New MP Game - Random, Anonymous, No Diplomacy

[Alneyan]

The Panther said:
You can't really have people in the game making claims (like "I rock because I own my own home plus the Machaka and Atlantis capitols", or even "I currently own 5 capitols"), for this would reveal the nation owned by the player.

Actually, my own suggestion was simply once nine capitals are under control, and nothing else; if you make a false claim, you deserve every single complication that will ensue, while a correct claim will result in the game being over.

It's only any use if you want to keep the number of capitals secret; otherwise, your way (or Boron's, which introduces a "every five turns" clause) is better, and every player will know how well the other nations are doing. Removing the victory points should not take more than a handful of seconds, and setting other VPs will be quick and painless. Unless I am mistaken, it will require set starting points though, and that may take a while to do, if balanced starting points are needed.

[Cainehill]

I think the victory points should be left in - they denote provinces of significance on the map. Simply let the one person say, "I have 9 capitols" - presumably everyone in the game can count to 9.

[The Panther]

Thanks for clearing that up, Alneyan. I read your post closer and understand it now.

Because I wanted graphs on (which helps for the people to see who is leading), then I was thinking of having the victory condition open also so everybody knows when someone is about to win. Without diplomacy, it will be much harder to cordinate an attack on the leader, but that is just part of the mystery of these settings. The graphs will help every player decide what to do to some extent.

You don't need preset starting spots because of the game option to select the box which says something like "1 VP per capitol". Doing this and setting all other VPs to zero produces 17 VPs on the map (1 per capitol). Then all that must be done is to select 9 VPs to win and everything is easy. What I did not know was if the map had the VPs built into the provinces or was just an added line in the map file. I do infer from your post above that it is nothing but a few lines in the code to be removed. I am at work right now so I cannot check this, but I sure take your word for it being easy.

A final problem might be the starting location selection. I remember just how lousy the starting spots were on the Blade game under Version 2.16 and I still don't know the cause of that. We may encounter the same problem and Pasha could have significant work trying to get the starting spots to work fairly.

[Alneyan]

The Panther said:
A final problem might be the starting location selection. I remember just how lousy the starting spots were on the Blade game under Version 2.16 and I still don't know the cause of that. We may encounter the same problem and Pasha could have significant work trying to get the starting spots to work fairly.

Don't you mean the 2vs2? Blade was started under 2.15, and had pretty good random starting points, near as I can tell. The 2vs2 game was awful however, especially for aquatic nations starting next to land nations.

I didn't know about the 1 VP per capital setting; it will be much easier then. You will need more than a few seconds to remove the VPs, but less than one minute, unless a simple Find & Replace works (leaving pointless numbers in the middle, which should not matter).

Hmm... I am doing an awful lot of talking for a game I will not take part in. Someone, please cast a Silence spell on me.

[Turin]

I just had a quick look at the mapfile and there´s one thing that I find really bad. province 173 has the oak of ages as a special site which gives an enchantment bonus 50!
And it´s only guarded by an ivy king and a couple of vine ogres/men, so it should be no problem for an early game pretender to take that site. So if you could alter the mapfile and replace it with the mother oak or something similar it would be great.

I have attached a mapfile without victorypoints and which replaces the oak of the ages with the motheroak.

[PashaDawg]

Duh! What precisely is the effect of "enchantment bonus 50"? I have been too lazy to figure that out (and I am extremely lazy about that stuff... ugh!) Maybe one of these days, one of you guys will sit me down and answer my questions. I will bring the gin and vermouth.

[quantum_mechani]

PashaDawg said:
Duh! What precisely is the effect of "enchantment bonus 50"? I have been too lazy to figure that out (and I am extremely lazy about that stuff... ugh!) Maybe one of these days, one of you guys will sit me down and answer my questions. I will bring the gin and vermouth.

Enchantment bonus 50 means enchantment rituals in that province will cost only 50% of the normal amount of gems.

[PashaDawg]

Oversway told me that he can't join in. So, perhaps, YC can play?

[PashaDawg]

Turin said:
I just had a quick look at the mapfile and there´s one thing that I find really bad. province 173 has the oak of ages as a special site which gives an enchantment bonus 50!
And it´s only guarded by an ivy king and a couple of vine ogres/men, so it should be no problem for an early game pretender to take that site. So if you could alter the mapfile and replace it with the mother oak or something similar it would be great.

I have attached a mapfile without victorypoints and which replaces the oak of the ages with the motheroak.

Hi Panther:

I assume that this was the only modified map file. Yes? Or should I keep looking?

Pasha

[PashaDawg]

I think I have the map all set (I did a test). I will try to use the file again that was given to me by King Lear, just in case it works. Otherwise, we wait.