The Realms Beyond (http://realmsbeyond.net/civ/) is home to gamers who go beyond the norm, who creatively add depth to good games to make them better, who choose to set our own added limits to gameplay for the purpose of increasing challenge, varying gameplay flavor, and getting more out of the games we love. We discard the usual standards and venture into realms beyond, where we share our passion for gaming with one another, and with those who are like-minded.

We have been holding our succession games here at CivFanatics since the first event. We began with Civ3 SGs only weeks after Civ3's release. Now Civ4 is coming out, and we're back and ready for action!


This thread will be used for discussing game ideas and organizing RB succession games. To qualify as an RB game, the game must observe our rules.

Succession Games Rules - RB SGs

1. To count as a Realms Beyond succession game, the game must observe the RBCiv Exploits List. We recommend observing the Permitted Utilities and Mods List as well, but leave that up to the discretion of the captain of each particular game. (These lists, of course, begin empty -- as there are no known Exploits and no Utilities have yet been created. The game will be out this week!)

2. Anyone from our community is welcome to launch games using the generic "RB" tag. For instance, "RB1 - Civ4 Has Arrived", "RB5 - I Can't Believe We Lost That Last Game On Monarch", etc. However, unless you are highly confident that you can round up enough players to make a successful run of your game, you are urged to talk it over with others first (here in this thread!) and make sure your game will get off the ground. If you "use up" a number in the series on a "dud" game, RB Elders may give you the Evil Eye for a while. :lol:

3. If an individual player launches a specific subseries of games (for instance, Sirian's "RBE - Realms Beyond Emperor" series of old) they will set the terms and conditions of their subseries. Anybody is welcome to launch such a series. Captaining your own series of SGs can be fun, but it can also be a responsibility, so anybody doing this in RB's name, please try to be clear about what you intend. Thanks!

4. Ten turns per player is the standard rule for RB SGs. Likewise, 24 hours "got it" and 48 hours (total) to play and post your turn are also the standard rule. Other rules can be used, but must be specified at game launch. Thanks!

5. To be a member of the RB community, you must have participated in at least one of our events: SGs or tournament play. How much participation you should do before leading your own games under our banner, we leave to your discretion. Please choose wisely. :)


We will open the new RB SG series by revisiting an old favorite. Sulla and I are going to team together to play "RB1 - Cuban Isolationists". If you have been around long enough for this title to mean something to you, we invite you to tune in. It promises to be a fun time! We will start once both of us have obtained our copies, which should be some time later this week.


Looking forward to many fun days of SG gaming! Old friends and new faces, exciting tales and relaxed good times. Civ4! Let's get this party started! :lol:


- Sirian

Hi,

We will open the new RB SG series by revisiting an old favorite. Sulla and I are going to team together to play "RB1 - Cuban Isolationists". If you have been around long enough for this title to mean something to you, we invite you to tune in.

Aaah, thanks for making me feel old. :mischief: Here's a link to the original RBD7 - Cuban Isolationists (http://forums.civfanatics.com/showthread.php?t=15332) thread for those who want to reminisce in old times or read what we're talking about.

I'm looking forward to this game! Might be a bit odd for the first RB SG to be such a restricting variant already, but it will be interesting to compare the results of these restrictions between the Civ 3 and the Civ 4 version of the isolationists game. :cool:

Or as Charis would have stated it: ":hammer:" :lol:


I will get my copy around the 4th of November, and will play one private game first to get the hang of the GUI and such before joining any SGs.

Looking forward to many fun days of SG gaming! Old friends and new faces, exciting tales and relaxed good times.

"Relaxed"? *cough* Let's see how relaxed it will become for some people, joining too many SGs with severe variant restrictions at once... :p (Speaking of Charis.... :mischief: )

-Kylearan

With the release of Civ4 I am hoping to join the RB community. :) I have been lurking for quite awhile now (1-2 years?), and was always looking for an opportunity to participate, maybe Civ4 can provide me with that chance. :D

Assuming all goes well in the retail jungle, I ought to be able to get a copy when it comes out. So consider me provisionally in for this one, a nice SG ought to knock out some of that rust in my game. What's the worst that could happen - Cleopatra stabbing me in the back in the Stone Age? Falling asleep at the wheel and building the wrong wonder by mistake? Hopefully I'll at least irrigate the cows before the desert.

Sounds interesting, must subscribe... :)

I'd expect these games to be pretty popular. Suppose someone comes up with an idea for a specific variant / conditions and the roster fills within a few hours. Do several games start up on the same settings with separate threads? I ask because until just recently, every game which caught my eye would be full by the time I noticed it. The ones I'm in now probably aren't RB games, but full is full...

I'll be watching, as I have been ever since the very start of the Epics, but lost active contact after the Mac patch went out-of-date some years ago.
I do remember the Cuban Isolationists, though, that was a great game to watch.

Despite being a Mac user at heart I've bought the bullet and will be playing Civ4 on my housemate's PC. Unfortunately, that won't be until the European release for me either, but I shall hope to return to the community and play some SGs fairly soon after that.

-Garath

Suppose someone comes up with an idea for a specific variant / conditions and the roster fills within a few hours. Do several games start up on the same settings with separate threads?

Yeah, full is full. That's a good question, actually.

RB1 is already full, for instance. (The original Cuban Isolationists was also a two-man dance.) Sulla asked for that and I agreed. We'll have more to say about that when we launch the game.

It would not be kosher to grab the same game file and run a second game. There could be spoilers or other undesirable cross-pollenation. Running a second game on a different map instance with the same rules would be OK, although an RB player would have to captain for it to be an RB event. (Lots of us around, though!) In such case, "sub" numbers should be used: RB3, RB3A, RB3B, etc. Each game and thread needs a unique ID tag.

You can also take inspiration from any variant or idea and spawn your own game, including with different rules, etc. Nobody has a monopoly on ideas!


a nice SG ought to knock out some of that rust in my game.

Hey you! Long time no see. :)

Sorry for the ambiguity about RB1 but you'll have the full story shortly. Things are still a little hectic, assembling the new RB activities and, well, a lot is going on. Things may continue to be hectic for a while here, and it will get worse before it gets better. :crazyeye:


- Sirian

I'll be Watching With Interest. ;)

I'd love to join at some point, but there's always so much to do and so little time to do it in, that it probably will be when the sequence numbers get in the double digit stage. In the mean time I'll keep WWI-ing.

Count me in for some SGs if we can round up enough old timers :)

I started a poll at CDZ to see if people would like to participate in Epics and/or RB SGs. I'm myself very interested in playing Epics ; SGs I still don't know yet, maybe someday... Lurking anyway, as RB SGs are a sign of fun and solid play.

Oh, and :wavey: Sky ! Are you back on track ? :)

I'm glad to see so many of the old guard reappearing. I wasn't very active here when most of you were around the first time, but I had fun reading the threads. :)

I hope to be able to play the first CivIV epic, and I'll definitely be jumping into the odd succession game from time to time. Have fun, all.

Heh, this forum's open for less than an hour, and Sirian already manages to start a thread in it. :lol:

For those who weren't around long enough ago to recall the original Realms Beyond series of Succession Games, they were designed to take Civ3 gaming to a higher level; when most Succession Games were being played on Regent, Sirian and Charis were playing on Emperor. And later on, with most games running on Monarch, Sirian founded the Realms Beyond Emperor series of games (all Deity! all the time!) which ended up with a perfect 6-0 record. The goals of the Realms Beyond games are to explore new things, try something different (even if that means playing a crazy hogtied variant! ;)), and above all to play fairly by avoiding cheating and tactics considered to be exploitative. Civ3 had a gigantic list of such cheese moves that we avoided; the hope is that Civ4 won't be as bad.

I'm sure that we'll see many new faces and old hands alike (I see Kylearan, Carbon, and Skyfish are already here) in the days and weeks ahead. This is by no means any kind of exclusive group; pretty much anyone is welcome to jump onto one of the SG teams and join in the fun. That's how I met up with Sirian and the others almost four years ago now. (The Cuban Isolationists games is full, however. We're planning this one as a two-man show.)

So lurkers sit back and enjoy reading (and maybe we'll even be able to get you to de-lurk and join in)! There will be fun times ahead. :)

Hey all,

it'll be great to join in the RB tournaments - always the best and most bizarre conditions placed on the game. Darned fine write-ups too.

See you all soon... well, when my friend sends my copy to Busan from London via internal mail - at least something interesting will turn up in my In-tray for once!

Hey Skyfish! I was hoping you'd rejoin the community. I know that Voodoocat is planning to purchase Civ4 upon release as well. Perhaps another CF game for old time's sake.

Ahh, the Cuban Isolationists. What a great game. I look forward to reading it, fellow Ss.

As for me, I'll volunteer to captain RB2 - Brave New World, which could be a subseries game (RB2a, RB2b, etc.) if there is enough interest. Instead of puttering around, learning the game in SP, let's work together and explore the Civics, Religions, terrain improvements, and beautiful 3D landscape together. The more new aspects of the game we can hit, the better!

