cracker
Gil Favor's Sidekick
Beginning with Gotm20-Spanish we will introduce the concept of allowing players to choose to participate fully in the standard "Open Class" GOTM game or to potentially self select into a more casual game or a more intense game that will be played on the same map.
The Gotm20-Spanish game will be a Deity level event which will see the introduction of the first "Conquest" Class game option in addition to the more standard "Open Class" game that experienced players will still play.
Like the progression of some sports events (like the Boston Marathon) the central event of the GOTM will continue to be the "Open Class" game just like all the games we have played in recent months. All players will be measured against the results tables and standards set by the experienced and successful "Open Class" players.
Several things combine to make it possible for us to begin offering the option for a "Conquest Class" game. No other game venue outside of the GOTM could probably support this sort of offering because only in the GOTM will you find a database of nearly 2000 prior game results that can be used to set the conditions for a more casual competition that can support comparison to the play in the open competition. We also have the advantages of the GOTM Ranking and scoring system that can fairly score games that are played under slightly different conditions. The long term score of an individual player is not effected by whether some other player submits a game score that is 30 or 40 points lower or even 30 or 40 points higher.
Conquest Class games will be played on the same maps as Open Class Games and will start from exactly the same starting positions. The production difficulty levels and AI costs advantages will be the same for games in the Open and Conquest classes of play. Instead of changing the game mechanics by reducing the key features that get set in the "difficulty level" we will use other techniques to encourage players to rise to new challenges and conquer fundamental game play issues by comparing their games directly to the games of the experienced players.
Players who have played previous GOTM games and finished in the upper 50% of the rankings should continue to play the Open Class games and will not have the option of recording scores for the Conquest Class versions of the game.
The primary difference between the Open Class games and Conquest Class games, will be that the Conquest Class players will receive a map appropriate set of opening bonuses that will be designed to help them cross over an early strategic decision/performance threshold. These bonuses will allow Conquest Class players to more actively experience the challenges of the game while learning to compare their decisions to the decisions, techniques, and strategies of some of the more experienced players under similar game conditions.
As an example, depending on the actual difficulty level of the Open Class game, the Conquest Class players could begin the game with any number of combinations that could include an extra settler, extra units, extra technologies, extra workers, special defensive bonuses, and/or the ability to selectively rush early improvements or units. The intent of the bonuses for the Conquest Class games will be to instill confidence and perhaps address one or two early strategic decisions in a way that will let the Conquest Class players focus in on key issues associated with playing games at the same level as the Open Class players.
While somewhat like divisions of competition, introducing the Conquest Class play is significantly different because it addresses some of the major drawbacks associated with division play. Divisions may tend to segregate games into groups that often bear little or no strategic similarity to each other due to irreconcilable discrepencies in how the production bonuses and AI cost advantages function at the different difficulty levels.
The pace of games in divisions can also be so radically different that players can rarely discuss or share experiences at similar timeline points outside of the limited confines of their immediate self-selected peer groups. Because the pace of Conquest Class games will be very similar to Open Class games, players will be able to discuss Ancient Age events and decisions from a more parallel perspective.
The Conquest Class Games will also facilitate broader discussion and strategy comparisons that can be notably absent when the experienced players self-select out of the lower divisions. When there are few dominating play examples and when the next higher division level has such fundamental cost factor differences, it leaves a much more limited set of examples of strategic play choices which players can use to learn by comparison and observation.
QSC - or Quick Start Challenge
Conquest Class players will be strongly encouraged to participate in the Quick Start Challenge events by submitting a 1000bc save file along with a timeline of their game events up to that point in the game. QSC games that begin with the Conquest Class starting bonuses will have their QSC scores adjusted downward by a fixed number of QSC power points to subtract the value and impact that the added bonuses will have on their game.
As an example: One added settler in the Conquest Class game will have an added point value of 84 (territory) + 20 (town) + 25 (population) + 300 (accumulated production) or 429 points that the open class players would have to build on their own but that the Conquest Class players would be given in their starting bonus allocations.
Conquest Class games will be internally marked for identification by the GOTM scoring process but it would be helpful if Conquest Class players would display the Treasure Chest icon at the beginning of all their message posts in any strategy or spoiler discussion threads so that other players can help to keep any discussions framed in the proper context.
