GOTM will not support Civ3Conquests initially

Just to make sure that no one is inconvenienced by the choice of whether to play Civ3Conquests or games that will be compatible with other players around the world who do not or cannot purchase a functional copy of Civ3Conquests, I strongly recommend that establish a functional mirror copy of your existing Civilization3 and/or PTW installation before you purchase and install Conquests if that is what you choose to do.

You will not be able to play and/or submit any of the following game in the Civ3Conquests software:

Medal Play Series Game 6-2-Persia
Gotm25-Mongols
Medal Play Series game 6-4
Gotm26-Asian Melee
- or -
Gotm27-Game of the Year (to be released in January 2004)

Thunderfall has assured me that establishing a Mirror install will be unneccessary per assurances from Atari's Jesse Smith. You should be able to choose to play games in Civ3v1.29 or PTW or Civ3Conquests because all the programs will be simultaneously and independently installed on your computer.

This means that we only need to depend on you the player to make the correct choice of which software version you are choosing to play to make sure that you do not disqualify yourself from playing the games or generate spurious crashes by inserting the games into the wrong program.

So more simply: I can install Conquests, but I must play GOTM with either my Civ III or PTW disk(depending on which version of GOTM I downloaded) until Cracker,the almighty and benign creator of really cool stuff says so.

This I can do.

This is good news for me here in Brazil. My local stores don't have any idea what I'm talking about when I ask for Conquests. Of course that may have to do with my poor Portuguese. But anyway, thanks for keeping the game availible to those of us who will be conquestless for just a little while longer.

*sigh*

I am really torn here. My life dictates I only get limited time with games - the one game per month of the GOTM was absolutely perfect for me....and I often had to stay up later than I should to get the game done in time.

Now of course, the conquests expansion pack is coming out. At first, I thought I could wait and be loyal to the GOTM. Now, after reading some of the info on the changes, I can't wait to try the expansion pack. The changes are too tempting to ignore!

This news that I can't have both (GOTM&conquests) is a severe blow to me. On one hand, I love the GOTM especially the recent ones..and the Mongol game looks fantastic. I don't want to let those of you working hard on this down by not participating!

On the other hand, If I stay true to the GOTM...I won't get to play conquests until February of next year? Argh! I certainly cannot wait that long...

What should I do?

You could:
A) Give up sleep,
B) Get a job with Atari and get paid to play Civ
C) Move to somewhere where they won't get the expansion until next year
d) Hit the lotto and quit work for full time civving


Actually, I'm in the same boat and I've prioritized as follows:

1. Play any SG game turns that are available (don't want to hold up the others)

2. Play the whichever GOTM or Medal Play game I have going. If it gets too late in the month, I skip the MP game or if the MP game takes me too late in to the next month I only play the QSC portion of the GOTM.

3. If I finish the GOTM/MP game and have time left before the next one, I'll play one of the smaller conquests until 1 or 2 become available. Right now I play PTW on tiny maps in elimiation mode. I played an entire game in 45 minutes last week. Iroquois eliminating Persia, Germany & Babylon. Mounted Warriors rule.

Hope you can find some balance.

Rabies,

I unfortunately think that you failed the reading comprehension test here.

The point of this thread was to make sure that you recognize that this is not the either/or decision process that you have turned it into.

The Civ3Conquests expansion pack should install as an independent program. You will still have the choice to play games in Civ3v1.29 and/or PTW if you install the Conquests pack.

You can still play the GOTMs for at least the next 91 days.

Whjat you cannot do is load the GOTM games into your Civ3Conquests program with creating substantial disruption.

So all we have to ask is that hopefully you will pay attention to what version of the software and what program name you will load your game into. It would be unfortunate if we became overwhelmed with problems with players loading the GOTM games into Civ3Conquests when this would probably create technical and scoring problems that should be avoided.

Originally posted by serttech2003
This is good news for me here in Brazil. My local stores don't have any idea what I'm talking about when I ask for Conquests. Of course that may have to do with my poor Portuguese. But anyway, thanks for keeping the game availible to those of us who will be conquestless for just a little while longer.

Click to expand...