Rules will be something like this:

RB2 - Brave New World
Version: Civ4 out-of-the-box
Civ: A spiritual Civ to allow us to easily switch between Civics.
Difficulty: Noble
Win condition: Just Win Baby!
Participants: No beta-testers allowed. In fact, I'd like to even do it as no SP games allowed either, so we'll all be truly seeing the game for the first time. But thinking about it, the people who are last in the rotation would have to wait a few days before getting to even try out the game....yeah right! Ideally we should be playing the game with as few preconceptions as possible. So try not to play too many SP games and get the hang of too many of the new concepts. Let's learn together, Realms Beyond style.

So who wants in?

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Speaker
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Skyfish

That sounds like a great idea for RB2, Speaker. You'll quite likely get enough people for an "A" and "B" game. I'd throw my name into the hat for that, but, erm, umm, yeah.... I don't think I fit the scenario concept. :lol:

Yeah, sorry about that Sullla. But hopefully the erm, umm, yeah...more experienced RB players will throw in their 2 cents during and after the fact. I hope it won't take too long for some of us to improve to a level where we can play with you without screwing up your games...

Wooo, RB games starting again, good times will be had by all then. :) Not sure when I'll get my copy of the game (Amazon says Nov 4) but if the second, "learning" SG hasn't started I might jump in on that if possible.

Should be fun, and I wonder what new phrases will be coined this time? lol.. :D

Awright! Let's get this show on the road!

Glad we've got another Cuban game going down. I liked the first one, a real eye-opener about the game-breaking potential of well-planned trade.

So, yeah, as soon as there's another SG opening up, I'll jump in!

I can even count to ten!

1...2...3...2...6...7...10!

:rolleyes:

-Jester

Jester too? Wow, we've almost got the entire original Civ3 RBD crew back here again (aside from Charis, Cy, and Jaffa - and I expect some of them will show up at some point). This feels more like a reunion that anything else. :cool:

I'd like to join RB2 :) .

Wow, you guys are on top of things. I'm looking forward to what you can do with Civ4 (I don't expect to get the game for several months anyway).

In a way, all you early people are trailblazers of Civ4 succession games (since its obvious not the same list of do's and don'ts apply, you can figure out what is fair and what isn't).

OK Speaker, great to see you, lets Cannon Fod this again :D

Put me down on the RB2 roster with you... and I can guarantee this will be my first game ever, I will not even play an SP before since I am in Europe and will probably get the game later than you guys.
Would be wise to let me be last on the roster then.

@Jester and Own: I've got you marked down. Welcome aboard!

@Skyfish: Good to have you! I'll put you last on the list. I think we should restart the CF series after a few weeks, when we've got the basic hang of the game and want to start pushing our limits. What do you think?

Thanks, an honor to play with you Speaker :) .

If there's still room in RB2 I'd like to join in.

Welcome Methos!

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Methos

Just posting to say Hi! :wavey: to everyone, I definitely want to get in on some of the RB SGs, they were my first intro to the SG concept. Due to annoying RL issues (work) and the fact I expect I will need a new video card to play Civ IV (and the time to install it), I will probably be joining in a week or two later, but definitely looking forward to joining the fun!

:wavey:

Long time no see RB people. I haven't had a computer for months. I lost 2 of my 4 in a fire for which I was underinsured, and my gf and mom had/needed my other 2 for school/work more than I needed one for play.

I've been working like a fiend pretty much all year and haven't really had much free time to even think about playing games. The only game I really missed was moo - It's all Sirians fault for readdicting me to that game! - (Civ 3 burnout had long since set in) and I'll probably try to get some SG's going for moo again too. Not sure if I want to SG in Civ4 for a while or not (seems like joining Civ3 SG's allways lead to some catastrophic event IRL... probably just me being paranoid....), but I am definatel looking forward to Epic 1 (or is it 51?).

Anway... I'm at my gf's at the moment, but will be coming back from vacation next week and will finally be getting myself a new comp.

Yes, I'll be getting it simply so I can play Civ 4 (and moo). Yes, I'm addicted......

I'll stop in at RB when I get home, just wanted to say hi.

-Maniac

Hi, long time reader, first time poster. I've followed the RB SGs since quite awhile ago, and I am consistently amazed at how some people have essentially bent a system of rules to their will, almost like in "The Matrix." Your accomplishments in the past were impressive, I learned lots about Civ3, and not to mention some posts made for great reads. I got much better at Civ3 by simply reading. Imagine what could have happened if I had participated.

If Speaker'll have me, I'd like to join RB2 for Civ4. The idea is to is to be completely new, and I think I'd fit the bill.

Hi, long time reader, first time poster.

First post indeed! Wow. :eek: Glad we could coax you out of the lurker's lounge and on to the dance floor, though. Good time to take a new step!


- Sirian

@ToddMarshall and Justus II: Hey! Good to see you back. I look forward to playing with both of you again in the future.

@StarrySurprise: Welcome to the party!

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Sebmono

I was born a lurker, I live as a lurker, and I'll die a lurker.

But I can't tell you how many times I've re-read your SGs and RB games. My wife and I still use the term "no guff!" from Lion Amoung the Lambs game. Please keep up the great work, and i promise to continue reading it silently from the grandstands.

Hey, I've been playing Civ for a while now but never got into succession games. I'm a good friend of Speaker's and he suggested this to me. I'm totally in and looking forward to having hours of my life sucked away by Civ IV. Let's play....

Welcome Seb, good to have you. About time you joined! I've added you to the list.

Hello, all.
I've been lurking in the shadows for a long time now - several years, to be sure - and finally decided to register at Civilization Fanatics about ten minutes ago. Having plumbed the depths of Sirian's Great Library and T-Hawk's Heroic Epic, not to mention nearly every Epics report since that of Gandhi and his dealings in gems, I think it's high time for me to join in the fun. Though I'll refrain from "wetting my feet publicly" at the SGs (at least for the time being), I'm looking forward to the Civilization IV Epics and joining the RB community in general.

- Zayl

Woohoo! More lurkers coming out of the shadows. That is way cool. :hammer:

I'm looking forward to meeting some total newbies as well. "I've never played Civilization before, but I'm here and going to give it a try." Those type of folks. Civ is a big tent and growing fast. (Amazon sold out all their copies of the Presell Edition, it seems! Some of those have to be newbies, right?)

Welcome. :bounce:


- Sirian

Well, gee. How cool is this?? Lots of old faces, and lost of nwe onces too!

I'd say there won't be a problem getting 2 rosters for SG2 from the look of it. Ive been reading back on some of the SG's/epics I've played in and it brings back great memories :) I am sorely tempted to say, what the heck, sign me up!

But I think I better wait till next week before jumping in since I'm not exactly sure when I'll get the game. Maybe I'll just host a game on Monarch (not Noble) in 10 days or so. I'm trying to coax my gf (a civ 3 vet who's been too shy to join SG's previously) into playing when she gets her copy. She's dying to try allways PEACE, so maybe I'll give that a shot :p

It is great to see so many new and old faces coming together! I'm not ready to jump into any SG's at the moment (although I'm really looking forward to doing so!), but it looks like I don't fit the criteria for any of the games, anyway. ;)

For those of you who think Sirian and Sullla are playing their own game because they've been *beta* testers, you're only slightly warm. For more background on RB's participation in CIV, please see our new welcome page (http://realmsbeyond.net/civ/welcome.html)!

Oh, and the rules and information are up for our CIV Tournament (http://realmsbeyond.net/civ/civ4-epics.html)!

I am really looking forward to reading about the first SG's, and joining soon!

I'm really looking forward to doing so!

That's going to be fun. I can't wait until you have enough free time. :D


For those of you who think Sirian and Sullla are playing their own game because they've been *beta* testers, you're only slightly warm.

:whipped: :woohoo: :hammer:


Oh, and the rules and information are up for our CIV Tournament (http://realmsbeyond.net/civ/civ4-epics.html)!

OK, it's time to change my signature now. ... EDIT: There we go. :cooool:


- Sirian

Hey Todd !
Great to see you man :D

So none have the game yet and there are several SGs already opened. :eek:

Unfortunately I'm on a vacation and won't be able to play the game until next Month. I'll be a happy lurker though and see how good the game really is.

Wow, I've got to hand it to Firaxis. Listening to and even hiring members of the community to help make their next Civ game the best it could be was a very cool thing to do.

I've been lurking here for awhile and have silently played along on several of the GOTM's but haven't played any of the Epic games yet. I plan to change that in the near future. I've always enjoyed reading all of your stories and look to now have some of my own to share. :)

-teck

P.S. Todd, I love your avatar! I used to be a die hard Wing Commander fan back in the day, one of the first few games I ever had. My favorite pilot was always Hunter, great accent.

Good luck to everyone at work today. I doubt I'll get much of anything accomplished, especially after lunch with that nice new package sitting on my desk...

That's going to be fun. I can't wait until you have enough free time. :D




:whipped: :woohoo: :hammer:




OK, it's time to change my signature now. ... EDIT: There we go. :cooool:


- Sirian

Hey Sirian, are you going to hold any more of the 'teaching' games as you did with Civ3? I know quite a few folks really got a pretty good handle on the game from that. :)

yeah that would be really helpful, Speaker told me about those and they seemed very good

I'm sure there will be some of those in the near future.


