NewBlood - EA blood themed game [ended]

[Samhain]

---==[New Blood]==---

The God of All died, and the world descended into a Dark Age of mythic creatures, demonic hordes, and macabre rites soaked in the blood of innocents. From the tumult, eight contenders emerged to vie for the vacant throne.

Game name:
New Blood

Game URL:
http://www.llamaserver.net/gameinfo.cgi?game=New_Blood

Era:
Early Age

Max Players:
8

Map:
Parganos (Llama's Fix) Deadsea, 8 fixed land starts

Map URL:
http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/showthread.php?t=39857

Mods:
CBM 1.6
http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/showthread.php?t=43949

Diplomacy:
NAPs and the like are at your own risk.
All trading in gems, bloodslaves, gold, and magic items is forbidden.
No cheating. If you are not sure it is a cheat, ask.

Hosting:
24 hour quickhost to start. Increased by 8 hours every 8 turns after until the interval is set to 48 hours at turn 48. Extensions are welcome, staling is not.

Settings:
Score graphs on
Renaming on
Master password not set
VPs required for victory: 5
VPs in capitals
All other settings on default

Nations:

Abysia = Samhain
Helheim = buzzsaw [out on turn 56]
Hinnom = pyg [out on turn 60]
Lanka = Cosmonaut, turn 1 to 73; 13lackGu4rd, turn 75
Mictlan = 13lackGu4rd [out on turn 55]
Pangaea = legolasjrt [out on turn 32]
Sauromatia = don_Pablo
Vanheim = minko

[Cosmonaut]

I've only played a few multiplayer games, and none with people on this forum, but I would like to join as Lanka, if you don't mind playing with a newb.

[don_Pablo]

What about using End-Diversity mod?

[Finalgenesis]

Lanka if that's okay.

Happy with CBM, neutral with EDM, happy with unhinged diplomacy (unenforced).

No trading of gold / gem / item understood, but how about vague things like province swap, services ...etc? I wouldn't mind unhinged trading either (full diplo).

[13lackGu4rd]

I'll play Mictlan. btw, why is Marverni in this, they aren't a blood power, they can just blood sacrifice...

[Digress]

Which is sometimes enough ...

and if the are lucky they might get a Bloodhenge Druid over the course of the game ... so if they take blood on their pretender they might have two blood mages at the SAME TIME.

[13lackGu4rd]

ummm, anybody can take blood on their pretender if they want...? still doesn't make them a blood nation... and everyone can charm/enslave/etc a blood henge druid if you find a province with them, same goes for the circle masters, etc...

[Gregstrom]

Digress is referring to their CBM multihero probably.

[Finalgenesis]

Ah someone have taken Lanka already, apologies didn't see that.

As it happens I may not have time to handle 3 games with adequate forethought currently, so I will take this chance to bow out. Wish you all a good game!

[Samhain]

Cosmonaut, Lanka is yours. I'm not terribly experienced myself. My intent here was to make a newbie friendly game but with all skill levels welcome. So, welcome aboard.

As for End Game Diversity mod, I like it myself. If there is more interest, I'd be happy to include it.

On Marverni, I was stretching the blood theme a bit to make 10 to work with the Primea map. As I agree is less thematic, I'll drop Marverni and change the map selection to Llama's deadseas version of Parganos with 8 starts.

[Samhain]

Mictlan is reserved for 13lackGu4rd.

[buzzsaw]

Put me down for Helheim. :cool:

[13lackGu4rd]

minko from IRC wants to play Vanheim. for some reason he's having trouble getting his account up and running on these forums so I've posted for him...

[legolasjrt]

I will used pangea???

[pyg]

Ashdod, err Hinnom plz!

[don_Pablo]

I'll take Sauromatia.
It seems to be still available.

[Samhain]

All the slots are now filled. I picked Abysia. To give everyone plenty of time to plan their pretender, particularly for those of us playing a nation new to us, I don't plan to start until the evening of July 1st, EST.

The rules on trading have been clarified. Only trades of items like gems, bloodslaves, gold, and magic items is forbidden.

The URL on LlamaServer changed a bit. I thought deleting the server and recreating it would be more efficient. My bad.

