and communications were primitive, so they had a chance to "develop" with a certain degree of freedom, but they still owed allegiance to the Empire back on homeworld (think feudalism). Now, communications and travel are much faster, and there is a power struggle between the regional governments and Homeworld (think transition from feudalism to modern nation-state). A particularly power-hungry (and also inept) Emperor has recently attempted to consolidate power - and got removed in a spectacular fashion (watch for upcoming story thread). This leaves the players to fight out who will run the show, and the game begins...

[ May 01, 2004, 11:02: Message edited by: General Woundwort ]

Re: [PBW] A House Divided - Discussion thread (PBW Setup Online!)
 

OK, got the mods, all good (I hope!)

Will email you what I would like for a race pic and empire flag. I would do it myself but I have no ability in that department.

Re: [PBW] A House Divided - Discussion thread (PBW Setup Online!)
 

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">I'm all for taking the FASA, Battletech, Inner Sphere for our background.

Basically the Star League resulted from the unification of distant colonial empires under the Terran Hegemony. It was a Golden Age of Man, but all things come to an end, you know.

SOme traitor kills the young ruler of the Star League at some point and tries to take over. There is a spilt in the military, and a war that this traitor loses. He is killed.

At this point the various Great Houses of the Star League, remnants, I belive, of the colonial empires, begin to war amongst themselves at the head of each house declares him or herself ruler of the Star League.

The Star League military gathers itself under its great leader, Kerensky, and just leaves, buggs out and heads for uncharted space. They left so they could not be used in the succession wars that followed.

For the most part the Great Houses kept to a rule, for many ages past, agianst orbital bombadment and nuclear weapons, and fought amongs themselves with limited space battles and extensive ground campaigns featuring great war machines called Battlemechs.

The territories of the five Great Houses of the Inner Sphere are layed out like slices of a pie from the center, Earth. This reflects the spread of people of similar ethnic and national backgrounds that made up the pre-Star League empires. The worlds that were once part of the Terran Hegemomy were taken by whatever House could hold them in the beginning. Earth itself is held by a quasi-religious decendant of the Star League Communications Authority, calling itself ComStar.

I'm sure, if we take this route, I can find more links for further details on the matter.

The five Great Houses of the Inner Sphere are as follows.

House Davion, the The Federated Commonwealth

House Liao, the Cappelan Confederation

House Kurita, the Draconis Combine

House Marik, the Free Worlds League

House Steiner, the Lyran Alliance

Of course, we don't have to take this path. We could be much more vague on the background and let each player build their own history... at least build it back to the point of our common place in the Old Empire.

Re: [PBW] A House Divided - Discussion thread (PBW Setup Online!)
 

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">Been ages since I looked at my Battletech books but...House Davion is the Federated wolds who merged with the Lyran Commonwealth, House Steiner, to form the Federated Commonwealth. By this time Liao had split into the Capellan confederation and another, Liao I think, and The Rasalhauge republic left the Draconis Combine. Then of course the Clans turn up. Basically the houses are as such
Davion- Federated worlds- America
Steiner- Lyran commonwealth- Europe
Kurita- Draconis combine- Japan.
Liao- Capellans- China
Marik- Free worlds- Africa (I always thought. Also the weakest house who basically do nothing)
Rasalhauge, who form later, are Scandinavia.

All that said I would prefer something other than Inner Sphere. All the houses are basically the same technologically (culturally they are different) and they all use the same weapons.
It would be more interesting to develop our own houses.

Re: [PBW] A House Divided - Discussion thread (PBW Setup Online!)
 

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">They spilt back up again. I guess it just didn't work out.

I've no problem with taking a strictly non-Inner Sphere route. But I would like to see a few things nailed down.

Especially this "no glassing" thing.

Oh, and some history.

Just to keep things simple, let's say we're human. Maybe some of us and a little different, a little changed with time. But we all started human.

Re: [PBW] A House Divided - Discussion thread (PBW Setup Online!)
 

