New Team game, new(ish) players prefered

[TrajanX]

The Platypus game, 8 player / 4 team newbie game just ended -- congrats to Cicadian and Cleveland!! After a promising start, my teammate and I were handily crushed, repeating with many frightening similarities the whooping Potatoman gave me in Opposom, the only other MP game I've played.

Now I am Domionionless-- sad. Is there enough interest, particularly among new players, for another team game? There seems to be a glut of newbie games that I missed out on joining, but none of them teams. I noticed in Platypus that (from my perspective, at least) the team aspect was extremely fun, and also that the teams seemed to be fairly good at coordinating. The downside seemed to be some uneven start points which decreased interactivity between players, and the small number of players (8 is a lot, but since it was teams, only 4 actual factions).

Before I formally propose a setup, is there enough interest in another team game, with a goal of 6 two player teams? Twelve players in all, 24 hour turns, ideally hosted on our favorite camelid's Llamaserver, but as I haven't asked him about this yet, maybe by PBEM http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif or I could set up a 24-hour basic server.

I'm thinking a large map, obviously, pre-set but randomized start points, maybe EA? and a preference for new or newish players. For comparison, I've played two single player games, neither to completion, and never played the earlier Domiions. Multi-player 0-2 and will count myself lucky if I even get to see what "late game" looks like. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif



Is there enough interest, particularly among new players, for a game like this?

[Torin]

Random nations and teams would be cool

[Zeldor]

TrajanX:

I am in 3 games, all of them being beaten http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/tongue.gif So 0-3 for me. I may be able to join that one with a teammate if it started in 1-2 weeks. World of Geometry looks like a great map, but I will be probably playing on that in 1 game.

[TrajanX]

Heh well I think you qualify Zeldor!

I dont mean to set a high bar with my 0-2 record, just trying to give an example. I think anyone who has played five or fewer multi player games and doesn't think they are an expert is still very new. And since we're looking for 12 players here there will probably be room for other "new-ish" players!

[llamabeast]

Yep, I'm happy to host it on the LlamaServer.

[Zeldor]

I would really like to see Conceptual Balance mod in use here. I think it makes game more interesting and fun.

[Zylithan]

I'm in. flexible on terms and conditions (null and void in Hawaii and Alaska)

[HJFudge]

I want to play too. Random nations would be ok but I dunno about random teams lol! Also there was another team game starting up, so maybe we should just merge the two?

[Networkingguru]

I'd be willing to play, but I'm not so sure about the random nations thing. I'm only decent with a handful of nations, and really hate playing some of the others.

[DonCorazon]

I'd be interested in joining. My only caveat is I will be out of country for about a week around Christmas w/o access to Dominions. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/rant.gif No worries though if you just want players with unlimited availability.

[Zeldor]

I am also against random nations. It could result in really bad teams.

So no one against Conceptual Balance? I have tried it just once but it makes game really nicer.

[Torin]

I would prefer vanilla instead of mods. Except for the fixes to pythium serpent cult and pangaea

[Networkingguru]

I would be in, but definitely not for random nations, and definitely not for mods. I have a hard enough time with figuring out vanilla, and don't have time to play a million SP games to learn the mods.

[Zeldor]

Networkingguru:

Worthy Heroes is really basic mod and it is standard for 90% of MP games now. Id just adds few heroes for every nation, so almost nothing new to learn.

[Zylithan]

i'm flexible, but i would vote for no mods also. I havent even finished one single player game, dont have tons of time to learn new twists and balances, etc.

but, im flexible. how many people are signed up as interested? i count 7 so far including the host and i. not quite enough ?

[llamabeast]

Worthy Heroes takes zero learning. It's just nice. I would recommend using it, there's really no reason not to. If you get a hero, just look at him to decide how to use him like you would normally.

Conceptual Balance is very good, but does take a lot of readjusting to, to the extent that I still don't use it.

[Networkingguru]

llamabeast said:
Worthy Heroes takes zero learning. It's just nice. I would recommend using it, there's really no reason not to. If you get a hero, just look at him to decide how to use him like you would normally.

Conceptual Balance is very good, but does take a lot of readjusting to, to the extent that I still don't use it.



