MP: Noobs and Vets II: Days of Infamy. MA, BI. Game Over. Supplicants Triumph!

[Septimius Severus]

For those who maybe interested, I've completed my in-depth look at LA nations for game 3. I think I will go with 3 human teams (4 players each) and the 4 member AI team, plus maybe 1 merc nation. 12 or 13 human players total.

Each team gets their choice of several nations, I've listed them below in the order they meet the paths/themes. Path limits will be similiar to this game, 9+ in your team's paths, 3 or less in everything else. The genocidal AI team might be rainbow themed (level 6 or less in all paths).

Underworld Realm: - Thematic Paths: Fire, Blood, Death

Themes: Devils, demons, darkness, undead, spirits, heat, hellfire, bloodlust, you get the picture.

Common unit attributes: Heat resistance, darkvision, H3/powerful preists, blood sacrifices, reanimation.

Nation Choices:

Abysia
Marginon
C'tis
Mictlan or Gath (not both)
Agartha

Earthly Realm: - Thematic Paths: Earth, Nature, Water

Themes: Humans, animals, creatures, plants, forests, mountains, lakes, dirt, rocks, sticks, etc.

Common Unit Attributes: Mountain/Forest/Swamp Survival, Assassins, Castle defense/seige/forge bonus, etc.

Nation choices:

Pangaea
Patala
Pythium
Jomon
Ulm
Man
Mictlan or Gath (whichever one is not taken by the Underworld Team)

Heavenly Realm: - Thematic Paths: Air, Astral, Water

Themes: Sky, stars, celestial magic, wind, snow, rain, ice, cold, storms, clouds, thunder, lightning, light, mental magic, temporal & dimensional magic, astrology, etc.

Common unit attributes: Cold resistance, fortune tellers, stealth troops, etc.

Nation choices:

Caelum
Midgard
Utgard
Bogarus
T'ien Chi'
Atlantis
Arco

AI gets whatever is left including choice of Ermor, R'lyeh.
Next up: Pretenders.

Comments, suggestions, balance experts?

[Gandalf Parker]

Actually very little of that has to do with whether its direct connect or pbem. Most of it has to do with the server and the person running the game. But basically everything available to one is available to the other if they want it. There is nothing about direct connect vs pbem which makes most of those things any different.

1) Not much reason this couldnt be accomplished the same way.
2) Also available in the same way. Thats a server thing, not specific to the mode.
3) Same again.
4) Same again.
5) Same again.

6) The only difference I see here is that "quick host" might be abit quicker with direct connect. So if you are the last person making the turn for that game then it might be harder to turn in another turn correcting your error. But if its a concern then direct connect can be done offline, and only connect when you are sure.

7) I believe that if you do all 4 at the same time instead of telling the game "I no longer play this one but instead play another" then the cleanup doesnt occur.

8) Im not sure if no-need to password protect is a good reason not to. But many people play on my server without it. Only occasionally have I ever had a complaint and that was even more rarely proven to be purposeful. In any case it was easily handled. I do see who does each turn.

The information files you refer to are a basic part of the game. The stats are by using the --statfile switch, and the scores from the --scoredump switch (already created in html webpage). Both are standard on all of my games, even the little blitz ones. I also often offer email notifications, email of turns, sms text messaging to cell phones, ftp, and a variety of other options for notification and turn handling.

While the LLama and Matryx servers have done wonderful jobs, they are both working with the same material. I tend to offer some extras like more switch support (such as for AI) or turning off the ability for players to go AI. I do admit that my server is hurt by the lack of a menu system. Its wide open for what the person running the game wants to do. If the various forums didnt already have me running over 100 active games I might fix that. But be cheered, if you choose to run a game on my server all of those options and more will be available. And I am usually available in the Chat (the link up by the Forums Rules on this page) if anyone has any questions about this.

[Septimius Severus]

There has been much hype about PBEM but really much of what is available via PBEM is available via Direct Connect (on Gandalf's Server anyway).

A lot of options I haven't chosen to yet implement (I've been busy getting the game going) are available via Gandalf's server including: E-mail notifications of hosting, e-mailing of turn files, staling data and score graphs (both systems do this outside of the game), e-mail sending of .trn files, etc.

Regarding multiple turn sharing, if the game does delete a .trn file when you switch nations (meaning you can't view 4 trn files like you say simulateously) and if you want to do it, why not just copy the .trns somewhere else as they come in and replace them in the same folder when you are ready to view all the trns at once?

