Sirian Sirian

Succession Games - Q1 2004 - GalCiv Standard

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Succession Games - Q1 2004 - GalCiv Standard

from Stardock Forums
In a succession game, members of a team take turns at the helm of a single player game, playing a specified number of turns before passing the game to the next player. Players from Realms Beyond played the first complete GalCiv succession game at CivFanatics, where we've been playing Civ3 succession games for years now.

Here is the thread at CivFanatics where the first game was played and reported:

http://forums.civfanatics.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=72311&perpage=20&display=&pagenumber=1

The team had fun playing, and spectators who commented had positive things to say. So we are ready to play another, and to escalate our ambitions. This thread is intended to organize the second round of succession games, and to draw new players to this type of gaming.

Players from any Empire or unattached are welcome to participate. All you need is the desire to play, an ability to make time to play your turn within a day or two when you come up on your team's roster, and a commitment to your teammates to see the game all the way through.

Because games of GalCiv are often incompatible or problematic across patches, it is a good idea to play the game all the way through on a single patch. Thus, with a patch due within weeks and the expansion due out next month, this round of games needs to get moving quickly, within days of this thread opening. If you are interested in joining the action, don't hesitate.


For this round of games, we'd like to open the door to new players. Realms Beyond is going to sponsor a map, and we intend to field three teams, each of whom will play the same map but with different goals. Thus spectators will get to see different strategic choices unfold on the same playfield. The results should be entertaining.

Four or five players per team is ideal. If the rosters fill up and there are more applicants than slots available, additional teams may be formed. The map will be played with the following settings:

Version: 1.13
Difficulty: Crippling (All Genius AI's)
Map Size: Medium
Habitability: Occasional
Star Clusters: Scattered
Political Party: Universalists
Bonus Picks: 3 picks Sensors and Range, 1 pick Influence, Repair, Trade, Weapons
Victory: All conditions enabled

24 hours "got it" notification
48 total hours to play and report a turn
Twelve Turns (one year) per player.
Autoturn: On.
Changeover: At the beginning of the first turn of each year.


We'd like to try three teams: G, N, E.

TEAM G will aim for good alignment and must win by Alliance.
TEAM E will aim for evil alignment and must win by Conquest.
TEAM N will aim to remain neutral and must win by Culture.

Any victory other than the one assigned will be considered a loss.

TEAM G must finish with alignment at or above 70 or "lose" the scenario.
TEAM N must finish with alignment between 40 and 60 or lose.
TEAM E must finish with alignment at or below 30, or lose.

TEAM G may not start wars, but may act freely against those who declare war against them or against their formal allies.

Special Commendation to teams who avoid selling techs and trade goods to majors for cash (Maso style) as that increases the challenge.


A Realms Beyond veteran with succession game experience will lead each of these three teams. Roster slots are open to anybody, but experience playing on Crippling difficulty or higher would be a plus.

Active participants will not view the threads of the other teams until their game has been concluded. We ask spectators to maintain an ettiquette of no spoilers. PLEASE do not say anything about what is going on in with the other teams, or if you download the games to try to "follow along at home", please do not mention any elements of that until the team has completed the game. This will best protect the quality of the competition and the fun factor for those doing the playing. Thank you for your cooperation.


Interested players should sign up here in this thread. If you are applying for only a specific team, please say so. If you would take any slot but you have a preference, state that. If you will take any slot and don't have a preference, state that. We'll leave the applications open for a few days -- through this weekend at least -- then gather the applicants, organize teams, and begin playing next week. Each team will have its own thread at CivFanatics and I will edit this first post to include links for easy access for spectators and lurkers.


If enough players who prefer lower difficulty would like to play, a separate game on a different map could be started. So even if this map does not suit you, you should still apply if you are interested in succession games. We will try to help you get involved. The possibilities are endless, including rival empires forging their own teams.

Comments and questions are welcome. Signups are OPEN.


- Sirian
4,814 views 85 replies
Reply #26 from Stardock Forums Top
I am sorry to see that the slots have not filled up yet :( . Succession Games are such great fun.

So, well, if you are willing to take me, I would jump on the wagon. File me in wherever you see fit, with one confinement: It will be difficult for me to play before Wednesday evening (CET time, which is something like Wednesday noon in the States) this week, so if the games start very early this week (Monday?), I would prefer not to be placed in slot #2 of the roster. I think you would have filed me in the end of the roster anyway as I am a late applicant, but I wanted to mention that point.

I am open to any kind of Maso-like trade restrictions. :) )


One comment concerning team "G": While the strategies for teams "E" and "N" are quite obvious and straitforward, the objectives of team "G" seem to be much more difficult to meet from my point of view. I have won a few Alliance victory myself, but these usually followed one of these two schemes:

* me being good, conquering the evil civs, and then allying with the good civs. This won't work well here
because of the "G can not start wars rule".

* me being neutral, keeping good relations with evil and good civ, then forging a true inter-alignment alliance. Won't work well here because of the "alignment >70" rule.

Of course, there are several ways to achieve both kinds of alliance victories even with the restrictions put on team "G" (I don't think I should post them here?), but most of them taste a little bit like "within the rules, but not within the spirit".