OK, thanks for the info. I have no problem with worthy heroes then, the second scenario is what I was worried about.

[Zeldor]

So how many people do we have? What map we take? World of Geometry? When do we send pretenders?

[Niarg]

I've just received my copy of Dominions and I'm looking to start playing online. Started to play a couple of single player games so I'm not completely clueless but close to it.

I have a preference for the unmodded game and teams of 3 rather than 2, preferably have one slightly experienced person on each team so that they can guide us complete newbies. I'd also really rather not have a random team or race.

Finally if anyone can explain the basic format of online games (how long will we have to complete turns etc) I'd be grateful.

[Bananadine]

I am somewhat interested in playing. I haven't played any multiplayer games before so I would need an explanation as well. Also, even though I'm sure I rank pretty low in the mass of players in this forum, I still may be much more skilled than the people in this thread who haven't finished any single-player games--I've played enough now to be able to beat Mighty AI's without much trouble. Does that mean I should just play in a regular, non-newbie game instead?

[llamabeast]

I am sure that anyone who hasn't played any/many MP games counts as a newbie. It is quite different to playing against AIs, really.

The general format of games is like this (I will explain for the LlamaServer although it is similar for all games):

- The server e-mails you your latest turn. You stick it in the right directory (see my FAQ for details), play your turn and e-mail it back.
- You can see who's taken their turns and when the next one is due at www.llamaserver.net (http://www.llamaserver.net) (take a look now).
- Games normally run at least for a while on "24 hour quickhost". This means that the game hosts 24 hours after the last hosting, or when all turns are in, whichever is sooner. This might sound slow, but it actually works well. Around midgame the timer is often switched to 48 hours, depending on whether players ask for it.

24 hour quickhost actually takes a bit of thinking about. Both of these statements are true:
- You will always have at least 24 hours to take your turn from when you took your last one.
- Each hosting will happen 24 hours or less after the last one.

They seem contradictory at first. Anyway, it works well as a system.

[Bananadine]

Okay, cool. I would like to play then. I guess we are waiting for TrajanX to formally invite people?

[Zylithan]

I think he's waiting to get 12 people or to fill "full". Also, he's looking over maps I think (from PM)

[Zeldor]

12? So it means WoG? As it is the map made for 12...

[Zylithan]

i dont know about maps, but in the first post he said he wanted 6 teams of 2.

have you played wog?

[Gregstrom]

I'd like to join too - although due to real-life considerations I'd be happier with 48-hour turns after turn 15-20.

(I noticed in another thread that 30 hour quickhost was suggested to avoid the tendency of a 24-hour host to creep earlier in the day, making life hard for office workers).

I'm happy to team with anyone, and I'd like to put in a vote for World of Geometry, as it looks really rather nice for this sort of game.

[FrozenFalcon]

I would like to join the game, if there is still places open. I have no prefered age, mods or nation, anything goes to me.

[DonCorazon]

Anyone keeping track of how many people have signed up?

[djo]

I am not a new player, but I have a friend who is, and if you don't mind having an experienced-but-not-generally-successful player, we'd be interesting in joining as a team. Assuming the other game parameters work for us. Mostly, early era, and a slower pace after 15ish turns.

[Zeldor]

Zylithan:

Yeah, that is a great map. King of the Hill style with 1 province with victory point. Nice indie garrisons and so on. For 10 land and 2 water nations. But I don't know how it would be with dividing start locations with teams to make it fair.

djo:

How many games have you played? I think that newbie has max 5 games played, not including blitz ones. And I think that game will be MA.

[Gregstrom]

Apparently it's easy to edit a map file to give specific start locations - if one were to do that with WoG, team members could start in adjacent niches. All the start positions seem about equal.

[Zeldor]

Gregstrom:

The problem is that there are 5 on north and 5 on south, so to make it fair teams should start in the opposite side, not next to each other [cause you can't divide 5 by 2].

[Gregstrom]

D'oh! Serves me right for not thinking. That is awkward - especially as they'd be separated by the more easily united water nations.

[Edit] Or of course 2 teams could be one land and one water nation. That'd work, I think...?

