Game on LifeSupport?

[General_W]

Please understand I don't want to single out any particular team.

I totally and completely understand that some teams are struggling with lack of participation and complications from technical difficulties due to playing on the unpatched Civ4. I honestly feel really bad for these teams, and appreciate those that are soldiering on and doing their best.

However – as the turns continue to drag on, the participation problems are seeming to become worse and worse and I'm getting worried that this game is just going to die a slow gasping death and never be finished. That would be a tragedy for all the hours people have invested in this.

The last few turns have taken a week to turn around – and the current one has been stalled for 4 days and counting.

Can we come up with a solution to ensure that the game keeps moving?
Maybe the solution is to have a Mod open the save, fortify any units, and set cities to building wealth if a team takes more than 48 hours without posting in the turn tracker?

I mean, our rules for this game say:

3.1. Time Allowed
Each team is allowed 24 hours to play the save and send it to the next team. If they are unable to do so, they may ask the administrators for an extension. No team has to use all 24 hours; please play promptly.

3.6. Punishments for Violations
All violations of these rules will be dealt with on a case-by-case basis by the administrators. Punishment will not be overly harsh or severe. It may included, but is not limited to, skipping of a turn, …

So what I've proposed seems a pretty fair and light "punishment" as it doubles the time allowed, and the turn isn't totally skipped.

Anyway – I'm not committed to any one plan – I just want to open this up to discussion so our game doesn't die.
Let's finish this game so we can start fighting about settings for a BTS MTDG! (Maybe with 3 teams and 2 AI, so each team has more people = hopefully better participation?)

 

[Ginger_Ale]

I would rather not get involved in PLAYING the turns, but instead getting the teams to play the turns themselves. I understand that some teams are having trouble doing that, but I'm sometimes I will be busy and not able to play the turns for a few days.

I think we need the teams that are suffering from a lack of participation/time constraints to post here describing WHAT we can do to help.

 

[Joe Harker]

We need someone who has dual install to play our save, my computer still doesn't accept the dual install.

 

[peter grimes]

So have all of these people been contacted and approached to be a turnplayer?

RoboPig
koondrad
Emp. Killyouall
xyourxmomxcorex
I am the Future
Dux_
gakkun
ranathari
aephelan
jeejeep
Karl Townsend
Jamppa
potatokiosk
joyodongo
King Flevance
Illini Rule
jojon
admiral-bell
Karhu
ml_4da3
erikthecelt
Joe Harker
levyavi
cubsfan6506

I emailed a couple of friends of mine who aren't on these forums to see if they could help out.

Another thing to consider is posting a "Help Wanted" advert in the PBEM forum

 

[General_W]

@Joe – that stinks! I'm sorry. I've had struggles getting a dual install on my PC also, so I feel your pain.
Fortunately, I was able to just give up on it, thanks to the other members of my team that were able to make it work.


It's now been a little over 120 hours since the save was passed on.

While I totally understand that no one is "at fault" here – the rules exist to keep the game fair, fun, and moving.
I'm not looking for a penalty or punishment… but I don't want to see the game just sit here.
If someone from LOCO can say "give us 2 more days, then we'll play" – then I'm ok with that.
I just hope we're not going to continues to sit here and wait with no idea if things will ever change until finally no one is even bothering to check this forum for activity.

 

[erikthecelt]

I've tried to pick up the play for Loco, but my dual install has been modified by the last patch. I haven't seen any other posts in the Team thread, so it doesn't look good. Sorry folks.

 

[Memphus]

If the dual install doesn't work uninstalling Civ 4 only works....

then reinstall civ 4 and patch to 1.64.

after that Beyond the swords & warlords work fine still.

The only thing would be if you have other vanilla games that need to be fully updated.

 

[1889]

I'm in favor of just updating the game to the latest patch.

It is unfortunate that Aloha loose their cavalry bonus but the dual install (triple install with the latest BtS patch) has drastically reduced the number of active players. What do you say Hawaiians, would you take one for the team?

 

[classical_hero]

That does seem to be the most reasonable thing to do.

 

[Memphus]

With the Cavalry receiving a -25% reduction versus other cavalry, i would think a 1 time, increase of say 20% of thier total cavalry could balance this.

