Best Blitz Settings?

[Gandalf Parker]

A comment was made concerning the "blitz" games on my server.
http://game.dom3minions.com
Apparently the blitz games are adequate for many quick-blitz games.
DEFINITION: in this case blitz being setup for a few people playing a fast game in direct-connect mode (like solo play but with multiple people).

But sometimes an external is created and Im hearing its often for easy research due to the small maps otherwise giving too much boost to bless rushes. I hadnt considered that.

So Im opening discussion here for suggestions on the game settings for the "always open" games on my server. To quote from the Hosted Games page:
Standard game for 2 to 4 human players on a 50 province (medium sized) map.
BLITZ

A game of players against computer players. For 1 to 4 human players against 3 computer players who are allied against you. This is played on an 80 province (small map) map.
vsAI

This is also a game of players against computer players. For 1 to 4 human players against 3 computer players who are allied against you. This is also played on an 80 province (small map) map but it has been processed thru the SemiRandom program to place surprise provinces into the game.
SRAND

This is a game best played by people who feel they have the game all figured out, and they would like some surprises. It is for 1 to 4 human players, 3 allied computer played nations, and 2 more active nations (2 Special Monster nations). It is played on a randomly generated 80 province (medium sized) map with surprises everywhere. Play carefully.
CHAOS

This is a game for those who prefer to play with the Conceptual Balance mod which can be particularly good for blitzed duels. The present version of the CBM mod also includes with it the Worthy Heroes mod. These games are for 2 to 4 human players on a 50 province (medium sized) map. Remember that all players must have the CBM mod installed, and should have used it for creating their god, in order to play these games.
CBM

[Gandalf Parker]

Now technically, by the games internal definitions, my blitzes are on a "Medium" sized map (basically 15 prov per player since most of the games are 2 or 3 players). Id like to keep the "blitz" games fairly generic so Im leary of setting them all easy research. I could create a different blitz category. Or I could increase the map size.

Also, many of the blitzers (I think) are CBM players. Is it the CBM games I should change? If a large group (such as the IRC group) desired it then I guess I could see changing the CBM games to all being easy research as part of the definition of a CBM game on my system.

Gandalf Parker

[Frozen Lama]

almost all of the blitzes i've played have been with CBM 1.6 and easy research. once or twice we have tried to use your server, but lacking those settings we did not. it would be very useful to have one game with those settings in every era open at all times. CBM is used because most people i've talked to vastly prefer it, but easy research is only for blitzes generally

[Squirrelloid]

Blitzes encourage people to be more aggressive, making fast research more in-line with the style of play in general. You'll fight your first war sooner, and at 12.5 provinces/player (with 4 people) you're likely to run out of room faster than you would be accustomed to in a standard game. Especially when some provinces are often water (and thus basically inaccessible to everyone since blitzing with a water nation just doesn't work very well).

So not only does the map size encourage faster play, but there is heightened aggression due to the necessarily short duration of the game, and arguably the low number of people rewards early aggression more. (Winning quickly is possible - there aren't too many people that you can't just steamroll them all).

[Gandalf Parker]

Its been CBM 1.6 for quite awhile.
But if CBM seems to go with easy research then I could add that to those games.

[Maerlande]

We've used your server for IRC blitzes quite a lot Gandalf. And thanks for it.

Random maps are fine. Sometimes we prefer maps with balanced starts so that doesn't work as well random. The random maps can have some really awful starts, but that's something you work with.

CBM is the big thing. It seems an even bigger thing with blitzes so that the big bless nations don't totally dominate.

In my view, the big thing with easy research is to help the game end in a viable amount of time. Any harder, and a blitz takes too long for a single sitting and it's pretty much impossible to get the same group together at another time. Anything that helps keep blitz time down to 4 hours is good.

It would be nice if you did a 30 province random for duels. With water that's probably viable. Maybe even 25. The 50 is too big for duels given the time constraints.

I imagine you don't want or can't use fixed maps so that's no big deal. The randoms are fine. Sometimes you get a good blitz and sometimes you don't but the point of blitzing is to try out stuff fast. So scrapping a game after turn 20 because someone got a great start and is clearly winning is fine with me. If there's time, just start another.

The majority of the blitzes end in stalemate or concession. I've yet to play one to the clear end. Then you get all the IRC arguing about "I was winning" "No you weren't I was" etc
Which is part of the social fun.

I'm not sure which games you find fill up fastest, but in terms of IRC blitzing, CBM with easy research would be the most popular. And the 25 and 50 size. Some days we get 2 blitzes going but lately with the holidays it's been hard to organize.

[Gandalf Parker]

I have heard that CBM is particularly popular with the IRC Blitzers so I will probably keep those games running. So far Im not sure if there are others using those so if the IRC group agrees on a change of settings that shouldnt be a problem.

The problem with pre-made maps is that there either needs to be an agreement (is there a default CBM Duellists Map on IRC?), or it would take a webpage like this one that I created long long ago.
http://www.dom3minions.com/lab/MakeGame.htm
But for various reasons, having users design and start games that run continually is not a good idea.
Some of the trusted users on the server have created such make-game pages for their own use which isnt too bad but Im probably not going to open up a public one.

Of course this is for the mass-created games. When people request that I host a special game then there are no limits. Any mod, any map, any settings, added designed AIs are popular, it can be direct-connect or pbem or both. Wide open. I like it when someone challenges me with an idea they want for a different game than usual. At the moment I have 4 of those running.

[Maerlande]

I figured custom maps was a hastle. I'd stick with random then. Your server works great for "Let's play right now" games. Which to me is blitz. You grab a few people who have a couple hours "right now" and play something. Random up some nations, toss out some maybe decent pretenders, and play.

Anything else is more suited to organizing on the forums and setting up a custom game.

But your direct connect is better than any PBEM for blitz. Speed is the essence.