PH13: The Book and the Hammer

[pholkhero]

Okay, so here's the long-awaited continuation of the PH series

Basically, continuing the theme of the last few PH games, this, too, will be focusing on the SE. However, we will be using TWO (2) specialists this game, instead of just one.

Leader: Frederick of the Germans
Rivals: 6 Randomly Determined (Augustus, Tokugawa, Elizabeth, Louis, Gandhi, Suryavarman)
Difficulty: Monarch
Map: Pangaea (Pressed Shoreline)
Size: Standard
Speed: Normal
Victory Conditions: All Enabled, but we must win by Domination AFTER we launch our spaceship, but BEFORE it lands.

Variant Rules:
* No-Cottage SE. Up until the Industrial Age, we can only run scientists. Afterwards, we can only run Engineers. Once Assembly Plants come online, we’ll be able to run almost 7 Engineers in our cities.
* No Bush Doctrine. This means we can’t wage pre-emptive war nor try to instigate one. However, once we hit the Ind Era, these rules are off ~ by blood and iron, Germany WILL expand.

We will also be using the DMSGEG:

Spoiler for Etiquette Guide:

Alpha: The quality of your report outweighs the quality of your play. We’re here to have fun, and, of course, winning is fun, but losing in style is preferable to a boring win.

Bravo: Reports should be detailed, with plenty of screen shots and player commentary, explanations, musings, etc; an auto-log dump will not suffice. Shots of the F9 screens and overview shots of the empire are nice too, once in a while.

Charlie: Punctuality rocks! “24/48” means post a "got it" within 24 hours of when the last save was posted, and play within 48 hours of that ‘got it.’ Waiting 47 hours to ask for a skip is lame. Punk out two times in a row, and you’ll be dropped from the roster. Skips and swaps are fine, but try to let us know sooner, rather than later.

Delta: Major game decisions (war/peace declarations, religion swaps, city placement, etc) should be arrived at via group consensus.
1. If the team disagrees with you, either argue your case better, or do it their way. Do NOT just blow them off and do it your way because it's your turn.
2. However, if there’s no consensus and you’re up, do it your way and explain why. Conversely, if someone else is up, don't whine when they do it their way.
3. Similarly, overruling techs or city builds is rude and should be done via consensus, barring an emergency.
4. In extraordinary situations, sometimes an opportunity presents itself that the group didn't foresee. If the consequences of it are great, players should stop, and refer the question to the group.

Echo: Being a better player does not give you the right to belittle anyone else or their play. Other people are going to disagree with you on major decisions; get used to the idea, and play nice. If not, take your ball and go home.

Foxtrot: Thread spam is good. Trash talking, poking fun, gentle ribbing, virtual noogies, and generally horsing around are all encouraged, but don’t be rude.

Golf: Automate sparingly.
1. Workers should almost never be automated, except perhaps late-game or building a trade network. However, if you have to, set your game options to “disallow automated worker forest chopping” and “keep previous improvements.”
2. Use of the “Emphasis” buttons is fine, but let the group know and explain your reasoning (specialization is a major game decision). If you prevent growth in a city, let the group know and remind them to take it off. Do NOT let the governor select build orders.
3. Sending units on go-to routes that last beyond your set is acceptable only if they’re heading for a rally point or if you otherwise inform your teammates.

Hotel: NEVER fortify Great People. Is it so hard to push the spacebar 15 times??

India: Sign spamming is rude. Signs can be helpful reminders, but too many signs makes them easily ignored. Once a sign is no longer valid, delete it. [The only exception to this are city specialization signs.]

Please note: I'm going to be a bit harder on the 24/48 rule as I want to tighten up the pace of my games, so be forewarned ~ you'll think i was Fox

Currently, I'm only looking for two people to fill in the available spots, but alternates are always welcome as some people might not be able to play anymore. And of course, lurkers/spammers/etc are always welcome.

Roster:
pholkhero
Quotey
Kodii
r_rolo
LKendter
mystyfly

[LKendter]

So would this mean caste system during the early years to force plenty of scientists? I'm not familiar with your SE plans.


Not a signup (yet)

[Sealot]

Since spammers are welcome, let's just take a deep breath and watch this quote.

Rivals: 6 Randomly Determined (Augustus, Tokugawa, Elizabeth, Louis, Gandhi, Suryavarman)

[pholkhero]

Originally Posted by LKendter

So would this mean caste system during the early years to force plenty of scientists? I'm not familiar with your SE plans.


Not a signup (yet)

i imagine. there's no hard and fast rule as to where they come from. Basically, we go all out with sci's in the early game, and then take The Great Leap Forward once we hit the Ind age, and go for wartime/space production.

Originally Posted by Sealot

Since spammers are welcome, let's just take a deep breath and watch this quote.

if you're pointing to the "randomly determined" quote, it should be noted that I randomly choose the AIs with a deck of cards. But since i know who they are, i feel it's only fair to post them so others do.

[Quotey]

I'd love to see LK playing, personally. *hint*

I always find making the jump to caste system hard as a non Spiritual civ. I end up doing it after my forges are up + guilds is teched, and I set up some workshops and don't need to whip.

Also, if ruff_hi reads this, he really needs to make a random leader selector. I have have Ragnar in 90% of my BTS games at least. I hate him sooo much.

Oh, and you actaully want people to do 24/48? Kick me out already (Don't worry...)

[LKendter]

Originally Posted by Quotey

I always find making the jump to caste system hard as a non Spiritual civ. I end up doing it after my forges are up + guilds are teched, and I set up some workshops and don't need to whip.

