A common thread runs in the mythology of all the races of the galaxy. Millennia ago, long before the current era, the oldest tales tell of an ancient race that enslaved each race on its homeworld: a race so powerful that they could level entire cities with horrible magicks, so unspeakably strange that no communication was possible beyond the most basic level, and so twisted as to worship five gods, fell and powerful beyond imagination, with unimaginable sacrifices dug from the hills through the efforts of countless slaves.

Only the Meklars have a different mythology lost in their history, of a time before they began transforming themselves from flesh to machine. Of a time when five brilliant stars shone in the skies and moved among them, holding the beginnings of their race. Brilliant stars they might have been, but slowly dying ones. In time, one of the stars touched their homeworld; the star was lost, but the seeds of the Meklar were spread across the world, and a new genesis was theirs.

But the old ways were not lost entirely when the last of those five stars vanished. In the deeps of space, the husks of four stars remain, and should the modern Meklar chance to come across one of them and discover what their history truly was, a religion ancient beyond belief might once again sweep the stars...

Imperium Eight: The Ancient Race

Sponsor: Zed
Opening Date: Monday, December 20, 2004
Duration: Three weeks
Map Generation: Random

Civilization: Meklar
Difficulty: Average
Galaxy Size: Medium
Opponents: Five
Color: White
Victory: Conquest

Scenario Concept: A large portion of the game on higher difficulty levels involves the use of diplomacy to maneuver the AI to the point where it poses no threat to the player. This is increasingly being seen as an aspect of the game that is somewhat broken, in that it is too powerful. Also, a time-honoured tradition of variant and succession games is the xCC - from OCC to 5CC+, with the idea that restricting player production adds challenge. In MOO, this adds a further complication regarding the vote that must be considered. This scenario takes an average map and spices it up by adding two variant rules.

Variant Rule One: Tactless. We may not initiate communication with any other race. We may respond to other races offers with a simple yes/no, but no more than that. We must always abstain in the vote, with two exceptions: If you are able to vote yourself into the senate on your own strength alone, you may take a vote win, or for extra challenge, the first time it is possible to lose a vote, you are allowed to deliberately toss the vote to your opponent to promote final war.

Variant Rule Two: Relaxed 5CC. Normally in a 5CC we would not be allowed to settle more than 5 worlds and that is the baseline here. You will incur no penalties in scoring for settling up to 5 worlds, but because unit range is tied to planetary bases, and abandoning planets is a chancy thing, this rule is relaxed to allow up to 10 planets to be settled at a scoring penalty for every planet above 5. Note that it is in fact possible to abandon planets here, but it involves deliberately stripping a planet of all defenses (use the 'b' key to scrap bases) and waiting for an opponent to take over the world, which may not happen quickly and could cost tech when it does happen.

Scoring:
Base score: 2600 - Finish year.

Bonuses:
+50 for settling Orion without exceeding 5 planets.
+50 for triggering final war at the first possible opportunity
+25 for avoiding final war entirely
+15 for extermination victory

Penalties:
-25 for every planet colonized past 5, to a limit of 10. This includes capturing enemy planets.
-5 per AI race exterminated by another AI. We are the masters of all inferior races, and they must all know it!

Comments: Though the restrictions might seem severe, this is only Average. For all intents and purposes it is possible to win an OCC on an average small map, given the requisite range technology. It should be possible to do the same with a somewhat larger empire on a somewhat larger map.

Closing Day: Monday, January 10, 2005. Reports due by January 11.

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