MIC - Idea & Discussion Thread

This is the thread for my own SG discussion. Unless otherwise specified, these will be the base rules of all my games.

Golden rule: Reputation is gold. Never purposely break any per-turn deal, peace treaty, military alliance or MPP before it expires. If you break our rep by mistake, I reserve the right to ask for a replay.

Note 1: it is OK to break an ongoing deal in which only AI is paying per-turn good to us.
Note 2: we can break RoP (by declaring war) as long as we do not take advantage of it (see below banned tactic 1), given that we do not break other per-turn deals or treaties.
Note 3: it is not our fault if our only trade route to AI is cut by someone else, but the game will still think our reputation is trashed. Try to avoid this situation as much as possible. Unsafe trade is highly discouraged.

The following tactics are forbidden:
1. RoP rape. We cannot declare war on AI if we have any units (including boats) inside AI territory. Note, this rule holds no matter we have RoP with AI or not.
2. RoP abuse. If you have RoP with AI, you cannot abuse it by intentionally messing up AI territory with worker actions, standing on AI resources to deny its access, etc. It is OK to build a road to an AI resource so we can trade for it. Be reasonable.
3. Negative science exploit. No matter how huge a deficit you run, the game will only disband a building and/or a worker if the gold goes negative in the interturn.
4. Ship chaining exploit. No loading/unloading in a chain of ships to gain virtually unlimited movement.
5. Free palace jump. Adandon capital so it could jump to the next biggest city.
6. Scientific Double Slingshot. With a scientific civ, when you research the last tech in an era, you could use "Big Picture" to go to the diplomatic screen and buy the techs that other AIs already have to get a free tech that is not known by others. This is forbidden.

Utilities and Trainer Programs:
You are allowed to use mapstat for culture, pollution, happiness and trade only. You are not allowed to use the flip or combat calculators. No utilities that provide spoiler information are allowed. If unclear, ask me.

Let's start simple. I reserve the right to add more items.

I have a few ideas, so I list them below. Any one gets enough signup will get started. I will try to keep at most two SGs in parallel so others would have to wait. You can still sign up early (and are encouraged to do so), and I'll reserve the slot for you. When I actually start the game, you need to confirm you still can play.

Except specified otherwise, all games will be C3C 1.22 based standard map.

24-hour for "got it", 48-hour after that to finish. I'll be pretty strict about it, but you can request reasonable extension.

1. Lightning Chinese Riders (EDIT: won as Mic2)

In this game we'll be playing as Chinese, emphasizing the 3-move UU we have. The variant rules are:
* We cannot attack cities within that AI's territory. This means slow units cannot be used for attacking cities. I am also considering various limitations on slow units, such as limiting them within our own territory, or not allowing them at all. Up to debate.
* We have to accept peace as soon as AI is willing to offer to pay us. This means we have to take as many cities as possible at the beginning of the war. A lightening profitable war is the idea.
* Victory is Domination.
This will be on emperor pangea. It emphasizes middle ages war and we'll need combat settlers a lot I would assume.

The final rules haven't been sorted out yet. I'm willing to discuss more restrictions. Innovative ideas that fit the theme are very welcome.

Roster:
Aggie and grs expressed interest before, but need confirmation.

- microbe
- Aggie
- grs (to be confirmed)
- gozpel
- grahamiam
- Gogf


2. Self-research
Contrary to MIC1 no research, we'll be playing a game that emphasizes self-research and respects science. The idea was from a game report from Charis sometime last year I read about. The variant rules are:
* We cannot buy techs by gold or resource
* We can get techs by exchanging our own techs with AI
* We can sell our own techs for gold or resources
* We can extort techs through war
* We can get techs through wonders (GL or ToE)
* We cannot steal techs

In one word, if in a trade the AI puts any techs in left column, we can only have techs in right column.

I don't know if this is possible for demigod. I'm thinking emperor. If we get a good team, I may even think about doing all self-research (no getting techs from AI at all).

We'll be playing a scientific civ. Continent or archipelago map.

- microbe
- open
- open
- open
- open

3. OCC Space Race at Emperor
We've done it at Monarch, and it's time to raise the difficulty level. I can say it's doable as I've done it, but of course quite difficult. I prefer the players have previous experience with OCC Space Race game (if not, you can try one yourself, it's a lot of fun). It requires quite different strategy than other OCCs, mainly to avoid culture win.

We'll be playing a scientific civ, but this time not Byzantines. I'm thinking Babylon?

Map will probably be archipelago with 80% water.

- microbe
- Kiech
- open
- open
- open

I'll start the game that gets 4-5 players sign-up first.

4. The Wonder Expansion EDIT: started as Mic3.

The variant rule is that at end of turn, the number of cities other than capital cannot exceed number of great wonders we built. Small wonders don't count.

This will be on emperor. It is easier than OCC. In fact, I think we'll start as OCC. Preferred win is 20K.

