A Simple Team Game (Game On!)

[Squirrelloid]

New game thread since Iainuki has left the game, and therefore it makes little sense for her to own the thread.

The game is up on LlamaServer; please send in your pretenders.

Teams of 2. Teams are permanent, declared before the start, and both players win (or lose) with their team's victory or defeat.

-Map is a modified version of Rim of Darkness, found here (http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/showpost.php?p=712251&postcount=1).
-LA.
-CBM 1.6.
-Special rules: site frequency 75 (high), HoF 15, renaming on, other settings as normal.

Please do not hold intrateam discussions in the thread.

Teams:
Zlefin/Squirrelloid (Patala/Ulm)
FrozenLama/Trumanator (Pan/Utgard)
Juffos/Quitti (Marignon/Mictlan)
Micah/Johnarryn (Midgard/T'ien Chi)
Viccio/Statttis (C'tis/Gath)

[Squirrelloid]

Game on.

[Quitti]

Cheers! May the best combo win.

[Micah]

The starting locations seem to be messed up judging from the positions of Johnarryn and I.

[Frozen Lama]

The start locations were random according to Squrreloid on IRC

[Frozen Lama]

so what's the situation. it sounds like Micah and Johnarryn have really bad random starts. are we still playing?

[Squirrelloid]

I'd like to play it out and see how it goes, honestly.

[Frozen Lama]

i'm ok with that, but i'm not sure about Micah

[Micah]

Can we please fix the starts in the game now?

[Quitti]

Well, I wanted fixed starts even before we started the game, but well.. What do other people think?

[Micah]

Well, I specifically brought the map up as a balance concern before the start of the game, so it seems really silly to address one glaring balance issue and not another.

[statttis]

I'd like fixed starts too.

[Squirrelloid]

Ok, lets get votes for restarting with preplaced starts. I suppose its early enough such a thing is reasonable. Sort of defeats the original concept of the game, but if we can't get 10 people willing to *play* with the original concept...

[zlefin]

i'm fine with random starts. make sure to extend the turns while we have the discussion.

[johnarryn]

Well, I'd vote to restart with fixed positions, as I want to keep my teammate happy.

I don't really remember the original concept of the game, Squirelloid, so I can't address that, but it does make sense that random starts would be particularly unbalancing in a team game. Any team which starts near each other will have a huge advantage over a single player from another team who is isolated.

[Squirrelloid]

Postponed 24h - i'll postpone more as necessary.

[Trumanator]

Well, me and frozen got pretty good starts, but I'd be okay with a restart.

[johnarryn]

Aside from being on the other side of the map from my teammate, my start is actually quite good - excellent even. But again, I think that the disparity of a team thats close versus a team thats really far is so great that it will really throw the game if not addressed.

[zlefin]

I believe the point of the simple part, is that it wouldn't require roping an admin to preset the starts. thus it's all very simple to run, albeit a little imperfect on the balance. but i came in late so i could be wrong.

[Squirrelloid]

No zlefin, that's entirely right

[Micah]

Right, but that concept wasn't at all clear in the settings or description, the closest something came to it was "other settings as default," but I thought "team game" implicitly trumped them, so it's a legitimate point of disagreement IMO.

As soon as it became clear I asked that it be addressed, which is very much consistent with my request that the map be rebalanced. I'm willing to live with the result of a vote on this one though, since as I said, it is a legitimate point of disagreement, I just don't want to get trumped by inertia and admin fiat.

[Squirrelloid]

ok, there are 3 votes for please restart with fixed starts, and 2 don't care either way. I need to hear from more people.

[johnarryn]

Squirrelloid,

I am as anxious to play this game as everyone else, I imagine... given that no one else seems to have strong feeling and this discussion has gone on for almost a week, can I ask you to make a decision regarding the restart so, either way, we can begin the game in earnest?

Thanks!