[Zeldor]

Well, that would work. But I don't know if it is fair and if any people would want that. I am not experienced enough to judge it.

[Zylithan]

i'm 1 game done, lost pretty bad. i have a lot of posts because i never shut up, but i've played very little.

[otthegreat]

Hello I don't know if you still have space in this game but if you do I would like to join. I've never played online before.

[HJFudge]

if we do a 1 water 1 land team, I volunteer to be one of the water nations...Ryleh if its MA

[Zeldor]

I think I would go with Mictlan. But are we on nation choosing stage?

TrajanX:

Make a list of people that are playing. Tell everyone about WH mod, choose a map, make a deadline for pretenders and so on. IT would be nice to have it started already http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

[FrozenFalcon]

I listed all players (except djo who claims not being new player and we were at 11 when he applied and he wished to join with his friend).


TrajanX -
Torin -
Zeldor - Mictlan
Zylithan -
HJFudge - R'lyeh
Networkingguru -
DonCorazon - Eriu if MA, Ulm if EA
Niarg - C'tis (if EA)
Bananadine -
Gregstorm - Pangaea (if MA)
FrozenFalcon - Bandar Log or Kaisala, depending on age
otthegreat -

Feel free to copy that to the thread-opening message.
Now we need the confirmations and nations from players. And the things that appear on Zeldor's last message.

(if someone badly wants to play Bandar Log badly, I can pass it to him)

[Zeldor]

I already said I take Mictlan http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif HJFudge takes R'lyeh. And we need one more person to take water nation.

[DonCorazon]

Is this EA? I will try Ulm.

[FrozenFalcon]

Zeldor mentioned MA at some point, (and my nation is for it) but any age will do for me.

DonCorazon, I'll reserve Ulm for you, reply if you have different preference for MA.

[DonCorazon]

Since I am playing MA Ulm in another game I'd like to try something new - can you put me down for Eriu? Thanks!

[Zeldor]

Well, TrajanX is OP so he should make a final decision, but I think MA would be the best choice.

[Niarg]

I'd like to play C'tis, preferably in early age as I gaven't looked at the other ages.

[FrozenFalcon]

Ok, we need then decide on the age first. Any age is ok for me; TrajanX mentioned EA on his first post, any objections for that?

[llamabeast]

If TrajanX doesn't reappear in the next day or so I would recommend someone organised like FrozenFalcon spin this off into a new thread.

[Zeldor]

MA is most user friendly http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif And I think that it could be harder to take down garrisons and so on with EA light troops.

[llamabeast]

Not sure about most user friendly, but I guess MA is most like traditional medieval fantasy (nations like Ulm, Marignon and Man). EA has more magic really. I think LA would be less good for a newbie game, with crazy nations like LA Ermor.

[Gregstrom]

If it's MA, put me down for Pangaea.

Although I'm not opposed to LA, as I've played 1 each of EA and MA in MP so far. I'd have thought LA Ermor wasn't exactly a good nation for team play, given it's love of strong dominion and terrible scales.

[Zeldor]

llamabeast:

R'lyeh is not a good idea for newbie game either, and excluding it would leave only 1 water nation.

And I think MA has the best balanced nations. [I really wish we could play with CB on]

[FrozenFalcon]

I'll open a new thread for this if TrajanX won't reply before that. I'll put MA as the age. Player slots are reserved for those that have posted their prefered nation in this thread. So I don't include those who were interested about the game but have not posted a nation yet; this means that there will be a few free slots which can be taken by any new player wishing to join.

[Bananadine]

Well I guess it is time to choose then! I'll take Abysia.

[otthegreat]

I'll take Marignon if someone else hasn't yet.

[Zeldor]

I have my teammate here. What about others? We randomly choose those who don't have one?

[Zeldor]

Oh, maybe we could boost gold to 125 or 150? That would make game more interesting http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

[Niarg]

Are we going to try and balance teams vaguely? If we all posted how much experience we had then it would prevent one team from having two more experienced players...

[FrozenFalcon]

New thread created, here (http://www.shrapnelcommunity.com/threads/showflat.php?Cat=&Number=568491&page=0&view=collap sed&sb=5&o=&fpart=&vc=#Post568491) .