It's because Civ is not so popular as Warcraft or Counter-Strike in Brazil.

But I believe we will be able to find Conquests in Brazil till beginning of December in the major shops and internet shops.

Atari's Brazilian subsidiary would be doing us a great favour if they publish the dates for the launch in Brazil. But what to expect from those guys, who give a description of Conquests in 10 lines or so, saying "coming with new celebrities"

Originally posted by cracker
Rabies,

I unfortunately think that you failed the reading comprehension test here.

The point of this thread was to make sure that you recognize that this is not the either/or decision process that you have turned it into.

Click to expand...

I think he was meaning that he doesn't have time to play both the GOTM and try out the new features of Conquests. He was hoping to be able to kill two birds with one stone, by playing the GOTM in conquests.

Originally posted by ainwood
... He was hoping to be able to kill two birds with one stone, by playing the GOTM in conquests.

Click to expand...

This hope is not rationally or coherently based, with an eye towards understanding that their might be more than one person playing the game.

Right...this somehow went in a unexpected direction. Denyed caught the spirit of my post (and thanks for the tips)...and thanks Ainwood for pointing out that I do not have a reading comprehension problem.

Cracker: I did not wish to imply that the GOTM should have moved to the conquest platform. That would be nice, but as you pointed out, quite impossible. No delusions here – never even hoped for it. I knew this day would eventually arrive.

What I have noticed about the members of this forum is that many of you are in the same demographic - i.e. older, married w/kids. I was hoping to illicit some responses from those in my situation to see how they plan to participate in the GOTM and try out conquests as well. I've been looking forward to some of the campaigns in conquest for awhile now.

Originally posted by rabies
What I have noticed about the members of this forum is that many of you are in the same demographic - i.e. older, married w/kids. I was hoping to illicit some responses from those in my situation to see how they plan to participate in the GOTM and try out conquests as well. I've been looking forward to some of the campaigns in conquest for awhile now.

Click to expand...

I'm planning on continuing with the GOTM since the side-by-side comparison of play is extremely instructive and entertaining. I also feel that I must support the extraordinary, volunteer effort put forth by the GOTM staff. (Non sequitur alert: Will the submission date for the Game of the Year be December 31, 2004?)

With regard to Conquests, I've started dropping hints to my 10-year old son and hopefully he'll get it for me for Christmas. That way, 1) I save money, 2) I get a good gift, and 3) no conflicts between GOTM and Conquests for a couple months.

1) Am I correct in assuming the bonus disk that comes with a preorder of C3C is okay to install?

2) As an older married w/kids (hereafter refered to as hexed), I to intend to play GOTM as much as possible. I am worried that C3C will be so good that I'll be obsessively compulsed to do nothing else -- but I really want to support the GOTM guys. The games listed as C3C prohibited look too good to miss.

Originally posted by HookEmHorns
With regard to Conquests, I've started dropping hints to my 10-year old son and hopefully he'll get it for me for Christmas.

Click to expand...

You're giving him too much pocket money!

I am also with kids (4), but hate to admit being older (37)! I convinced my grudging wife to get Conquests for my birthday next week , although her initial response was "last time I did that, I didn't see you for a month!" I generally play at night, after the kids are in bed, and GOTM takes most of my available game time, especially now that I am trying to also do the Medal Play games. My plan for Conquests is, since they are supposed to be shorter games, to play them during some of my upcoming time off. We get a four-day weekend for Thanksgiving, and I usually take a few days off around Christmas. So I guess my plan is to keep to my GOTM "schedule" and use Conquests for 'bonus' free time.

BTW, while it would be cool to see a GOTM in Conquests, after reading reviews and some comments of testers, it seems that it is in many respects a different game, with totally different dynamics, especially exploration, upgrading, etc. Trying to compare a Conquests game with a Civ3 or PTW is not as easy as adding units or changing a few settings. (Although I'm sure Cracker and staff will come up with something!!).

To Serttech2003 and other Brazilians:

Finally we got to talk with Atari do Brasil and they said Conquests will be launched in the last week of november (between 24 - 28/11) in Brazil.

