Standard Template for Multiplayer Games. Thread - Dominions 3: The Awakening

Below is a standard template that players can use when organising multiplayer games, followed by a detailed explanation of some of the criteria. This should be placed in the Original Post (OP) of the game thread, and updated by the game organiser as players sign up for the game, and then as needed as the game progresses. Note the game organiser is also the default admin of the game unless that role is designated to someone else. But a game has to have an admin.

You don't have to use this template when organising a multiplayer game, but it does offer an example of the type of information that players would like to know before signing up for the game. As it is important for players to know what is expected of them before they sign-up, what type of commitment level the organiser is looking for, and some indication of how long a game is likely to last.

General Game Information
Name of the Game -
Network or PBEM -
Hosting Schedule -
Number of Players -
Skill level -
Expected Commitment Level -
Age -

Game Settings
Independent Strength -
Research -
Magic Sites -
Money -
Resources -
Supplies -
Random Events -
Score Graphs -
Hall Of Fame -
Re-Naming -
(Note the above can also be covered with "All settings default", followed as necessary by a list of any settings that are not default)

Nation Selection -
Map -
Mods -

Victory Conditions -
Diplomacy -
General Rules -
Disallowed Exploits -

Admin -
Vice Admin -

Player List
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

General Game Information

Name of the Game
Try to give your game a relatively simple, yet interesting name. As if you just call it "new multiplayer game number 14", then you will make Kristoffer very sad.

Network or PBEM
Almost all PBEM games are hosted on the llamaserver. (moderator to-do - Network info)

Hosting Schedule
This sets the schedule for the game, which lets players know how long they will have to play each turn. A typical schedule is 28 hours for the first 20-30 turns, when it increases to 52 hours. A lot of games change to 76 hours at some point before they end. The other popular option is to start at 28 hours, and then simply increase the schedule when players start needing more time. The reason why 28 hours is used instead of 24 hours is because most games use an autohost feature, which means turns will host once all players have submitted their turn files (rather than waiting until the deadline is reached). This then leads to an effect known as the creeping deadline, where every day the actual time of the deadline creeps slowly forward (relative to the previous turn). Which can cause a lot of problems for players who play their turns at the same time every day. So using a 28 hour schedule (with the quickhost feature) largely solves the creeping deadline problem.

Number of Players
The number of players you are looking for in this game. A small game is usual classified as 7 players or less. A medium game is between 8-14 players, and a large game is 15 player or more. Please take note some games can take a very long time to finish, and it's not that uncommon for games to last over a year. There is also a direct relation between the number of players and the time a game takes to finish. So please keep this is mind when organising larger games (players signing up for large games should also keep this in mind)

Skill Level
This lets the players know what level of skill is required for this game. If the game is intended mainly for new players (known as newbie games), then the acceptable skill level should be limited to new or inexperienced players. If the game is not intended for new players, then it should be stated that new or inexperienced players are not advised to sign up for this game, as they are unlikely to be accepted. Along with that you should state that players must be of at least an Intermediate level of skill.

It might seem like a good idea at first to allow all skill levels into a game, but this really isn't to be advised in most cases. As it's rarely fun or educational for a new player to be quickly beaten by a veteran, and neither is it fun for a veteran to play against players that are still learning the basics of the game. A high mix of skill levels can also lead to some very unfair and very unbalanced games, which again is rarely fun for those involved. And don't worry too much about veteran players sneaking into newbie games for easy wins. As a lot of the regular senior members know who the veteran players are, and will very likely call out any player they see trying to play in an inappropriate game (relative to their skill level).

It should also be mentioned that there is no official criteria that decides when a player stops being new or inexperienced, and becomes intermediate or veteran instead. But a general rule of thumb is that a player is inexperienced until they have played around 10 MP games, although this can vary a lot from player to player, and depends greatly on how well they did in those game. As 10 quick loses is only likely to confirm they are still inexperienced, and that they still have some way to go to be considered intermediate. If a player has won a game though then they are usually considered to be of at least intermediate skill, and if a player has made it to the late game stages of several games in contention to win, then even if they haven't won a game yet, it is unlikely they can still be considered an inexperienced player.