As I want to discourage wars, so captured wonders don't count either.

- microbe
- Kiech
- open
- open
- open

5. The Cultural Expansion

This is similar to 4, but not limited to wonders. Every 100 culture point can sponsor a city. Something like that.

To make it different from 4, I'm thinking conquest as the preferred win, and Japan would be the perfect civ for that purpose (religious and militaristic).

- gozpel will start it
- microbe
- open
- open
- open

====================================

No replies yet, but I am not in a hurry anyway.

Sign me up for No.1, please Riders!

And 5, I like the 100 cp idea.

No.5 seem to be quite quick, when it comes to turnsets (not many cities to manage) and don't be so greedy, let me start number 5

Welcome. 100 is just a random number. We can decide what the best number would be.

I'll let you start.

However, we most likely will start the riders game first. I'm PM Aggie/grs if they still want to play. If so I'll start it tonight.

On no. 1, how can you attack with a fast unit if the city is still in enemy territory? Do you mean with units in enemy territory?

I would like to sign up for it, I think.

i'll join #1 if you got the space

OK, I confirm interest in the rider game

Good. I was thinking 100 per city for the first 5 cities or something, then 500cp for the next 5 and climbing after that? That will keep the expansion down.

I almost signed up for all, but I have to be realistic But they are great ideas.

grahamiam said:

i'll join #1 if you got the space

Click to expand...

Grahamiam is probably more deserving of the space than I am, and posted just a second after me.

So the riders team is complete! Actually we've got one more. 6 player is probably not too many? I still need grs to confirm but I'll start the thread now, and we can finalize the discussion/rules there.

@Gogf: you are right. Our units have to be outside of the AI's territory when we attack. EDIT: please make up your mind if you want to play. I'm OK with 6 players as this will be a warring game.

@gozpel: I know! I have to refrain myself from starting them all at once too! Don't worry, as I said I'll at most start two games in parallel, so you'll have chance to join all of them.

MIC2 - Lightning Chineses Riders thread started. We need some discussion about the rules there.

I definately do want to play. I was just saying that if you only wanted five players (thank God you don't ), that Grahamiam is more deserving of the slot than I am.

Sign me up for the OCC, please!

Edit: Heh, may as well sign up for the #4 as well, if thats ok.

Kiech: welcome.

Since I've started the Rider game, and have MIC1 going as well, all other games would have to wait. But I may take exception for the OCC. So if enough people sign up for the OCC I'll consider starting it.

for game #5, what is the goal? if it's a cultural win, ill sign up. i need some culture

The goal is just cultural expansion.

I don't want to make it too similar to the wonder expansion game, so I'll allow all conditions (even diplo).

microbe said:

The goal is just cultural expansion.
I don't want to make it too similar to the wonder expansion game, so I'll allow all conditions (even diplo).

Click to expand...

how about a 100k goal? slow expansion does make this more difficult, especially if we step it like the 100cp/5cities, 250cp/ for 5 more, 500cp/ for 5 more cities/750cp for 5 more, etc.

100K is impossible IMO. And I don't want a 20K game again.

How about Conquest as preferred, and Space as back up?

That would be a religious and militaristic civ, like Japan?

microbe said:

100K is impossible IMO. And I don't want a 20K game again.

How about Conquest as preferred, and Space as back up?

That would be a religious and militaristic civ, like Japan?

Click to expand...

no, i didn't want a 20k game, not really interested in that either and OCC's i can do without (sorry, i know you like those ). but i was thinking that 100k would be possible with a civ like Babylon (sci and religous). lots of cheap culture buildings being rushed desperately...

conquest would be ok but would just take a little longer with the slow growth. space kinda the same, though if we played it at least emporer, it could be quite a race... demigod would be even more desperate

microbe said:

Ideas keep coming, so here is my fourth idea:

4. The Wonder Expansion

This will be on emperor. It is easier than OCC. In fact, I think we'll start as OCC. I would not encourage too many wars as I want it to be mainly a peaceful game. Preferred win is 20K. [ for this reason, I may change the rule to not allowing capturing wonder cities or captured wonders do not increase city limit. To be decided. ]

Click to expand...

How about this: you may only capture cities with wonders. Regardless of the number of wonders in a captured city, they only count as one wonder. You may only atempt to capture a wonder city if your current limit allows you to do so.

Eg: You have 3 wonders and 2 cities, with a city limit of 4. We capture a city with 2 wonders. Our new limit is 5 cities, not 6.
Or: You have 3 wonders and 4 cities. You must abandon 1 city or complete a wonder before capturing a wonder city.

Heh, assuming we build ALL of the wonders, or at least our captured cities provide maximum # of cities, we can get 29 max cities...depending on where the AI finishes its wonders.

Edit: Afterthought: Allowing 'respawn AI' would make this game quite difficult.