Also, since there are only 8 of us, I reduced the necessary victory points to 5. As I am relatively inexperienced at configuring games, second guesses on the settings are welcome, at least at this stage.

[Squirrelloid]

You people are crazy. Marveni is totally a blood nation (when played right).

Blood + Death on pretender + blood multihero + vampire lord summons/Heliophagi/etc. (And Marveni's multihero always finds like 15 slaves when he searches, so he's a really good bloodhunter).

And yes, Marveni will get its pick of unique blood summons, because chances are it will out-research anyone else if it pushes blood.

[Digress]

With Marveni you would have to be pretty brave (or slightly insane) to put your early research into blood ahead of the paths that make your druids so good.

Other nations here could focus their research in blood and be quite happy.

[minko]

finally got my account approved so i can post.
a big ty to blackguard for posting for me!

[Squirrelloid]

With Marveni you would have to be pretty brave (or slightly insane) to put your early research into blood ahead of the paths that make your druids so good.

Other nations here could focus their research in blood and be quite happy.

You can do that research too. I don't think you understand how fast Marveni's research can spike.

[Samhain]

All pretenders are in, so game on.

Good luck and have fun!

[13lackGu4rd]

going out of town tomorrow, until the weekend than again next week. got my current turn in but I'd need an extension for next turn until Thursday or Friday night than I'll try to do as many turns as I can during the weekend and leave again on Sunday, until next Thursday or Friday.

sorry for these delays :( oh and before you guys ask, no I won't have internet access, nor a lab top for that matter, so I won't be able to do my turns while I'm away.

[Samhain]

It must be that real life thing I keep hearing about. Anyway, the hosting interval has been changed to 168 hours. I'll change it back when everyone is more or less situated again.

At least we shouldn't have any more stales for the next few turns.

[Samhain]

The hosting interval is set to 24 hours. It will be set back to 168 hours on Sunday.

[13lackGu4rd]

going away again tomorrow so yeah, got my current turn in and I will be back thursday/friday so an extension until saturday(if I will be able to do my turn earlier I will) would be great ;)

[Samhain]

I set the hosting interval back to 168 hours.

13lackGu4rd, if you could get the current turn in before you go, I am sure I am not the only one who would appreciate it. Pyg, for one, must be sitting on the edge of his seat. And, have a safe trip.

[Samhain]

The hosting interval is again set to 24 hours. It will take effect when the next turn is released.

[minko]

Hey! I'd like a delay on the hosting interval till wednesday (or better yet thursday if theres no rush) if it's not a problem. My comp was acting up so it's getting repaired atm.

Thanks in advance

[Samhain]

Hosting of the current turn was postponed by 48 hours.

[Samhain]

The hosting interval is now set at 48 hours. I have to do some traveling this weekend. Once I am back, I will set the interval to 32 hours.

[Samhain]

I am back to a normal schedule. Hosting interval is set to 32 hours with reminder emails configured to go 8 hours prior.

[Samhain]

Hosting interval is now set to 40 hours. If you happened to speak Samhain-ese, you were expecting this.

Likewise, the reminder emails will be sent 10 hours prior to the end of the turn.

And, Pangea is now out. Well done, legolasjrt. That was a tough starting location and a challenging nation choice for this game.

[minko]

Could i please get a delay on the hosting interval for another 36 hours? I'm prolly gonna be out of town. Thanks in advance and sorry!

[Samhain]

No problem. I've got a long day tomorrow of both working and flying myself. Hosting is postponed for 36 hours.

[Samhain]

The hosting interval has been set to 48 hours. Reminders will be sent 12 hours prior.

[Samhain]

Lanka has staled three of the last four turns. The game is on hold until I find out what's going on with Cosmonaut.

[Samhain]

Cosmonaut has assured me that the situation that caused the stales was temporary and in the past. The game will recommence once everyone gets their current turn in.

[13lackGu4rd]

well, I've got nothing left but for some reason you guys refuse to finish me off, no money, no troops nor commanders beyond a useless priest and some militias from an event, and obviously no more forts. so I've just turned myself AI and let you guys do it on your own free time...

have fun you guys, I'm out.

[Samhain]

Gee, I kind of found that Mictlan banner a comfort to have on my border these last few turns.

Anyway, thanks for playing, 13lackGu4rd.