The Gotm20-Spanish game will be a Deity level event which will see the introduction of the first "Conquest" Class game option in addition to the more standard "Open Class" game that experienced players will still play.
Like the progression of some sports events (like the Boston Marathon) the central event of the GOTM will continue to be the "Open Class" game just like all the games we have played in recent months. All players will be measured against the results tables and standards set by the experienced and successful "Open Class" players.
Several things combine to make it possible for us to begin offering the option for a "Conquest Class" game. No other game venue outside of the GOTM could probably support this sort of offering because only in the GOTM will you find a database of nearly 2000 prior game results that can be used to set the conditions for a more casual competition that can support comparison to the play in the open competition. We also have the advantages of the GOTM Ranking and scoring system that can fairly score games that are played under slightly different conditions. The long term score of an individual player is not effected by whether some other player submits a game score that is 30 or 40 points lower or even 30 or 40 points higher.
Conquest Class games will be played on the same maps as Open Class Games and will start from exactly the same starting positions. The production difficulty levels and AI costs advantages will be the same for games in the Open and Conquest classes of play. Instead of changing the game mechanics by reducing the key features that get set in the "difficulty level" we will use other techniques to encourage players to rise to new challenges and conquer fundamental game play issues by comparing their games directly to the games of the experienced players.
Players who have played previous GOTM games and finished in the upper 50% of the rankings should continue to play the Open Class games and will not have the option of recording scores for the Conquest Class versions of the game.
The primary difference between the Open Class games and Conquest Class games, will be that the Conquest Class players will receive a map appropriate set of opening bonuses that will be designed to help them cross over an early strategic decision/performance threshold. These bonuses will allow Conquest Class players to more actively experience the challenges of the game while learning to compare their decisions to the decisions, techniques, and strategies of some of the more experienced players under similar game conditions.As an example, depending on the actual difficulty level of the Open Class game, the Conquest Class players could begin the game with any number of combinations that could include an extra settler, extra units, extra technologies, extra workers, special defensive bonuses, and/or the ability to selectively rush early improvements or units. The intent of the bonuses for the Conquest Class games will be to instill confidence and perhaps address one or two early strategic decisions in a way that will let the Conquest Class players focus in on key issues associated with playing games at the same level as the Open Class players.
While somewhat like divisions of competition, introducing the Conquest Class play is significantly different because it addresses some of the major drawbacks associated with division play. Divisions may tend to segregate games into groups that often bear little or no strategic similarity to each other due to irreconcilable discrepencies in how the production bonuses and AI cost advantages function at the different difficulty levels.
The pace of games in divisions can also be so radically different that players can rarely discuss or share experiences at similar timeline points outside of the limited confines of their immediate self-selected peer groups. Because the pace of Conquest Class games will be very similar to Open Class games, players will be able to discuss Ancient Age events and decisions from a more parallel perspective.
The Conquest Class Games will also facilitate broader discussion and strategy comparisons that can be notably absent when the experienced players self-select out of the lower divisions. When there are few dominating play examples and when the next higher division level has such fundamental cost factor differences, it leaves a much more limited set of examples of strategic play choices which players can use to learn by comparison and observation.
QSC - or Quick Start Challenge
Conquest Class players will be strongly encouraged to participate in the Quick Start Challenge events by submitting a 1000bc save file along with a timeline of their game events up to that point in the game. QSC games that begin with the Conquest Class starting bonuses will have their QSC scores adjusted downward by a fixed number of QSC power points to subtract the value and impact that the added bonuses will have on their game.
As an example: One added settler in the Conquest Class game will have an added point value of 84 (territory) + 20 (town) + 25 (population) + 300 (accumulated production) or 429 points that the open class players would have to build on their own but that the Conquest Class players would be given in their starting bonus allocations.
Conquest Class games will be internally marked for identification by the GOTM scoring process but it would be helpful if Conquest Class players would display the Treasure Chest icon at the beginning of all their message posts in any strategy or spoiler discussion threads so that other players can help to keep any discussions framed in the proper context.
Actually, with the addition of a slightly easier version of the main gotm, I will participate now, at least for < Emperor games.
If yes, how does that affect the Jason Scoring System?
, with no option to run PTW.
. I'll be there!
For my part, this will mean 6 consecutive months of playing a higher level (first 2 on my own, last 4 trying to keep up with GOTM), out of 6 months playing civ3. After this one, the next one is certain to be a relief! 
