2019 Heptathlon

[CKS]

So, we had discussed how we might run a heptathlon competition over this past year, though we didn't really come to a consensus on how to score it. It seems not to have been a big success. Glancing through the results tables, I found only two people who submitted games with all 6 victory types. (I didn't double check this, though, so forgive me if I missed anyone.) Regardless of how the score is determined, Lanzelot is clearly the winner here.

Did having the competition encourage people to submit more games or to submit a wider variety of victory conditions? Did it make things more fun for people who played GOTM/COTM? For me, I definitely submitted a wider variety of victory conditions (but not more games), but I don't know that it was more personally fun. Are we going to continue it in 2020?

 

[Più Freddo]

Well, what can I say but to agree to all points?

In general, the reduction in the number of games seems to have coincided with a general reduction in interest. If one caused the other is difficult to know.

Now we're just a very select club of old men playing an ancient computer game. I'd say we skip the Heptathlon of the Year.

 

[Takeo]

Now we're just a very select club of old men playing an ancient computer game.

That comment really hit home. I turned 53 yesterday and I have been playing Civ3 since it was released, now almost 19 years ago!

 

[Lanzelot]

Did having the competition encourage people to submit more games or to submit a wider variety of victory conditions?

Yes, it definitely motivated me to try for all victory conditions (and therefore to submit all 8 games). Then there were Garvarg and CKS with 7 submissions -- CKS also with the full range of VCs, but Garvarg unfortunately didn't try Spaceship and Diplomatic. And that's pretty much it in terms of "regular submitters". There were a few more with 5 submissions and most of the rest in the 1-3 range.

Interesting to see: the fastest victories in each category are concentrated on a few games, almost all of them COTMs, only one victory went to a GOTM:

Conquest | COTM146, 310AD, Lanzelot
Domination | COTM146, 250BC, templar_x
100K | COTM147, 1265AD, Memento
20K | COTM149, 1435AD, templar_x
Spaceship | COTM149, 1200AD, Più Freddo
Diplomatic | GOTM174, 990AD, Lanzelot
Cow Award | COTM147, 1305AD, Lanzelot

Looks like C3C really made the game easier in most aspects compared to PtW. The Republic slingshot, better Armies and 3beaker-scientists have a big impact, overpowering the two advantages of PtW: RCP and better Forbidden Palace.

 

[Captain_Jack]

So, we had discussed how we might run a heptathlon competition over this past year, though we didn't really come to a consensus on how to score it. It seems not to have been a big success. Glancing through the results tables, I found only two people who submitted games with all 6 victory types. (I didn't double check this, though, so forgive me if I missed anyone.) Regardless of how the score is determined, Lanzelot is clearly the winner here.

Did having the competition encourage people to submit more games or to submit a wider variety of victory conditions? Did it make things more fun for people who played GOTM/COTM? For me, I definitely submitted a wider variety of victory conditions (but not more games), but I don't know that it was more personally fun. Are we going to continue it in 2020?

I don't know if we still have a Heptathlon competition, but I am aware of the various victory conditions and will try to obtain a variety as my style of play evolves. It is helpful that the tables are separate for GOTM and COTM as there are more opportunities.