Colorado Newbie game starting (hopefully)
 

Hi,

I can't find a newbie game to play so I'm hoping to host a game for newbies. If you've played the game multiplayer more than one time then please don't join this game. It would be no fun to have a Graeme or a Norfleet or a whoever wiping everyone out.

The game turns will process once per day at midnight EST (US). The map will be Inland. No water province please. 8 players will be used (I'm one of them so 7 more players needed).

There will be a break in the game from about June 26 - July 6 as I will be on vacation. I'll host the games on my machine at midnight EST each night. Post to this thread what nation you are claiming so no one else takes it and email me your pretender at johnpruner@yahoo.com. The game will start as soon as I have 8 pretenders.

I'd like to claim Abysia so that country is claimed.

Independents will be set to 9. No water nations. No Vampire Queen (VQ) pretenders as I'm not sure that any of us newbies will be able to deal with them after reading Posts about them on this board. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif

Please don't join unless you plan to stick in for at least 150 turns. (150 days). I don't know what the "standard" process is but if I think someone's dropped from the game then I'll set them to AI after a few turns. Hopefully this won't be necessary!

Thanks!
John

Re: Colorado Newbie game starting (hopefully)
 

Curses! I'm a MP newbie (never played MP), but pretty much the only nation I've played is Abyssia. Well, sign me up for Machaka, I guess.

Now I just need to figure out how to do this multi-player thing http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif

Re: Colorado Newbie game starting (hopefully)
 

Hi,

I just got a "MAN" entry as well so don't pick that one. To play multiplayer just create a pretender with a password and send me the machaka.2h (or whatever nation you are playing) file from your c:\program files\Dominions2\newlords folder. Then I'll send you back a machaka.trn file and we continue in that fashion w/ you sending me a .2h file and me sending you .man files. There is a way to use other maps, mods, etc but I think everyone has to have the same thing which is why I picked the "inland" map since everyone comes w/ that one.

Cheers,
John

[ May 10, 2004, 05:39: Message edited by: JJ_Colorado ]

Re: Colorado Newbie game starting (hopefully)
 

I've never played multi before, either. I want to be Ulm. Do I send you my god now?

Re: Colorado Newbie game starting (hopefully)
 

I' ve to never played and would like to play Caelum
please what is midnight est (us) in GMT?

Re: Colorado Newbie game starting (hopefully)
 

Hi!

Can I join as Mashaka?

Re: Colorado Newbie game starting (hopefully)
 

I'll try out Pythium.

Never played anything but a LAN games with friends. Should be interesting.

Re: Colorado Newbie game starting (hopefully)
 

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">*A* Graeme or *A* Norfleet? There's more than one of us now? Are we made in factories? http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif

Re: Colorado Newbie game starting (hopefully)
 

One change to the ground rules for this game. Let's play Orania map and allow a couple more players. I initially picked Inland and 8 players cuz I thought it would be hard to find enough. But let's go with Orania and 10 players instead. If someone wants to play a water nation that would be ok since we have more water provinces on this map. It looks like we have 6 players so far so need 4 more. So far we have Ulm (I haven't received a pretender yet though), Abysia, Man (I haven't received a pretender yet), Machaka, Caelum, Pythium. As soon as I get all 10 pretenders I'll start the game. Hopefully everyone just has fun and doesn't get gripey/grumpy/mean in this game. It's just a newbie game for fun and to learn.

Norfleet - I don't know if you are made in factories but you guys seems scary good, and even one of you would be enough to wipe this game I'm guessing. I think I'm "ok" but I've never played against another human and I'm pretty sure that the good human players would just roll over me and other newbies with no sweat. ;-)

PrinzMegaherz - Schmoe already claimed Machaka. Please pick another country and send me a pretender for that one.

CUnknown - yes send me your pretender ASAP. I'd like to start the game tonight if we get enough players.

Skolem - Caelum is fine. No one has claimed that yet. Midnight EST (US) is I think 5 hours behind GMT/UTC time. So 5am UTC/GMT.

Best,
John

[ May 10, 2004, 14:47: Message edited by: JJ_Colorado ]

Re: Colorado Newbie game starting (hopefully)
 

I'll take Jotun. At work, so pretender will have to come in later tonight.

[ May 10, 2004, 15:34: Message edited by: Sly Frog ]

Re: Colorado Newbie game starting (hopefully)
 

I'd like to play on a smaller map if at all possible. Inland looks pretty frickin' huge already, and did we just change to an even bigger map? *boggle* I hope I'm not being annoying, but I'm just saying I would like to actually finish a game. On Inland, it looks like we'd be playing forever.

Re: Colorado Newbie game starting (hopefully)
 

Hi CUnknown,

Ok, good point. We now have 8 players at this point so we'll start the game with 8 players on Inland map. Sorry for the waffling but you are right I think. So, no water nations after all.

FYI - Nations taken so far are:
Abysia (pretender received)
Machaka (pretender received)
Man (pretender received)
Ulm (pretender received)
Caelum (pretender received)
Pythium (pretender received)
Vanheim (pretender received)
Jotun (no pretender yet)

At this point please assume the game is full. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif

Oh, also please be SURE that you have put passwords on your pretender files. Someone who sent me one earlier forgot to do that.

Thanks,
John

[ May 10, 2004, 18:23: Message edited by: JJ_Colorado ]

Re: Colorado Newbie game starting (hopefully)
 

Oh and all of the 3l33t players say that having score graphs off is the way to go. Otherwise it's a gank fest on the top player.

What do you think?

Re: Colorado Newbie game starting (hopefully)
 

Hi Huzurdaddi,

What is 3I33t?