[Septimius Severus]

Actually, correction to my above posts, you can actually select all of your teams nations to view at the same time and the comp will download all 4 .trn files. Just have to enter the same password 4 times (or different ones if you used a different team passwords, not recommended). At that time if you hit exit, you will see you have all 4 turns in the folder. You can now view those turns offline.

[ano]

chrispedersen
We'll be waiting for you!
Gandalf Parker
Actually I want to thank you very much for the job you're doing. I greatly appreciate it even though I rarely play. It's all your (and llama's) pure enthusiasm and I really, really appreciate this.
I do not want to say that something is good and something is bad, just expressing my opinion that basically without enhancements (a server and application) Dominions play-by-network system is very inconvenient. Llamaserver actually showed us how the things should have been done. And, frankly speaking, that would not be hard to implement inside the game. That's, once again, only my opinion.
Regarding this particular game, your custom AI options are very good, in my opinion. That's what is really useful to newer players. But if more options (at least something from what I mentioned above) are possible on your server than I'd definitely like it on in this game. Thanks in advance.
Septimius Severus

why not just copy the .trns somewhere else as they come in and replace them in the same folder when you are ready to view all the trns at once?

That's exactly what makes me cry. I described the steps a) b) c) -> repeat. Believe me, it's a lot less convenient then receiving 4 emails.

[Gandalf Parker]

Originally Posted by ano

I do not want to say that something is good and something is bad, just expressing my opinion that basically without enhancements (a server and application) Dominions play-by-network system is very inconvenient. Llamaserver actually showed us how the things should have been done. And, frankly speaking, that would not be hard to implement inside the game.

you mean something like this?
http://www.dom3minions.com/lab/MakeGame.htm
Thats from a year before LLamaserver. And Esben Mose Hansens server showed us before that. And Matryx has showed us what it should be. But they all fill a niche.

Everything has its pros and cons.

[Willburn]

Originally Posted by Septimius Severus

Welcome, Willburn.

Your forum account is good to go. Team rosters updated.

Good luck and may the best team win.

Thank you

[ano]

Everything has its pros and cons.

Yes, sure)

Btw, those AI + Atlantis are IMPRESSIVE...

[Wrana]

To chrispedersen:
Good luck!

Originally Posted by Septimius Severus

For those who maybe interested, I've completed my in-depth look at LA nations for game 3. I think I will go with 3 human teams (4 players each) and the 4 member AI team, plus maybe 1 merc nation. 12 or 13 human players total.
...
Underworld Realm: - Thematic Paths: Fire, Blood, Death
...

Abysia
Marginon
C'tis
Mictlan or Gath (not both)
Agartha

Abyssia and Gath are mentioned as old enemies. I would prefer that they do not belong to one team. And while LA Agartha is undead-oriented, I'd think that their connection to Earth is older and stronger (and there are few nations in LA without Death ).

Originally Posted by Septimius Severus

Earthly Realm: - Thematic Paths: Earth, Nature, Water
...
Pangaea
Patala
Pythium
Jomon
Ulm
Man
Mictlan or Gath (whichever one is not taken by the Underworld Team)

Quite possibly. I'd say, in addition to Agartha question, that Jomon is probably may be also connected to Heavenly Realm - dragons, etc.

Originally Posted by Septimius Severus

Heavenly Realm: - Thematic Paths: Air, Astral, Water
...
Caelum
Midgard
Utgard
Bogarus
T'ien Chi'
Atlantis
Arco

I'm also not sure that Midgard and Utgard belong to the same team - ancient enemies, too. Maybe Utgard would look better in Earth Realm? And not sure about LA Atlantis - maybe send them to Earth Realm? This would also bring advantage of giving amphibious nations to 2 teams...
About merc player - I already said that it would be good if they had a full range of spying/assassination abilities. Still not sure which LA nation would be best candidate, but maybe Ulm vampires?

[chrispedersen]

thanks for the kind wishes, ano, wrana.

With utgard, midgard, caelum, and bogarus you have a very credible cold team.

With abysia, patala, gath, ctis and marignon you have a credible heat team.

With Rlyeh, mictlan, atlantis, you have an excellent water team. Jomon would be an interesting addition, although personally I consider them horrible.
Of course it would require *water*. Which would suggest a different map. But since you are having fewer players, a different map is probably in order.

Mictlan, ulm, pangea and bogarus make a very credible blood team.