YARG2 , 24 players EA RAND game [7/24 players left]

[Dimaz]

10 is good.

[Aethyr]

Either is fine

[Zeldor]

You'd probably have to do it by hand for 24 players. I had to do same thing for Utopia, but it was 18 players iirc.

10/24 VPs sounds like small thing, but people are probably right that even that is too much, especially for RAND game. LR is what? 9/18? And there are some voices that it will never end, or at least drag over turn 100. I'm not in it, but I suggest you go with 9 VPs. People should be smart enough to stop nations with big teleport + crumble capabilities And it's about winning and stopping others from winning, so faster game is better.

BTW, let me know when I can roll nations, some people are pesterin me on IRC already, dunno if I can roll them nations earlier.

[Psycho]

Alexander is preset for 16+3 nations (I pity the poor water sucker in the middle). You can see it in the map file at the start - #start locations. Maybe just drop one player and start with them?

My preference is higher VP condition if it makes any difference. No clams should reduce MM enough.

[WraithLord]

Calahan and all who care to opine, would it be that terrible if we go for random start locations?- If it's perceived to be problematic then we'll go with your, non-existent-yet-and-pending-your-work, fixed map

Re. VPs. 10 sounds like a good compromise between late game MM and the fact that we have 24 players on board. Why don't we stick with that?

Zeldor, Let's wait for last 2 slots to fill. I don't think this will take more than a day or two at most. If we don't get them full by that time we'll just drop out the 2 worst EA nations and get started with 22. Once the list is full I'll send you the names for you to roll.

All: Please take the time to start sending your emails to me. I'll need them for setting up the server. I'll probably also send them to rdonj - our game admin.

[Calahan]

Ok, I've just spent the last hour or so playing around with the Alexander map (map voting is now closed btw). I should be able to deliver on all the aims I stated before, as the map is a bit more generous than I first thought with regards available space. I also don't mind spending time to get the map right before the game starts. If the game is going to last several months, a few hours extra at the start means very little time wise, but could mean a great deal enjoyment wise.

Only question that remains about the map is the water nations. At the moment I've joined up the main bodies of water using the rivers by connecting 192-227, 227-266 and 265 - 7.

I've also added two rivers (or will add once I get my easel out) to connect 265 - 251 and 266 - 5. This has the effect of turning the water into a wraparound. I am then looking to start the water nations at 29, 265, and 121. This gives each water nation 3 adjoining provinces, and each water capital is 6 provinces away from both of the other two water nations capitals. So nobody has to be in the middle.

This is the only way I can see to balance 3 water nations. The other alternatives are to either accept one water nation getting a doomed start, or as Psycho says, drop one water nation, and let the two remaining fight it out on the usual water provinces (ie. Without the river connections I've added).

I might be able to release a Beta map within the next hour or two. Failing that I hope to get it out by tomorrow afternoon (GMT)

And if anyone has any views with regards the map, balancing, what to do with the water nations etc. then please shout your thoughts out sooner rather than later

Originally Posted by Psycho

Alexander is preset for 16+3 nations .

Thanks for this. Knew I'd seen it somewhere and wasn't just going crazy.

[Lingchih]

Those sound like good modifications, Calahan. Thanks for all the work. I would prefer nice, fixed starting locations for a game of this size.

[TwoBits]

I think making it wraparound for the water nations is best and simplest solution. It might not look so tidy on the map, but as long as it plays OK, who cares?

And I would rather have more than fewer VPs necessary. As Psycho said, there'll be no gem generators. And if one nation is truly on a roll, one or two extra caps will not be hard to attain (note how Midgard rolled up Man and Utgard's capitals in quick succession). But in a no-diplomacy game, I think it takes players extra time to disengage from whatever local action they are involved in, in order to deal with the leader (at the end of YARG 1, I was fighting Midgard alone until the very last turn). That's my opinion, at least.

BTW, I'm going out of town Mon-Wed. What's the time frame on starting this game likely to be? I'd hate to delay things right at the start, but I might need an extra day or two to design a pretender. But I promise, after this trip, I'll have no more fun of any kind until summer at least

[Stagger Lee]

I waited for your map selection deadline to pass, to give available vets a chance to sign up first. I am interested, and would like to be considered for one of the open spots. I am new, but not completely inexperienced, and if I have earned a reputation yet, it will have been for playing out my games no matter how badly I screwed up the start. This would be my 8th MP game on this forum, I think.

I will not be offended if you think I'm too green for what you're trying to put together here.

[WingedDog]

Calahan
Thank you very much for your efforts.

WraithLord
If we fail to fill last slots, I would prefer to remove Niefel and Hinnom from the game rather then so called 'weakest' nations.