[Squirrelloid]

Ok, Since the plurality of votes submitted (4-2-2) is in favor of fixed starts, I'm looking for someone to place starts for us. And I think I need to talk to rdonj about whether i need to end the current game, or can just upload a revised map and start the game afresh that way.

[zlefin]

i'm gonna be switching strats possibly, my build/nation choice was predicated on separated starts. shoudln't be a problem as this seems like it'll be a bit to restart anyways.

[Squirrelloid]

Ok, rdonj is arranging for set starting positions. I'm going to return the game to the upload pretenders stage, and should be able to swap in a new map file without too much issue.

[Squirrelloid]

New map is ready. Tried to start it, and the game disappeared from llamaserver. So, um, i'll try to contact llamabeast about it, but otherwise we may need to resubmit pretenders... yay?

[Squirrelloid]

Ok, we're going to need to upload pretenders again. Game is ASimpleTeamGame2, and is now up on llamaserver. Starts are now fixed as per request - with thanks to rdonj. Hopefully it'll work this time...

[johnarryn]

So.... we're waiting on Utgard?

[Trumanator]

Sorry about that, midterms + rather too many dominions games = forgetfulness.

[Micah]

Midgard would like to thank the Pretender of Marignon for so kindly clearing the indies out of Dathen for us.

We had specifically been told by the Marignonian leadership that representatives from their nation would not be making an appearance there, but imagine our delight when we saw that Huge Guts himself saw fit to provide us with an indy-free province as a gesture of goodwill. Our only regret is that Huge Guts was unable to control himself during the celebration of brotherhood that followed, and accidentally killed one of our beloved skinshifters before his own heart gave out. We forgive him and his people for our loss, as we know that his heart is now in the right place.

We should know, we put it on the pike ourselves.

Twice we have been the victims of unwarranted Mictlan/Marignonian aggression, you will reap what you have sown.

[Quitti]

No problem - pleased to help my beloved neighbors! (Had an old file on my desktop computer when I reviewed the file, so I can only blame myself).

[Squirrelloid]

If and when people want to move to a longer hosting schedule, say something

[zlefin]

I am ill. Please delay or find a temp sub. should be better in a few days or less.
Zlefin :sick:

[Squirrelloid]

Game delayed 24h. If that isn't enough time Zlefin then let me know and I'll look into finding a sub.

[Squirrelloid]

Argh, I never heard anything from Zlefin, but thinking about it now, I don't know if he actually submitted a turn or not, and a lack of response from him doesn't mean anything. I'm delaying the current turn, and I think we should allow a rollback in case Zlefin did stale and wants to actually play the turn. (I am not looking at my turn file until there's a definitive resolution to this).

[johnarryn]

He did, in fact, stale (you can check on llamaserver). That being said, if he wants a sub, he should probably look for one... I don't mind delaying a little bit for him, though.

[zlefin]

I'm sorry I wasn't clearer in my earlier message. I was very ill then, i'm somewhat better now, but still having significant problems. I'm focusing on convalescing and will not be up to playing properly for some time. Please find someone to take over for me. I can manage to send a few of my longer term plans to whomever you find to sub if desired. I haven't done any playing since Friday (onset of symptoms, though i think i got my turn in fri morning).
Zlefin :sick:

[Folket]

Is that sub permanent or for a couple of turns?

[Squirrelloid]

I believe that is temporary. PM me if you're interested and I'll make it happen.

[Frozen Lama]

so what's the plan? can we move forward?

[Squirrelloid]

I have received no PM from him.

I'm currently trying to scare up a sub. If I don't hear from Zlefin soon, I'll start looking more broadly.

[Squirrelloid]

Zlefin is back. The stale doesn't seem to have hurt him too badly, so this game can get moving again. Sorry for the hassle.

[zlefin]

sorry for me illness, pesky illness! but i'm mostly fine now. I should get me turn in today/tomorrow.
Zlefin :)

[Trumanator]

Could we have a quick extension for me? For some reason the llamaserver won't send me my turn file?

