Pbem - setup - secret pact

[Mart]

Setting up a new pbem, but this one would have a special rule. The game would be for builders!
Proposed name:
Secret Pact

The story: Several leaders of factions that emerged in the last days of Unity spaceship flight, agreed to secretly lead planet to transcendence.
These factions (all human-player factions) will not attack each other, but on the other hand, they would not necessarily sign pact agreements.
They will attempt to achieve transcendence victory, but still one of the faction would be that best in this.
From gameplay side:
- human-player factions do not attack each other and cannot enter vendetta state.
- if vendetta occur (by game engine actions or other human triggered), they sign truce as soon as possible.
- other than vendetta diplomatic states are possible: from truce to pact
- All human-players would have an additional council: here on the forum. This is where differences and conflicts would be resolved in a way that is not vendetta.
- Probing for techs of other human players would be allowed
- Only two victory conditions are enabled:
-- Transcendence
-- Conquest
- All AI factions will be boosted. 3 or 4 of them will be special design with attributes making them super-factions. This is to give us challenge.
- Faction selection, generally any, even with University, Cybernetic Consciousness or Data Angels. Maybe no progenitors, in AI control also.
- other proposed rules, what comes to your mind...

Other game setting I would propose is:
Large map
This is to make a bit more room for builder strategies, as well as make research somewhat more expensive without going to extreme (like huge map with tech stagnation... )

So things to do:
- selection of playing faction and propose 3-4 AI factions and other game settings
- Design super-factions. I will prepare the files. All players will have to add them to playing folder. Their parameters we agree on here during game creation.
- Clarification of special rules for this game.
- Find CMN.

I will play in this game, but will select my faction after 2 other players.
Maybe 3 or 4 human players only. We need at least 3 AI to give us challenge.

[Chilldude]

 
One Hive slot please. This will be my first PBEM game on the forums. I've read the standard MP rule thread, installed the latest yitzi patch, I'm good to go!

Would this be considered a 'cooperative' game against the AI? I understand the no direct attacks (vendetta) but does that include competitive non-vendetta play? Would probe teams be able to use abilities other than steal tech? (if so i suggest a ban on mind control attacks but allow sabotage, energy theft, etc) What about subversive terraforming (rising sea levels, etc?)

 I tend to role-play diplomacy (or lack of it, depending on situation/faction) as the game progresses which has earned me some infamy amongst my SMAC playing friends. Not a deal breaker for me at all if a cooperative atmosphere is desired... I can play well with others if i has to either way I just wanted to make sure I keep the spirit of the scenario intact (though I do think a 'frenemy' kind of foreign relations is thematic for the Hive.)

[Bodissey]

I like the idea. Count me in if there's a slot available.

[Mart]

I like the idea. Count me in if there's a slot available.

Yes, please select a faction you would like to play.

...
Would this be considered a 'cooperative' game against the AI?

To some extent. Since we would play a builder/'peaceful' game, AI would be our only vendetta possibilities (in practice).

I understand the no direct attacks (vendetta) but does that include competitive non-vendetta play?

One of the human players would win by Transcendence, so the game would be very competitive, I guess.

Would probe teams be able to use abilities other than steal tech? (if so i suggest a ban on mind control attacks but allow sabotage, energy theft, etc)

Yes, and we would have two ways of making special rules:
1) by adding special rules to the MP set, e.g. "no vendetta," "truce sign in any vendetta occurrence," "no military attack," etc.
2) by making special agreements in our human-player council. Then violation of these agreements would result in in-game sanctions, etc.

What about subversive terraforming (rising sea levels, etc?)

They might be prohibited by the game engine, in the way of a player being required intentionally to declare vendetta in some cases. When you terraform level and this changes borders of another faction - that declares vendetta iirc. Then you could not do it without violating rules.
In other cases you could do it, e.g. you change level deep in your territory, that causes 10 or 20 tiles further on another faction terrain drying of tiles (farms give less food). That you could do it, as the game will not complain, iirc.

I tend to role-play diplomacy (or lack of it, depending on situation/faction) as the game progresses which has earned me some infamy amongst my SMAC playing friends. Not a deal breaker for me at all if a cooperative atmosphere is desired... I can play well with others if i has to either way I just wanted to make sure I keep the spirit of the scenario intact (though I do think a 'frenemy' kind of foreign relations is thematic for the Hive.)

Frenemy? friend-enemy? Cold war, or cold vendetta, something like that.

[Chilldude]

Perfect! Sounds fun! 

[Bodissey]

I'd like to play 

[Mart]

Ok, it looks like we can start setting up the game. If someone new appears and would like to play, we can still add one more player. I will play Morgan. So, taking into account GMT:

Morgan - Mart
Hive - Chilldude
Data Angels - Bodissey

Proposals of AI factions:

Gaians
University
Spartans
PK

All of them will be enhanced with parameters:
SOCIAL, ++SUPPORT
MORALE, 0 (which makes faction immune from negative modifiers; it is not the social effect, that Spartans have usually)

Victory/World parameters:

Only two victory conditions are enabled:
- Transcendence
- Conquest
Large map
Abundant native life (For Gaians), unless you vote against, planetpearl harvesting gets ridiculously large in late game.
Flexible start
Map not visible

The rest average, or OFF.

Any thoughts on this? I will prepare the faction files for us and CMN.

[Mart]

Additional rules:

- Human-player factions do not attack each other and cannot enter vendetta state to the best of their efforts, including refusing AI proposals to enter vendetta against another human player, or rising/lowering terrain changing other factions borders, (see also the next rule).
- If vendetta occur (by game engine actions or other human triggered), the players have to sign truce as soon as possible.
- Other than vendetta diplomatic states are possible: from truce to pact
- All human-players would have an additional council: here on the forum. This is where differences and conflicts would be resolved in a way that is not vendetta. Any additional special rules could be agreed upon here and their violation would cause in-game sanctions.
- Probe team actions are allowed with exception of:
-- Mindprobing other human-player bases for their control.
- In case of vendetta occurring as a result of such probe team action, truce is to be established as soon as possible.

Anything else worth including here? Have I missed something?

[Chilldude]

This all looks good to me. I'm looking forward to this!

[Mart]

Factions AI, for adding to game folder.

For game creation, one can make the change in Alpha Centauri.ini file, this is with proposed faction order:
Faction 1=GAIANSSF1
Faction 2=MORGAN
Faction 3=UNIVSF1
Faction 4=HIVE
Faction 5=SPARTANSSF1
Faction 6=ANGELS
Faction 7=PEACESF1

then starting a game will as default load these sf1 factions.

[Mart]

Info for CMN:

Map size: Large, 45x90
Abundant native life
The rest average.

Factions, the custom ones are attached in the previous post.

Gaians - AI
Morganites - Mart
University - AI
Hive - Chilldude
Spartans - AI
Data Angels - Bodissey
PK - AI

These special AI factions have added SF1 to the name, so during game creation need to reload them one by one in the scenario editor.

Faction 1=GAIANSSF1
Faction 2=MORGAN
Faction 3=UNIVSF1
Faction 4=HIVE
Faction 5=SPARTANSSF1
Faction 6=ANGELS
Faction 7=PEACESF1

Custom rules and victory conditions:

Only two victory conditions are enabled:
- Transcendence
- Conquest
Large map
Flexible start
Map not visible

The rest average, or OFF.

[Chilldude]

 

[Mart]

We do have someone who can be CMN, just we need to wait a bit.

[Yitzi]

Sounds interesting.  If it's not too late to join, I think I'd like to play  .

[Mart]

We spoke about this game in CMN thread. Hopefully we move the conversation here.