Sesn02 - The Bare Necessities, NOT

[SesnOfWthr]

Well, I've been sitting around bored the past couple of nights, and since I only have 7 SG's and a PBEM going, seemed like the perfect time to start another game! Well, actually, three are almost over, 1 is going very slow, and another is a 3CC which (hopefully) won't be such a huge time investment.

Anyhow, on to the specifics!
C3C 1.22
Level - Emperor
Civ - Aztecs
Climate - wet, normal, 5 billion
Map type - Standard Continents 70%
Barbs - Roaming
Opponents - 7 random
Aggression - normal
Victory goals - All enabled, but I prefer warmongering, and culture is out (see variant)

24 hr "got it", additional 48 hrs to play
Skips will be honored as requested, however, if you skip more turns than you play, or if you miss turns without posting, I reserve the right to replace/drop you, as appropriate.

No-No's - The Usual. You can refer to Aggie's ruleset, or LK's. I imagine anyone who will join this game will know what is expected. If not, ask, and I will provide a definitive list.

Variant - No Optional Techs (NOT) - credit to Vossibeer.
Seems pretty clear, right? We may not research/discover any tech that is "optional". The easiest way to distinguish is to look at the tech tree. Optional techs have a circle with a slash through it on them. In the AA, these include Lit, Mon, Rep.

The Great Library may not be captured, unless we have already discovered Education. This will essentially be a no-research game, since we can't build libraries, and therefore Unis. We will not be a SCI civ, as that would give us a chance at Nationalism. Also, there will be no knights or cavs. There's quite a lot of optional techs when you think about it, including most governments....

EDIT:
We have opted to add another little variant in to the mix. We will not honor any twenty turn deals to the end. We may break them on turn 1, or turn 19, but they must be broken before expiration.

At any rate, I may be a fool to want to do this, but I'd be willing to bet there are some like-minded fools out there...

Roster:
Bede
Gozpel
SJ Frank
SesnOfWthr
Scoutsout
Matthewv

We are now open for business. Any customers?

 

[gozpel]

Count me in.

 

[SesnOfWthr]

Done. Somewhere between 2 and 4 spots left.

 

[gozpel]

I have to print the rules, since I'm simple-minded and forgetful

How do we treat eventual goodyhuts if/when an optional tech is available? Walk the other way I would guess.

 

[SesnOfWthr]

If that problem were to arise, then yes, we would have to walk away, or set research on the optional tech so we don't get it.

However, that's not all that likely, since the only optional techs we could possibly get from GH's would be lit, Mon, and Rep.

I have to print the rules, since I'm simple-minded and forgetful

Simple minded? I know you're not. Forgetful? Perhaps.

I did make it clear that currently the only rule is no optional techs, right? Maybe I should have left out those minor variants until the team said they wanted something like that...

 

[SJ Frank]

Can I play? I was thinking of a "no-optional-tech" solo game myself, but playing it as a SG is much better.

For the additional variant, I have kicked this idea around for a while, and have play tested it a bit. I will outline it below, and let the team decide:

Kingdom of the Clowns

Every city must host at least one entertainer. That means, when a new city is founded, the first citizen have to be a clown

A very simple rule, but it has devastating effect on the initial expansion, which I think fits well with the no-optional-tech variant. The start of a no-optional-tech variant will play very similar to a normal game, except for the city locations. The Clown variant certainly spice it up a bit.

This variant is only playble as an Agriculture civ. And I would suggest knocking the difficulty all the way down to Monarchy. The combined effect of the two variant should equal about 1.5 levels.

So what do you think?

Edit: re-read the opening post... I think my idea probably changes the original game too much. For a slight additional variant, how about this:

anti-agricultural
- may not bulid granaries, may not build aquaducts (growth to size 12 via fresh water is okay, hospitals are okay)
- workers may only irrigate tiles that are next to fresh water, until Electricity.

Or this, if you like challenge :

anti-militaristic
- may not bulid barracks
- elite units may not attack

 

[Bede]

Let me make sure I understand this....

All governments are optional except feudalism, IIRC. So warmongering despots or barons...

Oh, to heck with it, sign me in.

 

[SesnOfWthr]

You're on the roster, Frank. (is Frank OK? I'm kinda lazy...)

We'll hold off on any additional variants until the roster is set and we can get a majority agreed.

 

[gozpel]

Ok, I should be able to remember one rule. For now. If we want more I will try to remember the others. But I kinda like the breaking deals idea, I've been playing too many games as Mr. Niceguy.

Emperor too easy, so breaking deals is ok.

Demigod, without breaking rules and played as "normal" with luxes and stuff. We can't rely on muscle-power all the time, not even on DG. Just for difficulty, we could keep the non-road for luxes/resources, but I'm a big fan of commerce So I don't really know and I rather let other people have their say before I start to whinge.

Civs: Aztecs, Vikings or Iroquois. I haven't play them too much yet.

 

[SesnOfWthr]

And brother Bede too.

I'll PM Scout to see if he's still interested. Either way, I'm willing to take one more.

And yes Bede, I realize it will bear some eerie similarities to your #2.

 

[SesnOfWthr]

For the civ, I would prefer to avoid Vikings, as we used those in Sesn01. The zerks were great, but this is an entirely different game.

I wouldn't mind either Aztecs or iroquois, though I'm not a huge fan of Jags because of the ultra early GA.

I was kind of fond of the breaking deals thing too, but we'll still wait on that.

 

[SJ Frank]

You're on the roster, Frank. (is Frank OK? I'm kinda lazy...)

Thanks

Frank is fine. SJ is fine too (and it's a 75% saving off of my full name, for those really lazy people out there )

We'll hold off on any additional variants until the roster is set and we can get a majority agreed.

Agreed.

 

[Bede]

If I could propose an alternate to the Kingdom of Clowns, the Empire of Insects (homage to Robert Heinlein) where every town must have at least one specialist citizen, whether clown, scientist, tax collector, cop or engineer....

 

[matthewv]

I would like to join, if possible.

 

[SesnOfWthr]

I like that twist on Frank's idea Bede. Of course that would play right into your hands, now wouldn't it. Maybe if we do that you have to take the game for one turn each set and do all the MM.

 

[SesnOfWthr]

Double post. :shrug:

Many things are possible, Matt. (is Matt OK with you? Lazy, etc)

Done deal as long as you are up to it.

 

[matthewv]

Sure, it doesnt matter what you call me.

 

[gozpel]

How are cities supposed to grow with it's citizen sitting as a clown? Of course, we can add workers to get the pop up....

 

[Bede]

The broken deal idea is another good one. So, how about the Aztecs (Militaristic/Agricultural)?

 

[gozpel]

If we would vote I like Emp and trash our reputation early and forever. ROP-rape, cut own roads, everything we can think of to tick the AI off Of course we can make peace when things is hairy, and just as quickly backstab them.

I actually like the idea and Aztecs would be perfect. Who cares about despot GA, I've played many games with that.

The main problem I see with Optional techs ar the Govs, but since I never played with Feudalism I would be happy to try. Or stay despot all the way, I don't care. Done that too.