Rated Challenges Thread

Having thought about it a bit more - thanks to a prompt from Slynky - I think that we should ban Ancient. The reason is that in a team game, one player can of course take Ancient and immediately share the information with his partner. This makes what is already a powerful ability just a bit too cheap.

That leaves us with the question of warp-hole openers. I think that with Ancient unavailable, they are not a game-breaking option. Yes, two players can force the pace to get there much faster, but they've still sunk a large number of research points into one technology option. Their opponents are free to do the same, or to counter with another option.

So, that's my position;

Medium spiral (with teams together on their own side of the map)
3 Good planets
100000 starting resources
Yes to Intel
No to Ancient Race
Yes to Warp openers

But as implied in my previous Posts, I think it's only fair to allow any player to veto one of these if he feels strongly about it. Let me know.

Edit: OK, I've just read Primitive's post below. I'll take that as a veto on openers too. Any more?

[ May 28, 2004, 14:49: Message edited by: Mark the Merciful ]

[Alneyan]

Warp Openers are very, very cheap to research actually. You merely need the second SM level to start building the openers, and it can be done before you can say "Build warships". Since we have a tech cost of only medium with three homeworlds and an ally, I think we would break a record here on "how quickly can you get a worm hole opener up and running?". And obviously, this technology brings more than the Warp Openers.

While speaking of settings, will the Talisman be allowed or not? Or in other words, should we assume that one of the players in each time will go for the religious Trait?

As for this desperation, I meant "if you aren't desperate already after both our KOTH and the Pairs game, where I made an outstanding job at playing poorly". But with Primitive on my side, there is nothing to fear. And as it happens, I have an old debt to repay. *Winks at Slynky*

Originally posted by Alneyan:

While speaking of settings, will the Talisman be allowed or not? Or in other words, should we assume that one of the players in each time will go for the religious Trait?

Well, if it wasn't mentioned, then default game settings apply. So, Yes.

Or are you saying you'd rather it was No?

[primitive]

Talisman or not doesn't matter to me as long as we all agree that its OK (not only legal ) to take it.

The openers however changes the whole flow of the game. I'm definitely against it.

[Slynky]

Originally posted by primitive:
Talisman or not doesn't matter to me as long as we all agree that its OK (not only legal ) to take it.

The openers however changes the whole flow of the game. I'm definitely against it.

I tend to agree with Primitive here ( ). I never ban openers in a KOTH game when there is a one-planet start (and no allies). If you have the chutzpah to research them and get them (in lieu of other things...then more power to you, I say). But in team games...it DOES just become a race.

As to the Talisman? I'm considering it right now and judging the time it takes to get it. Or am I? OK, I'm not. But Alneyan made me this way . You know, misinformation. Or is it? Heck, I don't even know now!

[Slynky]

Originally posted by Alneyan:
And as it happens, I have an old debt to repay. *Winks at Slynky*

Gee, nice to know I have TWO people with a grudge to settle. (and I've been sucking up to both of them soooo nicely... )

[Alneyan]

Same as Primitive here, I would merely like to know if the Talisman is welcomed here or not. I gather that if is it on, both teams will go for it, and as quickly as possible. (I haven't made any calculation about how many turns you need, but my wild guess would be somewhere between turn 30 and turn 40)

As for openers, I do believe you could have three such ships running as early as turn 30. (And possibly before) You merely need 350,000 research points to have SM II, and then you have about 10 turns to get SM III for 450,000 research points (not much with three homeworlds). The main problem will obviously be to get the resources needed for the retrofitting part, so you might need one or two more turns. If you are really doing well, it might even be possible to reach SM IV in time (for an additional 800,000 research points), but don't quote me on that.

So I would be strongly against Warp Openers (and Warp Closers, as closing all wormholes would be quite a problem), but I don't have a strong opinion on the Talisman as long as both teams agree either to take it or to forget it. It wouldn't do if only one team had this device for example, while the other decided to invest in Organics Extraction.

Why Slynky, I need to get even for this certain KOTH game, but in the light of our recent games, I will be benevolent towards your people. Well, I will not put them in the same kind of thrall as Parabolize's subjects, if you get my meaning. (Am I too confident? It could be the aforementioned propaganda that is showing up)