[cerveza_fiesta]

I will just join the one game most likely - the big one. I don't have time to play 2 games and give both the participation level that the other players deserve.

[cerveza_fiesta]

Also, have you decided on a format for turn updates? I feel like I'd remember a parallel "actions only" thread even less than "first page updates".

You know, if you, as a mod, simply compile the actions in a running list for each round (like you're doing now) and post it in-line with the banter, it really is enough to go on. You could theoretically keep the whole damn game in a single semi-spoilered post and just keep copy-pasting it to the thread each time around the board (or more often as you see fit). By the end it would be hellishly long, but all except the last few actioins would be in spoiler tags and therefore only visible if somebody really needs to look back.

This might be the ticket to a continuously updated game actually, and I kind of wish I'd done it that way from the start. Just keep the file open in Notepad or whatever, and copy paste moves into that as they pop up in the thread - it takes no more time to do that than it does scrolling around the first page and harassing players to update the first page. You can add spoiler tags in notepad too, and whatever else you want, and it will all show up when you copy paste it into the "fast reply" pane on the forum.

[Gnaw]

cerveza_fiesta, on 02 October 2013 - 02:14 PM, said:

Also, have you decided on a format for turn updates? I feel like I'd remember a parallel "actions only" thread even less than "first page updates".

You know, if you, as a mod, simply compile the actions in a running list for each round (like you're doing now) and post it in-line with the banter, it really is enough to go on. You could theoretically keep the whole damn game in a single semi-spoilered post and just keep copy-pasting it to the thread each time around the board (or more often as you see fit). By the end it would be hellishly long, but all except the last few actioins would be in spoiler tags and therefore only visible if somebody really needs to look back.

This might be the ticket to a continuously updated game actually, and I kind of wish I'd done it that way from the start. Just keep the file open in Notepad or whatever, and copy paste moves into that as they pop up in the thread - it takes no more time to do that than it does scrolling around the first page and harassing players to update the first page. You can add spoiler tags in notepad too, and whatever else you want, and it will all show up when you copy paste it into the "fast reply" pane on the forum.

Yeah, I've come to the same conclusion. I will still keep them updated on the first page as well though. I've been updating both places as I'm going anyways. I/we need a way for error correction. And having all the info in one place isn't conducive to that. "With enough eyes, all bugs are shallow".

And the blue highlighted is a great idea. It solves the problem of having to scroll past all that shit when editing a post.

[Gnaw]

However, it does not solve the upkeep problem. I have zero experience using spread sheets as spread sheets. Lotus 1,2,3 made great forms. And form making is all I've ever used it for. If somebody could make one that would be useful it would be fantastic.

Maybe make it a condition of posting an action order?

Build starbase in homeworld -3 mats -7 upkeep ($9, 8 sci, 8 mats, -7 upkeep. income $12, 12, sci, 15 mats)

[Gnaw]

I could adapt it to the separate thread idea though. The difference being that the mod is the only one who posts there.

[Gnaw]

Oh, the Turn Order variant proposed in the SP1 expansion will NOT be used in my game. It does not adapt well to forum based games I think.

[Gnaw]

Game 1

stalled in round 7

Chatclipse:

stalled at the upkeep of round 6

Game 2

Twelve: 45
D'rek: 37
CF: 33
IH: 33
Khell: 26
EM (Tatts): 21
Tattersail: 17

Game 3

Twelve 55
D'rek 44
CF 34
Khell 24
Tapper 23
Tatts 18
Solidsnape 15
Morgoth 12
Gnaw 6


Game IV:

D'rek: 54
Morgoth (CF): 43
IH: 40
Tapper: 27
Khell: 24
Tatts: 22
Gnaw: 22
Twelve: 19
CF: 9


Game 5

Twelve: 42
CF: 39
D'rek: 29
Morgoth (Gnaw): 26
Tattersail/Blend: 22
Khell: 17


Averages:


D'rek: 37+44+54+29 == 164/4 == 41
Twelve: 45+55+19+42 == 161/4 == 40.25
IH: 33+40 == 73/2 == 36.5
CF: 33+34+(9+43)/2+39 == 132/4 == 33
Morgoth: 12+43+26 == 81/3 == 27
Tapper: 23+27 == 50/2 == 25
Khell: 26+24+24+17 == 91/4 == 22.75
Blend: 22
Tattersail: (17+21)/2+18+22+22 == 81/4 == 20.25
EM: 21
Gnaw: 6+22+26 == 54/3 == 18
Solidsnape: 15

[twelve]

gah. win three games out of 4 and don't have the best average! I'm impressed at d'reks consisantcy.

[Gnaw]

twelve, on 15 February 2015 - 03:55 AM, said:

gah. win three games out of 4 and don't have the best average! I'm impressed at d'reks consisantcy.

