How to avoid anomalous metaverse scores

from Stardock Forums
We all hate anomalous metaverse scores. They not only deprive one of a score but make the overall score lower. Some are innocent and can be corrected by resubmitting. Others are player manipulations that trigger cheat flags in the game and cannot be corrected by resubmitting. At this time, I don't think we can know whether a score will be anomalous until it hits the metaverse. It would be nice to know if one got an anomalous before we submit or just not count the anomalous as a game and penalize the player only for the time lost playing.

I wanted to start this thread to help the honest gamer avoid anomalous games so please help. I also thought it might help anyone who hasn't closely read all the threads over the last month. Of course, if one doesn't submit to the metaverse, then one can modify whatever they want. LOL.

1. Avoid mods that make the game easier or penalize the AI, especially mods that raise PQ.

2. Avoid cranking beginner games and seriously bankrupting the AI. It is unclear how this triggers the cheat flags but there is a risk if a relatively skilled player cranks on beginner. If you want to crank, try moving to normal or higher. I don't think anyone has reported a flurry of anomalous scores on normal.

3. Avoid finishing the game with huge quantities of cash? I have read this but not seen it. When something unusual happens like a Draginol event minor AI and you can get millions of bc, then I dump it before the end of the game to end with less than a million. I don't know if that is protective but makes me feel better. LOL.

4. Finally, and this has happened to me, if you feel like you got an anomalous unfairly, resubmit. Twice this has happened to me and the resumbit worked. Maybe there was an electronic glitch in the Internet but don't give up the first time.

Hope this helps. Other please add tips. Thanks. :)

Rick
[Message Edited]
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Reply #2 from Stardock Forums Top
You know, I finally got around to reading the GCCG and I have to say, I was disappointed. I was expecting to have all this new information on how to play, with brand new strategies and what not, only to find out that it was a simple, single way of playing that I, personally, did not agree with.

I like GalCiv the way it is. I like the thrill of having my ass handed to me sometimes, that's why I play harder difficulties. That's why I'm lucky to submit one game a week.

If all you care about is a metaverse score, by all means, use the GCCG (and perhaps get an anomalous), but for me, I will not use it.

This of course, is only my opinion, and my opinion only, and is not intended to point a finger at anyone or make anyone cry (if it does, you need to get out more). ;p

Just my 2bc.

~SDC~
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Reply #3 from Stardock Forums Top
I got an anomalous score and I didn't do anything to cause it as far as I could tell. I tried to resubmit it but it didn't fix it. I sent an email to support@stardock.com and they looked at my save game and couldn't find a problem with it. They deleted my anomalous score, and when I submitted the game again, it worked fine. I recommend anyone with an anomalous score to do this, but if they tell you the cause of the anomalous then I wouldn't keep sending them anomalous scores with the same problem.
Reply #4 from Stardock Forums Top
how do you even tell if you have an anomalous score???

I tried to submitt a game but mistakenly used the wrong game ID... (I changed my nickname an thought my submission name would change too...... It didn't)

the game score said it submitted normally but it never showed up?

X-Wing Sierra
Reply #6 from Stardock Forums Top
If all you care about is a metaverse score, by all means, use the GCCG (and perhaps get an anomalous), but for me, I will not use it.
End of quote


Personally, I don't think that the GCCG is the best way to boost metaverse scores, even if that is what you are after.

Maso games can easily net 25,000 point a game. Post 4 games in a month and that boosts your metaverse score by 50,000 points. (25K x 4)/sqr(4) = 50K

To do the same using The GCCG and getting an average of 10,000 points a game it will take 25 games. (10K x 25)/sqr(25) = 50K

To me, 4 games a month is easier than 25. But that's just me. ;p
Reply #7 from Stardock Forums Top
X-Wing, resubmit your game under your correct name, LKS Sierra, and see what happens.
End of quote


You can't resubmit the same game under 2 different names unfortunately. So that game would not show up if you continue to use the player name LKS Sierra.
Reply #9 from Stardock Forums Top
I found the cranking guide interesting. Was able to glean some information out of it, but I likewise feel that the strategy as a whole does not fit my playstyle.

