Anyone wants to commit to a PBM campaign again?

[Tricky Lady]

RTW is slowly becoming old news and the community is slowly getting divided in RTW 'lovers' and RTW 'haters', and the PBM forum... has become less active then ever. I'm not really a veteran of this forum, but I remember that PBMs were rather popular during my first months here.

And now with RTW this is all gone

I see many inactive RTW play-by-email campaigns... Some didn't even get further than a simple kick-off post.

I personally find playing PBM campaigns the only way to keep me interested in RTW. When I play a single-player campaign I tend to get bored with the game after 20 or 30 years in the game. Not so when PBM'ing: if you inherit a savegame I'm always surprised as the other player's style is usually very different from mine, or you get an incentive to finish your reign and make the best of it.

I just cannot believe that anyone is interested in PBM campaigns anymore?
Playing an heir's reign can be fun in RTW too (okay, reigns will be a bit longer than w/ MTW) and there are enough rules that can be applied to make the game slower (otherwise the PBM will be over in the second player's reign in most cases).

I say: come on people, let's try it again.

So: who'd be interested in a new RTW or MTW PBM campaign?


Tricky Lady

[Quietus]

Sure, sign me up! I've never played PBEM before though, so where do you upload the file (or is it literally by e-mail) ?

Anyway, my suggestions (notice only suggestions thus not set in stone):

• 5 provinces per player ( A player must take 5 provinces during the reign).
• Please, no more Roman factions.
• Huge units.
• Version 1.2 (I think this one is a must, meaning no mods).
• Difficulty (doesn't matter to me).

[Tricky Lady]

Yay! That makes already two of us!

Well, for the PBMs I signed up for last year, the savegames were uploaded on a filespace here at the Org...
You can download the savegames from here (http://www.totalwar.org/patrons/pbm/), but I'll have to check for the "automatic" uploader... I have bookmarked it somewhere but I can't find it right now.

EDIT: Found the link for the PBM upload page (http://www.totalwar.org/Downloads/Uploaders/pbmupload.php).

The rules you proposed seem to be fine with me. I apply most of them (except the huge unit size) on my PBMs too.

For the difficulty settings we probably best go for Normal battles/Hard Campaign as the difficulty settings for the battles seem to be broken (is this confirmed?), so Normal battles will give the highest difficulty setting possible.
I am personally not so keen on the "cheats" the AI gets when playing Hard campaign difficulty, but I won't object against it either. My preference is N/N.

[econ21]

I'd like to join in too, time permitting.

The rules sound fine - taking 5 provinces: is that a maximum, minimum or both? If we want the PBM to last beyond a few reigns, I guess it's a maximum?

I'd also like normal/normal difficulty - I like "fair" battles, including at sea (affected by the difficulty campaign setting).

Anyone got any preferences about what non-Roman faction to go for? Anything but Egypt would suit me (I dislike the ahistorical units).

[Quietus]

Ok, currently we have three players:

1) Tricky Lady
2) Quietus
3) Simon Appleton

Settings: Decided.
Normal/Normal
Version 1.2
Manage All Settlements
5 provinces maximum per player (That's at least 10 turnovers for 50 provinces).

Settings: Yet to be decided.
Unit Size (what's your preference setting?)
50 provinces or whole map
No Rome, no Egypt. (Have you guys played Germania yet?)
Who starts the game?

Ok, people, sign up for a fun PBM RTW Game!

[Tricky Lady]

I totally agree to the "No Rome, No Egypt" settings.

My personal favourites for a PBM would be (in no particular order): Pontus - Germania - Greeks
.... but other factions are okay for me too.

I'd say 50 provinces is okay, if we go for the maximum of 5 provinces per player.

Unit size: at least "Large".

[econ21]

Sounds good - both Quietus and TrickyLady both mentioned Germania. Maybe we should go for that? I suggest TrickyLady kick off and we play in the order people signed up.

[Quietus]

Great! Go for it TL!

[Tricky Lady]

Okay dokay!
I'll start the game as soon as possible.

Small question: large or huge unit sizes?

I think I better go for "large", as now I already stumble upon many many "delayed reinforcements", so I guess I shouldn't try to torture my PC with huge unit settings

Oh, and shouldn't we wait for more people to sign up, as I fear that now we're heading in the same direction as the other PBMs I referred to in my first post: a few enthousiastic volunteers sign up, and after a few reigns the PBM dies a silent death...

[SwordsMaster]

hmm...PBM... Why not?

The last one I started as Carthage died a silent dead, so I would be up for it too. It has been since I last played RTW anyway, and I´ve never played Germania.

I´m also for Large unit sizes, but how exactly is the 5prov limit going to work?

Do you "HAVE to take 5 prov" or "if you take any provinces, it can´t be more than 5"?

[Quietus]

1) Tricky Lady
2) Quietus
3) Simon Appleton
4) SwordMaster

Hey SwordMaster,

A player can only take five provinces then must pass the game to the next player. So if the game starts with 2 provinces,

TL: 2 + 5 provinces
Me: 7 + 5 provinces ....

It doesn't have to be the same provinces, just to make the game constantly progressive. If I take 20 years to add 5 provinces, fine. If I take 10 years, fine as well.