Gnaw, on 09 February 2015 - 08:26 PM, said:

Tattersail_, on 09 February 2015 - 08:24 PM, said:

Well done drek awesome work.

I hope I am not next to you next time round 😀

I think the appropriate lesson to learn from this game is: if you're next to D'rek or Twelve, stomp them. Early and often.

[D'rek]

twelve, on 15 February 2015 - 03:55 AM, said:

gah. win three games out of 4 and don't have the best average! I'm impressed at d'reks consisantcy.

If we factored in Game 1, too, even though it didn't finish, you'd have it. Morgoth and IH definitely had the upper hand by the point we reached. If we'd actually finished I'd probably have been wiped out entirely, or close.

[Gnaw]

Gnaw, on 07 January 2015 - 10:22 PM, said:

Gnaw, on 31 December 2014 - 10:23 PM, said:

I was thinking about how forum play differs from live and looked at it from the other side for once. An opportunity that forum play allows is the inclusion of the unknown. It would require a mod that isn't playing which I just don't see happening given how long our games take (although I would be willing if enough people were interested in the concept as a side game).

Everyone starts blind, knowing only their species, homeworld orientation, and what tech is available for research. Players don't know anything about the others until they make contact; i.e. adjoining influenced/discovered hexes.

The game thread would show only the tech available. There would be a thread in Spoiler Hell for auditing purposes until all players know who is in the game. When two players make contact they can communicate via a PM conversation that included the moderator as in a mafia lover conversation. The conversation would include images of their player boards.

All discoveries and discarded hexes would be known only to the player. Researched tech would be anonymous until contact is made. Player1 researches neutron bombs -> the following players would know only that that tech had been removed from the available pool.

Species selection would be done by submitting a priority list. If you don't want Planta in the game, then the first item on your list would be Terran Union.

There are lots of things that would need to be ironed out but it's mostly thought experiment anyways.

Side game if run at all. Activity minimum requirement to play??

Mod can't play. And requires heavy mod involvement.

Components Included:

• Base game. Planta and Draco maybe should be out; the explores would make them too OP. Especially if 7+ players.
• RotA?
  • bigger board means it takes longer to find out who the other players/species are. That's a negative from where I'm sitting.
  • Alliances?? Would need special rules I think.
• Warp Portal. Definitely in. Allows for two players on opposite sides of the board to discover each other sooner.
• Super Nova.
• Pulsar.
• Nebula
• Minions of Solstice. I like them.

Setup:

Mod does random.org to determine which hexes, discoveries, rare techs, and developments will be in the draw piles.

Player species selection:

• Players submit lists of their preferred choices. Mod does a random to determine order.
• Mod does a random to determine start positions.
• Mod informs Players what species they are and where their hex is in relation to the galactic center.
• Do they get to know what player number they are?
• Do they get to select hex orientation or go by the orientations set in the rules?
• Empty spots in board should be Ancient home worlds. Too much exploration advantage to players bordering on empty spaces.
• Should player positions be assigned in order from bottom and clockwise or just randomly???
• Turn order???

Player knowledge heavily influences the house rules. The key to this is going to be the Tech available for research.

Everyone gets to know what tech is available only when it's their turn. For example a single neutron bomb is available.

• Player1 researches them.
• Player2 would know that Player1 researched nukes, but following players would not know that it had been available at all let alone researched. Advantage to early players. Can it be balanced by advantages to later ones?
• Player2 knows that Player1 did not do other action.
• Player2 does an explore.
• So Player3 can deduce
• that there has been one tech researched (total number is down by one) but not what it was.
• that a non-research action was taken.
• does not know who did what.
• etc, etc, etc

Everyone gets to know what tech is available at the beginning of the round. When their turn comes they are told what tech is still available.

Everyone gets to know what tech is available at all times. Less unknown but might make it go faster?

• Game thread would show tech.
• Mod posts "Player1 has researched neutron bombs"
• If a research action is posted then all actions should be posted: Player2 has explored. Player3 has explored. Player4 has researched improved hulls. etc
• Despite the "into the dark", I think I like this way best at the moment.
• Should an explore be: "Player2 has explored" or "Player2 has explored Tier II"?

Seeing as how I have massive amounts of time on my hands these days, would anyone be interested in another game of Eclipse?

The priority level for this game would be:

• Eclipse VI
• Eclipse VI
• Mafia
• <whatever>
• Eclipse VI
• Mafia
• Blind Man's Bluff Eclipse.

As stated above in my musings on the subject the primary attribute of Blind Man's Bluff would be ignorance. I would not be playing only moderating. The players would know next to nothing until they actually meet up with each other. I'd almost be willing to go so far as to use alts if players think that that would add to the game. My design concept so far is:

• You would know your starting species and your location relative to the GC.
• You would be told your player order number.
• HW orientation would be rules standard
• Colors would be game standard?
• Player rotation would be known only to me.
• The game thread would be in a closed forum. Either Spoiler Hell or Tapper's Stuff. It would remain there until all players had made contact with each other either directly or through intermediary players.
• There would be a locked information/action thread.
  • Player 1 has performed an action
  • Player 2 has...
  • Player 4 has passed.
• Players would submit actions via PM to me. They would receive map and tech updates that way.

