Civilization PBEM???

[Hommer]

Hello All!

I am playing in Civilization since 1991, but I am tired to fight against stupid and cheating AI. I take look for multiplayer ability of Alpha Centauri (& AK) but I wasn't impressed by it.

Last winter I found the perfect Civ-like game called

E-CIV!!!

E-civ not just a clone of Civilization-1 (as Civ2-3 and AC), it is completely different game! But if you played in original Civilization, understanding of rules and gameplay of this one would not be difficult.

Here are main features of E-civ:

0) E-civ is PBEM (Play-by-Email) multiplayer game. Single player mode is not supported, sorry.

1) Simultaneous actions of all Empires (Game mechanics more similar to MOO and Stars! than to original Civilization)

2) Completely different city management. Just take a look on screenshot!

3) New, complex combat algorithm.

4) Now population is REAL population, not just citizens in cities , and affects your Empire in many different ways. For example, you cannot train a huge army if you don't have enough peoples in your cities.

5) Completely changed system of resoures. Not only shields, food and commerce, but... Hmm.. It is long story.

And so on. I'm tired.

The main problem of the game is low popularity, E-civ is PBEM multiplayer game, and you cannot make a party with your friends when you want...

That is not commercial information - I'm an ordinary member of E-civ community. But if you want to know more about it - ask me the questions!..

(Special thanks Alexey Petrov for correcting my terrible English )

[DaEezT]

It looks hella complex!
I'm scared! Please hold me

[Hommer]

It is a really Strategic game. And what you want? Tetris?

I'v been wrong to attach such big picture.

[Hommer]

http://e-civ.univer.kharkov.ua/eng/

This is a official cite of this game. It is not commercial product, therefore you don't find there any beaty screenshot or marketing phrases. Only rough information...

Sorry 4 my english again.

[DaEezT]

the link doesn't work for me

hmm, that game looks strange, look what it says at the top of that popup window:
Science: 220%
Gold: 223%
Food: 462%
Shields: 195%
well... I'm confused:crazyeyes

[Hommer]

Hmm. This cite sometimes is fallen down. Try to login to it without using Proxy-server (if it is possible) - it sometimes caused a problem also. I have another link, but this cite in Russian only. http://e-civ.narod.ru

These procents are the multipliers of proper CITY biuldings. This means that science building in this city has multipler of 2,2. E.g. Library has maximum capacity of 50 peoples and productivity of 1 science point per men, then in this city it can generate 50*1*2.2 = 110 science points.

The production, food and money buildings work similarly.

[Hommer]

I found it! This is the rules of game in English! Size is ~115K.

[Hommer]

I replace big file (1024x768 screenshot) by smaller file, 800*600. Colors are distorted...

[Achinz]

At least one is.

Have just downloaded the essential files but not installed them yet. Superficially there are similarities between e-civ and the other web-based clone, 1000AD posted in this forum. It seems both of them incorporate the resource model of the older Colonization game eg wood and stone (ore in Col).

So this is totally MP? Being mostly an SP player it'll be a bit of a steeper learning curve for me.

[Hommer]

>Have just downloaded the essential files but not installed them yet.

What needed to install?.. I thought the client is distributed in simple archive...

>Superficially there are similarities between e-civ and the other web-based clone, 1000AD posted in this forum.

I haven't seen the 1000ad yet. But I try.

>It seems both of them incorporate the resource model of the older Colonization game eg wood and stone (ore in Col).

Resourse model in e-civ is rather different from Colonization - there are 4 main resourses and 3 (possibly more) strategic resources, and ALL other game's objects is constructed from one type of this resources (except of population, of course ).
But in Col there are many resourses, and they can be converted in ONE thing only (e.g. sugar in rum, tobacco in cigars etc).

>So this is totally MP? Being mostly an SP player it'll be a bit of a steeper learning curve for me.

Yes, it is PBEM only, this is certainly a main problem for game understanding. But if you feel you are real Civilizator...

If you don't want to play, just read a rules. They consists of many reasonable things.

And how about it? I play in e-civ for many times and I thought that is a realistic game. But in the last game... See and enjoy.