@TL: You can set your # of men to unlimited at the preference.txt file at your RTW folder to eliminate the reinforcement delays.

[YAKOBU]

Hi everyone

Count me in .

Does the preference file adjust only need doing in the starter's game?

[Quietus]

1) Tricky Lady
2) Quietus
3) Simon Appleton
4) SwordMaster
5) YAKOBU

Hey Yakobu,

Aside from the unit size, difficulty and faction - which is set by the starter - I think the preferece.txt file is player specific.

[YAKOBU]

Cheers Quietus

I'll alter mine before my reign.

[Tricky Lady]

I'll try to kick off the PBM later this week.

PS. Quietus, thanks for the tip on the preferences.txt file.

[SwordsMaster]

If I dont change the preference.txt and load a game from an altered one, that doesnt matter, does it? Cause I like the reinforcements being delayed.

[Quietus]

I just looked at the preference.txt and only the "unit size" can't can't be changed in-game there.

I don't think it will change because there's no option within the game for the unlimited men. But just in case, the preference.txt file of your RTW folder:

UNLIMITED_MEN_ON_BATTLEFIELD:TRUE

Just change TRUE to FALSE so you and the AI will have delayed reinforcements, then save.

PS. Quietus, thanks for the tip on the preferences.txt file.

Hehe. Welcome.

[YAKOBU]

Hi everyone

Just a quick question. Am I right in thinking that your reign ends if either your leader dies or you take 5 provinces?

Cheers

[Tricky Lady]

You reign ends when your faction leader dies.

Not sure about the 5-province limit though.

[YAKOBU]

Hi Tricky Lady

It is the reply from Quietus on 13th that makes me think you can pass your reign over after taking 5 settlements.

[Tricky Lady]

Aha, I see. After carefull re-reading I notice that Quietus' post can indeed be interpreted like that.

I personally favour more a dynasty-like PBM, so that every player plays one faction leader (will be good for the write-ups too I guess).

Perhaps we should consider increasing the # of provinces that can be taken per player from 5 to 10 perhaps?

Any suggestions or comments?

[YAKOBU]

Hi again Tricky Lady

I'm happy with taking 5 provinces per reign and completing the reign. In our Seleucid PBEM I took my 5 provinces too quickly and then sat twiddling my thumbs while my ruler refused to die. Maybe I should space out my conquests a little?

You set up this PBEM so I will resign myself to your decision

[Tricky Lady]

Yeah I've been thinking about that too.

So (IMHO) it is better to put the 'limit' of conquered provinces per leader/player to 10. I guess that leaves still enough time for everyone who signed up to complete a reign and still go for the 50 provinces + Rome in the end.

My faction leader died @ 8 provinces, so in theory Quietus' campaign can end at 18 provinces. His faction leader is in his 40s so I think conquering 10 provinces during that time-frame is okay.

[Quietus]

Ok, here's the new rule of game succession

• 10 provinces conquered maximum within a reign.
• If the faction leader dies before taking in at least 7 provinces, the player must continue (but the 10 limit still apply).
• If the faction leader dies and has taken in at least 7 provinces, the player will turnover the game to the next player.

TL, I think you should have another shot after my turn (since the rules have changed). Then it is Simon's turn. What do you think?

PS. I'll also edit my siggy to recruit new players, so we can extend this to a more epic Full-Map campaign.

[Tricky Lady]

Hi Quietus,
thanks for putting me forward to play another reign, but I think the other players who signed up should get a chance first. I'm sure there will be still enough provinces to conquer when it's my turn again (I'll play again after YAKOBU).



EDIT: woo-hoo, we'll go for a complete conquest! Great.

[The Stranger]

can i still play, my e-mail is umeu_1@hotmail.com

[Tricky Lady]

Of course you can!

I'll add you to the list in the Germania PBM thread.

[Quietus]

1. Tricky Lady (267-61)
2. Quietus (261-250)
3. Simon Appleton (250-?]
4. SwordsMaster
5. YAKOBU
6. Emperor Umeu 1
7. Repeat cycle.

Alright! Emperor Umeu is in.

Simon, it is your turn. I've already uploaded the game file in the Germania PBM thread yesterday.

[econ21]

Thanks, Quietus - I've picked up the savegame. It's an interesting position - with 18 regions we are the most powerful faction but we have virtually no standing army. Taking Patavium and Mediolanium but leaving them with no substantial defence has led the Romans to pile in and so we are now besieged on all fronts. Reminds me of HRE in MTW! The one saving grace is the German spear warband. I've never tried phalanxes before and even this budget version is amazing vs the AI.

[Quietus]

Simon,

Yes. We are in an amazing position! The main stack in Narbo Martius can destroy any armies the Romans can send. I've just taken lovosice that and moved out the general and his men so you can get mercenaries, for the Dacians sent another stack. The mini-army in Lemonum have also just taken the city. I've also just taken Mediolanum that same turn and was sending that group to the Iberian peninsula.

BTW, we are the most advanced faction! (i'll post the screens later). I've seen the new briton stack the last turn and sent a general to Alesia to intercept(I know they are going to break the ceasefire, AGAIN ).

C'mon people, sign up. The campaign is really unpredictable!