I want to thank everyone for hanging in there through the debates and all. We currently have more than two dozen people involved in some way, and as with any first game in a series, establishing ground rules and so forth takes some doing. Team games also generally have lots of back and forth and I try to encourage input as much as feasable.
I think we've learned alot from our discussions that can be put into practice in games 2 and 3:
1. Even though vet (or experienced intermediate) team captains are likely to survive longer due to their experience, teams can and should not be debarred from winning even if the captain is the only one left on the winning team. A good team captain though will do everything they can make all their nations viable offensively as well as defensively (teach them) and won't view them as simply forge whores or as sources of gems/gold. This is of course obvious but you never know. Indeed I've taken pains to ensure that this won't be the case as everyone should be able to get in on the action.
2. Captains and returning alternates should use their first or second choice privilege to grab most of the "powerful" or important nations quickly and eliminate contention in the ordered lists.
3. If number 2 is followed, there should be enough variety in the ordered/ranked lists to eliminate the need for more than one method of resolving them. Method 1 results were so similar to method 2, if makes no sense in bothering with the second method unless absolutely necessary (abcddcbacbaabcd gives me a headache, aside from not being totally fair)
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4. Swaps, using Agema's quick and orderly method, helps ensure everyone is as happy as can be. Whether it encourages gamesmanship (which is in effect attempting to cheat using dubious methods) is debatable. I like to think it gives some flexibility in case an individual should change their mind or a player needs to be replaced.
5. Team captains in addition to being experienced should be active enough to advocate and make decisions for their team especially in the early phase of a game. Individual players must not act in place of their captain or at least without the consensus of the team. Some semblance of order needs to be preserved. Instructions from admin(s) need to be followed.
Note to self: My opening post, though I'm told fairly complete, still leaves too much room for players to read between the lines or exploit gaps, and doesn't explain everything.
Have I forgotten anything?
Oh yes, don't forget we are here to have fun, winning is not everything!