Right now I think only Sirian and Sulla from RB were beta testers, and I expect the are kind of busy with launching the new epics/adventures and such.

Sulla is doing a walkthrough game on his site with daily installments. I'd highly reccomend giving it a look. It can be found here (http://www.kalikokottage.com/civ3/sullla/civ4intro.html)

- Maniac

Yep, there's also a link in my sig too. Unfortunately, one of the overzealous mods moved the thread in the General Forum into an obscure corner of CivFanatics (for "promoting a personal website" :rolleyes: ) so you guys in the SG forum may be the only ones even aware of the fact that I wrote a 14-page, 151-screenshot Walkthrough for Civ4. :crazyeye:

You da man Sullla!

Yes, you are the man. I'm now torn between reading the whole walkthrough and hopping on the train to go get the game. decisions, decisions....

Just remember to take into account that the train only moves 10 tiles per turn now :D

Edit - BTW Sulla, are you going to make the start file available for those who might want to "play along" with your game? Just a thought.

- Maniac

Screw it, I'm going "to lunch" now.

Bring me back something *cough* Civ IV *cough* would ya? :mischief:

I have returned from "lunch" empty handed. The game has definitely been delayed until tomorrow. Wal-Mart still hasn't received their shipment from the day, so I'll be stopping in there after work and hoping for the best. But EBGames said they'd have it by noon tomorrow.

The game has definitely been delayed until tomorrow.

I know my order still simply says Processing:(

I am quite annoyed by this apparent delay, the ebgames her in nyc also say tomorrow, maybe they haven't researched trains yet (thanks maniac :) ) and they're taking their sweet time. And I was all set up too, I have a Pilsner Urquell stein full of Tang and was anxiously awaiting civ play. oh well, till the morrow....

Well, I don't think I'll be participating in RBD2... but that doesn't mean you won't see my face around here sometime in the near future. :)

(ok not literally)

Skyfish, do you have anything to do with this delay? Maybe a prank you and your co-workers at Atari are pulling on the rest of us poor saps in a plot to bring down Take2?

:lol:

So now all of you Americans have to wait for me before starting your SGs :evil:

Hmmm. Now I see how it should go. I'll just lurk here and wait for the 1st patch, which will probably mean skyfish is out of commission for a month. Then I'll just take over for him in all his SG's. That was prett much my strat last game =D

Was TedJackson a RB player? Will he be back?

I don't remember him, but we aren't a closed community. We generally welcome anyone to join most of our games so long as they meet the minimum requirements set by the sponsor, so he might have played in some games that wen't under my radar.

Personally, I'm looking forward to playing with both old AND new faces, and I'm pretty sure that's the majority, if not the unanamous opinion.

Sure I had fun playing with CB, meldor, ridgelake, skyfish, Charis, Lee, and some others, and I DO look forward to playing with them again at some point I hope, but I also want to meet new people and play with them too.

There are many benifits to playing SG's. It's a great way to learn, and meet new people. I'm excited. Now I just need the game and a few days off. :)

-Maniac

Hi,

Well, I don't think I'll be participating in RBD2... but that doesn't mean you won't see my face around here sometime in the near future. :)
I hope so! Who else should start the first OCC SG if not you? :D

-Kylearan

Unfortunately I'm on a vacation
I wish I was on vacation.:( Hope you and I can hook up again for a C4 SG.

... I wrote a 14-page, 151-screenshot Walkthrough for Civ4...
Thanks for the walkthrough.:goodjob:

P.S. Todd, I love your avatar! I used to be a die hard Wing Commander fan back in the day, one of the first few games I ever had. My favorite pilot was always Hunter, great accent.I was thinking exactly the same the first time I saw that avatar...what a great game at that time.

Anyway, nice to see the legends all back, I hope you will not mind to let some of the not so legendary players like us join some of the games.

Since (with a few exceptions, notably Sirian and Sullla) we're all newbies at this game, here's a suggestion that I think would be interesting.

It's obvious that there's a bunch of us chomping at the bit to get going on succession games. Since this will be a learning experience, I think it would be a good idea for multiple teams to play the same game. To avoid cross-pollination, each team would not be able to look at the game being played by any other team until their game is completed.

I know this has been done before, but I think it would be particularly interesting at this early stage, since no strategies have been written in stone at this point and I can see each game going in a wildly different direction.

We could follow up with a final analysis in this thread.

Any thoughts?

I think it would be a good idea for multiple teams to play the same game.

There are two types of cross-pollenation. One is before anybody has finished, the other is commentary from finished teams in the threads of teams still playing. There's also the problem of teams who may finish at vastly different speeds. (This is why the Epics have a Closing Day -- so everybody is talking about the game at the same time, instead of in shifts, peaking at different times).

Probably a better cost-benefit ratio to play on identical settings but different map instances?


- Sirian

I doubt anyone remembers me, but I came in after the release of Conquests and had a good deal of fun with Bede, Doc. T, Romeo, and many others, and would definately be interested in some kind of training game.

Now, if only I can find the game...

Training game, shmaining game. None of us (save for Sirian and Sullla) know how to play. Join us in RB2; we're all learning how to play together.

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Speaker
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Own
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Sebmono

Thanks to those who like my avitar. I made it myself from a picture at some fansite or other. Can't reall which one.

Well I got the game today, but it won't run on my gf's comp despite the fact that a lot of people with identical graphic cards seem to have no trouble. The terrain simply won't light. Everything else is great. Figures somehow. Guess I'll have to wait till I get that comp next week.

- Maniac

Will there be more than one RB2? Or will we just have a lot of players? Currently there are seven players and it appears you're asking for more.:confused:

BTW, picked up CivIV today.:D

Yes, I'd like to run RB2a and RB2b. 8 players would be nice, but 10 would be better.

I doubt anyone remembers me...

Au contraire! For me at least, you have the most memorable nick I've encountered at CFC. :lol:

Not sure you want to sign up for the Civ4Players MP ladder with that nick, though! I mean, unless you are sure you won't tire of the inevitable and obvious line you would end up hearing every time you lose a game. :)

Welcome back!


- Sirian

I have been lurking in the Civ3 SG forums for 2 years. C4 has galvanized me into action.:blush:

'Bout time.:rolleyes:

Hey Talamane. Welcome!

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Talamane

Yes yes, we need lots of new players. The goal hasn't been to put anyone off with any of these reunion posts, it's just that some of us haven't heard from one another for literally years. Anyone and everyone should feel free to jump in and join (Speaker can set up THREE RB2 games easily if there is enough interest).

New blood welcome! :)

I got my copy today, and I'm going to install it just as soon as I finish this post. One half of me wants to sign up for RB2, but I really would prefer a slightly more focused objective than "just win". Specifically, I'm looking for a heavily combat-oriented game on Monarch (or whatever the Civ 4 equivalent is) to get me back in the swing of war-mongering.

The other half wants me to start an RB3 game to that end, but I'm not sure I want to compete for roster slots with the monster RB2 game(s) unless I see some other people interested, too.

CC, if you get some nibbles but are short a hand, I can pull a Charis and jump in more games at a time than I ought to be playing. :)

(Ooh... Combat! :hammer: :lol: )

Speaking of Charis...Have you emailed him Sirian ?
Any chance of a special :hammer: appearance ??
http://www.civfanatics.net/uploads10/please.gif

Charis is busy building the Cure For Cancer. :hammer:

Seriously! He's a vital mathematician working on a bigger game at the moment: algorithms for laser therapy for treating cancer. The man just can't resist a math challenge! :lol:

We'll probably see Dr. Charis in here at some point, though. I'm content to let it take a while, if that is how it should be.


- Sirian

Great news, thanks a lot :)

I'm sure there will be some of those in the near future.


Right now I think only Sirian and Sulla from RB were beta testers, and I expect the are kind of busy with launching the new epics/adventures and such.

Sulla is doing a walkthrough game on his site with daily installments. I'd highly reccomend giving it a look. It can be found here (http://www.kalikokottage.com/civ3/sullla/civ4intro.html)

- Maniac

No, more than Sirian and Sulla, Griselda was as well as a few others. Check the "History" page for RBCiv for more info. :)

Oh, and add me to the list of those interested in the RBC2 game, assuming I get my copy anytime soon, but it looks like next Friday before it will arrive. :mad:

Join us Maniac!

Sign Ups
Speaker
Jester
Own
Skyfish
Methos
StarrySurprise
Sebmono
DeceasedHorse (?)
Talamane
Ozymandous

Come on Maniac :hammer: !!! You know you wan' it :D

Oh and Ozy I am impressed you dished out the $45 for Civ IV, seing your were so happy with PTW and Conquest ;)

Well...., bah, ok.

Here's the deal. I would like to BUT, atm, I don't have my computer YET. It won't run on my gf's cpu as of now (ATI card problems), but I'm going back to IL from Atlanta this weekend anyway and should be purchasing it in short order.

Also, Zed and I are trying to restart the RBMoo SG's, though I suppose I civ and one moo SG would fit my time window... barely.

