Epic Eight - Potluck - Info Thread

[Kylearan]

Hi,

Potluck has never provided even distribution or pseudo-random automation. This is the ONE instance of Civ gaming where you are promised (and delivered) bona fide random physical dice rolls to decide your fate.

But with what kind of dice, I wonder? Six-sided dice with carved-out circles representing the numbers, so that the "1" side is heavier than the "6" side because it got less material removed? D20s with skewed sides, because it's not so easy to produce dice with so many sides? Or even with a D100, where sometimes it's not easy to discern which side is actually facing up?

But I know Gris and you are/were role-playing gamers, so I trust you know what you're doing.

-Kylearan

[Sirian]

But with what kind of dice, I wonder? Six-sided dice with carved-out circles representing the numbers, so that the "1" side is heavier than the "6" side because it got less material removed? D20s with skewed sides, because it's not so easy to produce dice with so many sides? Or even with a D100, where sometimes it's not easy to discern which side is actually facing up?

But I know Gris and you are/were role-playing gamers, so I trust you know what you're doing.

Right.

...

*marks down Kylearan for the "iceberg start"*




- Sirian

[T-hawk]

But with what kind of dice, I wonder?

Exactly. Let's partake of the wonders of the 21st century: random numbers generated by the truly fundamentally random process of quantum mechanics.

[Kodii]

Lets just hope Griselda and/or Sirian don't get confused with the use of 0s instead of 1s

If the site spits out certain numbers, is it really random? Can random ever be achieved?

[Jabah]

Yes, I remember being the only one to report as Japan in the original Civ3 Potluck... and having reported a defeat, I could have blamed 'bad luck' from having be given the crappiest and unwinnable start
(my report is no longer online, but having your capital with mainly only flood plain and no production then being hit by diseases back to size 1 while building the first settler was not a lucky omen... )

Jabah

[theGrimm]

If you use quantum dice, I will raise a formal complaint, since every roll of the dice will ultimately affect my actual thought patterns while playing the potluck!

But seriously, until we have 60 billion or so entries to the potluck, I doubt that using a pseudo random number generator will yield any discernable pattern. Good luck using a dice, then. 8)

Hey, it's okay. I realise not everyone is comfortable with modern scientific methods.

(Starts researching "Ice-Breaking"...)

P.S. To remain somewhat on topic, how do you switch which civ the player controls?

[Kylearan]

Hi,

Let's partake of the wonders of the 21st century: random numbers generated by the truly fundamentally random process of quantum mechanics.

Hey, thanks for the link! And I love that smiley. (Somehow I'm having the feeling that my observing the smiley changes its blinking behavior... )

-Kylearan

[Dantski]

P.S. To remain somewhat on topic, how do you switch which civ the player controls?

I'd assume you'd edit it via the worldbuilder or some other secret tool that only the testers of Civ have access to

[Sirian]

I'd assume you'd edit it via the worldbuilder or some other secret tool that only the testers of Civ have access to

Actually, it's easier than in Civ3, if only slightly.

As is typical for Potluck, we'll release the source files once the event has closed. Then you can see for yourself.


- Sirian

[Sirian]

Hey, it's okay. I realise not everyone is comfortable with modern scientific methods.

Straw man.

Analyze the programming inside the Civ4 map scripts and you'll find my level of comfort.


I'm comfortable also with such modern devices as the propane powered cooking stove and microwave oven, yet still choose to roast marshmallows on the end of a freshly carved sharp stick dangled over a campfire. Some things are done purely for flavor.


- Sirian