Intra-site Multiplayer Sessions

[Chieftess]

This is something I'd like to start just so we get some practice against each other (and try to utilize MP techniques, such as sentry nets, raiding/pillaging roads, being agressive, building cities tightly so a unit can move from 1 city to the next every turn).

Idea: Start a tournament-like style of play. There will be 2 (or 4) leagues, and a number of players. The games will be played "real-time" (not PBEM -- too slow). It might look something like this:

Player		W-L-T	Pct.	GB (Games Behind) Diplo. Dom. Con. Space. Cult. Histo.


Rik Meleet	8-2-0	.800	-		          1    5     2
Donovan Zoi	5-5-0	.500	3                              4                  1
Provolution	3-7-0	.300	5                         1    1     1

(the victory types on the last part being how the player won).

There will be the following threads:

1 - Signup Thread. This is where the players will signup before the season starts.
2 - Game Thread. This is where the players will post a savegame after the game is over, and say who won/lost. All games will be 1vs.1
The forum can be used for discussing each other's games, and discussing strategy.
3 - Schedule Thread. This shows who will be playing whom.

At the end, there will be a tournament (1vs.1) to determine the best 1vs1 player.

Now, there could also be a team-based I(ntra)SDG as well.

 

[GenMarshall]

So, each person that signs up goes into a random slot?

 

[Chieftess]

It's like a schedule in baseball. To make it easier, it could be a round-robin type of game.

i.e.

CivGeneral
Rik Meleet
Provolution
Chieftess
Duck of Flanders
Donovan Zoi

You would play Rik, then Provolution, then me, and so on. Once you get to the bottom, you repeat the cycle. It's so that you don't pick the same person all the time. (i.e., I might have a 50-12 record, but 90% of those games might be against you - kind of misleading).

 

[Chieftess]

Just had a thought - Handicaps.

All players will start off with a handicap of 0 (average). -5 means that you need a lot of help (good starting location). 5 means you're really good, so you get one with jungle and marshes. If a player wins 3 (or 5?) times in a row, the handicap moves up. If they lose 3-5 times in a row, it goes down by 1. Likewise (so there's no exploit in losing 1 game on purpose), winning, say, 75% of the games on that handicap will move you up one -- same for the opposite direction).

If you continue winning at level 5 handicap, then you can become a trainer.

Some examples:

-5	Cattle, rivers, bonus grassland, lots of hills, luxuries, and resources.	
-4	Cattle, rivers, bonus grassland, lots of hills, and resources.
-3	Cattle, rivers, lots of hills, and resources.
-2	Cattle, rivers, and resources.
-1	Cattle, and rivers
0	Average start (no change from what's generated).
1	Jungle infested start.
2	Marshland infested start.
3	Mountainous start (filled with jungle, and/or marsh).
4	Desert start.
5	Tundra start.

 

[DaveShack]

I would settle for a PBEM where all the players stay in the game. If you're talking simul PBEM (both players online but use the mail mechanism) then this might work because at least then you can save and restart the game, or drop back to traditional PBEM if both can't be online at once.

 

[Chieftess]

We could have a PBEM on the side. Those are longer, though, but we can have team-tournaments with that. (There are some aspects of PBEM that are different).

 

[classical_hero]

That would then rule me out since I am half way around the world.

 

[akots]

Why don't you guys go play the ladder? It is a nice place with its own rules, no need to invent something which has been already running for over 2 years. And ranking there are much more important and reliable.

 

[RegentMan]

A PBEM would be nice, but some people can't seem to play a save. I might be interested in doing a real-time game. However, I'm not sure if I could spend the three to four hours required to play (especially on a school night). Me mum doesn't understand...

 

[Hygro]

This sounds fun, I might be interested.

 

[Ginger_Ale]

Depending on when this would be played (weekdays are not a good time for me to invest time in) and how long a game would take, I perhaps would join. Interesting session, but akots, you must agree it is nicer to play against people you know in a small league than against strangers in a huge, wild league. Set up some threads and go for it, there's nothing to lose CT..

 

[akots]

@GA: But you are supposed to learn better and faster while playing with stronger players?

 

[GenMarshall]

We could have a PBEM on the side. Those are longer, though, but we can have team-tournaments with that. (There are some aspects of PBEM that are different).

I beleve that a team tournament would be more appropreate for thoes of us interested in learning the Multiplayer aspects of the game but are to timid and shy to take the controls in the MP game. (I can certanly take this advantage because I have a real bad experiance with PBEM when playing with the CDZ members )