Meaning if Aloha has 10 Cossaks, then they would get 2 units modded in for free and let that be the balance.

 

[peter grimes]

That doesn't quite balance out.

5 cossacks at +50% [prepatch vs mounted] = (5*18) + 50% = 180

180 / (18 + 25% [postpatch vs mounted]) = 8

So for every 5 postpatch cossacks produced, they should be gifted an additional 3.

If Aloha is currently fielding 10 cavalry, they would be gifted an additional 6.

But these things get a little screwy - the overall strength is preserved, but that strength is divided up among more attackers, and that's not really fair either

Maybe a better solution is for Aloha to take over playing Loco's turns?

 

[Memphus]

Hey Joe ~

Based on this in the DemoGame Thread....Can you play now?!?!

Quote:
of course if it is just for one game you *could* do the following:
copy the CvCoreGameDLL.dll of Vanilla to a save place (or just rename it) then reapply the 1.74 patch. When you are done copy the saved .dll over the 1.74 one or reapply the 3.13 patch.
This is awkward but the easiest way if you cannot go dual install and want to play this to the glorious end.
Unfortunately my RL does not allow me to join this so good luck y'all

Thanks ori It seems to work.
__________________
Join the CFC Socialist Party at the Model Parliament

 

[Joe Harker]

This game is v 1.61 i believe, my verison is 1.74.

 

[General_W]

I don't object to waiting for a team that can say, "We had X problem, please give us Y amount of time to play."
I do have a problem with just "We have X problem" – with absolutely no indication of when the save might actually get played.

How long will we wait before something is done? A week? Two weeks? A Month? If there's light at the end of the tunnel, I don't mind waiting. If we're just continuing to drive in the dark with no hope, I'd rather take the first exit ramp, even if it's less than ideal.

Keying off what Peter suggested - this is kind of a wild thought, but I know for a fact we have several very honorable players on Epsilon that would be willing to take general orders via PM (build this, move these units here), then play the turn for LOCO, following their orders exactly, without looking at anything more than absolutely necessary, and then not posting a single thing about what they saw or did in our threads.

I'm confident there are players on the other teams that would be able to do this for LOCO also.


144 hours now. The rules say 24. How much longer before we even get an idea of how much longer we have to wait?

 

[Joe Harker]

I don't know what to do, no one seems to be responing, to my messages, or if they do, they don't have 1.61 and seem to not want to dual install (can't really blame them)

I had another go tonight and the computer did not like it at all, it crashed and i had to restore it using Norton ghost.

If someone would like to play the save for us, it would be very welcomed, I am perfectly happy with given orders to them for our team.

 

[1889]

I'll play Loco's turn. Please forward the save and instructions to edandjane@gci.net

Is this a 1 turn solution or until further notice. Also I still think upgrading is the best thing for long term.

 

[General_W]

Upgrading will be great – but I just don't see how it's workable to balance that for Aloha. If we can't get G_A or RegentMan to play a few turns, it seems even less likely we'll get them to Mod a solution that everyone can find acceptable in a reasonable amount of time. I think we just have to wait till Cossacks are obsolete before we upgrade.

I'd nominate DaveMcW to play the save.
But I'm also ok with 1889 doing it – as long as he pledges to not reveal any info from playing it. You know… not mentioning the Epsilon Tanks he may or may not see in LOCO's land… that sort of thing.

I think this solution will work till LOCO can find a turn player. If 1889 needs a break, someone else can step up I'm sure.

EDIT: @ Joe – thanks for trying again. I appreciate it. Life is just like that sometimes.

 

[Joe Harker]

Shall we wait for the other teams agreement, or just get on with it?

 

[Memphus]

Personally I think Pfiffle would be the best team to play for Loco.

for a couple of reasons:

1. they go right after them and can in essence "double play"
2. they are the furthest away geologically.
Nothing against DaveMcW or 1889, but currently Epsilon is at war with Loco, and in the past Innovia was at War with them.

 

[Joe Harker]

True, we never really talk with Piffle and i don't think we have any major deals with them so someone from their team would be good.