I think (from the files I'm getting so far) that this is not going to be a strictly Battletech history. That's fine by me, as I want to do some things for game mechanics that don't totally fit into that story. However, I do happen to have some Battletech main pics lying around if you want to have one of them, Loser.

I sent this litte extra background to Joachim earlier. If you guys want more specifics I can post them before we start...

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">

Re: [PBW] A House Divided - Discussion thread (PBW Setup Online!)
 

EDIT - double-post due to dial-up hiccup

[ May 01, 2004, 20:43: Message edited by: General Woundwort ]

Re: [PBW] A House Divided - Discussion thread (PBW Setup Online!)
 

Can I have some more background on the empire so as to develop my renegade House?

It would be good if we can have a quick history, name of race/empire etc.

Re: [PBW] A House Divided - Discussion thread (PBW Setup Online!)
 

So far, I have tenative pics and EMP files from Randallw and TerranC, and pics for Joachim. The sooner I get your files, the sooner I can start the pregame set-up, and the sooner you can get after one another's throats. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon10.gif

Re: [PBW] A House Divided - Discussion thread (PBW Setup Online!)
 

If I don't hear from the rest of you guys soon, I may just have to go back to working on the Mother of All Mods mod - and I know you all don't want that...

Re: [PBW] A House Divided - Discussion thread (PBW Setup Online!)
 

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">emp. sent - C'mon everyone!

Re: [PBW] A House Divided - Discussion thread (PBW Setup Online!)
 

My own Empire file should come once it is finalized (in half an hour or so). My apologizes for the delay!

Re: [PBW] A House Divided - Discussion thread (PBW Setup Online!)
 

Paging Loser and astruskustuvas...

Please e-mail me your EMP files as soon as possible!

Thanks! http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif

Re: [PBW] A House Divided - Discussion thread (PBW Setup Online!)
 

ok i sent EMP file and Pics.

Re: [PBW] A House Divided - Discussion thread (PBW Setup Online!)
 

whoa... forgot all about this. Sorry.

I'll be back in a minute.

[edit: okay, sent]

[ May 08, 2004, 02:53: Message edited by: Loser ]

Re: [PBW] A House Divided - Discussion thread (PBW Setup Online!)
 

We're just about there. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif

I'll be posting everyone's shipsets to the PBW server over the weekend. I'll also start running the game setup. Check this thread for regular updates.

Re: [PBW] A House Divided - Discussion thread (PBW Setup Online!)
 

Gentlemen,

Game setup continues to chug along. Your shipsets are now available on PBW for download...

http://seiv.pbw.cc/graphic/shipsets.jsp?type=0&all=true

Eylsian - http://seiv.pbw.cc/Download/filelib/999/eylsian.zip - for Alneyan

Bakolov - http://seiv.pbw.cc/Download/filelib/1000/bakolov.zip - for Loser

House Genus - http://seiv.pbw.cc/Download/filelib/1001/housegenus.zip - for Randallw

Hyveria - http://seiv.pbw.cc/Download/filelib/998/Hyveria.zip - for TerranC

SocRep - http://seiv.pbw.cc/Download/filelib/995/socrep.zip - for Joachim

Also, there are two NPC races to download...

Homeworld - http://seiv.pbw.cc/Download/filelib/996/homeworld.zip - the Grand Prize

Traders - http://seiv.pbw.cc/Download/filelib/997/traders.zip - my cheap, lame excuse to keep an eye on you while the game unfolds. ;-}

I'll keep you informed as the game setup continues. Your patience is appreciated. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif

Re: [PBW] A House Divided - Discussion thread (PBW Setup Online!)
 

I have the PBW game setup ready. I've sent you all e-mails with your updated EMP files. Just go to PBW, look for "A House Divided", and sign up.

Re: [PBW] A House Divided - Discussion thread (PBW Setup Online!)
 

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">Excellent!!!
Thanks http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif

Re: [PBW] A House Divided - Discussion thread (PBW Setup Online!)
 

Heh Ho Lets Go!

Just a gentle prod to get the game going....

http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif

Re: [PBW] A House Divided - Discussion thread (PBW Setup Online!)
 

Woundwort's gone away for most of the week.