(Newbie) Galactic Combat 3 about to start (waiting for two empires to be re-uploaded)

[Ruatha]

Ok. If we do start a new Galactic Combat game. What settings should we have.
I'm thinking about these:
(It's alot but I've learned to be specific, and it's both settings and rules)

SETTINGS:
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1. Huge galaxy, 250+ systems and 1900+ planets (SETTING)

2. 20 players at start. (SETTING)

3. No tech trading, No gifts/tributes. Only trading of materials. (This way we don't get high tech immediatly. It will be disabled) (SETTING)

4. Player uses standard Gold patch 3 (stock 1.84). Host uses No Ai-mod (you don't have to worry that the AI will mess things up, the Ai has limited capacity, check bottom of this post) (SETTING)

5. Low tech start. (SETTING)

6. High tech cost. (SETTING)

7. No surrendering. (SETTING)

8. Only own score is shown. (Use intel if you need more info on your neighbours) (SETTING)

9. 0 Starting race points. (harder to maximize and minimize racial traits. (SETTING)

10. Win condition 300% higher score than second player, starts after 80 turns. (Last man standing can take years, 300% then you're practicly set on the path to becoming Last man anyway) (SETTING)

11. Intel allowed. (with max 1 partner we won't get ridicilus high intel points) (SETTING)

12. Max 100 mines/sector. (SETTING)

13. Max units 90000 (SETTING)

14. Max Ships 8000 (SETTING)

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Pre-Game Rules:
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1. Always have a valid e-mail adress where the host can reach you. (RULE)

2. Maximizian/minimizaing of racial traits is allowed (if you want to do it you'll have to pay the prize by lowering something else) (RECOMMENDATION)

3. Roleplaying is encouraged as is in-game stories. (RECOMMENDATION)

4. The aim of this game is to have FUN.
If you see a fellow player making an obvious fatal mistake, alert them instead of taking advantage of it. (RECCOMENDATION)

5. No omnipresent view. (explore) (RULE)

6. When uploading your empire mark wich shipset you are using. No duplicate shipsets allowed. (RULE)

7. I will need an e-mail from each player before you are allowed to join.
(Please state wich players you know who has already entered the game and where you live.
It's ok to be friends with other players and to live near them. But be open with it so it won't rise questions later.) (RULE)

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GAME RULES
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1. Max alliances two players. (Military alliance or partnership), research and trade with how many tou like (This way we won't get superalliances, making it impossible to be a lone wolf. Now you still have achance on your own). (RULE)

2. Don't share comm channels or system maps.(More focus on individual exploration). (RULE)

3. Retroseries are allowed. (If you want to pay for it use it) (RULE)

4. Absolutely no e-mail diplomacy prior to in-game contact. You may mail eachother on all other issues but not concerning in-game events and strategies prior to in-game contact. (RULE)

5. Alliances are to be based upon in-game events and considerations only, no external friendship or such may come into play when deciding alliances. (RULE)

6. Total turtelling is forbidden!
(You may shut down worm-holes and build system gravitational shields but there must always be atleast one way to enter a system. If it doesn't have any worm-holes it can't have a system gravitational shield.
This goes for individual systems aswell as your entire empire.
You may shutdown all wormholes into your empire, then you may build system gravitational shields in all systems but one!) (RULE)

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Hosting
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1. Breaking the rules may result in a warning, or being kicked from the game. Depending on the nature and severity of the transgression. Decided by the host. (HOSTING)

2. When an empire becomes without player the host will go in and check that empire every fifth turn until a replacement i sfound. he will then see to it that the empire builds defences. He will not start or continue offensive actions.
in the case of a conflict between the hosts empire and the playerless empire the host must accept peace with that empire until a replacement has been found. (This is becouse of the No-Ai Mod)
(RULE)

3. Missing four consecutive turns without notifying the host will get you kicked (Rule)

4. We will try to run automated turns, bear in mind the No-AI mod will prevent the AI from messing up too much of your game. So try to avoid asking for "Last player upload turns". If you do ask for this it will most likely be accepted though.

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Anything I've forgotten?