[buzzsaw]

well, I've got nothing left but for some reason you guys refuse to finish me off, no money, no troops nor commanders beyond a useless priest and some militias from an event, and obviously no more forts.

Man, that sounds familiar. :smirk:

[buzzsaw]

I went AI. My little island can't hold out much longer, and that is all I have left. Thanks for a good game! :D

[Samhain]

Thanks for playing, buzzsaw. I especially appreciate you staying in the game so long after losing your capital. That was above and beyond expectation.

[Samhain]

I'm busy enough in my personal life that I would not mind permanently increasing the hosting interval from 48 to 72 hours. I suspect that I am not the only one who would appreciate the flexibility this would give in managing their time, but would like some feedback from the remaining players before doing so as my original post for this game listed a maximum hosting interval of 48 hours.

[don_Pablo]

I'm for 72h too.

[Samhain]

Well, it seems those of us who want to extend to 72 hours are in the minority, and without at least a majority consent I don't want to change the original agreement. So, status quo is maintained.

[don_Pablo]

Witch kings feel hurt by Astral Corruption.
That's why we have to cancel our peace with Abysia and declare a war.

(The first attacks supposed to land on trn №81)

[Samhain]

The game is on hold until the situation with Lanka is resolved.

[Samhain]

We have lost contact with our Lanka player and are in need of a permanent sub. Eight nations started, four remain. Winner is the first nation to take five capitals. Currently, we are in a four way tie with two caps each.

Stats are here: http://www.llamaserver.net/showScores.cgi?game=New_Blood

Abysia and Vanheim are at war. Sauromatia just finished off Hinnom. If Lanka has been up to much over the past 30 or 40 turns, I haven't seen much evidence of it.

Our hosting interval is 48 hours. PM me if you are interested.

[Samhain]

A sub has been found. 13lackGu4rd will come back in to take over Lanka.

Thanks, 13lackGu4rd!

[13lackGu4rd]

was going to ask for a little time to get acquainted with the game, but than I saw this on Llamaserver:
Game: New_Blood
Turn number 76
Next turn due: 08:00 GMT on Friday December 10th

according to this next turn is due in a month. what's up with that? unless that was just a long extension until a sub was found than it goes back to normal schedule? also, what was your schedule at this point of the game? I assume 72 hour turns?

[Samhain]

You are correct, the delay was set to give us time to find a sub. As I mentioned in the post advertising for a sub, the hosting interval is set to 48 hours. That schedule will resume once we get your turn in.

[don_Pablo]

I got message "trn file corrupted"

Request resend and another version of Dom3 didn't help.

Delay hosting please and change my e-mail. I've heard it could solve the problem.

Samhain, check you PM please.

[Samhain]

Your email address has been changed and 24 hours added to the clock. PM me if there are any more issues or you need more time.

Just curious, did you try a turn resend with your original email account? You can request one at http://www.llamaserver.net/doAdminAction.cgi?game=New_Blood&action=resend

[13lackGu4rd]

need a 24 hour extension please.

[Samhain]

I had just added 24 hours. But, I'll put on 12 more as your PM message indicated that would be cutting it close. The next turn is now due at 01:40 GMT on Wednesday November 10th.

[13lackGu4rd]

can I have a 12 hour extension please? had some unexpected tasks that took away more time than I planned for, so I need more time to do my turn properly.

[Samhain]

You've got it. Hosting was delayed by 12 hours.

[don_Pablo]

What about increasing hosting interval up to 72h?
48h seems to be too short for trn#84 and active wars.

[13lackGu4rd]

I certainly agree. 48h is way too short for a massive late game.

[Samhain]

That makes three of us, at least. The hosting interval is now set to 72 hours. Reminder emails will still be sent 12 hours prior to hosting.

[13lackGu4rd]

seems like most nations are done(or almost done) with all their research, which will make the upcoming turns even more demanding as all those research mages will be put to the fields of battle. in light of that, and well being at turn 85 or so, I think we should increase the hosting intervals to 96h, which is the standard late game schedule IIRC. not necessarily starting from next turn, but very shortly afterwards.

[Samhain]

72 hours is pretty much the sweetspot for me at this stage. But, I'd be happy to go along with any majority opinion on the matter.

