New pitboss

[2metraninja]

OK, here is the info for the game CFC pitboss 2014 :

game address:

pitboss.watto.no:2060 - actual address

caledorn.no-ip.org:2060 (no longer active)

Link for tech notifications from our kind host Caledorn (like server problems, maintenance downtime, etc):

http://realmsbeyond.net/forums/showthread.php?tid=7117

Civstats:
http://www.civstats.com/viewgame.ph...o have fun and to have challenge.[/B][/COLOR]

 

[2metraninja]

Signed up so far:

1. 2metraninja
2. Garrett1196
3. civtilidy
4. ReallyEvilMuff
5. Imp. Knoedel
6. Filon
7. Dick76
8. HBHR
9. Elkad

We are looking for 2-3 players more in the next few days and we are good to go woohoo!

 

[Garrett1196]

I'll join, if we get anymore people.

 

[civtilidy]

I got 600 views for my ip game thread yet only 2 interested. Im in if we get some ppl. I can ask those 2 guys if they have interest here since we never have time to play live. Pitboss is semi-live right?

 

[ReallyEvilMuff]

Go for it, I'm in. Not done pitboss before but lots of normal multiplayer. From what I understand pitboss is simultaneous turns with a long turn timer? Just sign in and play when you can?

 

[2metraninja]

OK guys, glad to see there is interest. It seems old-school CFC pitbossers are all retired or gone to RB though as I do not know any of you. Anyway , glad to meet you

So, in short, a pitboss is a way Civ to be played in which there is a server, which is active 24/7 so all players can connect and play their turn when they want/can. Normally the timer is 24 hours, so each one to have a shot at playing no matter of time zone or something. If someone is not played his turn to the 24-hours limit, the turn just rolls. If all players play their turns earlier than the 24 hours, it turns too, so a turn can be way shorter than 24 hours actually. Also, if someone asks for a pause, there must be such, as what is the fun in playing against inactive opponent

There is also something called double-move order. Once in war, all the belligerents must maintain the turn order set in the turn before war is declared to avoid someone moving his units twice before his opponent have a chance to react. Yes, in online playing the ability to move twice before your opponent do this once is a virtue, but here it is not. Online you are both able to move and who makes it depends to some degree to who is prepared to do it and who have quicker reactions or at least who have more luck. In pitboss this depends on who have more spare time to be available all the time, which is not good thing to decide who gets advantage. Because of that, double- moving is forbidden at all.

Other specifics are the no- tech trading setting. In the long investment MP between people which is the pitboss, it is considered better measure of civ skills if people do not trade techs. Because if 2 or more players trade techs, it is extremely hard to someone who is not trading to keep up with the ones that trade. Because of that (and many other reasons among those) tech trading is usually forbidden in pitboss.

With all this said, be aware, that a normal pitboss lasts for about a year and by deciding to join you commit to trying your best to finish the game and play your turns in timely manner.

We do have some other players from different sites, who will be joining, so we will have the players to make the game happen. We also have a dedicated server available. Usually a normal pitboss is somewhere between 7-8 and 16 people with 10-12 as average number of players. Other players from CFC interested, please, state this here.

 

[2metraninja]

Few more words regarding pitboss. I've done quite a bit of "normal" civ multiplayer in the gamespy lobby, or over lan, or in hotseat, even pbem. I find pitboss the best variant for myself (and other dedicated players too) as it allows to think more when you play. Also, it fits the grown - ups (which are most of the civ4 players these days anyway - hey, the game is good 10+ years old already) social life and free time (Civtilidy not managing to get online game organized because windows to play rarely match is good example of this). Plus you get to know the people you play with, there are bonds created and the sense of community is way stronger than when you play for 1-2 hours online with a random dudes at gamespy lobby. So, yeah, pitboss is a lot more fun than it sounds (when I struck first time with pitboss I was like: Meh, a single turn per day? Wont I get insane from all the waiting and the slow pace?). No. It might seems slow, but it is not that slow.

 

[ReallyEvilMuff]

I'm playing a few PBEM games atm so will seem fast compared to those!

 

[civtilidy]

If a turn rolls, has it the same effect as hitting enter?(for inactive player) So production will be done, queued actions will be taken... Also what about city finishing production? Does it randomly select new item to build or does not produce anyting? Cant test this in SP as its impossible to hit enter before selecting production.
Also im only in if can play Bismarck
About the double movement, is it like simultaneous turns?

 

[2metraninja]

Yes, if turn rolls, it is about the same as if you force End-Of-Turn by pressing ctrl-enter. Production is done, workers do what they are told, beakers are added to your technology bar, coins are added/sustranced from your stash, etc. If city finishes production, the next thing in the production queue is selected. If nothing is put in the production queue, then nothing is selected and you lose the hammers. Maybe with city governor turned ON, he can select something for you to put in production, have to test this. But it is highly undesirable situation if you lose turns. If you have RL situation which will mess with your playing turns, then you post here and ask for a pause. Or you ask some of your friends who play civ to play few turns for you with instructions from you or folowing his common sense.

And you can test this in SP, you just need to set up the game enabling the "minimize advisor screens" or something like this. In this case, you can hit EOT without selecting production or research or whatever.

