Global War (upgraded to 3.20)

Baalz · #1 August 2nd, 2008, 06:59 PM

Hmmm, I'm trying to decide how much of this game played out because of the setup of the game, and how much just because of the particular players involved. My suggestions:

Evil players cannot trade with any other than neutral players. Evil to evil trades can be brokered through neutrals via whatever mechanism is agreed upon. Neutrals are not required to turn a profit, they can do this for free if they can be convinced it's in their interest, intimidated, etc.

No restriction upon evil communication, evil can plan anything with anybody, with the exception that no peace agreement may be made with good. Thematically, don't be surprised if evil doesn't honor their word, players are encouraged to play evil races as untrustworthy backstabbers when it's in the nation's interest. Hint: get your secret enemies to commit to a bloody war before you hamstring them! Note: though evil cannot make peace with good, they can coordinate with good temporarily to screw another evil player.

Each evil has 3 secret enemies (out of 9 evils). That means that although evil is free to coordinate in any way with all other evils, they know 1/3 other evils are out to get them!

Evil victory: All good capitals in evil hands, you loose if your secret enemy holds their capital when this happens.

Neutrals get no overt benefit other than not being in a ceaseless war the entire game...that is quite enough! Neutrals win when there are 2 or less of each faction remaining (including neutrals!) in control of their capitals and neutrals are in control of 2 good capitals and 3 evil. Neutrals can and should work together with everyone...to a point. If good or evil is about to win, that's the bestt time for neutral to swoop in and try to snatch victory from the presumptive winners. Note: it's in good's interest to make sure a neutral player is not intimidated by evil into giving them an advantage! Support neutral in this case!

Good - full coordination with each other and an any trade they can negotiate with neutral. No trading with evil, nor peace agreements. Victory - good holds all good capitals and evil holds none of theirs. Good is intended to play as thematically good and should honor agreements made even if they are with untrustworthy evil - be cautious making a deal with the devil.

archaeolept · #2 August 3rd, 2008, 10:51 AM

heh the timer got turned off... which is fair, because lolomo wasn't given a hosting deadline when he signed up to take over arco...

Rathar · #3 August 3rd, 2008, 06:41 PM

Oh futz.. I missed our finding a sub and will get a chance to pop out a turn this evening! Sorry for making you wait!

Kheldron · #4 August 4th, 2008, 08:11 AM

Well I quite agree with you on most of your suggestions. The only thing that still bothers me is the neverendinig peace for neutrals. For having played it, I find it an unfair advantage as they almost play in an environment like in solo games.

As I see it, evils should start the game with a rather simple objective : they must destroy or weaken goods and neutrals alike enough so that when the backstabing starts in mid-game they only have evils to deal with anymore.
Goods and neutrals are the two weakest factions and must seek survival in early game in order to benefit from synergies later on.
Neutrals have that advanttage to benefit from both synergy and death-blood magic which own in late game.

My issue with too much neutrality for neutrals (

) is they almost have a garanteed ticket for late game and therefore garanty for ownage.

The trick is to find something of a challenge for them to reach late game.

Apart from that...I'm in for the next game!!

CUnknown · #5 August 4th, 2008, 10:47 AM

I was sort of surprised that none of the evils attacked the neutrals until late-ish. That wasn't the way I envisioned it, for sure.

Btw, the timer is back on, and a new turn is up.

Zeldor · #6 August 4th, 2008, 11:41 AM

I surely want to be in new edition of that game. I can also give some tips, the biggest one would be to create a special map with thematic starting locations [and nice choosing of secret enemies then].

Baalz · #7 August 4th, 2008, 01:18 PM

Yeah, I was thinking that with my suggested changes:

1) Evil would work together better early, but be hesitant to be too tightly coupled and always be jockeying to come out *more* ahead than their allies in any engagement.

2) Evil must kill good, but they also have an incentive to attack neutral because they're defacto immediately at war with neutral as soon as good starts to crumble.

3) Neutral is likely to be bullied by evil due to evil's better coordination (it's a lot more tempting to gang up on a surrounded and unsupported neutral if you can get another evil or two to attack from another direction). This will be counteracted by neutral's ability to bribe - it's better to have a friendly neutral so that items/gems can be exchanged among evil. This is of course balanced by good trying to maneuver so that no neutrals are surrounded and unsupported for exactly this reason.

4) If neutral's 'peace' advantage does manage to get them a ticket to late game, they still need to eliminate one of themselves - so neutrals can't trust each other too far.

LoloMo · #8 August 6th, 2008, 01:56 PM

I received a message that says "CD key violation - your CD key has been used on multiple installations. Your orders have not been executed."

Is this a bug? My last turn's orders went through without problems; this is only my second turn after subbing for this game. This is the first time I've encountered this in any of the games I have played. I have an original copy of the game.

archaeolept · #9 August 6th, 2008, 02:30 PM

eh, that's if it thinks you are playing two nations... did you look at another good player (which is fine) but accidentally save a turn? that's the only thing i can think of.

edit: or, conversely, if someone else accidentally submitted a turn for you, as well as their own nation.

how this mechanic works exactly is not fully understood