Rated Challenges Thread

Originally posted by primitive:
RL schedule is clearing a bit so this could be a chance to get rid of some old grudges

Who can he mean?

As for game settings, we'll start on the basis of Slynky's Five Points.

I'm inclined to leave Intel on but will accept a veto if anyone strongly dislikes it.

Could the anti-Ancients and anti-Openers crowd maybe clarify what their objection to it is? Is it that you regard both of these as game-breaking, or is it the combination that you don't like?

I'm happy with a medium spiral galaxy, and 2000 race points. Is there anything else we need to set?

Mark

P.S. Slynky, your PM is not showing for some reason. You remember my e-mail address?

[Slynky]

*clears throat* I think the Steamroller is referring to me. For a while, he chased me in points (though we now see who is on top). But, we played a full-tech game a long time ago and though he was in first place in point score (for most of the game), I managed to get a worthy fleet behind his lines and start glassing planets and causing rioting...I think THIS might be the score he wants to settle. Speaking of scores to settle, he should remember my first ever KOTH game was with him (and he started in the system beside me). Though I Lasted around 60 turns, I really should have cashed it in around turn 35. THAT was my initiation into KOTH... .

[Slynky]

Originally posted by Mark the Merciful:
P.S. Slynky, your PM is not showing for some reason. You remember my e-mail address?

Sorry, didn't expect you to come on so fast...it was a long message...you got on before I could finish it. (sorry)

[primitive]

Grudges:
I was referring to both of you. Great chance to kill two old grudges in one game. It’s of course from the full-tech game Slynky mentioned, but I also have some unfinished business with Mark after a KOTH game. I have some not very fond memories of getting annihilated by ships named after popsicles I don't mind loosing to ships named "Annihilator", "Avenger" or "Scourge of the Gods" or such, but "Chocolate Chip" or "Strawberry Fudge" . The merciless one sure know how to add insult to injury to a poor barbarian

Anti-Ancient:
Ancient is just too good a trait to pass on, but playing it makes the game boring. I like the suspense when you pop into that next system.

Anti-Openers:
You’ll been away for a while Mark
The current “hot” strategy is to go for openers as fast as possible and then do the “riot run” in the more or less undefended backsystems. Makes the game a racing-game instead of a strategy-game. Not much fun at all.

Having thought about it a bit more - thanks to a prompt from Slynky - I think that we should ban Ancient. The reason is that in a team game, one player can of course take Ancient and immediately share the information with his partner. This makes what is already a powerful ability just a bit too cheap.

That leaves us with the question of warp-hole openers. I think that with Ancient unavailable, they are not a game-breaking option. Yes, two players can force the pace to get there much faster, but they've still sunk a large number of research points into one technology option. Their opponents are free to do the same, or to counter with another option.

So, that's my position;

Medium spiral (with teams together on their own side of the map)
3 Good planets
100000 starting resources
Yes to Intel
No to Ancient Race
Yes to Warp openers

But as implied in my previous Posts, I think it's only fair to allow any player to veto one of these if he feels strongly about it. Let me know.

Edit: OK, I've just read Primitive's post below. I'll take that as a veto on openers too. Any more?

[ May 28, 2004, 14:49: Message edited by: Mark the Merciful ]

[Alneyan]

Warp Openers are very, very cheap to research actually. You merely need the second SM level to start building the openers, and it can be done before you can say "Build warships". Since we have a tech cost of only medium with three homeworlds and an ally, I think we would break a record here on "how quickly can you get a worm hole opener up and running?". And obviously, this technology brings more than the Warp Openers.

While speaking of settings, will the Talisman be allowed or not? Or in other words, should we assume that one of the players in each time will go for the religious Trait?

As for this desperation, I meant "if you aren't desperate already after both our KOTH and the Pairs game, where I made an outstanding job at playing poorly". But with Primitive on my side, there is nothing to fear. And as it happens, I have an old debt to repay. *Winks at Slynky*

Originally posted by Alneyan:

While speaking of settings, will the Talisman be allowed or not? Or in other words, should we assume that one of the players in each time will go for the religious Trait?

Well, if it wasn't mentioned, then default game settings apply. So, Yes.

Or are you saying you'd rather it was No?