About playing Bismark, I think there wont be much people wanting to play especially him, so I think it wont be a problem. But in principle, who plays what is selected either random, or by the so- called "Snake pick" - the list of players is randomized by the host or admin using random.org and then the first in this list chooses leader OR nation, then the second chooses until they go to the very last in the list and then they go upward. So the first to choose leader will be choosing nation last. This is with "unrestricted leaders" option enabled. But we can well play with restricted leaders as well. It just gives more options to choose from with unrestricted.

About the double- move, I am not 100% sure I understand your question. Yes, the game is with simultaneous turns, but because people are not all the time online, double- moves are forbidden. For example: your nation A want to declare war to a nation B. And you want to play before your opponent in the turn. Then you try to play before him in the turn before you actually declare him war. Then he plays after you. Turn rolls, new turn is up. You try to log in before him and then you can declare him a war. And from this turn on, until you sign a peace, you both must maintain this order - you play first in each new turn, then he plays after you. You are not allowed to log in after him in the turn, despite there can be a lot of time - you already played and hit EOT. And he is not allowed to join the game in the new turn before you finish your turn, because you are playing in the first half of the timer. Hope this makes clear. Ask any other things you might get as questions.

 

[civtilidy]

Allright think I understand. So worst case is if ur the last to hit enter-next turn-move again right away.
So if you want to declare war on A on turn 2, you are only allowed to do this in the same order (regarding to A) as you played turn 1? i hope the order can be posted here if it comes to multiconflicts.

 

[2metraninja]

Yes, sure, people do declare such things. For examples: "Byzantium declared war to France, taking the first half of the timer."

About how you know if your opponent already played or no, and if it is your turn to play already, there is a site-utility for this, which is called Civstats. Look at this sample game to see what I am talking about:

http://www.civstats.com/viewgame.php?gameid=2593

 

[2metraninja]

Regarding double-moves, yes, most clear double- move is if you want to declare war to someone, he is already played his turn, then you log in after him, declare him a war, make your moves, hit EOT, the turn rolls and then you play again before him.

But also double - move is if in the previous example you log in after your opponent and play your turn normally. Then log out without the turn rolling. Someone else then logs in and finish his turn, making the turn to roll. Then if you log in before the player you want to declare war to, you are not allowed to declare him a war. If you want to declare him a war this turn, you must wait for him to play his turn and just after he is done with his moves and hit EOT, then you can login and declare him a war.

 

[civtilidy]

Looks good. Can be real fun with many players and all the diplomacy involved. I like slow games cause its when people play at their optimal potential. otherwise micro and diplomacy boores most. You more feel like a ruler of ur civ in slow games. How many ppl have you found from other sites?

 

[2metraninja]

Yes, slower games give you time to think more micro, to think more strategies, to feel like real leader of your nation. Especially with diplomacy involved. But be warned - sometimes diplomacy is a real chore and many times real disappointment. As people tend to see things in agreements different and sometimes even following the letter of the agreement can be exhausting and not enough. Anyway, I think you will like the dynamics of the diplomatic interaction.

I did not advertised actively the game, but I can be sure about 4-5 other people. Maybe more if I start sending PMs.

What you guys think about playing the game at Quick speed instead of the Normal? This way a game normally finishes in under a year.

 

[civtilidy]

I vote for normal. I think already there the movement is not scaled properly as an army can be obselete before it has marched to the enemy especially on bigger maps. quick is worse than worst...

 

[2metraninja]

In principle yes, army obsoleting quicker is a problem with quick speed. This makes for a bit more different dynamics in the game. But not worse for sure. Quick have it's beauty.

Anyway, I am OK with either Quick or Normal.

Also, I think we must start thinking about other settings. Lets say we aim for 10 players. How much land we want per player? And how many land masses? Do we want one pangaea (most stupid proof setup), or we want continents? If continents, how much continents?

 

[ReallyEvilMuff]

I am more versed in quick speed so would prefer that, but normal is cool too. Do you get someone to generate the map or is it a complete random map. If it is completely random then I would prefer a more uniform map type like inland sea which will give everyone roughly the same land area and amount of neighbours. Pangea is nice but can be a little unbalanced for those that spawn in the middle. Continents is cool too, but I do prefer the ability to reach everyone on land. I would like as much balance as possible over anything else though.

 

[civtilidy]

Personaly I like random script. You start as a tribe with no knowledge about what world you live in just as reality. Just think about the fun setting sail from a crowded continent and discover new land to claim giving you an edge, making ur maps vauable. Say we take terra, all knows america exist but on random no one does.
3 mapcreation-methods can be excluded there. I also vote for large or huge map depending on amount of players.

edit: I am refering to "RandomScriptMap"

 

[2metraninja]

Total random is fun until you dont find yourself on isolated tundra peninsula. So yeah, I would like random script, but I would prefer someone who will not play in the game to check the generated map to make sure we have no isolated or by some other means screwed starts. Inland sea is OK for map. Though those in the corners are again better suited than those in the top-bottom and east-west sides of the map.

As for size, I would like something more normal. Like Normal for 8 players and just if we go to 12 players we to go to Large. Believe me, Huge maps are slow, slow, slow and so much time consuming. Normal for 8-10 players means everyone will have space for something like 8-10 normal cities before starting to compete for land with neighbors.