TG BTS - The Terrible Twos

[Bernout]

I am once more hosting a Pitboss game at Tactical Gamer and with Capsavian's permission I've been allowed to post here and welcome everyone to join us.  

The complete game description appears below.  If you would like to play, you'll need to create an account at TG and then post there in the Signup Topic.  However, please make sure to read the first message in its entirety before doing so.

If you have any questions feel free to post here or PM me. 

Just to make sure it is clear, the signup information was cross posted here as a convenience.  The game format is not open for debate.  As I write this there are 6 openings left in the game (out of a max of 18).

Bernout

TG BTS:  The Terrible Twos (TTT)

Game Begins on Friday, August 22


The Goal

This is the 3rd game being hosted by the 6th Marine Division (|TG-MD6|) at TG.  This time around we will be forming up teams of 2 people and really mixing things up from normal by introducing as much randomness as possible.

As always, the main goal is to have fun playing one of the best strategy computer games!   The server will have a 24 hour turn timer which makes the game accessible to casual gamers plus is friendly to players in all time zones.  Players new to Civ4 or Civ4 multiplayer are welcome and encouraged to sign up and enjoy the experience!

Please read the remainder of this post in its entirety.


Expectations and Rules

This game will last months.  If you don't have the patience to stick with the game until it ends then this is not the game for you.

Team members will be permitted to substitute for each other if desired.  Beyond that, the normal substitution rules apply.  A substitute player may never do turns for more than one team.  Letting the timer expire or turning your nation over to the AI temporarily are always options.  When letting the timer expire, please announce extended absences especially if you are involved in a war.

TG's gaming philosophy will be in full effect. The simultaneous nature of the server means the game isn't truly turn based. It is possible to take back to back turns and gain an unfair advantage over another player, especially during a war.  Rather than come up with a long list of rules all players will be expected to avoid these type of situations to the best of their ability and we'll deal with problems as they arise. All issues are expected to be raised in a timely manner, no more than 1 turn after it happened.

The TG web site, especially this forum and private messaging (PM), are going to be the main means for players to discuss the game.  Please check them on a regular basis once the game starts and remember that diplomacy is highly encouraged!  A player list will be created once the game starts so that it is easy to send a PM to someone.

You will need official BTS patch 3.17.  Note:  if you used Direct 2 Download to get the game then you need to get your patches from them as well.

We will be using CivStats so that players can monitor the server status.  Email notification will also be supported.  More information will be provided upon game start.


Game Format

Team Assignments

Teams will consist of 2 players who will be randomly paired up together.

Nation Assignments

Players will be assigned player numbers based on an alphabetical list of TG account names.  Nations and their leaders will be assigned randomly.

Difficulty Level

The difficulty level being used is Emperor for all players.

Settings:

• Map:  Global Highlands
• Size:  Huge
• Climate:  Temperate
• Sea Level:  Low
• Era:  Ancient
• Speed:  Normal
• Mountain Pattern: Ridgelines
• Mountain Density: Normal Peaks
• Landmass Size: Massive Continents
• World Wrap:  Cylindrical
• Resources:  Standard

Game Options Selected:

• City Flipping after Conquest
• Choose Religions
• No Technology Trading
• No Vassal States

Full Option List:

• No Advanced Start
• City Razing
• City Flipping From Culture
• City Flipping After Conquest
• Barbarians
• No Raging Barbarians
• Restricted/Normal Leaders
• Choose Religions
• No Technology Trading
• No Require Complete Kills
• No Vassal States
• Tribal Villages
• Random Events
• Espionage

Victory:

• Time
• Conquest
• Domination
• Cultural
• Space Race
• Diplomatic

Multiplayer:

• Simultaneous Turns
• Take Over AI
• Shuffle Teams
• Turn Timer - 24 hours (approx. 28 hours of real time at game start)

[Matriarch]

Sounds like a fun game!  I've never played in Emperor before though, so I will have to pass.

Good luck with it!

[Elkad]

There are no AI civs, so all emperor means is prices are slightly increased (on research and production), and health/happy caps are slightly lowered.

The health/happy caps being lower makes traits normally considered multiplayer unfriendly (like expansive) a bit more equal.  Handy in a game where your civ will be randomly determined.

[Viktor Ahriman]

simultaneous turns, what do you mean by this?  You dont have to wait for everybody to finish turns??  I may be interested.

Viktor

[Bernout]

simultaneous turns, what do you mean by this?  You dont have to wait for everybody to finish turns??  I may be interested.

Simultaneous turns is pretty much standard for Pitboss games.  It means you can do your turn anytime barring self imposed rules such as those for preventing double moves during wars.  The other choice is true turn based in a manner similar to PBEM or single player.

And as Elkad mentioned, don't let the Emperor difficulty scare you away. 

Bernout

[da_Vinci]

simultaneous turns, what do you mean by this?  You dont have to wait for everybody to finish turns??  I may be interested.

Simultaneous turns is pretty much standard for Pitboss games.  It means you can do your turn anytime barring self imposed rules such as those for preventing double moves during wars.  The other choice is true turn based in a manner similar to PBEM or single player.

And as Elkad mentioned, don't let the Emperor difficulty scare you away. 

Bernout

I think what Bernout is saying is that simultaneous turns is what we are doing now in C&C II. 

Note that in simultaneous turns, your build won't be done before the other players move after you in the same turn (so much for that emergency defender).  In SP our build finishes before the AIs move ... I suppose that is what also happens in PBEM or "true turn based MP" (i.e. non simul moves).

Note #2:  While in SP we move before AI, in simul turns AI (if any) always moves first, because AI is always "logged in" 

dV

[Viktor Ahriman]

OK, sign me up then.  Where will the network address be at?  So with no advanced start, we wil just be starting with one settler then??

Viktor

[Bernout]

OK, sign me up then.  Where will the network address be at?  So with no advanced start, we wil just be starting with one settler then??

Viktor

You'll need to go to the TG site to sign up as per my original posting.

Yep, one Settler plus a Warrior/Scout as per normal.  Server connectivity information will be given out as we get closer to the start date.

Bernout

[Capsavian Hopewell]

Bernout, sounds like a well-organized game; I can respect that.

Leonardo and Elkad, nice explanations. 

[Viktor Ahriman]

Do I need to sign up on that site?  When I  try to reply it asks me for a user name and password.  Or am I missing the reply link on that site?

Vik

[Bernout]

Do I need to sign up on that site?  When I  try to reply it asks me for a user name and password.  Or am I missing the reply link on that site?

Yep, you need to create an account on the site first before you will be able to reply in the signup topic.

Bernout

[da_Vinci]

Bernout, sounds like a well-organized game; I can respect that.

Hopefully better than you respected his territorial integrity in this game!     

Leonardo and Elkad, nice explanations. 

OOC just call me dV ... Leonardo is just an in-character personna here that I don't use in the real cyber world (how is that for an oxymoron?)

dV

[Bernout]

FYI...game starts this coming Friday.  Still room for 4.

Bernout

[Capsavian Hopewell]

dV -- yeah, yeah yeah.   I won't use this as a place to debate the in-character conflict, as OOC I do have great respect for Bernout and indeed most all of the players here who I have had a chance to visit with.  We've gathered a collection of mature players, and it's a shame that war has to factor in at all, but that's a cornerstone of this game.