Just wanted to hint at that point. If you tell me "it was done so intentionally to avoid a 'too easy' alliance victory", this is perfectly fine for me. :)

Generally, this post does not mean that I would not want to join team "G". Might be a nice challenge, actually. :HOT:

- Physicist
SoundPackager - Customize the Windows sound scheme
Reply #28 from Stardock Forums Top
I'll play a game, I'm not that good (challenging level) but if you don't minde, count me in!

G-Force
Reply #29 from Stardock Forums Top
Regarding the G team, usually the good team allies against the evil team even without player interference. You just need to make sure that the good team is the winning side.

You always have the option to out-tech the aliens. If you have maintained relations with the other good civs, you can then allow relations with the evil civs to slack off until they declare on you. You could even innocently park a few ships in an alien's territory (with no intention of attacking, of course, just on exercises!) to trigger their paranoia clause and get them to declare war.

Furthermore, you also have the option if you have a tech advantage of becoming an arms merchant and giving the other good civs ships -- war by proxy. There is nothing in the rules about bribing the AIs to go to war, though it seems outside the spirit of the G team's restrictions, but even without that if you boost the AI's military rating enough with gifts they will eventually declare war on a weaker opponent.
Reply #30 from Stardock Forums Top
Zed-F:

Yea, I also thought about the strategies you mentioned. My point is: I am not sure if you have the possibility to push for victory actively once you are in a winning situation (like the other teams do have): Either you follow a very passive path (wait until your "enemy" declares war on you), which will work on the long run, but might be somewhat boring :) . Or you try to speed things up by employing the strategies you mentioned (or even some of the more nasty ones ...), but I am not sure if this is within the spirit of team G's restrictions.

Let's put it this way: How is team G's restriction to be "interpreted"? Just no "declaration of war", or no , well, you know, grey-zone diplomacy ;)? :notsure:

Don't want to split hairs here, just be sure about this point. :)

- Physicist
Reply #32 from Stardock Forums Top
OK, we officially have enough for three teams. Still a couple slots to fill if players are interested, though, and still waiting to see if a lower difficulty game will garner enough interest, too. Today will be the last day for signups, though, as tonight I will set the rosters, open the threads and post the start files, as well as take the first turn for Team G.

Again, due to patch timing, we don't want to delay starting, because the games will have to be finished on v1.13 and could take weeks to play. I personally would not have a problem delaying my own patching by a short while if the SG is nearly finished when the patch comes out, but better not to come to that.


As for Team G rules, no starting wars means no starting wars. If we are at peace with Civ A, and Civ A is at peace with Civ B, then no bribing Civ B to attack Civ A or vice versa, because it would be US starting the war. No starting wars. Period. :)

Thus, no bribing other civs to attack third parties unless we are already at war with the target civ, and that would happen only because they declared war on us already. That also means no provoking wars, thus no tribute demands, no refusing to hand over cultural starbases the AI demands, and no parking ships in or adjacent to sectors containing rival planets.

Refusing to cave to extortion is OK, though. If they get mad and start a war because we have a backbone, then may god have mercy on their souls, because we will not. :D


- Sirian
Reply #33 from Stardock Forums Top
Refusing to cave to extortion is OK, though. If they get mad and start a war because we have a backbone, then may god have mercy on their souls, because we will not.
End of quote

This is going to be fun!!LOL LOL
Reply #35 from Stardock Forums Top
Hopefully more people will sign up for the N team, although if there's not enough interest, I wouldn't mind being moved to another SG team (no preference for either G or E).

A restriction on trading techs for cash except to the Alexians, a-la maso, seems like a good idea. I think the hardest thing about maso is that the AI will not accept techs for cash. It's quite easy to just run techs and cripple the AI economies with massive gold payments, all the while using insane tribute to fund your research.
Reply #36 from Stardock Forums Top
I'm in the process of getting the event started. There's still a couple of slots we'd like to fill. We could accept signups as late as into the first round, although once the second round begins and everyone has had a turn, the rosters will be closed. Better to have everyone signed up before the games begin, however, to better balance the teams and make sure everyone gets onto a team they can be happy with.

Tonight is your last chance to sign up in advance. :) Don't wait for the trend, be part of making the trend. :HOT: If you've thought about it but been sitting on the fence, now's the time to be bold and get out onto the dance floor before the music starts. :D


- Sirian
Reply #38 from Stardock Forums Top
The initial rosters are set. If anybody is unhappy with their assignment, please speak up now.


TEAM G

Sirian (Team Captain)
AmulekBird
Samurai Ben
Physicist


TEAM N

Zed-F (Team Captain)
Walker
Cheng
G-Force


TEAM E

BamBam (Team Captain)
Isit
Aaberg
TBC
Aviator99


I'm going to start the threads shortly. Each thread will have the game settings and roster posted. Each thread will have directions for handling files. Captains for Teams N and E can shuffle their roster order as they see fit. The roster for Team G appears as it will be played.

IMPORTANT: Players should not visit or read the threads of other teams until their own game is completed. Speculation about other teams within your own thread is fine, but we want to keep each team compartmentalized during the playing. Also, for spectators and teams who have finished playing, please do not say anything about the other teams in the threads of teams whose games are still ongoing. Thank you for your cooperation.

