GOTM Techniques, Cheats, Rules & Discussion Thread

[Magic_gorter]

It's in this thread.

If I understand it correctly it only can be used when playing an OCC game with MGE.

I never played OCC with MGE edition so I don't know if the agressive AI is causing more problems to win the game.....how many players use this trick? I still have no objection against it but if the majority is against it I don't mind to change the rules in this case...

 

[Ali Ardavan]

If I understand it correctly it only can be used when playing an OCC game with MGE.

That is not true. The bug appears when playing certain versions of MGE and it can be exploited once per turn according to SowThinker (See response 220 of the same thread). Since this is obviously a bug and only available in certain versions I think it should be illegal to exploit it.

 

[Magic_gorter]

I just tried it myself and you're right Ali.....it's indeed working as SlowThinker describes.

I will copy this part of the discussion to the rules thread (where this discussion can be continued).

 

[Magic_gorter]

Moderator Action: Moved/copied posts

As described in the posts before it seems that the use of <nil> caravans can be a big advantage.
The use of them is still allowed in the rules, but to me it looks like it's a pretty big advantage.

Please discuss how you (all other GOTM players) think of this....Next week I will decide if this rule should be changed (based on the discussion which may follow).....

 

[Peaster]

Thanks for providing the link - now I vaguely remember seeing this before. To me, it doesn't seem a big deal either way; apparently, the exploit has been known and legal for 9 years, but nobody [almost?] has used it. I'd suggest letting it go, unless it becomes a problem.

The equally-reasonable alternative is to forbid it. In that case, I wonder about enforcement - is there some reasonable way to check whether the exploit was used ? If not, are we OK with "the Honor System" instead ? In this case, I am.

 

[Ali Ardavan]

The equally-reasonable alternative is to forbid it. In that case, I wonder about enforcement - is there some reasonable way to check whether the exploit was used ? If not, are we OK with "the Honor System" instead ?

Many things are not enforceable. For example, you cannot detect whether someone reloaded for better hut/battle outcomes. The competition relies on the honor system for many things.

 

[Major Advantage]

It obviously is a program-bug, so I think it should be disallowed.
On the other hand, dealing with the AI is way harder in MGE than classic, so the <nil>-caravan could as well be allowed as a little compensation. Furthermore, I think most players use classic, so allowing/disallowing this trick wouldn't make much difference anyway.

I have another question: What about the "zoom-home-trick"? I assume that it is allowed (and have used it a couple of times in the current GOTM) but it is not mentioned in the rules.

 

[Jokemaster]

It is allowed, I have used the zoom to city trick in the only game that I submitted and that had the results shown (GOTM 118) and people have been using it in succession games too.

 

[Inkerman]

I hadn't fully appreciated the situation that arises when you are finishing a conquest game when respawning may or may not happen (game option restarts=on).

In a current game, GotM 134, I reached a point where I took an action that I thought may or may not have caused the game to end, because of the uncertainties of re-spawning. Just before I did this I made the final save file.

In fact the game did end after I then finished that turn, so I have just submitted, but now replaying from this position gives me the impression that both outcomes were reasonably likely. It looks like it is the turn end processing that determines if there is an ending.

I didn't mind too much either way in fact as there were more points to be gained in the next few turns. (My score was 789. The score at the start of the next turn is 815.)

Clearly I could have done a bit better!

 

[Inkerman]

Well, after playing GotM 142 I am able to answer my own ill-defined question.

For the GotM 142 item with comments from others please see here.

Whether the game is going to end or not is determined when the "last" civ is eliminated.
But if you don't have Marco Polo Embassy (MPE) or United Nations, (both of which give an embassy to every other civ) you do not necessarily find out if there's been a re-spawn before the end of turn.

And as the game only runs the end sequence showing the score if the last civ has been eliminated since the last load, we should make a save - that may be submitted for scoring - just before the action that eliminates the last AI civ. Do not replace this save unless you know there has been a re-spawn.

 

[haleewud]

So I do all of the things that are normally done before ending the game (setting luxuries, populating settlers, etc.) then I create the save file. Then I attack and destroy (or capture) the final AI city/unit. I finish the end of the turn and the game runs the end sequence. So I use my save file to submit the game.

Now the person doing the scoring opens my file and kills/captures the final AI city/unit. But when they do it, a respawn occurs.

So, here are my questions.

How does the scoring on this work? Do they reload until a respawn does not occur? Do they just figure out the points based on the state of the game even though there is still an AI civilization?

BTW, I think if you bribe a respawned settler before it gets a chance to build the city, then the game does not recognize that the civilization is actually dead. So even though there are no units for the civilization, the game will continue (forever).

