I'm starting a new and more structured version of the deity challenges. The games will be bi-weekly and I want some input from the community before I start. There are some tentative rules so far, but I'm open to suggestions. Also, if anyone else wants to co-host, let me know.
Basic Ideas/suggestions
1. Whatever but not more often than bi-weekly - I'd be happy with even a lower pace like one for every 3 weeks.
2. I think some sort of list of finishing times etc in the each OP is sufficient - I don't nor didn't see these as purely a competition; I'm much more interested what others did in general terms
3. At least AI should have all the options available. Otherwise pretty much irrelevant for me and I'd be also fine specially defined victory settings - the build in ones aren't comprehensive enough if one is looking for something instead of a VC @ Txxx. An example of this could be a religious one aka spread your superstition every city in the world or something similar. Piety tree could get more love than it usually does.
4. Well, it's up to the individuals as this can't be regulated & sanctioned in any meaningful way but it'd be decent to inform others if such practises were used. I still occasionally reload due to making a mess due to miss-click but I can't get myself into repairing & re-pillaging business.
5. I tend to always save the T0 usually for no reason.
6. Yup, the AI really isn't a team player
7. The very few games I do play I seem to most often have those sympathetic barbs on speed dial. Without them, especially on larger maps, nothing much is happening at the start and I'd be bored.
8. I heavily dislike any map that's not a globe - I can't even stand when the larger land masses are connected to polar ice. (Early) Sea faring is screwed up enough already. On the other hand AI will build a navy for every lake if it can't fit the sea vessels anywhere else and AI really doesn't need to be handicapped any more.
9 I like ruins, I want ruines and I love exploration but I may also already be ruined. Surely lucky pops makes a (huge) difference but that's mainly irrelevant if there's no competitive element. What it does, though, is to give much needed variety from the start besides the lack of isn't exactly good news for Pocatello's tribe. But in all seriousness - I can play without ruines but I prefer to have them so I always do in my own games.
In general create the maps without DLC map packs and use spoilers, a lot, when telling a story of a game - nothing new to the previous challenges but a healthy reminder.
I always play with extra set of rules for myself to ease the pain of being an AI so I'm usually fine with them, within limits. Especially fine are banning a policy tree or something along those lines and not so cool are options which predeterminate the outcome too early. These may be seemingly indifferent but generally forcing to play in one way is bad while banning the obvious choice is good.