New EitB PBEM

[Qgqqqqq]

I think if you do a snake pick it's best to randomise order - there's nothing saying last pick is necessarily bad as it's easier to pick for synergies.

While you can choose unrestricted, I'm not at all certain there's enough distance between leaders to match the difference between civs, and some civs are balanced around their leaders strength (there's a reason no one chooses Decius of the Malakim). So I wouldn't generally recommend it, but it's up to you.

[Miguelito]

Sitting this one out / joining Ginger's team. I'd be excited to see a 6th signup from the ones declared interested though.
I'm also not sure that with one or two first time players it's the right time to find out what brokenness unrestricted leaders has to offer, but if the players want to....

[xist10]

I'm sure I can find the time/I will make the time.

But I'm not a fan of snake pick, especially when I have no Idea, what combinations are possible.
I like RandomBlock - like the last EitB PBEM oder like the PB72

[mackoti]

We can vote and I am fine with either...and i realy believe there are so many good options that would make this way the game more fun and everyone can get a realu strong option.

[Aurorarcher]

Alright, so far there has been some good suggestions by mackoti. I'm ok with his proposals. I'm curious to hear the opinion of other players as well. Based on the discussions the overall game settings would be something like this:

1. Snake pick with unrestricted leaders. Determine pick order of players by dice roll. If there are concerns of imbalance due to number of players and/or newer participants who don't know the mod that well, veteran players (mackoti, Aurorarcher, maybe me also?) can be asssigned in the snake pick to a position that allows the newer players to pick first? This would prevent the vetarans from taking the best civs or leaders first? Just to be clear, I'm also fine with random order for the snake pick, just trying to think of a balanced and fair method.
   
2. I'm in favour of "boosted" thaw start*, as in previous PBEM, and there's no strong objections to this so far? Later era + advanced start was proposed by Bing, but he was fine with this too?
   
3. No changes to mobility (haste spell, promotions, raiders trait etc.).
   
4. Larger map relative to number of palyers than previous.
   
5. Bans: Illians. Map-makers can decide if for example Cultists or Lanun would be too powerful (in case a bit more water/lake heavy map).
   
6. Mapscript and number of continents: up to map-makers.
   

Normal thaw start is somewhat equal to a BtS ancient era start. FFH2/EitB is much slower during the early game, this is why we "boosted" the normal start by adding:

• Free worker in addition to normal starting units.
  
• All players start with the first level technologies: crafting, agriculture, exploration and ancien chants.
  
• Players can choose one additional technology based on tehir civilization pick. For example, Ljosalfar can pick hunting, cartography or fishing and Hippus can choose animal husbandry or calendar.
  

Basic game setting from previous game (for reference):

• Quick speed
  
• Emperor difficulty
  
• AI diplo
  
• No tech trading
  
• No vassal states
  
• No espionage (does this option matter?)
  
• No Acheron
  
• No Orthus
  
• Wildlands
  
• Living world
  
• Blessing of Amatheon (up to map-maker to decide in my opinion)
  
• Tribal huts: no
  
• Lairs, barrows and graveyards: yes
  
• Unique features: yes, but balanced (for example, no remnants of Patria close to player, no easy access to powerful mana)
  
• Limited mana nodes: one guaranteed source near capital, other nodes and features in contested areas.
  
• Normal settler at start (no bonus vision or movement)
  

I would like to hear opinions on the overall game settings (points 1 to 6) listed above. I also added basic settings for reference, but no need to decide on those just yet, I think.

1. I think unrestricted leaders is way too difficult for newer players. Last PBEM system was good enough.

2. +1 for boosted start. 

3. I’m fine with that.

4. Larger map, I’d suggest about 250-300 tiles per player. 

5. I’d say no bans or more like leave them up to mapmakers to decide (like too watery map ban Cultists for example). 

6. Agree. The more unpredictable the map the better. Certain maps favour certain civs for sure.

[fireblaze]

Yeah I'll second the liking the block pick from last run over the snake pick, I'm not super familiar with EitB and I'd definitely miss out compared to someone cooking their dream combo, I feel like.

[mackoti]

What Auror said is fine by me. I  remember how people were against unrestricted on Civ4 as well.., sayng agg rome would be too powerfull and nothing can contain them...

[coldrain]

Further discussion for players:
Looks like random block selection for leaders/civs without unrestricted leaders is the way to go forward. There are 19 civilizations (not counting Mercurians or Infernals), so with 6 players, everyone would get a choice from 3 options. If the game will have more players, I guess that leaves only two options per round? How many times can a player dismiss the options to draw a new selection? In previous game, each player had the chance to dismiss all options twice and on third round, a final choice had to be made.

For map-makers:
Q and RefSteel, thanks for volunteering to make the map! What information do you need to get started? Player count is still open (waiting confirmation from possible participants), but do you have other questions? Game setting planning is still in preliminary stage, I'm totally not trying to push the game to start as soon as possible (Heh, I'm very eager to start! But some things can't be rushed, especially maps. But I wanted to start the discussion). Or if I'm too early to ask for map-making process, then feel free to bonk some sense into me 

[Miguelito]

Careful with adding more players. I think a 6 person PBEM can work, but it's pushing the limits. And at least 4 of the players are in Europe (don't know about fireblaze)

[mackoti]

Yeah  is about right.But are we 6?

I just want to say if map is that lare giving 2 mana nodes for each could be beter , so you can upgrade one to body lets say and another to meta later....if you get to mages....Some civs have realy weak mana on theyrs capitol.., if was snake pick hw i said well you couldchse countin that as well, now its what ever you get....