Players check your roster assignments before opening the team threads. You may want to bookmark your own thread, or at least the forum where the threads will be hosted.

There is still one slot left on teams G and N for late arrivals, if anybody else should want to sign up.

I will edit links to the three threads into the original message in this thread.


- Sirian
Reply #39 from Stardock Forums Top
as tonight I will set the rosters, open the threads and post the start files, as well as take the first turn for Team G.
End of quote


BAH. [edit--the person responsible for this feeble attempt at humor has been sacked]

Top 5 potential reasons for Sirian not getting the games up [edit--please add "before another RB'er tried to make a joke that backfired" LOL].

5) Still sucked into Morrowind or other recent arrivals from Amazon's free shipping.

4) Got into a heated political debate on RB General board.

3) Was busy helping new Epics sponsors learn the fine art of "rules lawyering and firm sponsorship".

2) Was busy playing a new Epic, since non-Sirian sponsored games come along once in a blue moon.

1) What, I thought I told you that tonight for me doesn't start until 1am!

Sorry boss--just couldn't resist. ;) [ed. maybe he should have] Must be all the fun I am having with Charis and Griselda's epic. First time I haven't fired up Galciv in a few weeks.

On a more serious note: If you want to post the "additional" rules for team "E" go ahead. They are:

1) No selling of tech for cash except to the Alexians (maso SG prep).

2) Military victory shall be completed without the use of terror stars or spamming cultural starbases. Mining influence resources is ok--just no cultural add-ons.

end rules

Style points for the "E" team for all evil picks and for achieving demonic alignment. Additional style points for military victory while never allying with any major.
[Message Edited]
Reply #40 from Stardock Forums Top
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

Good timing, Sirian---what a vicious cross-post. Don't I look the fool!! LOL
Reply #41 from Stardock Forums Top
Good timing, Sirian---what a vicious cross-post. Don't I look the fool!!
End of quote


Nah. You are closer to the mark than you may imagine. :) Those ARE the things that might have distracted me, plus dinner. The real deal, though, is that I took my time playing my turn for Team G and our thread will open with a thoroughly detailed report. Plus writing full instructions covering procedures. I'll get back to Morrowind tonight AFTER I get the SG's off the ground. LOL

That will be in about twenty minutes here, I think. :D


- Sirian
Reply #42 from Stardock Forums Top
Hmm... Quick Q. Is there a thread with posting procedures for SGs? I.e. where and how to upload the game and to link correctly.

It doesn't help me much if it's in the G thread...
Reply #43 from Stardock Forums Top
Each thread has full procedural instructions. If you need further help, ask your team captain, ask here, or email me. Feel free to visit your team's thread and have a look around. Up to your captain to set the roster order and determine who plays first. The early game is more lively in GalCiv than in Civ3, thus more urgency to get off to a good start. Zed will probably play first for that reason, but that's his decision.

- Sirian
Reply #45 from Stardock Forums Top
Just found the three threads in CFC's "other games" forum (of course, I only had a look into my own team's thread).

Sirian: I love the logos! :D :HOT: :)

And thanks for the detailed instructions. :)

- Physicist
Reply #46 from Stardock Forums Top
I'll go checkm out then. Team N rules ;)

G-Force
Reply #47 from Stardock Forums Top
Woops. Where did the Edit option go? I was counting on the ability to edit the links into the first post in the thread, once the games were started. :(

Well, for now, I'll put them here, and hope to regain access to Editing so I can add them in where they belong at a later time.


TEAM G:

http://forums.civfanatics.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=76736


TEAM N:

http://forums.civfanatics.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=76737


TEAM E:

http://forums.civfanatics.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=76739



EDIT: Well, there's the edit option, but only for my latest post. You mean to tell me there's a short fuse on this thing? Blah. Can anybody explain to me what that makes sense? Well at least now I know not to count on the ability to edit after time has passed.

Hope you all enjoy reading about the games. :D

- Sirian

[Message Edited]
Reply #48 from Stardock Forums Top
That will be in about twenty minutes here, I think.
End of quote


Or, perhaps, more like four hours and twenty minutes. Oops. Well, like BamBam said, "this evening" doesn't REALLY start until 1AM anyway. :HOT:


- Sirian
Reply #49 from Stardock Forums Top

Or, perhaps, more like four hours and twenty minutes.
End of quote


LOL

See--this is more proof that Sirian is not an Altarian. Altarians are notoriously punctual, and they are NOT night owls.

Team E, expect my turns up sometime this afternoon. Another break from work due to lack of daycare (What's a little ice gonna do?? ;) ). Then we get to see what "interesting" map Sirian has pulled for us. Given his history with random maps from Civ3, we could be in for a WILD ride.
Reply #50 from Stardock Forums Top
See--this is more proof that Sirian is not an Altarian. Altarians are notoriously punctual, and they are NOT night owls.

End of quote


Not enough proof for me...I think he's been secretly trained in the arts of Human gaming, becomming an Altarian night-zombie and missing important dates. :HOT: ;)