AGRICOLA: I did not take your post as any kind of insult
Andu, thank you for your most welcome words, I am truly relieved.
I really thought that I had put my foot in it and unwittingly insulted you, but couldnt figure out how.
If I may, I have a few comments on your last posting:
I would add 1500 bc to these saves, as at that point in the game, it is somewhat easier to determine if anything is "amiss." Had this been the case, then at least two games on the current HOF would have been easily determined to be the product of "unfair advantages" vis-a-vis submissions of other players.
Couldnt agree more, my estimate is 4 or 5.
What I think might be a middle ground between your position and my position is a "bonus" score system for early finishes, similar to that used in GOTM; this would provide a measure for "strength of play" that would render the use of the FCT to a more or less "academic" consideration.
Ive never tried GOTM so I have no idea how its rules could be modified to handle what I see as the main choices that a player may face in an HOF game: finish game earliest by conquest, finish a bit later by landing on AC, or grind it out to the bitter end using FCT to maximize population and getting max FT, AC and peace bonuses. Tough call, I think.
On the theoretical maximum score: My calculations put it at 39,698 [254 cities x (127 pop. + 20 happy citizens) = 37,338; plus 2360 for space ship and other bonuses). So our calculations are comparable.
I think my number may be the correct one because it is possible to own 255 cities and still have one or more other civilizations in existence. However, it does take quite a bit of luck to do it. Heres how:
1. Fairly early in game, <1000 AD or so
2. Civ regen in effect (does anyone know when regen stops functioning?)
3. All 255 city slots occupied
4. Only unused areas are arctic, desert, forest, etc. with few if any good city locations left
5. Target civ reduced to 1 city
6. When city killed, replacement civ may be generated in form of settler and possibly a fighter of some kind
7. Because of the lack of good city sites, there is a chance that settler cannot immediately found a city
8. If so, your settler/engineer founds a city to fill all 255 slots.
9. If no luck, kill the new alien city and try again, hoping to end up with 255 cities and one wandering alien settler.
10. If killing this civ produces no regen, go on to next civ and repeat procedure.
Obviously this is more theoretical than practical but I have seen it happen.