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.No-Ai mod
One of the most frustrating things about playing Space Empires IV PBW, or any PBEM for that matter, is in the event you miss a turn, or if your turn file gets scrambled somehow, the ai will take your turn for you. As we all know the ai does a particularly awful job of handling things.

We all have horror stories I am sure. I was in a game once where the AI, broke several trade and research treaties, declared war on my closest neighbor, took control of my fleets in that system and wiped out three of his planets, not to mention filling my construction queues with worthless junk, and obsoleting and replacing all of my carefully thought out ship designs.

All his dirty work was done in one turn. But it took me 7 or 8 turns to undo the damage. Particularly because I was close to the limit on maintenance anyway, and loosing all that treaty income meant several ships being abandoned.

There is a setting in empire options "AI should not make changes during simultaneous games." As we all know, that does little or nothing to help the problem. Jimbob and I have come up with a solution. It involves replacing the files that control what the ministers do during your turn. More on how it does it later.

These files, will eliminate the problem as much as is possible. By using these files, the ai will NOT:
1. Obsolete your designs
2. Design new ships or units
3. Put ANYTHING in your construction queue
4. Become angry at other races, for ANY reason
5. Break existing treaties
6. Offer or accept new treaties
7. Declare war
8. Attack colonies of empires you are not at war with

Using these files the AI still MIGHT:
1. Fill your research queue if empty (I figured this is about the only thing it does decently)
2. Reply to Messages from other empires, but only to refuse any requests. (But I have modified the speech.txt file so that it is clear the refusals are coming from the AI and not the player)
3. Move your ships around somewhat
4. Attack colonies of Empires you are at war with.
5. Attack ships of Empires you are at war with.
6. Send colony ships that do not have previous orders.

It is very important that if that player leaves the game a human replacement is found. Turning them over to the ai will result in a useless do-nothing empire.

Do not use AI or Neutral players with this mod. It is not recommended that you allow the AI to take several turns for you using this mod. Basically it is for short term absences. It will continue doing nothing during a long term absence, and that could be worse than letteing the normal Ai run things for you.

Geoschmo


Ruatha

[ April 08, 2003, 11:09: Message edited by: Ruatha ]

[Ruatha]

Any ideas / Inputs /alterations are welcome.

[Greybeard]

Ruatha: If you have 20 players, it would be reasonable to have 3-4 partners. Having only 1 seems a bit of overkill.

I like NOT having the scores and detailed info available, but I played a game where standings in each Category were available on the PBW info screen for the game. This would allow some indication of where an empire's strength lies without giving specifics. I'm not sure how to set this up, but I would be in favor of having this information available. That way we can assess who might be a threat or a potential ally.

Greybeard

[Slick]

Can I play? The deciding factor for me would be the time between turns. I normally can respond in 24 hrs, but I wouldn't join unless the time was at least 72 hrs. This is because a large game like this would take months and I would take the commitment seriously to have turns in on time. Real life + kids + work for me would be about 72 hrs.

[Ruatha]

I usually have 48 hours turn but I alos are starting to feel a bit pressed. So as I started in CaptRR's proportion game I hoped no one would reply to this
But 72 hours could be fine as it will be a long game.

As to more than one ally.
That opens up the possibility of chained alliances where You practicly see the entire map by allying yourself with someone who is allied to someone who is... and that takes away alot of the fun of exploring I think. Or not?

[Greybeard]

Originally posted by Ruatha:
I usually have 48 hours turn but I alos are starting to feel a bit pressed. So as I started in CaptRR's proportion game I hoped no one would reply to this
But 72 hours could be fine as it will be a long game.

As to more than one ally.
That opens up the possibility of chained alliances where You practicly see the entire map by allying yourself with someone who is allied to someone who is... and that takes away alot of the fun of exploring I think. Or not?

You have a point about the chained alliances. I agree that chained partnerships could be a problem. However, this would not be a problem with military alliances, as that doesn't share system maps. Additional military alliances will allow refueling with friends

Maybe a 60 hour turn would work. That's still 2.5 days, but could significantly reduce the total game time. I always looked forward to NGC2 and played those turns quickly (that is until my computer crashed).

Greybeard