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Topic:   Predefined Games Format for Better Printing
vgriph
Chieftain
Norrköping, Sweden
Apr 2001
posted April 11, 2001 14:14   Click Here to See the Profile for vgriphClick Here to Email vgriph  send a private message to vgriph
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I posted something about it in a topic on multiplaying yesterday, but I think it deserves an own topic.

Every time you start a game you have to make a lot of chooses. I, myself, have observed that I always makes the same chooses, maybe some variance. I have anyway to setup everything from the beginning every time I start a new game.
I'd like to be able to create Predefined Game Setups with map size and type (landmass, climate, age and so on) or a mapfile, rules, difficulty level, civ- and leadername titles, and everything else you have to setup before you start a game.
Then after created the gametyps you usually play, it will just take 2 chooses to do what earlier took a lot more clicks. Just select "Start Predefined Game" and then select the name of the predefined game to start, and start the game.

airdrik
Prince
Boise, ID, USA
Oct 2000
posted April 11, 2001 14:27   Click Here to See the Profile for airdrikClick Here to Email airdrik  send a private message to airdrik
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I like it, it would include things like: standard rules+ raging hordes+ 7(or max) civs+ romans+ Julius Ceaser+ large map+ large masses+ continents+ wet+ warm+ 3M years.

Also, when starting a customized game, you would have a final option to 'save as predefined game', and predefined game files would be editable ala rules.txt.

EnochF
Prince
Seattle, WA
b.02-15-99
posted April 11, 2001 15:34   Click Here to See the Profile for EnochFClick Here to Email EnochF  send a private message to EnochF
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Excellent idea. Especially for when you have to re-load because your civ started with one Settler on a big desert.
vgriph
Chieftain
Norrköping, Sweden
Apr 2001
posted April 12, 2001 18:49   Click Here to See the Profile for vgriphClick Here to Email vgriph  send a private message to vgriph
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Is my suggestion to perfect?
No negative Critics?
No Improvement suggestions?

Gues the only thing we can do now is to wait for any reaction by Firaxis.

airdrik
Prince
Boise, ID, USA
Oct 2000
posted April 13, 2001 11:03   Click Here to See the Profile for airdrikClick Here to Email airdrik  send a private message to airdrik
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I know the feeling. Back when I was a newbie with great ideas, I had one where this eventually happened. I would guess that everyone is in agreement that this is a good idea, though the people at Firaxis have the final say as to if it is actually implemented or not (though the more we talk about it the higher chance that they will look at it).
EnochF
Prince
Seattle, WA
b.02-15-99
posted April 13, 2001 12:04   Click Here to See the Profile for EnochFClick Here to Email EnochF  send a private message to EnochF
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This week I decided to go back to playing Alpha Centauri for a while. I never bought the game; my roommates did. Anyway, SMAC gives you the opportunity to customize the rules in your game. That means you can, for example, turn off blind research, disallow various forms of victory, slow tech research, get rid of "goodie hut" pods, all sorts of things. Then it gives you the option to "Play With Current Rules." It remembers the last set of rules you gave it.

Unfortunately, it doesn't have an option to "Play With All Current Settings," including the size and makeup of the world, the faction you were playing, the name you chose for yourself, the difficulty setting, the rarity of barbarians, etc. And that would be something very useful for Civ III.

SerapisIV
Prince
Ann Arbor, MI, USA
Feb 2001
posted April 13, 2001 13:58   Click Here to See the Profile for SerapisIV   send a private message to SerapisIV
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SMAC doesn't have that option explicitely shown, but if you start up a new game, the highlighted choices will be the ones you last used unless you specifically change them
airdrik
Prince
Boise, ID, USA
Oct 2000
posted April 13, 2001 14:21   Click Here to See the Profile for airdrikClick Here to Email airdrik  send a private message to airdrik
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It does that in civ 2 as well, but (I think in both games) you still have to set up the rules (diety, raging hordes, 7 civs, indians, ...). This idea encompases those rules, so you can just open 'mypre.pdg' (PreDefined Game) and it will go straight to generating the map, placing civs, etc.

Now that I think of it, you should be able to save it using pre-drawn maps (w/option of random/standard locations in the file) as well.

vgriph
Chieftain
Norrköping, Sweden
Apr 2001
posted April 17, 2001 16:19   Click Here to See the Profile for vgriphClick Here to Email vgriph  send a private message to vgriph
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As no one finds anything to write het I'll just place a POLL on it here.

Do you want Predefined Games to be in Civilization III?
Yes
No
Don't care

airdrik
Prince
Boise, ID, USA
Oct 2000
posted April 17, 2001 17:15   Click Here to See the Profile for airdrikClick Here to Email airdrik  send a private message to airdrik
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You must like those polls. You're sticking them everywhere!