Actually I never make that switch. I really hate losing the whip. I still feel the best way to shut up the whiners in a newly captured city =
In solo games I've run 10% luxuries just to keep the whip during a late game domination push. Even if my core doesn't need the whip, I want to waste most the population in newly captured cities.


Sign me up as sooner I later I need to play a game with caste system.
I suspect all scientists and no merchants will be painful. Outside of grabbing good early tiles such as gems, silver, and gold where does the income for city maintenance come from? Post calendar more such as dyes will open up.

[pholkhero]

@ Lee ~ welcome aboard ~ honored to play w/such a long-time CFCer and fellow commonwealther take note, though: I use the BUG mod (v2.22), but ruff says that the log-crash bug has been fixed so the issue that i think disallowed it from your games is fixed.

You'd be surprised what you can do with only one type of specialist. PH games 10, 11 & 12 all deal with a specialist economy, each one w/a different one (priests, merchants, and spies). Imo, scientists will be the easiest by far. basically, we'll have to lower the sci rate to cover expansion (say, expand out to 30/40% sci rather than just 50/60% and beakers will come from the hired sci's).

In the end, the Pyramid would be a great lone wonder to build, but we've built it in every SE game, so maybe we can try for the SE w/o it. The 1-wonder requirement is from the XML code (as laid out by Anion in his guide) ~ "Builds Wonders: rarely."

[LKendter]

Originally Posted by pholkhero

@ Lee ~ welcome aboard ~ honored to play w/such a long-time CFCer and fellow commonwealther

I grew up in city you list. Of course, I did run to the suburbs to avoid that wage tax...

Originally Posted by pholkhero

take note, though: I use the BUG mod (v2.22), but ruff says that the log-crash bug has been fixed so the issue that I think disallowed it from your games is fixed.

We will find out. Yes, the log crash and destruction of the end-game replay is why I banned the BUG mod.

Originally Posted by pholkhero

In the end, the Pyramid would be a great lone wonder to build, but we've built it in every SE game, so maybe we can try for the SE w/o it. The 1-wonder requirement is from the XML code (as laid out by Anion in his guide) ~ "Builds Wonders: rarely."

In any game you want specialists hired and / or merged that is the killer wonder. Several of my better solo games featured the Pyramids with representation. Merging specialists really rocks this way.

[r_rolo1]

Checking in..... finally I'll play a SG LKendter

I agree with Lee .... Pyramids will make this game a lot easier.

[Kodii]

Kodii is checking in and excited to finally have a SG on his plate again

Originally Posted by pholkhero

The 1-wonder requirement is from the XML code (as laid out by Anion in his guide) ~ "Builds Wonders: rarely."

Wrong SG?

[mystyfly]

I'd also like to join.

Rep clearly is the way to go, after we hire engineers.

Already looking foreward to the everlasting wars

[negyvenketto]

I would like to join
Edit: at the same minute as mystyfly
Never mind, I will go for another one with Pholky

[pholkhero]

Originally Posted by Kodii

Wrong SG?

kodii refers to himself in third person! yeah, though, you're right ~ wrong SG ~ we CAN build more than one wonder (though I still think the Pyramids would help). Though, as I said, every SE game has had it so far. maybe we can try w/o it?? whattaya think?

Originally Posted by mystyfly

I'd also like to join.

In!

Originally Posted by negyvenketto

I would like to join

Out!!

Originally Posted by LKendter

I grew up in city you list. Of course, I did run to the suburbs to avoid that wage tax...

Wage tax?!? you mean, i make 50% more than i take home, and philly takes that money to not pave roads??

i never knew about the replay bug, though ~

do you think merging the GSs is the way to go? I've always used my first couple for academies and the +50%. I guess merged they get, what, 9 bpts w/Rep?? if so, in the early game, that's definitely the move ~

start being generated as soon as i log off CFC

[r_rolo1]

No mids? The variant is not bad enough? <-pholk

[pholkhero]

Originally Posted by r_rolo1

No mids? The variant is not bad enough? <-pholk

i say "feh" to you ~ "feh" and "meh", and maybe even "beh" (certainly not, though, "keh" )

here's ya go:



Lots of hills, plenty of FPs, access to a river ~ what's not to like? we can farm the heck out of this place!! each FP is a scientist!! I *think* i like 1N on the goody hut for the extra two plains hills.

build: worker > warrior?
techs: BW > Agr?? on the way to an early writing and library ~

if there's stone, the pyramids was meant to be ~ if not, let's wing it

will play/post the first round tonight after some discussion ~

also:

Originally Posted by DMSG "new rule"

Java: Turn limits are no more! We will no longer be playing specific turn-length sets. Rather, we will be stopping at a "natural stop point," ie, tech discovery, about to start a war/one ends, getting a GP, a critical game decision, etc. I trust you all, and know the RNGod will provide. Please, however, play at least 10 turns, and no more than, say, 25.

[Quotey]

Looks disgustingly like a 3 hill start. Should do though.

[r_rolo1]

I think that Agri first would be better.... food is power. And we have a lot of FP ( too bad that we'll settle on one most surely )

and Mr pholk......

[LKendter]

Hard to tell without the bonus markers on, but did we get NO visible specials?

Warning: Without the little circles I can't read a thing on the map. I also play with the food markers for the same reason...

[Quotey]

There's spices visible, and I expect plains cows 2s of the capital.

[Kodii]

If after moving the scout, 1N still looks more favorable with the two plains hills, then settle 1N. I think we can risk losing a food bonus ~2S for another city to take.