[Dell19]

Some of those menus look distincly Visual Basic-ish...Especially that last one however I doubt they would have used VB...So what did they use to make it?

[Hommer]

No. It is VERY complex program (Client for E-Civ), and it is written by SINGLE man. It is impossible to write such program using VB.

Server 4 e-civ is made by the same man. But rules of game are made by group of men...

Why you ask this question? I don't mind which language or tools were used for creation of Civ3 or Wizardry8...

[Achinz]

Originally posted by Hommer
What needed to install?.. I thought the client is distributed in simple archive...

Not having had any experience with clients at all - could you explain how the client actually interfaces with the the host? ie what do I have to do to with the uncompressed client to play?

Resourse model in e-civ is rather different from Colonization - there are 4 main resourses and 3 (possibly more) strategic resources, and ALL other game's objects is constructed from one type of this resources (except of population, of course ).
But in Col there are many resourses, and they can be converted in ONE thing only (e.g. sugar in rum, tobacco in cigars etc).

Except for wood and ore?

I think the game is praiseworthy though

[Achinz]

This is a PS. I missed the fact that this is PBeM (Play by e-mail).

Hommer: could you give simple instructions on how to start playing once the client has been set up?

[Hommer]

>ie what do I have to do to with the uncompressed client to play?

This was a joke. I really dislike Install Shield Wizards and other useless programs except of archivers such as Rar, zip, arj. And on the e-civ server the archives of clients are usually in zip-mode.

>Except for wood and ore?

Yes, in Col these two resourses are used in many ways. You forget tools also.

>I think the game is praiseworthy though

I don't understand what you mean (my english isn't very good).

You wanna start to play? But have you seen any game's reports? Don't forget, this is not usual game, this is human-only strategy. If you forget smth and smb will came and get your cities, you cannot say "Hey, you are cheater" and press Load game.

So my instructions are:

1) Get as more reports of different game as you can (better from different games and different players).

2) Try to see it turn-by-turn. Analyze what you see.

3) In progress of seeing it is a good idea to make a own order, this means to give the empire your commands. At least I cannot resist for doing that.

4) The last part of preparation: to send letter to the GM of E-Civ (gm@univer.kharkov.ua) with the application to the game.

In e-civ server we have some different types of games:

1) Pro: for elders of e-civ (the hardest games)
2) Middle: for experienced players
3) Novice: For players, who knows the basic of game
4) Wait: 4 everyone
5) Team: For team play; the difficulty is about the same as a Pro
6) Test: for testing of game mechanics
7) Int: international; for non-russian-languaged players.

I think you better play in Int games, because of diplomacy is a great part of any PBEM game. Hovewer when you should learn the game a bit, it is not a problem to play in any game: english is not a great problem for most of players.

I attach a picture of a building for making wolfs. See and enjoy.

[Hommer]

Wow, my english is not very good. Is is a terrible.

If you should see reports from the past games, I can send you MY reports (not the current turn - I don't sure that you cannot be my hostile neighbor ).

[Achinz]

"praiseworthy" = worthy of praise = "I think you have done great work!" I have great respect for someone who tries a second (or third language) other than their native one. A shame that most English-speaking people are not so motivated. Ya govorite "Ochen horosho!"

Thanks for the instructions - I will have a good read and report back.

[Hommer]

Hmm, I'm not a creator of this game , and even a elder of it. I'm a simple player. However, I have a good e-civ rating.

We really need for natural english-languaged people, who can help us to make a revision of English part of our cite.

And see another attach, science tab of city. As you can see, it is possible to learn by city scientists 6 sciences (one per school) in the same time. But usually there are other cities , and you CAN learn MANY sciences in single turn.

Why I post these screen? Because you cannot see it in other places - our game is not commercial...

[Achinz]

Originally posted by Hommer

We really need for natural english-languaged people, who can help us to make a revision of English part of our cite.

I'd be happy to help when I can log in.

[Hommer]

Thanks for attention.

But I have question for forum admin or moderator - why I don't recieve e-mail notifications for answers in this topic (I check E-mail Notification box when created a topic and check it in every my post). What's wrong?..