Anybody up for a game of stock SE4 at PBW?

[capnq]

Hmm. I haven't played a PBW game in a long time (having gotten tired of losing), but since I can't try the SE V demo (computer too old to run it), this is kind of tempting. You haven't mentioned whether surrender is allowed or forbidden.

[Possum]

SJ, I totally hear what you mean. Forcing the connections gives too damn many connections. But if I do as you suggest, I'd be cheating! Think about it. *I* would know what the map looked like, and nobody else would.

capnq, I'm actually open to ideas from anybody who wants to play

*I* haven't played a game at PBW since that abortive tournament, ohh, about 3 years ago?

And you have my sympathies as far as the box. I'm too (expletive) broke to pay attention right now, and no way can I afford a new 'puter.

Anyhoo, let's see if we can round up a couple more players, eh?

Oh, and do you favor allowing surrender or disfavor it?

You know, the last time I asked here about "How are the games at PBW?", I was told that it had degenerated into a contest of diplomacy, with everybody trying to backstab everybody else.

I have to say I find that somewhat unsavory. While I have sure backstabbed AI allies in a single-player game, I have never betrayed an ally in a multi-player game of SE, or even any game like it.

[Suicide Junkie]

Disallow surrender. Gifting all your stuff away counts too.

As far as the map, just ask anybody else to make the map for you.
Give me the settings you want, and I could post one with a minute or two of work.

[Possum]

Disallowing surrender would be fine with me.

Trying to put restrictions on gifts can get slippery. Harking back to that tourney again, I was the strongest player, allied with the #4 player, against an alliance of the #2 and #3 players. I had to use some major gifting to keep my ally in the game. I sent him resources, and I sent him ships and I sent him tech. I even gave him two planets. But it seemed well worth the investment to me, as it kept him in the game, and covered my whole south-western flank.

Are you objecting to this sort of thing, or just the use of massive gifting prior to quitting the game? If the latter, how do you word an agreement to allow the former, yet prohibit the latter?

Sigh, this is exactly the sort of rules-lawyering that turned me off of SE4 MP

[Suicide Junkie]

Gifting everything works the same as a surrender. The difference between gifting a couple planets and surrendering should be obvious to all involved.

[capnq]

If there were any AIs in the game, I'd lean towards allowing surrender, but with no AIs, I don't have a preference. Some people have much stronger opinions on the issue, which is why I brought it up.

About the only set-up option I have a strong preference on is Limited Resources, which I absolutely hate.

I've occaisionally backstabbed allies, but I've been backstabbed more often. It depends a lot on how I'm roleplaying an unreliable race. My strongest finish in a PBW game was 3rd place out of 8 humans and 4 AIs; I got there by a lot of diplomatic juggling and a bit of vulching the wreckage from other players' wars.

[Possum]

Hmm, well, I'm game, capnq, but so far you're the only respondee with an interest in playing.

I'd really like to have at least 4 people, wouldn't you?

[Possum]

Not afraid of things that go BUMP in the night!

[capnq]

Yes, more players would be better. I've never played a PBW game with fewer than four.

Perhaps the problem is that the proposal uses stock? I remember having trouble in the past finding games that weren't using some mod. Most of the mods I have installed are ones that I needed to troubleshoot a problem as a PBW admin.

I will have to think a bit before I propose a particular mod. Maybe someone else has a suggestion.

[narf poit chez BOOM]

How about just the balance mods?