Record for a pbem turn year

[tals]

Just interested i've been playing a pbem game almost since release with pretty much a regular daily turn gen of once per day - only interrupted by some password issues which was kindly resolved in here.

The number of players is 4
The current year is 200BC
The game started Wednesday 2nd November and is still in progress

Is this a record for a Civ IV pbem game?

 

[Mysterio10000]

Just interested i've been playing a pbem game almost since release with pretty much a regular daily turn gen of once per day - only interrupted by some password issues which was kindly resolved in here.

The number of players is 4
The current year is 200BC
The game started Wednesday 2nd November and is still in progress

Is this a record for a Civ IV pbem game?

Wow. You've nearly hit the 3-month mark with 4 players, and you're only at year 200 BC? That's why I don't like PBEM--takes way too long to play the game.

 

[HitAnyKey]

At the rate I'm going with a PBEM I set up with my brother, I'm probably going to hold a record eventually for the longest running PBEM game. He sometimes takes 2-3 days to get the turn back to me.

 

[Sir Elbridge]

Yours is probably the current CIV4 record. PBEM is great for scheduling, suits my contemplative playing style, but many games never finish - especially games with several players. Games that are played to a conclusion take a long time.

 

[tals]

I'd agree with all the responses - pbem is great for a slow burner - particularly if you have a group of players that you know is going to take this to conclusion. On a plus side once pitboss kicks in we really should have some nice large long term games with a reasonable game turn around.

Tals

 

[Sir Elbridge]

Pitboss sounds like a great way to overcome a number of multiplayer issues.

Bring it on! Heck, with my T-1 I may set up a server right here!

Where can I get more info??

 

[Mysterio10000]

Pitboss sounds like a great way to overcome a number of multiplayer issues.

I'm currently hosting a PB game, and it's coming along nicely. Current turn is 1300 BC with 6 humans/0 AI players, no tech trading. It works best if all players can commit to meeting in-game for 1-2 hour sessions multiple times a week. Although I would prefer to invite players from all around the world, these sessions are more likely to happen if all players are in the same time zone (or close to it).

I haven't had any show-stopper issues with the beta version of PB. Myself and all 5 players are able to log in to the server at the same time; I log in using the PC that's running the server. The only glitch I've seen was when my ISP went down for a couple seconds. The PB turn timer stopped, and I was the only one able to log into the server. Restarting the PB server didn't fix the problem; I had to reboot my PC.

The PB server really needs some additional utilities for the server admin, and the game needs an in-game feature that will allow players to tell who's logged into the game and who's not. Only the server admin is privy to this info atm.

 

[Mysterio10000]

Bring it on! Heck, with my T-1 I may set up a server right here!

Where can I get more info??

You can find the PB beta and the associated thread here.

 

[BrutalusMaximus]

I am in Mysterios Pitboss game and it has been really great. Being able to link up for sessions is key.

I think the very best way to start a pit boss game is get people signed up first then have the first turn actually be a session where all play for a few hours. This would let you for sure burn past the first very short turns and get your empire up to a point where you actually may WANT to spend a few hours contemplating.

On the down side the PB game has grabbed my attn so completely that I can no longer really play single player with any satisfaction. Pittboss has ruined CiV4 for me!!

 

[HitAnyKey]

I agree with Brutalus. I'm in the same PB game with him on Myst's server. It's an awesome experience and a load of fun. And I also have only played the single player marathon game I had started a couple weeks ago only a few times this week and only to get in a few turns before bed after doing the PB game.

 

[tals]

Yep I firmly believe that pitboss will be huge once full release occurs.

On a plus side it doesn't require a mega machine and internet connection will hardly be effected by it. On a negative no guarantees that current beta games will be compatible when it goes to full release.

Tals

 

[Furious]

Has anyone EVER seen an email game to completion? I'd be very interested in hearing about it. Unfortunately, I doubt this person exists. It takes several hundred turns to get to the time victory year (2150 AD I think). Even with an average of a turn a day, it should take around a year.

The key to getting the game to completion is having the players around online at the same time and churning the turns efficiently. Pitboss is excellent, but you still need all of the players, barring none, to be online together for a few hours.

 

[Sir Elbridge]

I don't think most CIV games are ever completed, with human or AI competition.

When a game gets to a point where the eventual outcome can be predicted, or where it is no longer fun to play for some reason, it gets abandoned.

