[NO PLAYERS] The Kibitzer Klub: PB13 Map & Lurkers

[spacetyrantxenu]

At least that Archery goof is going to come in handy now.

Has an early mechanics mistake ever been rewarded like this?

[spacetyrantxenu]

I got laughed at last time I suggested this, but remind me why we can't do an anonymous pitboss game? If we're not doing diplo what does it matter if you know your neighbor or not? If Commodore pops that hut on T2 and doesn't know that Scoopin were the team that pulled the Vikings, he doesn't tilt T2. If Scoopin see a rival warrior moving toward their capital on whatever turn it is now and doesn't know it's Commodore's warrior, they're probably not going to go into total ballistic freak out not again mode, they're just going to adjust their plans, play defense, and move on with the game. Both sides would at least have a chance to play a normal, fun game and wouldn't (necessarily) have to replay yet another grudge match based upon previous games. There have been technical problems with anonymous play in the past (right? I haven't read anything other than Krill's roflstomp PBEM4v no score modded game on this subject) and it can be possible to figure out who is who, but we're already playing with a mod, so surely there is a way to make anonymous gameplay work. You know, to protect the players from themselves. Also to make the game more enjoyable for them. Given the apathy of two teams here who each clearly lost a lot of interest in playing this game the moment they made contact-- is anonymous play such a terrible solution?

[Krill]

It's more to do that in a PB game it's possible to figure out who is playing what civ due to the log in times.

[spacetyrantxenu]

Well if people wouldn't study civstats and try to decipher its hidden secrets like it's the Rosetta stone or something, I don't see why that has to be a problem. Leave the default leader name in your client, post in the forum with a smurf account for that game, etc.

Commodore is ready to sell the game to his dedlurker already.

[Krill]

People play more than one game though. All it takes is one mistake by logging into the wrong game with the wrong name as well. The anonymous setting was designed for generic MP games, not for long PBs. Hell, a system like civstats wasn't even thought would exist when the pitboss concept came up. In theory that setting works, but in practice, not a chance, no matter how much we wish otherwise.

[spacetyrantxenu]

It seems like sanitizing player name data is something a mod could do if we wanted it to. And as far as civstats goes I don't know if messing with that via the mod would solve the civstats end of the problem or not, but we don't 100% have to use civstats for every game. It's a very useful tool but not absolutely required.

[Krill]

I agree, theoretically we could create a mod that was coded such that the leader names always showed the leader/civ that was being played, and ignore what the name that the players logged in with. I think we could also theoretically rip off civstats and host a similar website (or rather a page or two per game that showed what turn it was and how long left on the timer) without any of the additional information such as score, player log in times and whatnot. But that's a lot of work.

[GreyWolf]

O damned Fate! Thou art so hard on Civvers
Who fight in bloody, hard, intentse Pitbosses:
Thou placest bitter rivals way too close
And then thou laughs't at their laments and losses.

Thou placest one player next to floodplains,
Where fertile land with stocks of wheat endow'd,
While other player finds, to his horror,
That only food he has is a plains cow.

A brutal fight to death is always welcome
To lurkers who desire much blood and thrill.
Let loose the dogs of war. Have no mercy
On those whom Fate destroys under her wheel.

[spacetyrantxenu]

Jester has made a real mess with his opening. Between misreading Scoopin's power graph mistaking Archery for BW and being paranoid about having to connect his own copper as a result, he's really behind on getting his capital's food connected.

[Bowsling]

It's a painful read, not gonna lie. Seeing that grassland wheat just sitting there unimproved makes me wanna cry.