Shurrock - MA Team-based PBEM game (Recruiting)

[Alneyan]

I would like to host another team-based game, much like in the spirit of my Dom 2 Entwined Destinies. The recipe is simple: take several teams of two players (even numbers are best) and make them duke it out. In Entwined Destinies, this led to a pretty interesting game with a lot of warring and a creative nation synergy on the part of the winners (namely YellowCactus and CUnknown, as Mictlan and Ulm).

I expect to run the game through Llamaserver, as Llamabeast has kindly accepted to let me be as lazy as humanly possible. I will not take part in the game (for the players in Entwined Destinies, I will also not succomb to the temptation of subbing for players who went AWOL. It was fun alright, and it had little impact on the game, but itjust doesn't hold water when it comes down to hosting policy).

So, if you would be interested in playing in that sort of game, feel free to join in, even if you don't have a teammate yet. A few points about the settings:

For this kind of game, a warparound map with hand-picked starting points seems to work best, so that all teams are no more than a few provinces away from all other teams, and all capitals are evenly spread out. Suggestions for the actual map would be appreciated.

Assignment for the nations will be carried out on a team basis. Each team will pick one nation in order, and the order will be reversed for the other nation. The players should discuss which nations they would like beforehand, though, so that the nation assignment doesn't take too long.

In Entwined Destinies, graphs were off but some information was provided every five turns in a midly obsfucated form. I don't think this process hid much information, but the idea of only getting graphs every few turns could be interesting.

[HJFudge]

I would LOVE to play this game. Anyone wanna be my partner? What age and such?

[Zeldor]

Alneyan:

Partners in teams are neighbours on a map, right?

[Lazy_Perfectionist]

What era are you thinking about- and roughly what size?

I'm interested.

[Alneyan]

- Partners start next to each other, with one province between them to reduce the odds of insta-domkill.

- Size should be around 10 provinces per player, but given the scarcity of warparound maps, it may be difficult to find a map of exactly the right size. We used Inland last time, which was the closest fit in the 'small-medium' department. The much bigger Theater of War had also been suggested with a victory condition of 'hold most provinces in the central isle', to avoid giving birth to a monster game.

I've not seen any new map that could work out for that sort of game, so suggestions are definitely welcome.

- I've not made up my mind regarding eras yet; if someone would like a particular era, speak up and ye shall receive. If nobody has any particular preference, I'll let blind luck pick the era.

- A small fix about the nation assignment: I'll only do four rounds with three teams picking one nation per round to speed up the process (the first team names one nation, the second one two, and the third three).

[llamabeast]

What's this 'Theater of War' map? I've not seen that one. If it's for Dom 2 I understand it would be easy to fix up for Dom 3.

[Alneyan]

llamabeast said:
What's this 'Theater of War' map? I've not seen that one. If it's for Dom 2 I understand it would be easy to fix up for Dom 3.



Yeah, Theater of War is a Dom 2 map, but it works out-of-the-box on Dom 3. it has about 275 provinces and is designed like a clover, with six corners (having each 35 provinces or so) and one central isle with the remaining provinces. Works great for games with six sides and a victory condition.

For reference, Inland is also a Dom 2 map, with warparound and around 130 provinces.

[IndyPendant]

Just a comment, but wouldn't Theatre be a *terrible* map for this sort of game? If the partners started on the same section, only one at a time would be able to access the central continent--accross a narrow path of two consecutive single provinces. If they start on different sections, it negates many of the benefits of having a partner in the first place--early game, at least...

[Alneyan]

Right, it seems I forgot to bring that up about Theatre of War; each team would have to work out a way of securing that link to the mainland (it shouldn't be that difficult, but it could be an annoyance). It was more the sheer size of Theatre of War that allowed Inland to win the ballot last time around, though.

[Zeldor]

Any mods? CB? Worthy Heroes?

But count me in http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

[Lazy_Perfectionist]

Maybe one of these maps would be useful?