Anyway I got the second vote yes, for yes: 100%

Ilkuul
Warlord
of Thame (UK)
Mar 2000
posted April 17, 2001 17:46   Click Here to See the Profile for IlkuulClick Here to Email Ilkuul  send a private message to Ilkuul Visit Ilkuul's Homepage!
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I think this is a great idea - save a lot of boring repetition before each game - so I've just added my Yes to the poll, gaining 20% of the results! (I was the 5th to vote! )
King Richard
Warlord
Oslo, Norway
Apr 2001
posted April 17, 2001 18:06   Click Here to See the Profile for King Richard   send a private message to King Richard
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Must agree! Great idea! I've always had the same problem. Since I am a bit of a perfectionist, I will start a game over and over again, until I find a starting position and a map that is close to perfection. This means that I save the game before I build my first city, "cheat" by showing the map. If the starting-position has room for a research-city, a production city and a wide variety of key resources + that I start alone on a big island, then I'm ready to start playing. Then I'll just load the game I have saved. Unfortunately this often means that I'll have to start a game 10-20 times (sometimes more!) before I'm satisfied, which is very irritating when I have to go through all the menues! Call me a nutcase, but that's how I like to play!
vgriph
Chieftain
Norrköping, Sweden
Apr 2001
posted April 18, 2001 02:00   Click Here to See the Profile for vgriphClick Here to Email vgriph  send a private message to vgriph
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quote:

Originally posted by airdrik on 04-17-2001 05:15 PM
You must like those polls. You're sticking them everywhere!

You are absolutely right, I like them and as I still develop them and trying to make as few things to do to set one up. Right now I'm down to half an hour if I'm at home.

airdrik
Prince
Boise, ID, USA
Oct 2000
posted April 18, 2001 11:55   Click Here to See the Profile for airdrikClick Here to Email airdrik  send a private message to airdrik
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That long? I was thinking it wouldn't take that long. Oh well I don't know that much about such things. Maybe you could design a program which designs them for you? That would cut the time down to just a few minutes, don't you think?
vgriph
Chieftain
Norrköping, Sweden
Apr 2001
posted April 18, 2001 15:23   Click Here to See the Profile for vgriphClick Here to Email vgriph  send a private message to vgriph
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quote:

Originally posted by airdrik on 04-18-2001 11:55 AM
That long? I was thinking it wouldn't take that long.

I think it is less, as I have a new system for the POLL-definition file, but I haven't timed me setting up a poll. I just approximated it to half an hour, it's more likely 15 to 20 minutes with the current system.

quote:


Oh well I don't know that much about such things. Maybe you could design a program which designs them for you? That would cut the time down to just a few minutes, don't you think?

I'm working with that. Most of the time right now goes to making the post page, and I'll try to make a forum for defining polls this weekend. It should make the definition file and generate the code I've to post. Right now I have to manually modify it for the specific poll, and make sure there is no line breaks in the code when I posts it.
To set up a poll without post ability takes just a few minutes.
vgriph
Chieftain
Norrköping, Sweden
Apr 2001
posted April 20, 2001 14:03   Click Here to See the Profile for vgriphClick Here to Email vgriph  send a private message to vgriph
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My new POLL generator is ready. Now I'm down to one minute generation + one minute to post it (I’ve not timed more then generation jet)
airdrik
Prince
Boise, ID, USA
Oct 2000
posted April 20, 2001 15:42   Click Here to See the Profile for airdrikClick Here to Email airdrik  send a private message to airdrik
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Congratulations. Those are the kinds of times I would expect from any experienced programmer.

Now what does this have to do with civ 3? (almost) ABSOLUTELY NOTHING. But it is nice to have anyway. If you have a heated topic with a few definete sides to the argument, just whip up a poll to see what the people think about that. (though you probably shouldn't do it that often as it would steal the ideas for official polls ).
[This message has been edited by airdrik (edited April 20, 2001).]

vgriph
Chieftain
Norrköping, Sweden
Apr 2001
posted April 23, 2001 16:03   Click Here to See the Profile for vgriphClick Here to Email vgriph  send a private message to vgriph
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Why is it only 17 votes?
Nobody cares?
    -  Just vote Don't care
vgriph
Chieftain
Norrköping, Sweden
Apr 2001
posted May 04, 2001 15:51   Click Here to See the Profile for vgriphClick Here to Email vgriph  send a private message to vgriph
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You should also be able to select if the game shall ask for one thing the next time so that you may use a main pattern and vary things.
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