Even though GC does not have a MP(pbem) option, I still like to play as if the AI is a human player. Do I use some cheese? Sure. I think everyone does to some extent (ctrl-n anyone?). But I try to not pull anything so absurd that a human would slap you senseless just for suggesting it.
Reply #11 from Stardock Forums Top
ctrl-n? What does that do?
End of quote


It gives you a new galaxy and starting position without going through all the new game menus

~SDC~
Reply #13 from Stardock Forums Top
There have been some problems lately with anomalous games played on higher than normal levels. Anyone have any idea how to avoid these events?

Rick
Reply #14 from Stardock Forums Top
I wish I knew! I submitted an unmodded Challenging/Huge game and it was anomalous. I've asked Stardock to fix it. I don't know what I could have done to trigger it, I didn't ever have more than about 40,000 BCs in the treasury, and though I crushed the AIs, I don't think I did that well!
Reply #15 from Stardock Forums Top
i just had a tough/huge one as well. tried resubmiting, but still nothing. my two thoughts are that 1. i had one sector with about 6 full culture/production starbases, so my culture was up to about 150 million in that sector alone. another thing that might have been wrong was the arceans. i had defeated them, and then several months later i got a message from the declaring war on me. i'm kinda mad, this was my first tough difficulty game (:(
Reply #16 from Stardock Forums Top
This just emphasizes the need for a check BEFORE uploading - if only to avoid upsetting scores.

Alex


~SDC~
Reply #17 from Stardock Forums Top
I think that when I get alot of planets when I settle a war and my population shoots up that I get flagged as anomalous.
Reply #18 from Stardock Forums Top
Cari deleted my Anomalous and asked me to resubmit it. I did, but it's still Anomalous. I'm completely at a loss as to why. She said when she looked at it, everything looked okay. :notsure:

Well, I'm going to finish this Huge/Tough I'm working on and submit it. Hopefully it won't be Anomalous. :(
Reply #19 from Stardock Forums Top
Thanks for the follow-up Theoden. This makes me nervous to update to Gal Civ 1.1 since my 1.05 is submitting OK so far. Thanks Cari for the personal attention to this problem. Anyone else have anything to say about anomalous scores? Thanks.

Rick
Reply #20 from Stardock Forums Top
Thought I would bump this since 1.1 came out.

Yesterday, in spite of no mods or cheats, I got an anomalous on a large, crippling but with 1.1 you can see it is zero mpts before submitting so I didn't submit. As per a tip from Ray the Wanderer, I checked all my save games and "retired" so I could see if any had points.

The bad news is that my recent save games were all zero but the good news is that a very early colonization phase save game had some points.

The bad news is that I won't get to submit the last 5/6 of that game to the metaverse but the good news is that I may be able to start the saved game with the points and see if it becomes submittable.

Some of us had lamented that it would be nice to be able to know if something is anomalous before we submit so I wanted everyone to know that on 1.1 we have that addition. If you get game points but zero mpts, then you are probably anomalous.

I will update this if I can get the game to play through from the save game that has points and get a metaverse score at the end. No one likes anomalous scores but getting a warning is an improvment with 1.1 over 1.05.

Rick

Reply #21 from Stardock Forums Top
well I tried to replay it but when I saved the game and checked the "retire" I got zero mpts. Looks like I better bury that game. Anyone have any success replaying an anomalous game and getting it to be "un-anomalous"? :)

Rick
Reply #22 from Stardock Forums Top
It'll depend on why it went anomalous....

AIUI there are several things that may trip the "in-game" anomalous flag - too much money at the wrong time (too early?), PQ boosts too high and perhaps one or two others.

Alex

~SDC~