Arena (http://www.shrapnelcommunity.com/threads/showflat.php?Cat=&Number=538331&page=4&view=collap sed&sb=5&o=&fpart=1)

Ringworm (http://www.shrapnelcommunity.com/threads/showflat.php?Cat=&Number=537865&page=4&view=collap sed&sb=5&o=&fpart=1)

[Alneyan]

- Mods: I'll take a quick look at Worthy Heroes, but I think that one will be in. I can't speak about the CB mods as I'm not familiar with their Dom 3 incarnations.

- Maps: Thanks for the pointer. I don't think Ringworld would work great in that sort of game, as it severely restricts your targets. I love the looks of Arena, though; its concept is pretty much the same as Theatre of War, except with more mobility and a slightly smaller size.

So far, Inland is the best warparound 'open' map I know (in the 10 provinces a player range), and Arena is now the favorite 'six corners' map (that one is in the 20 provinces a player range).

[Lazy_Perfectionist]

I've got nations in all eras I've practiced with. I like ME Agartha, LE Atlantis, EA Yomi, for instance.
If I knew what nation I was getting, I'd pick Fomoria, but as a teamgame its probably better to go with something familiar than not.
... Middle Era.
... Early Era.
Argh! It's tearing me apart!

I make a living out of being indecisive.

[Lazy_Perfectionist]

And here's a rather new map for twelve players. I'm taking a peek at it.
The World of Geometry (http://www.shrapnelcommunity.com/threads/showflat.php?Cat=&Number=565082)

[HJFudge]

cmon we need more people for this http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/tongue.gif

[Cicadian]

I'd be up for this. I'm currently in a team game as EA Tien Chi teamed with Lanka and we pretty much have it in the bag.

I'm probably most proficient with EA and MA Tien Chi and LA Man.

[Zeldor]

I would vote for MA or LA [without Ermor and water nations]

[Alneyan]

I put my Moira hat on and decree that the era will be Middle Age. Nation assignments will only begin once we have a full house (or at least four teams).

[Zeldor]

Can I pick first? http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/tongue.gif

[Cicadian]

In that case I would like to be T'ien Ch'i if possible.

[Starshine_Monarch]

I'm in for anyone that needs a partner. Also, have we come to a concrete decision on the map at all?

[Zeldor]

I would love to play on World of Geometry, but I have no idea how it would work with teams.

[Gregstrom]

I'm a bit of a newb, but I'd like to join - what sort of hosting interval is expected?

[Lazy_Perfectionist]

I'd like to avoid World of Geometry. Theres another game scheduled for that, but the creator's working on a final version of the map. I'd be interested in trying WoG another time, but not this time.

How many people do we have signed up?

[BigandScary]

Is there room for another team of two, because I have a partner all lined up.

[Zeldor]

World of Geometry would be great for 6 teams of 2.

[Alneyan]

Apologies; I've been hit with a 'where did time go' stick, and the games I'm a player in took priority. I'm not sure I'll find the time to sort out this game until the end of the week, so you might wish to coerce somebody else into getting this game up and running.

Sorry again.

[Lazy_Perfectionist]

I have to withdraw from this game as well...

I may be able to organize it for you though, Alneyan. I'll know about that by Wednesday.

[Lazy_Perfectionist]

HJFudge
Zeldor
Cicadian
BigAndScary + Unknown partner
Lazy P- probably no longer in.
Alneyan - probably no longer in.

Five players...

[HJFudge]

yeah gonna drop this one too and just go with the newbie one thats gettin goin. Thanks anyway guys

[Lord_Bob]

I'll partner with anyone.

[Zeldor]

It seems that one won't start, I will go with a newbie team game as I still qualify there http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/laugh.gif

[Lazy_Perfectionist]

I can't admin/start this one for you, unfortunately.

[llamabeast]

Alneyan will probably be back reasonably soon, by the sound of it.

[otthegreat]

BigAndScary's partner checking in

[Starshine_Monarch]

I'll probably pull from this one too. My other game is startig already.

[Alneyan]

Right, I'm now back in action. Thanks Lazy_Perfectionist for trying to get it started while I wasn't around. Unfortunately, it seems Shurrock isn't going to run, and my disappearance has pretty much killed the game.

So, unless several other players express an interest in the near future, I decree this game to be dead. Or undead.