Mare Nostrum - Open Thread

[Socrates]

This is the open thread for the PBEM involving myself, anarres, Stapel, Black_Waltz and 4 lousy but annoying AIs in the Rise of Rome conquest. We're using a modified biq (credits to akots) because the original one is shitty. The 4 valid options are :
- conquest victory ;
- domination victory (50% population AND 20% land) ;
- preserve random seed (not in original) ;
- allow cultural flip ;
The ones that disappeared are :
- accelerated production ;
- SGLs on (they're better off ).

The level is Deity, barbs are roaming and AIs should be at standard agression level, though we all know they're very agressive in this conquest.

Those rules were agreed on :
- no abandoning cities ever, razing them upon capture is allowed ;
- no jump palace obviously ;
- no chaining ships or stuff using ships (I said it, no one objected) ;
- no ingame contact nor chatting with your eternal foe ever ! ;
- no coastal blockades on flat tiles ;
- usual PBEM rules and behaviour ;
- no trade with AIs during the 1st turn (turn 0), it is a known bug you can profit from them at the beginning ; trading is allowed starting on my 2nd turn ;
- no MAs with AIs against humans (MAs with AIs against AIs are allowed, and so are MAs with humans against AIs).

We should find a cool name for the game. Any suggestion welcome.
The players are :
player 1, Romans : kryszcztov - kryszcztov AT free DOT fr
player 3, Macedonians : anarres - anarres AT civ3duelzone DOT com
player 6, Persians : Stapel - stapel AT civ3duelzone DOT com
player 8, Carthaginians : Black_Waltz - black_waltz AT tiscali DOT co DOT uk
'replacement' : Darkness - mpstoop AT hotmail DOT com

(BTW, too few colors at CDZ )

[Socrates]

I come up with one suggestion : we could forbid ingame trading on turn 0, but we could use turn 0's timespan to chat with the players we're allowed to, like we do in the Diplomacy game. At the end of turn 0 (after BW's turn), we close this special session, and apply whatever deals were done, starting on turn 1 with me (if deals are to be made by then). This way, every player will be on the same level, no advantage for player 1. What do you think ?

[akots]

If you are playing Rome, you have certain advantage in dealing with the AI first on turn 1. This would be rather fair imo because otherwise, Rome is screwed and completely. Imagine that Carthage allies Celts against you and what if they make Persia or Macedon to declare on you and make alliance against you with Goth. This means apparently very swift and deadly loss for Rome. It might be better no deals with AI at all till at least turn 3 or 5 and no military alliances with more than a single AI against a particular human opponent. But man, Deity would be really tough imo.

[Black_Waltz]

Yes. In the practice games I had it was a tad easy to gang up on Rome. So the single AI military alliance may be a good idea.

Anyway, I think it would be wise to get the game up and running semi fast. It seems to have dragged a tad in the set-up thanks to the stupid developers.

Good news is that I now have access to the internet 24 hours a day. :-D

[Socrates]

I haven't heard of anarres's and Stapel's precise opinion here (anar on MSN a little). No word means agree after a while, eh ?

We'll only start trading between humans on turn 1 (not on turn 0), but I, as Player 1, will have the 1st opportunity to deal with the AIs.

About MAs with AIs against humans, I'd like to hear more opinions. I definitively agree that it would be tough for some civ to see all the AIs gang up against that civ, but don't forget that every civ also has its share of AI neighbours during the game. So think wisely. I could live with no AIs against humans, if the other players want to as well.

And BTW, I sent turn 0 to anarres last night, after taking ages to complete turn 0, which is always a hard time to decide one's strategy. Should we use a roster thread, like in the Swimming Pool for example ?

[Black_Waltz]

I had a read over the Swimming Pool roster and it seemed a tad complicated. Not sure what it entails.

Oh yes. And just a reminder to everyone playing that my spoiler thread will be out of bounds. Sure I did not need to mention but I had a problem with this on a PBEM I had ages ago.

[Black_Waltz]

Has this game died even before it started? Is the save still with Anarres?

[Socrates]

quote:Originally posted by Black_Waltz

Has this game died even before it started? Is the save still with Anarres?

Are you all OK with the turn-0 rules ? And the other ones ?

We won't use pseudo-PTW barbs, but real fucking C3C barbs (no change in NoAIPatrol).

Stapel doesn't want to update a roster thread, so we won't use one. Yet I still don't know where the save is.

BW, can you elaborate on what you mean with a spoiler thread ?

When I get turn 1 in my mail box, I'll notify it here, so as to have you telling me when I can play. We wanted to have negociations between humans (except foes pairs of course) during turn 0.

[anarres]

Its still with me because we have a deadline at work and this first turn will take some time to do (I've only ever played 2 turns of RoR before, as Persia).

If you can cope with waiting a little longer the deadline is over tomorrow and I can play the turn first thing on Saturday.

[Socrates]

Hey, no problem, anar ! Good to see it still in the works. I can only sympathize with you about the need to have much time to complete this 1st turn, as you suddenly have a lot of things to think of without notice. Take your time, and do it well. I'll just want to have you and Stapel on MSN before I play my turn 1...