My hope is that good human competition, and/or improved AI will keep the interesting for a longer period of time, thus leading to more completions.

 

[HitAnyKey]

You do have a point there. After awhile, in a say a 6 player game some will get killed off. Therefore they won't be able to play in the game anymore. Then it may eventually get down to one or two players being near extinction without any availablility to advance as fast as the other players. Or one player will massivily start to dominate the others and they just won't find it fun to continue playing just so that the other guy can kill them off. Especially when it'd be more fun to just declare one guy the winner, then start up a new game with a handful of people to then see who can get to the point of being delclared the winner of that one.

 

[Furious]

I don't think most CIV games are ever completed, with human or AI competition.

When a game gets to a point where the eventual outcome can be predicted, or where it is no longer fun to play for some reason, it gets abandoned.

My hope is that good human competition, and/or improved AI will keep the interesting for a longer period of time, thus leading to more completions.

Okay that's true. My point was that no Email game has continued even up to the point you describe, where there's a clear outcome. That still takes many turns, on the order of hundreds.

 

[Mysterio10000]

Okay that's true. My point was that no Email game has continued even up to the point you describe, where there's a clear outcome. That still takes many turns, on the order of hundreds.

Oh, py-sha! Don't listen to Furious. He was about to quit our game because China (which, BTW, sucks) was attacking him with better-tech units, until we enlightened him about the benefits of cracking the slavery whip on his minio...er, citizens. He tends to want to abandon his cities when he sees the enemy gathering upon distant hills.

Unfortunately, he's turned into quite the slave driver, forever fueling his thrist for revenge against the sucky China. His citizens are pissed off to no end, his land's been pillaged, and his cities have the economy of a child's lemonade stand. But his army of 13+ Longbowmen made it all worthwhile for him.

 

[Corossol]

Unfortunately, he's turned into quite the slave driver, forever fueling his thrist for revenge against the sucky China. His citizens are pissed off to no end, his land's been pillaged, and his cities have the economy of a child's lemonade stand. But his army of 13+ Longbowmen made it all worthwhile for him.

LOL! Best Post. That was a good read while relaxing after our intense PTBS session.

 

[EL_OSO]

Has anyone EVER seen an email game to completion? I'd be very interested in hearing about it. Unfortunately, I doubt this person exists. It takes several hundred turns to get to the time victory year (2150 AD I think). Even with an average of a turn a day, it should take around a year.

I've completed 2 C3C PBEM games and one CPTW game should be done in about 15 turns with a space ship launch. It is the early 1800s in this game with 3 human players.

One of the C3C games was with one opponent and 8 AI on a huge map. The other one was the napoleonic scenario with 6 humans. It is a shorter scenario and ended with a victory point victory.

No one in their right mind should go for a point victory at 2050 in Civ IV or Civ III if you ask me.

 

[Rommel2D]

Okay that's true. My point was that no Email game has continued even up to the point you describe, where there's a clear outcome. That still takes many turns, on the order of hundreds.

Over at Apolyton, I know of dozens of CIII PBEMs with 4-6 players that were played to the bitter end. The tournament I ran had 16 players in 4 first round games and the 4 winners playing the subsequent championship. With me enforcing Pitboss-like rules, all 5 games eventually finished, taking about 9 months each round. Games like this blow away SP and online MP IMO.

Completions are still a paltry ratio of games started, but definitely worth mentioning. CIV with PTBS and better start placement, game balance, etc. should significantly improve that ratio. Simul should also make a big improvement for this, but that's apples and oranges for comparison...

 

[DocScott]

I've created a mod to help make PBEM games playable in a more reasonable amount of time. I haven't tested it yet in a PBEM game played "in anger"...I won't post it anywhere until I've tried it that way, so I know I've got the kinks worked out. But basically the key was doubling the speed of all non-air combat units, and increasing non-combatant units (like settlers) from speed 2 to 3. Then I took the "quick" mode and made it even quicker. Oh, and everyone starts with 3 settlers, a worker, and five warriors.

I really think the key is that all speeds are scaled up: tech, unit building, and unit movement. It's almost like each player just gets to move twice before the next player moves. (I did add increased visibility to more unit promotions so that the chances of surprise attacks are not quite so devastating.)

Interestingly, the mod has some nice side effects on gameplay--notably, terrain is much more important than before. Now a nice thick jungle really slows down invading armies, since footsoldiers (of whatever era) can move two spaces per turn over plains and only one through jungles/forests/hills.