Tech:

• Tech would be drawn and made available prior to species selection either in the information thread or in PMs.
• Tech available to each player would be known only at the time of their turn. OR
• Tech available would be posted in the information thread and updated when a research action is performed.

Knowledge of other species:


Players would be told if there hexes are adjacent to another explored hex only if they influence it or have a ship there. OR

An "exploration ship" conceptualization: You 'exploration ship" finds a hex. It is capable of detecting wormholes in hexes adjacent.

Turn 1 Action 1 green explores N of HW and is told that his explore ship detects wormholes only to the north of that sector.
 Screen Shot 2015-02-15 at 3.47.45 PM.png (204.85K)
Number of downloads: 0

Green places and orients. Since Green cannot influence they receive no information about the GCDS.

Red explores NE of HW and is told his explore ships detect wormholes only to the NE.
 Screen Shot 2015-02-15 at 3.48.15 PM.png (365.71K)
Number of downloads: 0

Red keeps, orients, and influences. Upon influence Red is told what kind of ship is in the GCDS. Since there is not a wormhole tot he 101 hex Red is not told anything about hex 101.

Magenta explores SE of HW and is told that there are wormholes to the S and SE of that hex.
 Screen Shot 2015-02-15 at 3.50.34 PM.png (707.98K)
Number of downloads: 0

Magenta influences and is told that the hex to the south belongs to Red. Red is told that his occupation forces have detected Magenta to the north of 103.

neither player is told anything more unless they exchange ambassadors.

If they do exchange ambassadors, the are given maps of each other's territories and playerboards. they can open PMs with each other (and the Moderator). They can tell each other anything they want.

If they do not exchange ambassadors communication PMs are still allowed but no information is given to them by the moderator. They can tell each other anything they want and ying is allowed.

This post has been edited by Gnaw: 15 February 2015 - 09:09 PM

[Gnaw]

White explores SW of HW and is told that there is a wormhole detected to the south.

 Screen Shot 2015-02-15 at 4.17.50 PM.png (524.42K)
Number of downloads: 0

white keeps orients and influences. Upon influence white and magenta are informed of each other. They can open PMs.

White and magenta exchange ambassadors and are shown maps of each other's territories and playerboards.

If white has exchanged ambassadors with red, upon exchanging ambassadors with magenta Red and White are given images of their territories and playerboards and White is allowed to join the Magenta/Red PM conversation.

If white has not exchanged ambassadors with red, then White is only shown the image of hex 103 and the Magenta/White PM is separate from the Magenat/Red PM. Since white knows of the existence of Red, White would be given the option of opening a PM with red. The reverse is not true because Red does not know of the existence of white.

This post has been edited by Gnaw: 15 February 2015 - 09:41 PM

[Gnaw]

Once ambassadors have been exchanged, players would always be informed of the other player's territories and player boards regardless of broken diplomatic relations. We'll put it down to the ambassadors leaving spies behind. And PM conversations would remain open. Or not, we'll have to think on that one.

This post has been edited by Gnaw: 15 February 2015 - 09:39 PM

[D'rek]

I think it'd be fun and would be willing to play. Maybe having that run simultaneous to the current "standard" game would indeed be the best way to go, so it isn't forcing anyone to make a choice between regular rules or variants.

[Gnaw]

D, on 16 February 2015 - 12:17 AM, said:

I think it'd be fun and would be willing to play. Maybe having that run simultaneous to the current "standard" game would indeed be the best way to go, so it isn't forcing anyone to make a choice between regular rules or variants.

That's what I'm proposing. I have the time to moderate this variant which is good 'cause it's going to be time intense for the mod. I can't play in it so I'd rather run it simultaneously.

But the other game takes priority.

This post has been edited by Gnaw: 16 February 2015 - 12:58 AM

[twelve]

I think it would be fun as well. playing with alrs would also add to the mystery of it all.

[Imperial Historian]

I'd be in, but maybe wait until game VI hits turn 2 and slows down to start.

If you want alts set up I can do that.

[cerveza_fiesta]

I'll join the party. I'll be busy, but this seems too interesting good to pass up. Should have time to play unless you are aiming for some kind of breakneck pace Gnaw

[Tattersail_]

Count me in.

[D'rek]

Imperial Historian, on 16 February 2015 - 08:31 AM, said:

I'd be in, but maybe wait until game VI hits turn 2 and slows down to start.

If you want alts set up I can do that.

Yeah, alts may be a good idea depending on how you want to run it, Gnaw. I can make a new sub-forum for it, too, if that would be appropriate/useful.