Clash Of Armies [Started]

[WraithLord]

I want to try and create a game that will favor large armies to SC tactics.
I was thinking that a good settings for that game might be:

Map Neo Pangaea, small
Starting Provinces 1
Indy strength 9
Magic Sites 25
Richness double
Events Common
Graphs Enabled
HoF 15
Research Very Difficult
Master password Enabled
Renaming Allowed
Cheat Prevention Active
Mods Zen 5.2
House rules:
1. Blood hunting is prohibited. The map settings give an unfair advantage to blood hunting nations being the reason for this rule. Since Mictlan needs to blood sacrifice for spreading dominions they are an exception to this rule. Mictlan is allowed to blood hunt but are prohibited from blood research and the forging of items that require blood slaves (with the exception of the jade knife).

2. Water nations are banned. The water nations have an unfair advantage on this map.

In any case, once the settings are decided I intend to PBEM host this game.
I aim for this to be a slow paced game, something like 48h hosting or fixed hosting of three to four times a week.
The game will have a master password.

Oh and this first I'm hosting a game so please bear until I get the hang of it.

Eleven Players
WraithLord: Arco
Folket: Mictlan Pretender received
RonD: Pangaea Pretender received
Reverend Zombie: Pythium Pretender received
castigated: Ulm
Cainehill: Jotun Pretender received
The Panther: Ctis Pretender received
OG_Gleep->Shova->???: Vahnheim Pretender received
Oversway: Marignon Pretender received
Nah27: Ermor, broken empire Pretender received
Shmonk: Man Pretender received

If you like epic, large scale battles than by all means join this game

Currently, considering The Panthers request the game is scheduled to start next tuesday. You can send your pretenders to izaqyos@gmail.com.

Players, please give me your email.
Don't forget the create your pretenders with balance mod 5.2 and with a password!

The game is scheduled to begin next Tuesday, 21/02 at 10:30PM, GMT+2.

[Ironhawk]

I would play but the hosting schedule is too slow for me - I'm looking for 24hr.

On the topic of SCs are you looking to take them out completely? Or just make them relatively less common?

[Folket]

Surly I would like to join. Playing mictlan.

[RonD]

Slow works for me.

I'll claim Marignon.

I do worry that the low gem setting will favor blood, but I'm sure the real number crunchers will weigh in on the topic before long.

[Ygorl]

The rich world might soften the blood advantage a bit, though, as the bloodhunters will have to sacrifice more income in order to hunt (this is my intuition, at least...)

[Oversway]

Low gem does favor blood, and very difficult research also gives a boost (since you only have to research blood and perhaps construction paths).

On such a small map, I think a higher gem setting might help. The idea is you won't get into high enough research levels to be summoning lots of scs before the game is over.

On the other hand, lots of gems may mean lots of spell casters and low level summons. Which may not be what you had in mind.

Another option is a mod that disables all the magic above level four. I recall there was an mp game with that, you can probably get the mod from that thread.

[archaeolept]

its hard to say how much having rich world will counteract the bias towards blood from having vd research and low gems... not enough, I would wager.

OTOH, vd research very much favours undead themes; however they will be hurt by not gaining the advantages of a rich world... so that part should balance fine.

[WraithLord]

@Ironhawk, I want SCs to be less common, by making their summons and equipping more difficult and less cost effective. Sorry this pace is not good for you.

@Oversay, Do you think this is a small map?- It does after all have 267 provinces.
I think low level summons and spells are ok. I want to limit the effectiveness of SCs, so that big, balanced armies are more common. I prefer not to limit the magic levels.
Maybe, to completely eliminate the problem, this game shall ban blood nations or themes?

EDIT:
Also, with low magic settings, wouldn't there be less gems for forging the items for blood nations SCs?- So that even if they do focus on blood and construction they should be hard pressed to equip their SCs.

[Cainehill]

Still definately favors the blood nations - their summoned unique demons don't need much in equipment compared to what anyone else will be able to put on the field. Blood hunting hurts their income, sure - but they have more income than a normal game.

Similarly, as archaeolept points out, VD research helps the death themes a lot, as the spells necessary to fight them effectively won't come into play before they can get huge hordes of undead going.

Might want to ban the blood nations / death themes, just to keep things balanced.

[Reverend Zombie]

I staled last turn, inadvertently. Apologies to those who were waiting on me.