How about a "I will if you really need me to but I don't want to hold up the start or take somones spot who is currently able and willing to play"

I hate yes/no answers :p

-Maniac

Hello! None of you Know me well as i got interested in teh C3C conquest games AFTER they we all over, but I would LOVE to be in the RB2 if there is room! My civ IV is installed and working, I am just messing arround at the moment looking at the changes.

I must have followed almsot every one of teh C3C threads all the way through, playing some of my ony and following allong or playing alternate sstrategies!!!! Long Live Civ!

ATI problems are no longer an excuse Maniac. See here (http://apolyton.net/forums/showthre...threadid=140859) for help. I'm signing you up!

Welcome Ragnoff!

Sign Ups
Speaker
Jester
Own
Skyfish
Methos
StarrySurprise
Sebmono
DeceasedHorse (?)
Talamane
Ozymandous
ToddMarshall
Ragnoff

Well, guess what. It doesn't fix my problem =/. I've tried. And yes, I have the correct drivers and all. It still doesn't work. =/

Here's something to wet your whistle with:
http://www.civfanatics.net/uploads10/RB2a_-_Settings.jpg

We are RB2a of the Malinese Empire!
http://www.civfanatics.net/uploads10/RB2a_-_Mali.jpg

Here is our starting location. WE HAVE PIGS!
http://www.civfanatics.net/uploads10/RB2a_-_Start.jpg

Well, guess what. It doesn't fix my problem =/. I've tried. And yes, I have the correct drivers and all. It still doesn't work. =/
:( I'm sorry man. I must have totally jinxed you. Check your PMs.

Keep those sign-ups coming. I will set teams and captains later tonight and then we can get started. The more the merrier!

Pigs and two gold resources, nice! A start with a lot of potential there, to be sure. :)

I replied to yours. If you still want me after reading that, cool. But don't hold things up on my account. I would have had to have been able to play in the next 36 hours or be skiped even had it worked.

Edit: Normally I love my labtops, but this is a case where they suck. Too bad I cant just get an nvidia card and install it eh =/

Edit 2: Here's the "bottom line" for now. Just pretend I'm not here (I feel invisible w/o my avatar anyway!). If I find time to get up to CDW before the games are closed, I'll let you know. :) OR If a game needs one extra player and can stand a skip, thats also fine. I'll accomodate the game instead of the other way arround :) . Meanwhile, I have a huge/impossible/mrrshan game to try to finish :)

Edit 3: Thinking uppon the situation, I'm begining to think it may be a defective card... It's plenty high enough up the ladder to support T & L, and yet it has the problems similar to what the intel people have, not the render problem that the ATI ppl were having *sigh*.

This RB is starting to turn into a pigpile! Awesome! By the by, has anybody listened to the soundtrack included in the presell version? i listened to it today and rather enjoyed it, the intro music tracks were particularly awesome and the whole thing would make great background music during work or whatnot. Ten point bonus to the person who can name the Russian folk song that the Peter the Great tack is based off!

Sure is nice to see all these old faces showing up again.:)
I look forward to reading some very entertaining threads from this crowd.

I've been lurking at the Realms Beyond site for about 9-12 months, and it would be nice to join in on an early SG (when I have the same level of knowledge as others), but I won't be getting my copy of Civ 4 until Christmas. :( I blame that one on the wife.

Nick

Since the roster seems to be settling down for RB2, I guess I'll announce RB3 and see what sort of nibbles I get.

RB 3 - Clobbering Time

Difficulty: Monarch (or perhaps Prince)
Map Settings: All default
Civilization: Aztecs
Opponents: 5 Aggressive AI opponents: Alexander (Greece), Genghis Khan (Mongolia), Tokugawa (Japan), Huyana Capac (Inca), Napoleon (Frace). This is one civ fewer than the standard for the map. I wanted all Aggressive AI civs but didn't want two Mongolias, so Kublai Khan sits this one out.
Victory conditions: Time, Conquest, Domination.

Requirements: Be prepared for a fight. Monarch isn't exactly a breeze, so this probably isn't the sort of game for a true beginner (or possibly for a burnt-out Civ 3 player, as we may find out).

Combat has changed a lot since Civ 3. And what better way is there to learn it than to get into some fights? And by some fights, I mean a lot of fights: I'm putting us on a continents map with five aggressive civs, and the only way to walk away victorious is by taking them down :hammer:. I'm not in a hurry to get this started, but I would like to see who is interested, so if you're not going to get your copy until next week, that's fine, go ahead and sign up. While I've already generated the start file for this game on Monarch, if enough people are put off by the difficulty level, I might do this on Prince, instead.

Roster so far:

Carbon
Sirian (provisional)

I have my copy of civ 4 in my hands, yet I can't get the #$@# thing to install, argh.

Amazon has shipped my copy and it its estimated delivery is Nov. 2. Can I sign up for RB3, or do I have to wait until I have game in hand and working? Of course, you may not want me since I haven't played at all yet, but a thorough perusal of the manual, careful play, and copying the example of the player before me will hopefully keep me from becoming a handicap in a game at Monarch.

I have my copy of civ 4 in my hands, yet I can't get the #$@# thing to install, argh.Do you suffer the label thing? In some boxes they are labeled wrong disk 1 = disk 2 and vise versa.

Ah boys and girls it's good to see you all again. IF I have the game by then, I would gladly like to sign up for RB3 :). I just hope that my start to Civ 4 is slightly less err... bumpy than my start to the epics :P. Unfortunately though I can't see me having the game within the next two weeks. (I have concerts to go to!)

Hey there guys, I played a few epics with you guys about a year ago, but stopped after being diagnosed by my family with Civ burnout. :crazyeye: Anyway I'm back, and with a new username for Civ IV! I'd love to play a SG with you guys, but preferrably not too hard a difficulty level since I haven't been playing civ recently (thats not a crime is it? :eek: ), so count me in if there's a spare place anywhere. Unfortunately with living in Europe and having a concert to perform, I wont be able to start until the 7th November.

Anyways, its great to be back to RB.

Also, 2 more things:
1. When will the first epic be?
2. Great job Sulla on the walkthrough; I've caught Civ IV fever before I've even bought it.

Pigs and two gold resources, nice! A start with a lot of potential there, to be sure. :)
Yeah I agree. There is one major problem with the start though. I um er forgot to save it. I took the screenies, put them up here to pique some interest, and then created a new world to mess around in, so I wouldn't spoil RB2. <ctrl>S anyone? :smoke: First Civ4 weed right here. I'll be reloading a new start later this afternoon (for RB2a), making the game threads, posting final rosters, and playing the first set of turns. Stay tuned.

And anyone that still wants to sign up, feel free.

RB2a
Speaker (Captain)
Voodoocat
-Open Spot-
Skyfish
Sebmono

RB2b
Jester (Captain)
Methos
-Open Spot-
StarrySurprise
Own

RB2c
Ozymandous (Captain)
Ragnoff
-Open Spot-
Talamane
DeceasedHorse

Who is this "-Open Spot-" guy, signed up for three games? Watch out for ChariSirian feast burnout buddy....
We'll go with teams of four if there are no further sign ups. A short roster will let everyone get a few more "touches," if you will, which might not be a bad idea in this first game.

I'll take the spot in the RB2a game if no-one minds, but put me last in the playing order since I won't be able to play for another 10 days. Also you might need to miss me out of the playing order if everyone gets their turns played before the 7th, which seems likely looking at the enthusiasm for Civ 4 so far.

Carbon - make sure to turn on "Aggressive AI" when you set up RB3. You've got a nice lineup of psychopathic civs there too. If you'd be willing to play as someone other than Aztecs, you could make Monty an opponent too (he's utterly crazy in Civ4 - usually grabs his own religion then tries to kill everyone else who has different ones). Sounds like a good game (not signing up though! Plenty on my plate at the moment. :))

And I'll take the one in 2B. I've been playing Civ since Civ 1 and am a pretty heavy lurker. If we need proof of any skill, I was the first guy to figure out that there was a 4 turn minimum science back in Civ3

thread link (http://apolyton.net/forums/showthread.php?postid=613315)

Looking forward to playing with all you guys whose SGs I've been reading for years...

It looks like the arrival of Civ 4 is giving a lot of lurkers to come out of the woodwork! It makes you wonder how many people are actually reading this stuff. :eek: It reminds me of one of the recent civ trailers, (Addiction Is Uncivilized) If you haven't seen it its pretty funny... and worrying.

Do you suffer the label thing? In some boxes they are labeled wrong disk 1 = disk 2 and vise versa.


Don't think so-my cd-rom drive is acting squirrely. I can't even get the autoplay splash screen to come up or find any files on the cd via explorer. Normally, I would think that the CD's were damaged in some way, but I was able to get the splash screen no problem on someone else's computer :mad: :mad: :mad:

Carbon - make sure to turn on "Aggressive AI" when you set up RB3. You've got a nice lineup of psychopathic civs there too. If you'd be willing to play as someone other than Aztecs, you could make Monty an opponent too (he's utterly crazy in Civ4 - usually grabs his own religion then tries to kill everyone else who has different ones). Sounds like a good game (not signing up though! Plenty on my plate at the moment. :))

And what did you think that =I= was planning to do with those Jaguar warriors? :satan: I played a shadow of this scenario (same setup, except with random civs and a different map), and things were going well up until the point where Monty (who was in the random draw of opponents) started bothering me about my deals with Isabella (who was the only AI civ larger than me at the time and right next door, while Monty was on the far side of Japan, on the opposite end of the continent from me), I brushed him off, and about ten turns later, I got mauled by a pack of Jaguars. I did get a little too pre-occupied with wonder-building instead of training credible military units (scooped up the Pyramids easily with bonus food AND stone in my capital, then went almost straight from there to building the Great Lighthouse without stopping to pop out more spears or archers in between), but I was NOT expecting to get run over by those no-iron swordsmen from the opposite end of the continent.

