Because of the discussions in the Citizen thread I decided it was time for a poll. I say within three weeks, eventhough I'm in college and 200 miles away from my game computer and will get to play the game maybe one weekend in the next month because we should have a demo game while we are all equal in our ignorance.
-the Wolf

As soon as all the neccersary polling is done here and the first President is elected. So 2/3 weeks...

It needs to be later then 2/3 weeks. A majority of the Civers are likely to get it for christmas(exe. ME) So we should wait till january to get full possible participation

I will NOT start in february

I voted "sometime in December." Specifically December 1st, 2005.

Unless someone comes up with a compelling argument against the calendar-based electoral system, I truly believe that this is the way to go.

This date give almost all of us a full month to discuss our options. Remember, we will likely wrap up dicussions with a series of 4 day polls, as well as a nomination period that would begin around November 23rd.

Keep in mind that this is if we stay with the tried and true. If we decide to make a hard left turn in our electoral process, or decide to adopt the "men with sticks" approach to the game start, then I am up for beginning this thing earlier.

I'm all for getting it going as quickly as possible. I just feel like it would be a lot more fun to 'discover' the game as we go. If we wait too long then we'll all already know what we're doing and in my opinion it would just take away from the fun.

I am also all for starting as soon as possible, even November 1st!

2 weeks is what i voted. as soon as possible would be best. it would make for more of a challenge since our strategies would not be fully developed yet

I was thinking January 1st, if not then December 1st... Definetly not this month... We won't have participation because not many people will have the game, and the constitution won't be done

I am also all for starting as soon as possible, even November 1st!

I agree whole heartedly with you.

...decide to adopt the "men with sticks" approach to the game start...

I personally hope that we do.
-the Wolf

There is no possible way we can start this game in two weeks time, even three weeks. I'd say starting in December would be pushing it. Anything before December is just idoitic. There is no possible way we will even be close to ready to start the game in November.

I voted January BTW.

I will delay my vote until the actual game arrives, I can read the 'pedia, and play a couple of games.

What about this as an idea though -- play a quick game as a total democracy (no designated leaders) simulaneously with working on the rules. This way we can use trial and error, like DDDR et.al. (Donsig, Dave, Donovan, Ravensfire and others) are suggesting, but without risk that it will impact the real game that we start later on when more people actually have it. We could even abandon / retire the trial game when elections start. :D

p.s. no slight intended to anyone else who agrees with the caveman approach. DDDR just made a good acronym. ;)

Why don't we all just play a quick game on our own DS so that we get a feel for what rules should be there? Much quicker.

I voted January as a lot of people will probably be getting it for Xmas. Also the rest of the world will only be getting it the second/third weeks of Nov.

I voted for sometime in November, but any time this year is okay with me.

Why don't we all just play a quick game on our own DS so that we get a feel for what rules should be there? Much quicker.

Everyone should play some too of course, but what may be intuitive via the interface could be a completely different animal when it's a team decision. The quick democracy thing would give us an idea early on about which issues polarize us and which ones get pretty universal agreement. The polarized issues are the ones which need to be addressed by the government structure. :D

Seconded. By the sounds of things it'll be a long time before we all have the game, and longer before we can all get it working, so let's jump straight in and elect a DP, set everything to random and muddle through our first game together, starting monday. We can elect other officers later if we need to.

I nominate Daveshack to be DP in our first speedy trial run

I nominate Daveshack to be DP in our first speedy trial run

It would be a tremendous honor to be DP for the first session, thank you! :D

I've been leaning towards randomizing the selection of first DP so it doesn't become a popularity contest. If we're really all starting out equal, like we should be, then it seems to me that our first sacrifice to the RNG :worship: should be to toss anyone's name who wants to play into a virtual hat, and see who gets picked.

Unfortunately looks like it will be several more days before I can get my hands on a copy. Being the eternal optimist, I didn't think it would be necessary to preorder or reserve a copy. Alas, the closest store to my house had copies of the game today but every one of them went to someone who had reserved it. :cry: :wallbash: "Sometime next week" was what the clerk told me. Well, maybe Wal*Mart or Costco will have it before then.

Sometime in novermber. Though December 1st sounds best.

I strongly beleve that we should start after the Christmas season, sometime around January. That would give enough time for people to get Civ4, a new video card/computer, and some patches to fix major bugs into the game. I myself dont wish to play a Demogame that uses a buggy Civ4.

What major bugs are there CG? There are none so far we know of. The only problem is occasional installation / graphics problem because people don't fit the minimum requirements.

I would like to change my vote from decemeber to Febuary 1st. We will still be writing the rulse in novemeber, and decemeber is to busy for everyone, starting jan1 is impossiable (for obvious reasons). Plus after christmas more of us will have the game. And to people who voted 2 weeks, the game wont be out in some places for more than 2 weeks

Yes, two weeks would be very unfair for our fellows in the international community.

Right now, there's a fair amount of interest in the DG from new players. Starting something NOW, soon will keep that interest going AND give new players something to look at. The Civ3 DG is not going to do that for most new players - they want to see and play with the game they just got.

A possible option is to find a scenario that's shorter, quicker, and get this thing going in a few weeks. Much longer, and we WILL lose people that might otherwise be interested.

-- Ravensfire

What major bugs are there CG? There are none so far we know of. The only problem is occasional installation / graphics problem because people don't fit the minimum requirements.

Check out the bugs forum -- people with machines which exceed the minimum requirements, and sometimes the recommended requirements, are still having bugs. Some of those bugs affect actual play and not just the graphics.

What major bugs are there CG? There are none so far we know of. The only problem is occasional installation / graphics problem because people don't fit the minimum requirements.
There is the black map and the chesser cat bugs that would need to be resolved first.


Check out the bugs forum -- people with machines which exceed the minimum requirements, and sometimes the recommended requirements, are still having bugs. Some of those bugs affect actual play and not just the graphics.

Ditto ;).

I vote for starting in December. By then the game will be released basically everywhere and i figure 2 months discussion about the constitution should be sufficient...

...hey, would you look at that. my vote made it a 5-way tie. ;)

could the mods change my vote to december please?

I think some other time in November would be good as I'd like somewhere along a month to have some off & on time to play on my own and get a descent feel for how things work. (I'm still waiting on my pre-ordered amazon copy...I figured I should've gone bricks & mortar...oh well).

I voted for november. Having never played a demogame, I'd like to play a short 'trial' game, if you will. That way (like others have said...) when the 'real' one starts, I'll have at least half a clue of what's going on. =)

I knew that it would be impossible to start any actual games before the last week in November at the earliest. I had intended the 2/3 week options to be a quick game with no set government, total democracy deciding pretty much everything by poll. The purpose wouldn't have been to win per say but do get our bearings and to help us on deciding on a constitution and form of government. I never thought a 'real' game could have been stared before December. In hindsight I wish that I had made this clearer, but that's why they say hindsight is 20/20.
-the Wolf

1:st on the month after constitution is decided.
http://civfanatics.net/uploads10/finalsig.gif

Sometime in December wins. I hope we can start then. :)

-the Wolf