Megatherium - MA PBEM. Started.

[Gregstrom]

No problem. I'll add you in.

Now we have 8 players in, I'm going to say we're okay to plan the game start. I'll aim for getting everything settled to start submitting Pretenders by Monday UK time.

To do that, I'll need a couple of points of order settled.

Firstly, the map. Aran is about the right size, although I don't know how it plays. Suggestions will be welome, so please chime in with opinions.

Secondly, scheduling of the early turns. To get things started quickly, I suggest doing the first 5 turns on a 30 hour quickhost (1 day with a small safety margin), then the next 10 on a 50 hour quickhost (2 days, effectively), and after that going to 96 hour quickhost.

Note for the new: quickhost means that a turn automatically generates when all files have been mailed in, no matter how long it has been since the last turn was generated.

Third, game settings. I'm thinking standard MA, with 15 slots in the HOF.

Please respond on these two points (and raise any others that come to mind). All opinions will be considered. Plus, if you respond I'll know you still intend to play. So post even if it's to say 'I agree on all points'.

[LDiCesare]

Aran looks ok to me, although there are no water nations if I'm correct, so it may bias things a bit (someone starting near the coast with a wyrm or other awake ampjibious pretender could take all water regions for instance without being contested). I don't know of land only maps however.
Schedule's ok for me although I may ask more time for the first week end (actually depends on when turns are hosted but I'll be 36 hours without internet access).
Settings ok.

[Gregstrom]

Well, I guess we could go for a random map if necessary.

[LDiCesare]

There are eight gates and Infinite Sands on http://dom3maps.wikidot.com/system:newmed
that are usable for 8 land players but I'm afraid the latter is way too big and the former is quite big too (about 29 prov per player).

[Gregstrom]

29 provinces/player is rather too large, I fear. On 96 hour turns that'd take nearly forever.

8 Gates can be a VP game, can't it?

[LDiCesare]

I suppose it could be. I just browsed for maps without too much water. There are some which would be too small, most are too big.
Random maps can be ok, the only thing is sometimes two players start near one another and that can lead to a fast death in case of rush.

[Niarg]

We could just play Aran with the understanding that nobody enters the water before turn 20?

I think Aran is about the right size for 8.