Game Schedule 2017

[Più Freddo]

The GOTM series of friendly competitions is a community effort.
Please feel free to volunteer to design a game!
Send a PM to Più Freddo.

Game | Civilization | Level | Required VC | Release | 1st Spoiler | Final Spoiler | Submission | Creator
COTM128|Rome|Regent||4 Jan 17|7 Jan 17|14 Jan 17|15 Feb 17|Quintillus
GOTM156|France|Emperor|20k|25 Jan 17|28 Jan 17|4 Feb 17|8 Mar 17|Lanzelot
COTM129|Persia|Emperor||15 Feb 17|18 Feb 17|25 Feb 17|29 Mar 17|Più Freddo
GOTM157|Aztecs|Monarch|Domination|8 Mar 17|11 Mar 17|18 Mar 17|19 Apr 17|Più Freddo
COTM130|England|Demigod||29 Mar 17|1 Apr 17|8 Apr 17|10 May 17|Più Freddo
GOTM158|Greece|Deity||19 Apr 17|22 Apr 17|29 Apr 17|31 May 17|Più Freddo
COTM131|Japan|Monarch||10 May 17|13 May 17|20 May 17|21 Jun 17|Più Freddo
GOTM159|America|Warlord|100k|31 May 17|3 Jun 17|10 Jun 17|12 Jul 17|Lanzelot
COTM132|Inca|Regent||21 Jun 17|24 Jun 17|1 Jul 17|2 Aug 17|Più Freddo
GOTM160|Spain|Emperor|Space|12 Jul 17|15 Jul 17|22 Jul 17| 26 Aug 17 (*) |Lanzelot
Game | Civilization | Level | Required VC | Release | Spoiler | Submission | Creator
COTM133|Carthage|Emperor||2 Aug 17|12 Aug 17|13 Sep 17|Più Freddo
GOTM161|Scandinavia|Monarch|20k|23 Aug 17|2 Sep 17|4 Oct 17|templar_x
COTM134|Iroquois|Demigod||18 Sep 17|28 Sep 17| 30 Oct 17 |Più Freddo
GOTM162|Korea|Regent|Diplomatic|4 Oct 17|14 Oct 17|15 Nov 17|Più Freddo
COTM135|China|Monarch||25 Oct 17|4 Nov 17|6 Dec 17|Più Freddo
GOTM163|Celts|Emperor|Conquest|15 Nov 17|25 Nov 17|27 Dec 17|Lanzelot
COTM136|Greece|Sid||6 Dec 17|16 Dec 17|17 Jan 18|Più Freddo
GOTM164|Ottomans|Monarch|Space|27 Dec 17|6 Jan 18|7 Feb 18|Più Freddo

(*) Added three extra days (from 23rd to 26th), because the start got delayed. -- Lanzelot

 

[Più Freddo]

Here are the BIX and BIC scenario files to be used when creating GOTM and COTM games, respectively. I've updated the scenario files to fix the "default rules" as required for these competitions.

Also provided is a PediaIcons.txt file including definitions for allowing Austria as a civilization. All players are encouraged to always use this file in lieu of the one installed with the game by default. There are only additions, and they don't interfere with normal games. The file must be placed in the <installation directory>\Conquests\Text directory, e.g. in my personal installation:

c:\Program Files\Firaxis Games\Civilization III Complete\Conquests\Text\

It is prudent to first rename the original file and then copy the one provided here into the directory. The process is then reversible. This change to the installation must be made only once.

There is also a German-version PediaIcons.txt file. Only use this file if you have a German-language installation. Rename the file to PediaIcons.txt.

There are two base scenario files for COTM. COTM.BIQ includes China but not Austria and COTM_A.BIQ includes Austria but not China. It is not possible to have more than 31 civilizations in a BIQ file, so for 32 civilizations we need two different files. It is up to the game designer to pick one of these for each COTM game. In this way, it will be possible to include Austria as AI player as well. Of course, games based on COTM_A.BIQ will only be playable after the change to PediaIcons.txt has been performed.

 

[Più Freddo]

The game schedule is created with the principle never to have the same civilization trait two games in a row (per PTW/C3C), and to circulate the unique units between early, middle and late.

The difficulty level goes for Play the World:

1. Regent
2. Emperor
3. Monarch
4. Deity
5. Regent
6. Emperor
7. Monarch

and for Conquests:

1. Regent
2. Emperor
3. Demigod
4. Monarch
5. Deity
6. Regent
7. Emperor
8. Demigod
9. Monarch

The idea here is to have varying difficulties between high and low, and with 7 and 9 items in each list, the combined pattern over both games is pretty long.

