Multiplayer Challenge

[Caias Jupiter]

This challenge is for players who don't have a lot of time but still enjoy civ2.

It is a simple scenario that strips the game down to battle tactics quite quickly, though the tech race is very important.

The map is four square islands close together, each with equal access to a pond like playing field with a central island.

The point of the game is to capture the island and build your palace (headquarters) there.

You can do this by buying the island or taking it with force. You need money to buy the island. When you select the save, you select the amount of money you will need (approx) to buy the island.

You can get money by getting techs, by hunting ships (including your kitty corner opponents transport) or by sacking the four main cities, or the four cities closest to the center of the map (60,24).

To buy the city you require a spy or a diplomat. Each player (of 4) has a main character who has diplomat abilities. Once you have enough money, you can use him to buy the central city and win the game. However, if he dies, you die. You can also use him to steal a tech one time, after which he disappears...and you can no longer buy the city.

To take cities you require key techs....so the trade and toggling sciences are paramount. Every turn counts.

My record for capturing the central city (on 16,000 gold setting) is 1988.

The game is purely about battle strategy and game theory (think payoff matrix: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Game_theory)

With 4 players and 2 minute turn time limits, it can be very exciting and non-time intensive.

The Challenge is to beat a 1988 win in single player mode. For multiplayer contact me and we will set up a game.

Caias Jupiter
3george33@gmail.com

 

[Ali Ardavan]

I am confused. What is the relationship of the two pictures you have posted?

Scenarios have custom time lines. I am not sure what 1988 means in this context. How many turns into the game is that?

What are the starting conditions for the 4 players?

Is this pure civ2 or some later variant like Test of time?

 

[Caias Jupiter]

The two pictures are adjacent to one another. An island from each corner of the 1st map sits just outside each corner of the 2nd map, given the map is continuous of course.

If one divides the 2 pictures into 4 columns, the inside islands (2nd column) match with the inside corners of the 2nd map (3rd column) and the 1st and 4th column islands and corners also match.

The timeline is custom, though there might be something about the scenario that isn't within the usual parameters, given I am relatively new to the site here (I used it for a bit in 2003, as I recall, then stopped until last year).

1988 is the 44th turn. In my record game, Uncle Vinny moved his headquarters to Ape Island on that turn.

It turns out I am unfamiliar with any precedent set that qualify the terms "starting conditions", but please do fill me in!

The scenario is pure civ2 MPG ( ). The units are collected from those works posted by the many talents on this page and one other site. I tweaked the rules and events files and came up with the concept which originated in 2001 as make-shift attempt at a game of battleships with another fellow.

The main difficulty I've had is balancing the research rate. Thus green is the easiest to play, orange perhaps 2nd, white perhaps 3rd (if not second) and grey last.

Any feedback is welcome.

 

[Ali Ardavan]

The two pictures are adjacent to one another...

Thanks for the explanation. Now it makes sense.

It turns out I am unfamiliar with any precedent set that qualify the terms "starting conditions", but please do fill me in!

In the regular game you start with 1-2 settlers, 0 gold, and 0-n techs (n being a small number). In a scenario you can start with any number of the above, plus any number of cities with or without infrastructure. That is what is meant by starting conditions.

The main difficulty I've had is balancing the research rate. Thus green is the easiest to play, orange perhaps 2nd, white perhaps 3rd (if not second) and grey last.Any feedback is welcome.

Grey? Do you mean cyan which is the color of Americans, Chinese, and Persians in the game? Assuming that is so, in this set up (white, green, cyan, orange) there will be two key civ holes: purple and yellow. Thus research is more expensive for the Supreme and the Moderate than it is for the Mighty and the Strong.

 

[Caias Jupiter]

What are the starting conditions for the 4 players?

Starting positions vary every so slightly. Each player gets:

63 techs
180 gold
15 units
2.5 million people, roughly [4 cities between 7-9, 1 city at 12]
4 cities each with:
Grain Silo
Market place
Library
Water Reserve
Bank
City Cathedral
University
Trading Desk
Sewer System
Harbour
1 City with:
All of the above, less harbour
Headquarters
Military Base
Movie Theatre
Courthouse
City Walls
Television Network
Factory
Police Station
1 Island, roughly 10 by 14 squares

Grey? Do you mean cyan which is the color of Americans, Chinese, and Persians in the game? Assuming that is so, in this set up (white, green, cyan, orange) there will be two key civ holes: purple and yellow. Thus research is more expensive for the Supreme and the Moderate than it is for the Mighty and the Strong.

In my game the colour is grayish/brown, the selection for Germans, French or Vikings. So the four colours are: white, green, gray, orange. The green consistently has cheaper research than the other three, who are equal. I read the thread on key civ holes (which I haven't really looked into, thus figured out yet) after building the scenario. So to adjust the imbalance green starts with less population and a few less developed squares. Thus green should be played by the weakest player.

Have you tried the scenario yet? It's uploaded to the file database and titled "Ape Island," so, if you find the time, you can find it there.