As for turning on aggressive AI, I toyed with the idea, but I figured with every civ having the aggressive trait, we didn't necessarily need all the AIs to start out extra surly for fights to start breaking out, and most people (including myself) don't have enough experience against regular Monarch AIs yet to really justify making things more interesting with the checkbox options. Ought to be a good option for a follow-up though.

@Angelus and regoarrarr: welcome to the game. One more spot available. First person to claim it, wins it.

Well, I may be able to get the game working for that spot, but I need somone to load up a save file to confirm that my workaround will work for it.

Here Maniac, try this (http://www.civfanatics.net/uploads10/First_World_AD-1570.zip).

Come on Maniac :hammer: !!! You know you wan' it :D

Oh and Ozy I am impressed you dished out the $45 for Civ IV, seing your were so happy with PTW and Conquest ;)

Well this is a -new- game and not a rehashing of rhte same stuff. Unless I have to (or it's shown to increase the potential of the game exponentially) you can bet I will -not- buy an expansion pack for this one however until I know what's in it is not included in the second one. Burn me once, shame on you, burn me twice, shame on me. :)

Woo hoo!

Called around and found a store with 2 copies of the pre-order version of the game available since two folks didn't pick up their copies.. Cancelled my Amazon order (not supposed to even -ship- till Monday, sheesh) and just finished installing the game...

Erm... The lure of the dark side is strong and I'm having trouble resisting my urge to start playing...:mischief:

Might want to hurry this up if you expect me to wait much longer after waiting three days to go hunt for it.:lol:

EDIT: Sometimes better to be lucky than good (TM Sirian) since my pre-order edition had the right tech tree (not French) and both disks were labelled correctly and installed fine. :D

All the CF's in the house say ye-ah, come on you moth#$%ers say a prayer. When you fights, you gots to fight fair.

I can promise I won't play SP much. That whole fatherhood thing has left me with slightly less civ time.

Speaker, I sen't you a pm.

Heh. "I'll wait until I know my game has shipped to sign up for RB2," I say. And then 3 whole versions of it fill up. Go figure. If anybody wants a long team, I'd love to play with y'all. In any case sign me up for RB3. Probably crazy of me to get into a warmonger game on Monarch without the game in hand (Monday! Monday!), but oh well.

Been hanging out with you RBers too long, I tell ya.

Dwip, you can have my spot. My improved workaround idea didn't pan out.

Final Rosters

RB2a
Speaker (Captain)
Voodoocat
-Angelus-
Skyfish
Sebmono

RB2b
Jester (Captain)
Methos
regoarrarr
StarrySurprise
Own

[b]RB2c/[b]
Ozymandous (Captain)
Ragnoff
Dwip
Talamane
DeceasedHorse

Threads and start files tomorrow.

Good luck everyone.

Probably for the best that I'm not playing anyway as I'm TOTALLY clueless and becoming more so by the minute....

Well, I've now played most of a game on noble, and I'm even winning!

If that doesn't make me fit to captain an elite team of completely new players, I don't know what does!

:dubious:

Should be a good time. What's the plan for getting these games started?

-Jester

Hi,

I'm in the process of finishing my first game (on noble, and a lot of fun!) which I will write a report about, and after that I'll join you for the next RB SG.

I can imagine the playing speed will be very fast in the beginning, with the game being new and all being so excited about it, so I guess it'll be RB12 or something like that in a few days when I'll be ready to join... :lol:

-Kylearan

Good luck everyone.

Probably for the best that I'm not playing anyway as I'm TOTALLY clueless and becoming more so by the minute....

lol, you too? I'm playing a game on noble now and winning the points score by a 2:1 ratio or so. There's another civ or two out there I don't know about (no suicide galley's, woo!) but right now I'm just sort of winging it.

Information overload to be honest, too many new things at once. :D

For what it's worth, folks, if you visited the RB welcome page (http://www.realmsbeyond.net/civ/welcome.html) and wondered why anyone would consider it news that Charis had written a page discussing the lack of multiplayer in Civ3, you read the wrong version. The page was accidentally replaced by an older version for about 24 hours when we changed a template.

Sorry for the confusion!

RB2 Update

RB2a: 1685AD (http://forums.civfanatics.com/showthread.php?t=134839)
Speaker (Captain)
Voodoocat
Snaproll
-Angelus-
Skyfish
Sebmono

RB2b: Space Victory - 1932AD (http://forums.civfanatics.com/showthread.php?t=134841)
Jester (Captain)
Methos
regoarrarr
StarrySurprise
Own
Veovim

RB2c: 1710AD (http://forums.civfanatics.com/showthread.php?t=134842)
Ozymandous (Captain)
Ragnoff
Dwip
Talamane
DeceasedHorse
Tidus4444

I know I missed the signups, but please consider me as an alternate if you lose a player. I sure wish I checked earlier?

Much obliged for the spot, and hope you get things to working.

(little nervous about my own ATI card...we'll know RSN, though)

@Snaproll: I have no problem taking on a 6th player in RB2a, especially since -Angelus- and Skyfish will be joining us late. I'll slot you in after Voodoocat.

Hi everyone, long time lurker here. It's great to see RB succession games starting up again. Is there any chance I could please be slotted in as an alternate?

Thanks Speaker! Count me in.

If there's ever another "for newbies" (or perhaps enough of an interest to create a 4th team of RBSG2), I'd love to play in it. Ah well, I can try it out on SG3.

BTW, I can no longer post to the RB forums. I'm registered as Tohoya there; I think I posted a bit to MOO and GW forums (but was in another guild in GW and got into MOO right as Imperium was ending). I think maybe I was deactivated for inactiveness, but I would like to play some Civ IV with the RB crew.

I looked up your user name, and it says that you never "validated" your registration- that is, followed the link in the email sent by the forum software when you registered. Since your post count was listed as "0", I went ahead and deleted your account so that you can re-register. Check your email spam settings so that you will receive the auto-mailed forum validation email.

If you don't get the email, you can email me at zelanie@comcast.net or PM me here, and I'll see if I can figure it out.

PS- This is my 300th post here! :P Clearly I lurk more than I post. Does that mean I can edit my user title? Woot!

Hi everyone, long time lurker here. It's great to see RB succession games starting up again. Is there any chance I could please be slotted in as an alternate?
I already have 6 players in RB2a, but perhaps the team captain of RB2b or RB2c wouldn't mind taking an extra as well?

It's nice to see that Civ4 will have a Robust succession game community (at least should it prove to be a good game, which is no-doubt still up in the air).

This thread makes it tempting to expedite my purchase of the game, but considering I have a rather 'intense' project at work at the moment, I think I may have to follow my original plan, which is to wait for Christmas and drop suitable hints to my wife that it would be an appropriate gift. :)

-Sirp.

Hey Sirp! Good to see you. I look forward to playing future SGs with you!

"Hi everyone, long time lurker here. It's great to see RB succession games starting up again. Is there any chance I could please be slotted in as an alternate?"

Veovim, if you'd like to play on RB2b, I'd be happy to have you on board. Always good to have an extra person, because someone's always on hiatus for one reason or another.

Just read up on the thread and post a greeting when you get there.

-Jester

I, too, would love to participate in one of the RBSG2 games if there's room in any of the teams anymore.

Okay, now that the RB2s are underway, I guess I'll ask again for players for RB3. The full spiel is back on page 5, but to summarize here, it's a monarch game as the Aztecs on a standard continents map versus 5 civs with the aggressive trait and no non-military victories are enabled besides 2050 AD. I thought I saw some people talking about signing up for RB3, but I think they've since been folded into RB2 slots, so I'll assume they're off the roster until I hear otherwise.

Players so far:

Carbon
Sirian (provisional)

Oh, I thought I signed up. Oops. Well, I have game in hand, working, and it is great. I played on Monarch for my first game, but some misclicks (first settler went one space farther than I meant and was left next to a barbarian - yikes!) and also missing basic concepts meant a conquest loss just into the ADs. Just played a few hours on Noble and am dominating, so in SG playing form, I should be okay.

I'd like to sign up for RB3. Haven't played a warmonger game in IV yet, nor on anything higher than Noble, but do OK in Emporer SG's in C3C.

Hi,

Okay, now that the RB2s are underway, I guess I'll ask again for players for RB3.

Now that my first private game is over (see my report), I'd like to join RB3. My first game wasn't very militaristic, and my second game won't be either, so a military-heavy SG would be great for a change. :)

-Kylearan

Sign me up, too. Almost two builder games down, and it's pretty confident I can own Noble, and I have zero practice at warfare thus far, so.