 

[Più Freddo]

Civilization order for PTW:

1. Rome
2. Iroquois
3. China
4. England
5. Persia
6. Japan
7. Carthage
8. Arabia
9. Germany
10. Egypt
11. Zululand
12. India
13. Russia
14. France
15. Aztecs
16. Greece
17. America
18. Spain
19. Scandinavia
20. Korea
21. Celts
22. Ottomans
23. Mongols
24. Babylon

 

[Più Freddo]

Civilization order for C3C:

1. Rome
2. Persia
3. England
4. Japan
5. Inca
6. Carthage
7. Iroquois
8. China
9. Greece
10. Arabia
11. Germany
12. Portugal
13. Sumeria
14. Egypt
15. Zululand
16. India
17. Russia
18. France
19. Aztecs
20. Austria
21. Byzantines
22. America
23. Spain
24. Korea
25. Celts
26. Ottomans
27. Mongols
28. Babylon
29. Netherlands
30. Hittites
31. Maya
32. Scandinavia

 

[Più Freddo]

Rule changes for PTW:

• The Great Wall Wonder: gives free walls in all your towns/cities on the continent
• Explorers and equivalent unique units have been moved from Navigation to Astronomy
• Space Race - SS Stasis Chamber Has been moved from Synthetic Fibers to Robotics
• Republic Government Unit maintenance cost is 2 gpt/unit with free unit support of 1/3/4 for town/city/metropolis
• Mobilization has been turned off
• Archer/Bowmen added defensive freeshot at 1/0/1
• Longbowmen added defensive freeshot at 2/0/1
• Marines Increased attack strength from 8 to 12 and cost increased to 120 shields
• Radar Artillery Movement increased to 2 and rate of fire increased to 3
• Lethal Sea Bombardment for all air units that can bomb targets
• Lethal Land Bombardment for all bombers and steath bombers
• Fighter operating range increased to 6
• Bomber operating range increased to 10
• Jet Fighter operating range increased to 9
• Stealth Fighter operating range increased to 12
• Stealth Bomber operating range increased to 16
• F-15 stats increase to 8/4/1 (range of 9) with bombard at 6/0/2 lethal land & sea
• Helicopter transport capacity has been increased to 3
• Stealth Fighter stats increased to 8/6/1 with bombard at 6/0/2
• Stealth Bomber stats increased to 0/5/1 with bombard at 18/0/3

 

[Più Freddo]

Rule changes for C3C:

• Flood Plains do not cause Disease
• Jungles and Wetland have their Disease level lowered from 50% to 25%
• Knowledge of Sanitation cancels Disease in Jungles and Wetlands

 

[Più Freddo]

Rule changes for both PTW and C3C:

• Iron locations are fixed
• Workers are popped from Goody Huts instead of Settlers

 

[Quintillus]

So I guess this is the appropriate place to ask, what's the proper way to go about suggestion an idea for a game or submitting a potential game? I came up with an idea a month or two ago that I think might make for an interesting GOTM (or more precisely, COTM, since I don't think it would work as well with a single pre-set victory condition), but don't know the process for how they get created.

Also the difficulty charts can't be correct; they don't include Warlord or Sid, but the game lists do, and I know we do occasionally have Warlord/Sid games, such as the current COTM 127.

 

[Più Freddo]

So I guess this is the appropriate place to ask, what's the proper way to go about suggestion an idea for a game or submitting a potential game? I came up with an idea a month or two ago that I think might make for an interesting GOTM (or more precisely, COTM, since I don't think it would work as well with a single pre-set victory condition), but don't know the process for how they get created.

Please feel free to volunteer here or in a PM to me. Why don't you try your idea out with COTM128 Rome Regent?

The procedure is the following: Download the corresponding archive, unpack it and load a .biq/.bix file into the editor. In the Scenario properties, change XXX to the correct game number. Create the map. Load the scenario into the game and immediately save and make a screen shot. Send the save to AlanH. Either set up the pre-game discussion thread yourself or send me the starting-location picture and a description of the game.

Also the difficulty charts can't be correct; they don't include Warlord or Sid, but the game lists do, and I know we do occasionally have Warlord/Sid games, such as the current COTM 127.

I have changed one Regent game to Warlord and one Deity game to Sid. We make one of each per year. See the previous Game Schedule thread for details/discussion.