 

[Magic_gorter]

So I do all of the things that are normally done before ending the game (setting luxuries, populating settlers, etc.) then I create the save file. Then I attack and destroy (or capture) the final AI city/unit. I finish the end of the turn and the game runs the end sequence. So I use my save file to submit the game.

Now the person doing the scoring opens my file and kills/captures the final AI city/unit. But when they do it, a respawn occurs.

So, here are my questions.

How does the scoring on this work? Do they reload until a respawn does not occur? Do they just figure out the points based on the state of the game even though there is still an AI civilization?

When checking the games I will replay until respawn doesn't occur. Then I know what the score is. Thats why it's important to mention how to replay the last turn when submitting the game. Otherwise I will replay the way I think it should be played.

However there might be a situation where i think it's unlikely the game is finished indeed. In that case I will ask for an extra save. The save after winning the game.

I have never asked anybody for such a file yet (since GOTM 91) but it may be smart to make that extra save (use a different filename then the save just before the end or you might lose that save).

 

[Lilyblack]

I am thinking of joining in on the next GOTM, and reading the rules, I found three I don't understand, at all:

Airbases can only be used for tactical purposes. They may not be used to replace railroads and farmland.
The unsinkable trireme/uncrashable plane trick is not allowed.
Caravan Rehoming is not allowed.

Feel free to tell me this is the wrong thread, or lambaste me for being lazy

 

[WildPony]

I am thinking of joining in on the next GOTM, and reading the rules, I found three I don't understand, at all:

Airbases can only be used for tactical purposes. They may not be used to replace railroads and farmland.
The unsinkable trireme/uncrashable plane trick is not allowed.
Caravan Rehoming is not allowed.

Feel free to tell me this is the wrong thread, or lambaste me for being lazy

There are glitches in the game that gotm does not want people to exploit.

Building an airbase automatically provides the square with railroad and farmland. If you place an airbase on every square in each of your cities, you will have fast, easy rail and farmland everywhere, even if you have no intention of ever using these squares to land your planes. Thus building an airstrip with the intention of exploiting this is a no no.

Crossing a sea without ending the move next to land is supposed to provide a 50/50 chance of having the trireme sink, but the unsinkable trireme trick allows you to take two steps instead of three and have a 0% chance of sinking in the middle of the ocean. Also a no no : ). Similar with air units.

Every unit you build has a home city, the city in which it was built. You can move these units to any other city and rehome them as one of the options of what you can do with that unit. A huge exploitation can occur when trade caravans built in low trade cities are re-homed into a super trade city before sending them out to be delivered. Now a trade from a size one city that might have yielded 25 gold and 25 science might be able to yield 1000/1000 from a size 20 STC instead.

 

[Lilyblack]

There are glitches in the game that gotm does not want people to exploit.

Building an airbase automatically provides the square with railroad and farmland. If you place an airbase on every square in each of your cities, you will have fast, easy rail and farmland everywhere, even if you have no intention of ever using these squares to land your planes. Thus building an airstrip with the intention of exploiting this is a no no.

Crossing a sea without ending the move next to land is supposed to provide a 50/50 chance of having the trireme sink, but the unsinkable trireme trick allows you to take two steps instead of three and have a 0% chance of sinking in the middle of the ocean. Also a no no : ). Similar with air units.

Every unit you build has a home city, the city in which it was built. You can move these units to any other city and rehome them as one of the options of what you can do with that unit. A huge exploitation can occur when trade caravans built in low trade cities are re-homed into a super trade city before sending them out to be delivered. Now a trade from a size one city that might have yielded 25 gold and 25 science might be able to yield 1000/1000 from a size 20 STC instead.

Thanks very much. I did not know about those. I have been silly enough to build farmland *and* railroads on airbase squares.

 

[WildPony]

Thanks very much. I did not know about those. I have been silly enough to build farmland *and* railroads on airbase squares.

You are most welcome

 

[alwalo]

Lately I have been playing a lot of civ2, thinking about trying some GOTM, but since there is not much going on right now, can I play older games and post results ? I still need to work on my game, I have gotten pretty good at early game up to Colossus and MC, now trying to understand and optimize trade caravans.

EDIT: And if not, would it be considered spam if I just post results for fun and comparison of victory times

 

[WildPony]

Lately I have been playing a lot of civ2, thinking about trying some GOTM, but since there is not much going on right now, can I play older games and post results ? I still need to work on my game, I have gotten pretty good at early game up to Colossus and MC, now trying to understand and optimize trade caravans.

EDIT: And if not, would it be considered spam if I just post results for fun and comparison of victory times

Hello Alwalo, I am sure it is welcome and i have been doing the same over the past year or so.