Edit: Nevermind, its just being oddly slow.

[Trumanator]

I am going to be busy with ROTC essentially all this weekend, with absolutely no internet access. If I could have a delay till Monday that would be great.

[Frozen Lama]

The game is going to be extended for trumanator right?

[Micah]

Ugh, admin fail. What are we doing to fix the stale? I think we should just do a rollback/rehost with truman's 2h when he can submit it and have truman not look at his turn file so he doesn't get extra info...hopefully we can all trust him enough for that?

[Quitti]

I don't mind the rollback. By the way, Micah, you promised it'd be quick to terminate me, yet you pulled your troops back. Having trouble elsewhere ;)?

[zlefin]

aye, that rollback plan sounds good.

[Squirrelloid]

Blarg.

I hereby designate Micah admin, I'll PM him the pword.

[Frozen Lama]

he probably won't be back for about 12h, but hopefully he'll read first. Micah could you send him a message from admin so he knows not to look at the new turn?

[Micah]

Squirrel gave me the admin password, so does anyone have an objection to me adminning, or to the proposed rollback plan, especially Truman's neighbors? I'll leave the turn un-rolled for the moment and send him a PM instructing him not to look at the turn for now, and I also added time to the hosting while we sort this out.

[Micah]

Rehost completed, nothing blew up!

[Micah]

Okay, a few 2h files evidently blew up. TC's turn looks to be fine though (It may be off by a few gold, but no weird or doubled up commanders, etc) , if Ctis is as well I think we should just ignore the messages.

[Micah]

Adding 24h.

[Frozen Lama]

server seems to be ignoring turns i send in for this game. sounds like llamaserver is crazy all over. probably should delay again

[Micah]

Added plenty of time, quickhost is still on though, so get your turns in when things are working, TC and I are waiting on the server, so we should have everyone once it's back in order.

[Micah]

This is going to 48 hours after this turn, I'll try to get this next turn in on time or with a short delay, but it's turn 30 already, a 24 hour host is getting much too crazy.

[Micah]

traveling this weekend. bumped host by 12 hours. should be able to submit tomorrow night.

[Trumanator]

Is there really any point in continuing this? I don't see Midgard/TC going down at all. I vote for a concession to Micah and JohnArryn.

[Quitti]

Well, I'm almost out of the game (can't really affect the outcome in any way) so I'll abstain from voting.

[Micah]

Yeah, I'm pretty sure we've got a lock on this one now between having most of the artifacts, an absurd gem income, and excellent board control...Pan looks to be hurting something fierce between my raiding and TC's direct attacks, and I've managed to make incremental progress in the west against everything Gath and Utgard have thrown at me. What do the rest of you say?

[zlefin]

It makes no difference to me, as I'm not at war with either of them. I'm just sitting in my corner, beating up all who enter my lands. They keep on raiding, but ain't none of them had the power to take me down, and they ain't got it now either.
So i'm fine with whatever others' want for the game.
Zlefin :)

[Trumanator]

Water pipe burst right over Frozen's comp, so a delay might be needed if for some reason we decide to keep going.

[Micah]

Added 48 for Frozen/concession talks, keep me posted on the computer if need be Truman.

[statttis]

Viccio and myself also agree to concede. Congrats :up:

[Trumanator]

Congrats to Micah/JohnArryn!

[Quitti]

Congratulations. That was one of the fastest games I've been in :)

[johnarryn]

It was enjoyable, although getting jumped on turn 3 was a little hectic =)

[zlefin]

i claim the survivor award for surviving without an ally and beating back all attackers.
Zlefin :)

[Quitti]

Still, you prevailed even though being jumped at turn 3 and gained quite an edge because of it :)

[johnarryn]

True enough, true enough. And even though i was only able to see it with scouts, Zlefin, you're guerrilla resistance really has made me look twice at Dark Skies =)