Team Games – Best Practices

[Geckomlis]

Originally posted by LGM:
I am not interested, but after hosting a couple of team games with two teams, here are my opinions of them.

One of the problems with Team Games in my opinion, is they quickly get decided in favor of one team. Key objectives include linking up COM channels with each other and attempting to isolate one of the enemy players from ever linking up (unless you force all players to gift COM channels to everyone they meet). The team that links up first is at a huge advantage as they can exchange all Colonization techs with each other and exchange breathers. It is very hard to a persistent balance in a two team game and the team with the advantage can usually keep it quite securely.

These games also feature fast tech development as you divy up who researches what. Racial tech will not be useful unless all players can agree. Only quickly optianed racial tech seems to be beneficial, which makes Organic or no Racial tech the two principal options. Religious tech is good for three teammates, but the game can be over before you get it.

Ancient race should be Banned in games such as this, otherwise, one player per team can buy it and the others can get his password and peek at the galaxy before they link up.

If you force players to take different Racial tech, they will probably just never research it. Tradeable tech is much more cost effective.

Turn off intelligence, so that a players can not triple team one defender.

Does anyone else have any wisdom to share about SEIV PBW Team Games? I would like to set one up, but want to avoid known issues.

Gecko