 

[Quintillus]

Sounds good. I've started on it.

 

[Lanzelot]

Rule changes for both PTW and C3C:

• Iron locations are fixed
• Workers are popped from Goody Huts instead of Settlers

If I remember correctly, the last point is done by switching the order of "start unit type 1" and "start unit type 2", e.g. "start unit type 1" becomes the worker, and "start unit type 2" becomes the settler. Did you test, whether this influences the start units of the AI? For example, the rules for Sid specify as additional start units:

• Defensive land units: 12
• Offensive land units: 6
• Start unit type 1: 2
• Start unit type 2: 4

which means a Sid AI starts with 3 settlers and 5 workers. It would be quite unfortunate, if with our modified biq, a Sid AI instead starts with 5 settlers and 3 workers.... (Unfortunately I didn't pay attention in the replay of my COTM127, as to when the AI settled towns 4 and 5....)

 

[Più Freddo]

If I remember correctly, the last point is done by switching the order of "start unit type 1" and "start unit type 2", e.g. "start unit type 1" becomes the worker, and "start unit type 2" becomes the settler. Did you test, whether this influences the start units of the AI? For example, the rules for Sid specify as additional start units:

• Defensive land units: 12
• Offensive land units: 6
• Start unit type 1: 2
• Start unit type 2: 4

which means a Sid AI starts with 3 settlers and 5 workers. It would be quite unfortunate, if with our modified biq, a Sid AI instead starts with 5 settlers and 3 workers.... (Unfortunately I didn't pay attention in the replay of my COTM127, as to when the AI settled towns 4 and 5....)

I did discover this feature as I designed the Scandinavia/Dalecarlia Sid game and updated the .biq and .bix files accordingly. It does have a minor impact also on games on lower difficulty levels. It should be all correct now.

I've also corrected the COTM_A.biq file where Austria replaces China. It can be used freely to design games.

So please, for new games, always download a new starting file from this thread!

 

[Lanzelot]

I downloaded the GOTM.zip from post #2 for creating the next game, but when I generate a map from it and then start a game, only the Zulus are selectable for the human player, and only the difficulty level Emperor is selectable?!

I think I will be able to figure out what's causing it and fix it in the bix, but perhaps you should update post #2 with an "all-purpose" GOTM.bix?

 

[Più Freddo]

Oops, thanks, will look into it at once!

 

[Lanzelot]

It's under "Scenario --> Player Properties". Player 1 is hard-wired to Difficulty Level = Emperor and Civilization = Zulu. (And Player 1 is the human player in a single-player game...)

I set both fields to "any". Players 2 - 7 already had Civ = any, but the Difficulty Level was set to Emperor as well. Not sure whether that has any influence on a started game? (Can different players in a game play under a different difficulty level?!?) In any case, I set all of them to "any" in my game to be on the safe side...

 

[Lanzelot]

Rule changes for C3C:

• Flood Plains do not cause Disease
• Jungles and Wetland have their Disease level lowered from 50% to 25%
• Knowledge of Sanitation cancels Disease in Jungles and Wetlands

Should we do these changes also for GOTM? I started a little test game for GOTM156, and already on turn 22 Paris was struck by flood plain disease.

 

[Più Freddo]

I set both fields to "any". Players 2 - 7 already had Civ = any, but the Difficulty Level was set to Emperor as well. Not sure whether that has any influence on a started game? (Can different players in a game play under a different difficulty level?!?)

I don't know either. I always set each one of them to the proper difficulty level for the corresponding game.

 

[Più Freddo]

Should we do these changes also for GOTM? I started a little test game for GOTM156, and already on turn 22 Paris was struck by flood plain disease.

Sure. Good luck with that. I've tried, but haven't succeeded. E.g. I thought it would be a good idea to set the property "ends disease" on some early technologies such as Pottery. Doesn't work. Feel free to hatch some better ideas. Or implement it better. My conclusion was to avoid FP starts altogether in GOTM.

 

[Lanzelot]

Sure. Good luck with that. I've tried, but haven't succeeded. E.g. I thought it would be a good idea to set the property "ends disease" on some early technologies such as Pottery. Doesn't work. Feel free to hatch some better ideas. Or implement it better. My conclusion was to avoid FP starts altogether in GOTM.

Well, maybe it does work: France starts with Alphabet and Masonry, and I didn't go for an early Pottery in my test game... so that explains, why I got flood plain disease... For GOTM156 I now set Masonry to disable flood plain disease. Let's hope it works...