I've got a little bit of practice on warmongering, but I'd like to get a bit more. Sign me up!

I, too, would love to participate in one of the RBSG2 games if there's room in any of the teams anymore.
Ozymandous, do you have room for a sixth?

Sorry, bed_head, missed you way back there. Here's the roster as it stands now:

Carbon
bed_head7
Kylearan
Daveshack
Dwip
Tidus444

That puts us on six people, so it looks like we won't be needing to invoke Sirian's "if the rosters are thin" clause. Unless somebody doesn't like the map settings I chose, I ought to have the game started and passed off tonight.

Sure, the more the merrier. :)

I'd like to play. Got the game and it runs great. Judging on the games so far, it's an average of 6 people per game w/10 turns each round? Sort of like a Total War round robin.

Which game is open, and what are the ground rules? Ozymandous?

@doronron: Welcome to the SG forum. Generally it's 5 players per game, with 10 turns per player. But it's up to the game creator ultimately. However, the first player or two usually play more turns when there is little to do. The general ground rule is that when you are "up" you have 24 hours to claim the game, and another 24 hours to play, before the team talks about skipping to the next player. You can usually bend this rule as long as you let people know what is going on. Again, other rules can be imposed by the game creator if desired.

Great! Guess I'll wait for someone to let me know if an RB game's got room.

The RB2 and RB3 games are all full at this point. I guess you'll have to wait until RB4 and be quick to sign up! Also, feel free to check out the LotR, LK, or other games...

I signed on to the LK thread, but not ready for LotR -- don't feel too comfortable with Diety level play, yet. I'll watch this one and LK for openings...

Darn.

Comfort with deity is not a requirement. But if the current LotR proposal doesn't get more interest relatively soon, a different proposal would be made. I'd keep watching the thread, doronron.

Arathorn

Comfort with deity is not a requirement. But if the current LotR proposal doesn't get more interest relatively soon, a different proposal would be made. I'd keep watching the thread, doronron.

Arathorn

I'll subscribe the LotR threadto see what develops, Arathorn. I'm not nearly good enough to deal with a Diety level AI, but if absolutely necessary and you're looking for that last player on it...I'll certainly make the game interesting (painful) for the others involved.

I'm new to SGs, and I have a few questions about technical things...

1.) How do I take screenshots in Civ IV?
2.) How do I upload those screenshots to civ fanatics?
3.) What's the file extension for the save directory in civ IV?
4.) How do I upload the save file when my turn is finished?

1) PrintScrn button on your keyboard.
2) Scroll down a forum page until you see Upload File.
3) They are .Civ4SavedGame
4) You can attach it or Upload it (see step 2) and link to it from the post using the URL tag.

I'm new to SGs, and I have a few questions about technical things...

1.) How do I take screenshots in Civ IV?
2.) How do I upload those screenshots to civ fanatics?
3.) What's the file extension for the save directory in civ IV?
4.) How do I upload the save file when my turn is finished?
Here's a thread from the Civ 3 SG forum that should help. Link (http://forums.civfanatics.com/showthread.php?t=55122)

Hey, has anyone seen Ozy recently? He is up on the RCB2c game. I am on deck and I am reluctant to skip him as he is the captain, but it has been almost 2 days without a "got it" I don't want our game to bog down either!

According to his profile he was last online on Nov 4th at 2:57 pm (GMT -5).

Give him another day. If still no word, skip him this round and keep the game moving. At least that is what I recommend. Maybe he's tied up with something unexpected?

- Sirian

When will RB4 start? i appearently am not good at doing these without pissing off teammates, so I will just observe. This is mostly a curiosity as I enjoy reading the RB as much as or more than almost any other.

RB4 will start when one of the RB crew decides to start it and can get 4-5 people to go along with it (in most things, we're a notoriously decentralized bunch; from the outside looking in, it sometimes takes a while to realize that nobody is actually in charge around here). That might be a ways off, since it seems like we're playing at near capacity between the first three games (especially with RB2 alone holding down somewhere between 15 and 18 players :eek: ).

However, if I had to guess, I would say that Sirian and/or Sulla won't remain idle for long, and their 2-man SG is progressing at breakneck speed. If I were a betting man, I'd bet that RB4 starts in under two weeks. Then RBs 5, 6, and 7 probably will follow in rapid succession as the RB2 games finish. I won't jinx my team by speculating on how long RB3 will take to finish, though ;).

I'm in for RB4!

Sorry for the double-post, my user account lost my subscription to this thread. I don't want to miss out on any future sign ups...

I would like to have a go at RB4 too, will try to keep an eye on this thread

Guys, please don't sign up for RB4 before the game is even created. I know you all want to join RBC, but please have some patience.

I would suggest that, possibly, those who are so interested in RB4 that they're signing up for a game that doesn't yet exist create an SG and play amongst themselves. You probably have enough for a full team. Just play a game.... At least, that's what I'd suggest. :)

Arathorn

Sorry, didnt mean to step on anybodies toes :blush:

Sorry, didnt mean to step on anybodies toes :blush:

Don't worry about it. :)

I meant to have a tourney game up more than a week ago, but enough issues existed, with a patch rumored to be released any day now, that it seemed wiser to wait for that.

Once the RBCiv Adventures are open, everybody can play the tourney games without having to "get a roster spot", which are sometimes in shorter supply. :cool:


- Sirian

How long will each adventure run?

Varies. Three or four weeks, usually. Never less than two!

The only reason I ask is because I'll be in Hawaii for two weeks starting this weekend. :mischief: :D Thanks!

So I'm thinking about starting up a new SG as soon as the patch is out. Not sure when that will be, exactly, but you've probably read the rumors.

Anyway... Here are the settings I would like to explore:

Difficulty: Noble
Map Script: Islands (Several Extras, Various Tinies)
Map Size: Standard
Civ: France (Louis)

Variant Rules: None
Victory: Any, but Diplomatic would be pursued.

Now here's the catch. I'm looking to meet some new faces.

Signup Rules:
* You have Civ4 installed and working. You will grab the patch when it comes out.
* You've never played a Succession Game before.
* You want to try. (And the game settings, above, are good for you.)
* You're willing to be self-reliant. (I'm not going to write lots or give much advice.)
* Civ experience or skill not required. "Can do" attitude not optional!
* You believe that you can be communicative and descriptive (and sometimes lighthearted) with reporting about your turns.
* You are willing to learn how to process and upload some screenshots, to illustrate your turns.

Game will start when all the pieces line up. Standard RB rules will apply.


I'll take four signees, plus one alternate (who will only step in if someone drops out, but who is welcome to discuss the game with the group, while it's being played.)

Fortune favors the bold! :hammer: Who's ready to volunteer? :)


- Sirian

I'll also be starting a SG as soon after the patch is released, and will have 3-4 open slots available..... waiting on somone who'd requested to play with me to answer their pm to know how many....

Working Idea - Open for tweakage

Civ: Germany (Freddie)
Difficulty: Prince or Monarch
Map Script: Custom Continents (3)
Map Size: Small
Opponents: Seventeen :eek:
Raging Barbs, Agressive AI

Varient Rules:

[1] 6CC 2 Cities Per Continent. One city in each pair is a "culture city" and the other is a "military city". Only the "military city" can produce most military units - non violent units (workers, missionaries, etc) and ships desigend for transportation/exploration (work boat, galley, caravel, and galleon) being allowed in all cities.

[2] We can't make settlers.

[3] We can't declare war on anyone not starting on our home continent except to capture our 2 allowed cities, and can't EVER declare war on anyone practicing our state religion (and no exploiting this by changing just to declare war either!). If anyone declares war on us though..... :hammer:

Victory Conditions: All enabled (or perhaps space disabled), but we wan't a culure victory, and we wan't to have our 3 "culture" cities one on each continent.

Requirements:

You have Civ4 installed and working. You will grab the patch when it comes out.

You've won a game on Prince and have won a cultural victory (on any level), OR you have won a game on Monarch (any victory)

-Maniac

Edit: PS - I would highly encourage SG noobs to jump at the chance to play a game with Sirian. Don't be intimidated. He may be named for a dog star, but he doesn't bite :) . I personally have never had to good fortune to be in a SG with Sirian, so I'll be jellous of you all :p

ToddMarshall: That sounds like fun. Put me down please.

While there is only one city (the capital), you can build both military and peaceful...right? :ack:

So I'm thinking about starting up a new SG as soon as the patch is out. Not sure when that will be, exactly, but you've probably read the rumors.

Anyway... Here are the settings I would like to explore:

Difficulty: Noble
Map Script: Islands (Several Extras, Various Tinies)
Map Size: Standard
Civ: France (Louis)

Variant Rules: None
Victory: Any, but Diplomatic would be pursued.

Now here's the catch. I'm looking to meet some new faces.

Signup Rules:
* You have Civ4 installed and working. You will grab the patch when it comes out.
* You've never played a Succession Game before.
* You want to try. (And the game settings, above, are good for you.)
* You're willing to be self-reliant. (I'm not going to write lots or give much advice.)
* Civ experience or skill not required. "Can do" attitude not optional!
* You believe that you can be communicative and descriptive (and sometimes lighthearted) with reporting about your turns.
* You are willing to learn how to process and upload some screenshots, to illustrate your turns.