(Link for the topic in Civ3Brasil Forum)

Sorry if this is too much off-topic. I won't talk about this here again.

I'm in the same position as Rabies here (married with obligations that is ). I (hate to admit it , but I) fumbled my installation of Gotm patches long ago and I don't quite have the patience to spend what preciuous little game time I have fiddling about with installations. So I haven't played the Gotm for some time, but I'll be sure to be back when we get Conquest based Gotms.

Til then:

Edit: better add this before I get by Cracker
I know that you ppl do an awsome amount of work for each Gotm and that you plan well ahead. I'm in no way trying to influence you into doing Conquest Gotms earlier than you can make them.

I fully support not doing conquest GOTM. The initial version of conquest has some major bugs - FP worthless, GPT doubles to receipient, some other wierd corruption bugs and others.

Until at least one patch is out the game is to unbalanced!

Originally posted by cracker
I strongly recommend that establish a functional mirror copy of your existing Civilization3 and/or PTW installation before you purchase and install Conquests if that is what you choose to do.


Thunderfall has assured me that establishing a Mirror install will be unneccessary per assurances from Atari's Jesse Smith.

Click to expand...

Please don’t me but these two statements superficially appear mutually exclusive. Do we need a mirror install or not?

Originally posted by Offa
Please don’t me but these two statements superficially appear mutually exclusive.

Click to expand...

Well not actually exclusive, but apart from dealing out some major confusion they state a clear discrepancy between Cracker's and Thunderfall's idea of the value of assurances from Atari

But about your question, I'm one of the bold people who installed C3C while playing vanilla GOTM25 without making a mirror. First everything seemed fine, but then I noticed some weird graphic (icons) bugs in the civiliopedia, as well as some broken diplomacy phrases . However there don't seem to be any game relevant problems...at least for now...

I'm not sure this is the right thread to say such a thing, but oh well, I didn't feel like creating a new one...

Well, I'm kinda burnt out !! I still like the game, I've just bought C3C, and I am still playing games and I plan to explore C3C more in the future. But as for GOTMs, I think I'm almost over right now.

I've played all of them from #19 to #24 (with QSCs except for #19). I played the treat game with Mongol units (so I had a taste of those Mongol units), and I've submitted my QSC for GOTM 25. But now I'm a little exhausted by this rythm. I messed a little in my current GOTM 25, and though I have a strong position and I have no doubt I would win this game, I'm not feeling like finishing it.

RL issues (exams coming), too much civing (many other games, apart from GOTMs), make things too hard to continue, and what I'd like to do now is to play solo games on my own (without having to report anything), explore the Conquests... Well : take a break. I think I'll still submit QSCs for upcoming GOTMs (Asian Melee and Game of the Year), but, as for completing such huge games, I don't have the time nor the energy... I may play the QSCs just to have a little taste of these games.

Though I REALLY appreciate all that was done by cracker's staff through the year, I have found the GOTMs becoming too boring on one point : the lack of normal stuff in the games !! In current games, you can't even know what kind of civ you deal with (traits, UU...), and the games feel too much like scenarios, which is good from one point of view, but not that good from another... I'm not sure someone gets my point here. I think the GOTMs should be standard games, but I also like some stuff that was added. Being a little messy in my speech, sorry... I know most of my feelings come from that Firaxis didn't help the GOTM staff as they could have (patches...), but anyway guys, you still made an awesome work !

Also the lack of results made it that I didn't feel like continueing games on and on. And because I do too much Civ, I don't have the time to fully enjoy other players' reports, something that should be important when playing GOTMs.

So I'm going off for a while. For good. I plan to train myself on my own, and one day I'll be back better than ever ! And BTW, I also plan to create a mod... playing like mad stole a lot of my free time, and I will never find the time needed for such a task otherwise. And most of the time I have been like "We're on the 30th of the month, I think I should play this GOTM quickly, otherwise..." and so I find myself playing the GOTM like I'll do my homework... That's too sad to cope with. I want the fun back. I have fun, but I want more. Too many things at the same time for one conclusion.

Carry on the good stuff ! Hope to come back on plain C3C GOTMs someday, without any added stuff for a start, once those big bugs have gone.