GOTM too low difficulty

[AlanH]

However, in GOTM a lot of things can be done to reduce AI strength and to enhance human position. If all AI civs will be placed on small islands with limited resources and human civ is placed on a rich island along letting human to develop, things may look different. Yet it will be interesting ,original and unusual.
I may be wrong, but I suspect that such game on SID level can be designed.

How would it then be different from Demi-god [edit: or Deity], except in name?

 

[solenoozerec]

How would it then be different from Demi-god [edit: or Deity], except in name?

I guess we will have a smaller but stronger AI civs. Although such AI civs would not be as advanced as on random maps due to limited area and problems with communications, it will be very difficult to conquer such civilizations because their prouction rates and unit support will be higher.

 

[Butzull]

Even as a newbie, I'm not convinced Warlord or Chieftain xOTMs achieve the desired goal for newbies. Reason being that if that's your skill level at the time, comparing your "struggle" to a OCC or an AAC or whatever else the elites do to make it interesting for themselves (and for me to read ), isn't really all that viable.

Neither am I a big fan of a month where both games are on REALLY tough levels. For the player who gets creamed by both of them, or indeed scared off by them, 6 weeks between "playable" games will seem a loooooong time.

Butz. groucho

 

[Jove]

Arrrr, I think we ought to scrap the idea of a Sid xOTM unless there is a mass voicing of support for the idea. I've been reading SirPleb's HOF Sid game, and while it is very impressive and interesting to read, informative, uh, really somthing to chew on folks, I really don't think I want to go through that, even if it results in victory. Furthermore, I believe that many people would feel the same way if they understood what is really going to happen to them in a Sid game. Of course, the map would be idealized to make it possible to win, and even perhaps to take out some of the random effects, but you're still going to be in for the long haul, I mean, start on the 1st and don't take too many breaks... Especially if you're winning. I think a lot of regulars to the xOTM would not submit because there just isn't enough time in a month. A month might not be enough time, really, for a Sid game. If enough people truly feel like something is missing if there isn't an official Sid competition, maybe there oughta be a Sid-of-the-Quarter game, or maybe a Submit-yer-Sid-by-July game. I just think it's too much for what even the fanatics(and there's a lot of those around here) have come to expect from an xOTM.

 

[Darkness]

Well, when discussing Sid, I went to the guru (our technical consultant, and an 'OK' player ), Aeson.

His view from his playing is that Sid is simply too random - in short, in the early game, a 'bad' RNG and the AI simply decides to smoke you, and that's the game over and done with. Not a very meaningful way to compare strategies between different players, because only the very good ones will have any chance, and even the very good ones have a chance of being wiped-out early on through no real fault of their own.

Excellent argument Ainwood/Aeson!

Comparison between such games would indeed be meaningless.
Consider my (half-joking) suggestion for a SID level COTM dropped...

 

[Doc Tsiolkovski]

Sid don't looks like a good idea to me
But I for one would prefer something like Emperor or DG, or what about a REALLY ugly start instead of those we usually get?

 

[eldar]

I suspect that an ugly start at anything more than Monarch might put off those of us (who can't qualify for 'Conquest' class, especially) still not confident enough above such levels. Sure, it'd be helpful to see how the top players coped, but numbers would drop off.

Maybe we need (as has already been suggested) a re-definition of the qualification for 'Conquest' class, so that you qualify if you've failed to finish in the top half at that difficulty level.

Neil.

 

[Hannabir]

I have to say that I found the present COTM (5, on regent) rather boring, after the opening puzzle was solved, despite the excellent map. I stopped playing long before 1000 BC, partly also because it was clear that I had to finish the entire game to qualify for the first spoiler thread.

 

[Doc Tsiolkovski]

I must agree to some extent with Hannabir. Luckily I aimed for 20k anyway, so I played against the date, not against the AI.
COTM4 was a bit tedious because of the large map, didn't really like that.

I suspect that an ugly start at anything more than Monarch

I was thinking of Monarch or maybe Emperor - note I wrote 'higher level or ugly start'. But I do agree here, a normal boring/ugly start will turn most players off. But something like the (random!) map in Stranded would be really fun IMHO.

 

[grs]

To throw another aspect into the discussion...I would say you could make the games a bit more tougher in respect to their starts. In the last games we played, we almost always had an excellent start; e.g. an easy settler factory at hands, not cornered by the AI, etc. I think the challenge would be higher with slightly tougher starts.