Game will start when all the pieces line up. Standard RB rules will apply.


I'll take four signees, plus one alternate (who will only step in if someone drops out, but who is welcome to discuss the game with the group, while it's being played.)

Fortune favors the bold! :hammer: Who's ready to volunteer? :)


- Sirian

Hi!
I would love to join in a SG as i have never played one.
I have CIV working perfectly(no crashes in 50-60 h played).
I will upload pics and try to write a fullfilling log for u all in the game.
So now i guess all we need is the patch right.
Meanwhile ill continue reading some more of the SG games writeups.Cheers all
:goodjob:

@ Meteor

Your "military" cities can build peaceful all it want's, but it can't have more culture than an of your "culture" cities when we reach cultural victory.

So there are 2 options:

"Culturally Suppress" the capital so that the culture cities can overtake it!!!

Or, yeah, just allow it to make troops until the 2nd city is captured.

My inclination is the first one, but it is an odd restriction, so I'll go with the prefered option of the majority.

Btw your icon + title is really funny :)

-Maniac

He may be named for a dog star, but he doesn't bite :)
...........hard!

Wow, this sounds too good to be true. :rockon:

I would enjoy the chance to play an SG with you Sirian. I discovered the concept of this type of game about 2 weeks ago and have been following several, and with each passing day I was more and more intrigued. I work overnights though, I am gone from 10pm to 7:30am (EST) friday to tuesday, my days off are wednesday and thursday...yeah...it sounds pretty screwed up, and it is:crazyeye: so my playtime is usually early morning to afternoon...what about sleep you ask? :twitch:

All :worship: the ever wonderful :coffee:

My copy of CIV IV does indeed work quite well and I check for the patch about 4 or 5 times a day, I should be able to figure out this posting screenshots and stuff. One thing I have always wondered: When you hand over the game to the other person, is it at the beginning of their turn, as in, was end turn pressed and then sent or before all the end of turn things are carried out, I would think the latter, but, ehhh, I have been known to be wrong.

Anywho, enough rambling, look forward to more ice-lationilists! Keep it up
:goodjob: :clap: :drool: :thumbsup: and for good measure- :banana:

Hi,

[1] 6CC 2 Cities Per Continent. One city in each pair is a "culture city" and the other is a "military city". [...]
Victory Conditions: All enabled (or perhaps space disabled), but we wan't a culure victory, and we wan't to have our 3 "culture" cities one on each continent.

I don't think this is doable, but good luck trying! I'd be happy if you prove me wrong. :)

You will be able to get your second and third culture city only very late; basically you will have to rush to Optics as fast as possible. Your second and third culture city will have to reach legendary status mainly with great artists; I guess you'll need about 20 of them - that's a lot! So your capital will have to focus on becoming a GPP generator - but at the same time, it has to focus on building military to capture your other five cities...and of course on research, to get Optics (later great artist techs) fast enough without falling behind the AIs too much.

Definately disable space race, if you ask me. And don't play it on Monarch...

-Kylearan

I would be interested in joining sirians game if i may.

I don't think this is doable, but good luck trying! I'd be happy if you prove me wrong.

You will be able to get your second and third culture city only very late; basically you will have to rush to Optics as fast as possible. Your second and third culture city will have to reach legendary status mainly with great artists; I guess you'll need about 20 of them - that's a lot! So your capital will have to focus on becoming a GPP generator - but at the same time, it has to focus on building military to capture your other five cities...and of course on research, to get Optics (later great artist techs) fast enough without falling behind the AIs too much.

Definately disable space race, if you ask me. And don't play it on Monarch...

I agree with everything you said there. We will have to rush to optics almost certianally. I even considered Noble, but I wanted a challenge :) . I'm fiddling arround with the parameters a bit right now, though I'm fixing to go to bed shortly. (I've got an all important round to play in the MoO SG in the am :) ) I'm witholding judgemnt until I see how extensive the gameplay changes are with the patch. If it slows down the late game tech pace like I feel like it should, then space race might be ok, or maybe we could allow the wasting of AI capitals that are close to completing the ship....

I'll take a slot in Sirian's game if it's still available, assuming I qualify. I don't *think* I played any SGs Way Back When, before the Mac Civ3 patch went out of date, but my memory for that sort of thing isn't great. If anyone remembers otherwise and there are more complete newbies I'll drop out, I certainly played some Epics.

My Civ4 is working fine, I have no reason not to patch, blah blah. I've been intending to learn how to post screenshots and stuff for a while, so this seems like a good time.

Any dissenting opinions, then?

Garath

Interesting ideas floating around here. I've got some thoughts on a couple of variants I'd like to try too, but I'm going to wait until after RB1 finishes to post anything specific. Too much on my plate as is now! :)

I don't think either of these games fit for me, but I'll be looking forward to seeing what Sullla conjures up!

Well, I do have some good news. With a switch to tiny map and un-agressive AI's, it is doable :) Not easy, but doable :)

@Sirian --- I'd love to join your game (As of this post I think I'd be #4) -- sounds very exciting!

@Sirian - I would also like to join the game you are planning. Based on the responses thus far, I would be the fill-in if necessary, if you'll let me join.

I've never played a succession game before but always wanted to. I must admit, I'm guilty of the "maybe I'm not good enough" bug but this time with Civ4, I think I should bite the bullet and give it a go. Noble is about my difficulty level too.

RB4 - Island Hopping
ROSTER:

Sirian
Anjinsan
Zagaz
Jkaen
Garath

Alternates:
Arhiss
Sadan


Now all we need is the patch. :)


- Sirian

Good luck to all membres of RB4. You're in for a real treat.

Woot!

Thanx for letting me enjoy a session together with a pro :D

This gonna be a boat load of fun (scenario called Island Hopper so it fits):crazyeye:

So now please release the patch and let the fun begin. :goodjob:

D'oh... Would have loved to get in on this, but looks as if I'm late to the party. In any case, will make sure that I aggressively lurk in Sirian's new game to learn what I can (Cuban Isolationists has been extremely educational already).

Good luck, guys!

(Oh, and first post!)

I am very much looking forward to this. I was wondering if the Ble Marble terrain would be allowed, or will I have to uninstall it for the purpose of plyaing my turns?

I am very much looking forward to this. I was wondering if the Ble Marble terrain would be allowed, or will I have to uninstall it for the purpose of plyaing my turns?

Technically, the RB rules state no unapproved mods. However, this one is just a graphical mod, and this is a somewhat casual SG, so we'll make an exception. Via your screenshots, we'll all get a glimpse at this mod and get to know it better. :) Maybe we'll approve it for general use if it holds up to some scrutiny.

- Sirian

@ - Sirian

Unless something unforseen happens with the BMT, I'd wholeheartedly reccomend you give it the ok soon. Several people have reported it makes their game run more smoothly because it is less graphic intensive (thanks to those ever shifting trees/jungles in the normal terrain pack).

Maybe zagzag would make a good guinea pig for us :)

-Maniac

Being a guinea pig, sounds good to me:lol:

I really do like the BMT...the mod and the sandwich....now if only this patch would hurry itself up :banana:

Just a note to those interested in the Culture City Pairs game (Speaker, MeteorPunch, Sirp?). Since both thanksgiving and me preparing to (and possibly actually) moving are on the horizon in the next 2 weeks (I wasn't expecting to move till January), the game probably wont start till the first full week of December since I want a few days to look over game play changes before rushing headlong into the SG.

A lot depends on when the patch arrives and stuff.

-Maniac

No problem with me. I'm going out of town today for the holiday and won't be back home until Sunday or Monday. No chance of running Civ4 on my parents' computer, so...

Man I keep missing the announcement of new SGs. I'd like to, if I could, get in on one.

(goes back to living vicariously through forum reading)

Are any of the former beta testers planning a training day game for those of us that played Civ 3 for too long?

So the RB thread (and the Cuban Isolationist game) lures yet another lurker out of the shadows. :scan: You guys are having just way too much fun.

I'm a long time Civ player and a long time lurker, but I have to jump in here and say that Civ IV is blowing me away. Best. Game. Ever. I've had it for 3 weeks now, and I've completed 2 games, both on Warlord. The first, I was getting used to game mechanics so I was shooting for a points win. As the Germans, I was leading the entire game (not by a large margin, mind you) until Rome attacks with about 40 turns to go. They take a city :eek:, knock me out of 1st place, and I lose to Spain. The next game, I manage a cultural victory as Spain. So I'm ready to move up to Noble, right? Er, well, maybe. Of course I have the Incas as neighbors (Sirian's comment above about Monte being just plain crazy in Civ IV is quite true). So 2 wars later, I'm a little behind in tech, but I've managed to capture 2 Inca cities including the capitol. It's 1710AD, and I'm holding my own in mid-pack. Maybe a diplomatic victory. It'll be interesting. I've been taking screen shots, and I'm thinking of posting a game report on this one.

I'm looking forward to getting into a SG at some point, too.

Cheers,
Michael

Can I still sign up for the cultural cities game? I've won both a cultural victory on noble and a victory on monarch, so I think that's good.