I think we should leave score graphs on. I hadn't really thought about it much but my thinking is for 3 reasons:
1) it's fun to be able to see how the game is going instead of being stuck in a "hole" and not being able to see what's going on.
2) I don't think it'll be a gankfest cuz I don't think ppl will really actually coordinate that well in a newbie game (or any game really).
3) I read an AAR with graphs on at www.faithful.dk and the author seemed to be getting a kick out of looking at the graphs every turn

I dunno - I could be convinced otherwise. Does anyone else who is among the 8 ppl in the game wanna weigh in? I think the graphs will be fun to check out.

Best,
John

[ May 10, 2004, 20:32: Message edited by: JJ_Colorado ]

Re: Colorado Newbie game starting (hopefully)
 

Just trying to say "elite" in a web type of way, sorry http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif

anyway, I'm all for keeping them. I like having more feedback in games I am playing. The more feedback the better.

I have just heard that it could be bad. We can try it with them on.

Re: Colorado Newbie game starting (hopefully)
 

I can definately see disallowing the power graphs...it would be nice not having everyone automatically know how powerful you are. Maybe spies would be more useful then, too, so you can check out how many provinces someone has.

I dunno...it would fun to see the graphs. I can see it either way.

About victory conditions, I think some reasonable # of provinces should be the limit, maybe 100 or so. I think if one person gets 2/3rds of the map, they should win. Maybe even less than that, maybe half.

Re: Colorado Newbie game starting (hopefully)
 

For a newbie game, I would say that you could do either way: The graphs don't really hurt in a newbie game. After all, if you really knew how to exploit graph-reading....you wouldn't be a newbie, and therefore wouldn't belong in a newbie game.

On the other hand, reading them can be a fairly instructive lesson on what areas you are falling behind in, and must work harder on to keep up in.

Since all of the players are newbies, you could do it either way.

Re: Colorado Newbie game starting (hopefully)
 

You know norfleet I don't like your stance on the VQ but I always forgive you just due to your icon.

Your icon shows that you have taste. Pure and simple.

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

I'm not saying that WC3 is a bad game or anything. Just that your icon shows taste.

The original game ( TA ) was unbalanced though. That did detract a little. But with the correct mods it was simply amazing. It's all in the queueing system and the way how build costs were done ( not upfront like all other games ). Why has no game done this yet? I just don't get it!

Re: Colorado Newbie game starting (hopefully)
 

Hey CUnknown - again good idea. I'm glad your brain is thinking about these things. Let's say 100 provinces means you are winner.

Let's leave the graphs on - it'll be more fun that way I think. We're just trying to learn anyway.

Best,
John

Re: Colorado Newbie game starting (hopefully)
 

I would really, really prefer graphs off. They have been on in my one multiplayer game to date that has progressed anywhere, and they suck.

You don't have to be a non-newbie to exploit the graph. "Who has the most according to the graph, gang up and beat on them, never finish the game" is not hard to figure out. I think it is also a bad habit to get into; it lets you get away with not having to learn how to use spies (which I still suck at). Finally, it penalizes those nations, to a degree, who get good spies (which I don't think Jotun has, so I'm not trying to benefit me here).

Sly "Still At Work, Pretender is Still Coming When I Get Home" Frog

[ May 10, 2004, 23:09: Message edited by: Sly Frog ]

Re: Colorado Newbie game starting (hopefully)
 

It's too bad that you can not have anonymous graphs. That would be nice that way you could know how you were doing, but could not beat on the big bad guy.

All right if we are voting I guess my vote has to be for of..

Oh and I'll ask for something else while I am at it how about cranking up the magic sites ratio? I kind of like the high gem income kind of game without having to resort to "tricks."

Heck we can even out-law "tricks" if we want to. It seems like a lot of games around here do.

Re: Colorado Newbie game starting (hopefully)
 

Ok, it sounds like enough ppl are voting to turn graphs off. I'll turn em off.

re: higher ratio of magic sites. I'd like to leave it at normal so that we don't end up with tons and tons of global enchanments and general badness happening too fast.

re: tricks. I don't know what they all are but it seems like it would be tough to enforce a "no tricks" rule because it's pretty open-ended and how would we even know what was being done?

We've outlawed Vampire Queen (VQ) pretenders which should help?

If you want to propose outlawing something elese and you know how to define what you are outlawing, and most games outlaw it then suggest it.

Best,
John

Re: Colorado Newbie game starting (hopefully)
 

*sigh*

well I guess I should mention clams...

*sigh*

They really are pretty darn good.

They are kind of the reason why I want more magic sites. If we outlaw clams then more magic sites are ok.

Or we could keep clams. It's not like we can enforce the rule ( but we can be pretty darn peeved if someone uses them ).

Re: Colorado Newbie game starting (hopefully)
 

*sigh*

well I guess I should mention clams...

*sigh*

They really are pretty darn good.

They are kind of the reason why I want more magic sites. If we outlaw clams then more magic sites are ok.

Or we could keep clams. It's not like we can enforce the rule ( but we can be pretty darn peeved if someone uses them ).

Re: Colorado Newbie game starting (hopefully)
 

How about we keep clams, but have a maximum of about 5? Could something like that work? Clams would be okay as long as people don't go crazy and build 20 of them or something. I don't know how you would police it, but you couldn't police a no-clam rule, either.

Re: Colorado Newbie game starting (hopefully)
 

Ok, well, let's just go on an honor system that no one can build more than 5 clams I guess. Let's leave magic sites at default - that is still a lot of gems available I think. On a map of 154 provinces we might each expect to expand to hold about 19 provinces without any wars.

Regds,
John

Re: Colorado Newbie game starting (hopefully)
 

By clams you mean clam of pearl?