Balance 3 - Signups!

[chrispedersen]

Age:Multi-age
Frequency:40
Research: Std.
Mods:...Single Age, Balance & CBM 1.41 are combined in the attached BalanceGame mod. See: http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/showthread.php?t=43566 for notes.
Map: Parganos 8+1; See below
Banned: Hinnom, Ashdod. Bogus Orders, Lab-filling.
GoodPlayerPledge: Yes please.
Victory: A total of capitals, and or concessions equal to #capitols/2 +1.

So for example if there are 12 people, and someone captures 3 capitols, and three other players in possession of their capitols conceed in favor of the same player, game is over, the player has won.


Changes done by the Balance Mod:
1. Most path boosters are more difficult to build. Due to the limitations of editing, this means they are both more expensive (more gems) and require more paths to make.

This is to give a small boost to the nations that are naturally multipath: yomi, tc, bogarus come to mind, for example.

2. No generators. Clams, bloodstones, and fever fetishes are not forgeable. Compensation was given to the most affected nations. Except, sadly Machaka once again.

3. Old age is removed from some secondary units from weaker nations, (abysian assassins for example).

4. Some weaker nations get new national spells, units. Agartha, Yomi, Oceania.

Anyway most of the changes can be documented in the Balance mod. I am going to review the mod for changes, and to consider incorporation with CBM.

Because I wrote the mod, I will choose nation last.

5. Prior players will be given a preference, due to the learning curve.

AlgaeNymph: Bogarus
Strabo: Ea Rlyeh
Ghoul31: EA Agartha
Alpine: EA Lanka
Kref: EA Atlantis (ulm second)
Ossa: EA Sauromatia
FAJ: EA Ctis

[AlgaeNymph]

I would like Bogarus this time.

[Strabo]

I'd like to join as EA R'lyeh

[ghoul31]

EA Agartha

[Graeme Dice]

I'd like to try out LA Arcoscephale

[Alpine Joe]

I'll get in this as Lanka

[sansanjuan]

So... tempting...

ChrisP,
Roughly what time frame do you envision this game starting? I may have missed it but I'm not sure how many players you are looking for.
-ssj

[chrispedersen]

Hey Sans...

To tell you the truth.. I've no idea. Any of the original players that want a spot are guaranteed one, but I've no problem welcoming you to play.

All I'd ask is that you take a look at my balance thread pretty carefully so you have some idea of the changes in the game.
Some of the changes are fairly big.

In that category I would put:

Agartha, yomi are stronger and more heavily themed.
The boot strapping process is more difficult (which I quite enjoyed) as path costs for boosters were generally increased.
Gem generators were removed, although that has been fairly widely copied now.



I'm looking for a medium sized game something like 8=12 players.

[chrispedersen]

Hey guys, bump your neighbors, shake the trees !

[Kref]

I'd like to try EA Ulm

[Immaculate]

What does 'lab-filling' mean? This better not be any more of that anti-scientist propaganda thats been springing up lately...

[AlgaeNymph]

Lab-filling means filling an opponent's lab with junk items, meaning at best a tedious cleanup.

Off-topic, where have you seen aforementioned propaganda?

[ghoul31]

Chris is only taking 1 turn every 9 days in Balance 2. So that game probably won't be finished for about a year.

[Immaculate]

OT: nowhere- i just know a lot of academics play games like this and i thought it would get a rise out of some people.

OT: So lab-filling means you gift a bunch of items to the enemy? Thats stupid; no wonder its banned.

[vladikus]

OT: nowhere- i just know a lot of academics play games like this and i thought it would get a rise out of some people.

Watch it! ;-)

[chrispedersen]

Chris is only taking 1 turn every 9 days in Balance 2. So that game probably won't be finished for about a year.

Hey ghoul...

I am sorry about recent delays. We are on turn 78 or so - I have something like 240 mages... these turns take time.

Plus it hasn't been helped with having to script a huge number of battles each turn.

But the real issue the last bit has been a funeral, a trip out of town, and picking up and delivering family for the same funeral etc.

Additionally, I have not been the delay for most of the last turns - I've had to round up others ...

Anyway.. I wish all a happy thanksgiving!

[chrispedersen]

OT: nowhere- i just know a lot of academics play games like this and i thought it would get a rise out of some people.

OT: So lab-filling means you gift a bunch of items to the enemy? Thats stupid; no wonder its banned.

well for example if you have forge, its relatively easy to build items for a cost of 0-1. If you give your opponent 50-75 of them
you can *totally* hose that production he intened to make.

Its just abusive = ).

[Ossa]

I'd like to go with EA Sauromatae

[Kref]

"So for example if there are 12 people, and someone captures 3 capitols, and three other players in possession of their capitols conceed in favor of the same player, game is over, the player has one."

For example, now I'm loosing in tarrax, but I have 2 capitols in my posession. Also, I have a friendly relations with a nation wich possess nothing but a capital, and doesn't have any signifficant chances. But with such rool, if I would be a bit lucky than I would be very close to victory. I do not agree that 6 or even lesser loosers should decide the fate of the world. Change rool so that the victor should directly (without any favors) control 10 or 9 capitols, or sign me out.

[chrispedersen]

Hey Kref,.. I'm willing to discuss changing it.

In Balance2, we had 5 or 6 players remaining - everyone wished to concede, yet we play on because one player wished to.
People would probably say he was right at this point = ).
I don't mind; but I do want victory conditions clearly enumerated, and a way to avoid this kind of situation.

I think the good player pledge really removes what you said - losers throwing the game for no reason - have you taken a look at it?

[Kref]

All right, if the game won't end when victor is unvertain, then I will participate.
Also, I thougt for a while and now want to try EA Atlantis rather than EA Ulm.

[chrispedersen]

I've changed the first post-

This will require a change in maps, as parganos only has one water start.. but we'll chose a map when others agree on startups.

[FAJ]

I would like to join, but I can't get the mod working. There was nothing attached to the first post, so I went to the mod thread, and there are 2 versions. Both of which have several .dm files in them.

Normally I just extract a mods zip file to my mods folder and it works, but this one seems different. What do I have to do other than unzipping the file to my mods folder? Do I have to enable all the individual dm mods in game?

[chrispedersen]

Hey FAJ, thanks for checking.

There were two threads for this, the balance thread, where I talk about development, and the balance game thread, where we played. If you used the balance thread you would have to play with each individual mod and decide whether you wanted to use it.


The balance game thread
Here: http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/showthread.php?t=43707 is a lot easier, and uses only some of the balance mods.

The file is a .rar, which needs to be extracted into the mods directory.

There will be slight modifications (depending on the outcome) to the file, and player feedback, but playing with 1.02 will certainly give you a feel for the Balance mods.

If that doesn't work for you .. shoot me a message and I'll try to help you out.

Chris

[FAJ]

So this game will use 1.02? or will there be a 1.03 mod for the game when it starts? I would like to build a pretender; is having the 1.02 enabled enough?

[chrispedersen]

there will be some changes, however a pretender designed with 1.02 will be fine for 1.03.

[FAJ]

Sounds good. Sign me up for EA C'tis

[Kref]

It seems we are looking for players for a too long time.
Did we tried to search for players in forum topics like http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/showthread.php?t=41304 ?

[FAJ]

It has taken too long for this game to get up and starting. I have to bow out of this one.

Maybe next time, but I can't commit to more than 3 games at once.

[chrispedersen]

Hey FAJ, kref

Game is delayed unti the conclusion of Balance 2 - So I understand if you wish to bow out - and I'll send you both an invite when the game starts. I'm in 2 games now.. and thats pretty much my limit, too.