[13lackGu4rd]

I need a 24 hour extension for this turn. tried to complete it on time but it seems like I still have a lot of work to do, hence why I'm asking for this extension so late.

[Samhain]

I apologize for missing your request, Blackguard. Particularly when we're close to the end of the turn, PM'ing is a better way to reach me. I tend to only check this thread once every 24 hours. PM's get noticed much more easily.

[Samhain]

24 hours were added to the clock at a player's request.

[Samhain]

I have a theory that one of the reasons stales occur is that players hold on to their turn to prevent shortening the hosting interval too much or to prevent setting the hosting time to one that would be hard to meet on the next turn. For these reasons and because I happen to like the current pace and hosting time myself, I have turned off quickhost. You should now feel free to submit your turns whenever is most convenient for you, even if it is likely not the final draft. The hosting time will stay the same.

[Calahan]

I have a theory that one of the reasons stales occur is that players hold on to their turn to prevent shortening the hosting interval too much or to prevent setting the hosting time to one that would be hard to meet on the next turn. For these reasons and because I happen to like the current pace and hosting time myself, I have turned off quickhost. You should now feel free to submit your turns whenever is most convenient for you, even if it is likely not the final draft. The hosting time will stay the same.
Amen to that. Encroaching deadlines are a nightmare to anyone who rely heavily on regular schedules (such as myself). And this makes quickhost their worst enemy.

(sorry for the intrusion)

[13lackGu4rd]

there's a simple solution to that: turn quickhost off...

[Samhain]

I apologize for not noticing sooner, but we are again having Lanka staling issues. The game is on hold until the situation is resolved.

[Samhain]

Ok, I have communicated with 13lackGu4rd and he is willing to play on. However, I have a feeling that everyone has reached about the end of their rope with this game. It has certainly gone on much farther than I expected for only 8 nations on such a small map.

So, I have the following proposal. If anyone would like to carry on, I will be more than happy to do so. I've got plenty of Vampire Lords and large population centers to keep me in blood slaves for many turns to come as well as a Blood 30 site to make good use of them. I've got a Tartarian factory up. I'm earning enough gems to keep my summons well supplied. And, I have enough non-tax income to maintain my current level of mages indefinitely. So, I should be able to give you a good challenge. Anyone who does not want to go on should feel no shame in setting themselves to AI. You have definitely lived up to your commitment to the rest of us at this point.

Alternately, if there is a consensus that this game is over, I would be just as pleased to call this one a four way tie. It has really been a testament to everyone's skill and tenacity to hang in there for so long, particular with Burden of Time, Astral Corruption, and Foul Air up for so many turns. And, everyone who is in it now has justifiably felt themselves at the top of game for some extended period. Just, for various reasons, none of us have been able to reign in enough capitals to win.

[minko]

This game has been my first MP experience and to be honest, I thought it would end not long before it started. There have been various turns, changes of pace and innovative tactics and it has overall been a wonderfull experience. However, I do have to say that sending in turns has become a chore more than something I look forward to. I'm in dire straits, most of my armies have been wrecked and BoT is just a nail in the coffin, so if noone minds, I'll probably leave the rest of the game to the AI.
If there is an agreement to end the game however, I think it would be fair to make it a win for Samhain. He had to fend off Mictlan (who at the time was the strongest nation), Hinnom and afterwards myself, and succeded in doing so. If the game were to continue, I strongly believe he has the resources and knowledge to win eventually.

Happy holidays, Minko

[13lackGu4rd]

don't think you need a confirmation here, but I too wish to end this game already. that leaves just Sauromatia who has yet to reply, and last time I checked(admittedly 5 turns ago or so) he was also in the top position.

[don_Pablo]

Well, I don't mind to declare this game finished.
But I suppose it to be a tie between Abyss and Sauro (with all my respect to other opponents).
Lanka is surrounded with blood-sacrifising nations and supposed to be dom-killed in a few next turns.
Vanheim seems to be crippled and definitly will be killed by both neibours or Abyss themselves.

It was a good game with many changes. But its destiny was decided by Settings (no trade).
IMHO.

[Samhain]

New Blood has been officially ended. Thank you everyone for such a thoroughly interesting game. I certainly learned a lot in the process.