... Another lurker lured out into the open... :)

Are any of the former beta testers planning a training day game for those of us that played Civ 3 for too long?

That would be an interesting idea to try. I don't plan on captaining such a game, but I bet there'd be a lot of interest in that. A game of Civ3 old hands who deliberately make all the wrong assumptions about Civ4 would make for a very entertaining variant game. I've got something slightly different in mind for my next game though. :)

More lurkers emerging from the shadows! Welcome! :D

Just a note to those interested in the Culture City Pairs game (Speaker, MeteorPunch, Sirp?). Since both thanksgiving and me preparing to (and possibly actually) moving are on the horizon in the next 2 weeks (I wasn't expecting to move till January), the game probably wont start till the first full week of December since I want a few days to look over game play changes before rushing headlong into the SG.


Well, whenever you start it I'm interested, providing I haven't been sucked into another SG in the meantime. :)

-Sirp.

That would be an interesting idea to try. I don't plan on captaining such a game, but...

Hey, don't look at me! My original Training game was 2/3rds focused on how to micromanage effectively, and most of that is moot in Civ4. :cool:

Those games also came like ten months after the initial game was released!

I actually think it's not the best idea, in the short term. You only get to be a Civ4 newbie once. Don't rush your way through it!


- Sirian

@ - WeakCiv There is still a spot open in the Culture game if you want it and if you meet the requirements.

@ - RRnut - Welcome aboard!

Provisional Roster -Full-: (not in any particular order)
Maniac
Speaker
MeteorPunch
Sirp
WeakCiv?
RRnut

I'm expecting this to be a low time commitment game as it nears completion (unlike most SG's), but we'll see :)

When the patch comes out, I'll let you know about a start date.

-Maniac

Hi,

there are two planned RB succession games at the moment: Sirian's "luring out some fresh blood" game, and Maniac's rather extreme variant game (must...resist...urge...to...join...). Both are not really open for everyone, so I thought about starting another game if there's enough interest.

It's still too early to explore variant-land in my opinion. Most people are still playing continents, archipelago or pangea on Noble or Monarch, and I don't think we've explored the game enough for it to be boring already. ;) So I'd like to play a standard game, but on some of the more innovative map types. I've played on the Highland map already, and I'd like to explore the Ice Age or Oasis map next, slightly preferring Oasis.

Level of difficulty would be anything between Prince and Emperor, although Emperor would probably scare away too many people so I'd favour Monarch (but Prince would be okay, too).

Leader would be up to debate as well, except Arabia, Rome and Aztecs which I just have played.

Anyone interested? New players are especially welcome, although I'd like to see some old faces as well. :) And in case you're not sure if you could handle the map or difficulty: Remember that you're in a team, which effectively lowers the level by one. And if you're afraid of making mistakes, rest assured that we all make them, especially since the game is still so new, and that nobody will frown upon you. It's still a learning experience for all of us! :goodjob:

-Kylearan

Count me in :). I've only tried the lakes custom map, which made for an excellent game (which had to end in diplomatic victory because of the lack of oil for conquest/domination ). I was surprised to find it did wrap east-west though !

Monarch will be fine. I have no preferences for a civ yet, though I think an expansive civ would do better on this map.
From the map guide, it seems like a good idea to swap our team number with the next AI so we don't know where we start out.

@ ToddMarshall
Thanks. I guess I missed that it was still open. However I think I qualify more for Sirian's "New Blood". I've never done an SG and would like to get my feet wet before tackleing a variant.

@ Sirian
If there is room I would like to join the "New Blood" SG.

EDIT:Well dang. I just noticed that the roster is full for that. oh well.

I'd like to sign up for your game Kylearan, and I'd even be open to Emperor! :cool:

i'd like to join your game too kylearan, would prefer monarch

@Kylearan

I'd be interested in your game - I'm a total SG newbie though (came late to Sirian's signup). Chances are I'd be one of the weaker players though - I play SP on Noble usually, though I'm probably ready for a move up to Prince, and hence in a SG, maybe I'm ready for a bit above that even... Who knows?

In any case, interested if you'd have me.

Here is another newbie lured here by Sirian and Sulla's Cuban game. :)

Kylearan, I'd like to join your game, if you don't mind a completely new player. (I've only played a few SP games on Prince, although I am thinking of moving up to Monarch in my SP games.) As for overall experience, I've played Alpha Centauri and MoM, but not any previous Civilization games.

Hi,

there are two planned RB succession games at the moment: Sirian's "luring out some fresh blood" game, and Maniac's rather extreme variant game (must...resist...urge...to...join...). Both are not really open for everyone, so I thought about starting another game if there's enough interest.

It's still too early to explore variant-land in my opinion. Most people are still playing continents, archipelago or pangea on Noble or Monarch, and I don't think we've explored the game enough for it to be boring already. ;) So I'd like to play a standard game, but on some of the more innovative map types. I've played on the Highland map already, and I'd like to explore the Ice Age or Oasis map next, slightly preferring Oasis.

Level of difficulty would be anything between Prince and Emperor, although Emperor would probably scare away too many people so I'd favour Monarch (but Prince would be okay, too).

Leader would be up to debate as well, except Arabia, Rome and Aztecs which I just have played.

Anyone interested? New players are especially welcome, although I'd like to see some old faces as well. :) And in case you're not sure if you could handle the map or difficulty: Remember that you're in a team, which effectively lowers the level by one. And if you're afraid of making mistakes, rest assured that we all make them, especially since the game is still so new, and that nobody will frown upon you. It's still a learning experience for all of us! :goodjob:

-Kylearan

This sounds very interesting, and I would love to join a game trying one of those maps. I have not tried a game higher than Noble yet, but (gulp) nothing ventured...

Edit: Well, weakciv, let me know if your in or out. When I first read it, I thought you were out, but now I'm not sure and don't want to drop you if you ARE interested. Maybe Kyleran's game would be a better fit? I'll work with you as I DO want you included in one of the games soon. If you ARE in, then everyone can disregard what I said below

OK, thats cool weakciv. Maybe you should play kylearans game (I'm sure he'd let you in considering how you keep just missing games)

We'll go with a roster of 5 then. I'll take one alternate if anyone wants to sign up for that. The alternate can play for people who need "skips" if they can get it right away, so will likely get at least one turn. They'll also take over if anyone has to drop out.

Thats IF Take 2 ever decides to do their job. So far their "QA" has been anything but from the word go :(

Also, I'd underestimated the ammount of interest in a generic game I suppose (I kind of thought with 2 of the 3 RB2 games, the RB3 game, and most of Lee's games stalled, that interest had waned in the "just win" games).

Since I see thats not the case, I'll open a 2nd game myself once I get moved and set up in a few weeks (please dont sign up for this yet!!). It may have a small ammount of varient (like a specific vic condition preference), or be on monarch or prince, but wont be an extreme varient.

@ The good wizard of skara brae ;) - Originally this game wasn't going to be this much of a varient. I was going to do a 5CC (which isn't that much of a handicap), then it was going to be 5CC, can't make settlers (I've allways like the no settlers, rather than OCC, varient rule), Then a 3CC with all 18 civs.... But heck, everyones DONE something similar or exactly like those allready. So in my quest to be diffrent, this is what I arrived at (with some advice from Speaker).

I also wasn't sure an entirely peaceful SG with 3 cities would be exciting, and wanted a little :hammer: too :) If you don't change your mind and decide to join, I hope you'll feel free to lurk. Your experience with the 3CC game will be very helpful I'm sure :)

-Maniac

So the oasis or ice age game will have the following players:

Kylearan
jameson
Snaproll
hiob
dopplex

Normally I like 5 players for SGs, but given the high number of interested players a sixth player is okay too. If weakciv wants to join, he's in (he's waiting for so long now...); if he prefers to join Maniac's game, Zeviz would be in. (sorry Ragnoff, hope to catch you next time!)

Looks like it will be the oasis map on monarch if nobody objects. (No worries dopplex! You'll be fine :) ).

The only preference voiced was that we should play an expansive civ, which is fine by me. That would be Victoria (fin), Bismarck (ind), Genghis (agg), Cyrus (cre), Peter (phi) or Isabella (spi).

Hm...Victoria would mean emphasis on cottages and probably managing a tech lead. Bismarck would involve building lots of wonders, Genghis would suggest lots of war, Peter lots of great people, and Isabella maybe going for an early religion or two. Cyrus would just be nice for new-founded cities and sparking tension because of close borders. :p

My vote would be Cyrus. Other votes?

I'll open the thread tomorrow and will post the starting position there for some initial discussion.

-Kylearan

Hi,

@ The good wizard of skara brae ;)
Yeah, someone old enough to remember this... :hammer:

If you don't change your mind and decide to join, I hope you'll feel free to lurk.
You bet I'll lurk! I love crazy variants and will monitor your game closely. I would have joined, but I felt going for variants now would leave too many other people behind...and 3 SGs are way too many for me. :)

-Kylearan

Cyrus gets my vote too.

One other question: do we patch ? From a quick browse of the release thread, reviews are somewhat mixed for the patch's effect on performance and my CIV runs just fine like it is (though I like the gameplay changes in the patch).

It was my understanding the patch was what we were waiting for, i have patched already