It is important to keep in mind that different players will often learn the game at significantly different speeds, and it's not unheard of for some players to be considered as good as veterans after just a handful of games. While it is also just as likely that another player can play well over a dozen games and still have difficulty understanding even the basics. It is with good reason that Dominions 3 is known to as a very deep and complex game, and a game with a very steep learning curve. So the number of MP games a player has played isn't any real guarantee of a players skill level, as it is how well they do in their games that is usually a far more reliable indication of playing skill.

Expected Commitment Level (PLEASE DO NOT NEGLECT TO MENTION THIS)
It might not seem that important at first, but this above all else will often decide whether the players will enjoy the game or not. In short, this is basically where you set the level of commitment you expect from the players in this game.

Games that are of lower commitment are generally those where staling several turns is unlikely to earn you criticism, and where turning AI if you need to stop playing is mostly going to be considered ok. That is as long as you ask the admin first, since that is the basic level of respect and manners that is required of all players in all games. If you are a new player that hasn't played any MP games yet, then low commitment games are a very good place to start. As your commitment level will be limited, and if you do find that multiplayer Dominions games are simply not for you, then you should be able to leave the game without angering the other players. As it is a low commitment game, not a high commitment one. Low commitment games are also known as fun games, where trying to win and playing to the best of your ability is considered less important than simply enjoying the game.

High Commitment games though are exactly as the name suggests. They are games that expect a high level of commitment from the players who play in them. They are usually fairly serious games, played by players who take the game seriously, high commitment games are intended to be highly competitive games where every player is expected to commit to putting in the time and effort required to play to the best of the ability for the whole duration of the game. This is commonly known as fighting to the end. Every player is expected to be trying to win, or should that not be a realistic option, they are expected to survive for as long as possible, and cause as much damage and inconvenience to their enemies as possible.

Staling in high commitment games is highly frowned upon, although you won't get criticised for missing the odd turn, but you will if you stale too often. Apologising when you stale helps a lot though, as not only does it let the other players know that you are aware you staled, it also lets them know you are sill playing (and not gone AWOL). It also goes without saying that turning AI without asking prior permission is completely unacceptable in a high commitment game. If you do this then it is unlikely you will be welcome to play in a high commitment game again. It is also unacceptable to only be making a token effort to play your turns, which is a regular occurrence when a player starts losing. When a player signs up for a high commitment game they make a promise to put in the time and effort required to play their best for the whole game, and not just until the point they can no longer win. As a player's commitment to the game certainly does not end just because a player is fighting a losing war. Playing token turns is considered very insulting to the other players in a high commitment game, as it is an insult to the time and effort the other players are putting into making the game as competitive as possible. Word will quickly spread about players who are only prepared to commit to token efforts when they are losing, and such players are unlikely to be welcome to play in high commitment games in the future.

If you are ever in any doubt regarding what level of commitment is expected of you when considering whether or not to sign up for a game, then please ask the organiser before you sign up. As it can not be emphasised strongly enough just how many problems this will prevent during the course of the game, and NEVER assume a game is a low commitment or "purely for fun" game unless it specifically says so.

And the most important consideration of all is that players who like high commitment and highly competitive games should stick to high commitment games, and players who prefer low commitment games played mainly for fun should stick to low commitment games. Unless the player is VERY aware of the significant and fundamental differences between a high commitment game and a low commitment game. Both of these games are very enjoyable to play in for the respective type of players, but both can become very unenjoyable and frustrating when the wrong type of player plays in the wrong type of game. A lot of disputes and flame wars have happened in the past when mismatches have occurred, and it is desirable if such incidents are avoided in future. And players taking care to only play in those games that are appropriate to the level of time, effort and commitment they are willing to give, will play an important role in making that happen.

Age -
Early, Middle or Late.

Game Settings (All of these should be fairly self explanatory)
Independent Strength - 5 is default
Research - Normal is default.
Magic Sites - 45 for Early, 40 for Middle, 35 for Late, are the default values for the respective ages.
Money - 100 is default
Resources - 100 is default
Supplies - 100 is default
Random Events - Common is default
Score Graphs - On is default
Hall Of Fame - 10 or 15
Re-Naming - On is accepted default for MP games (Off is default when you create a game though)

Nation Selection
This lets the player know how they select which nation they want to play. There are several ways of handling this. Most games select nations based on first come first served. So when a player posts to sign up for game, they also select which nation they want to play. With players being restricted from selecting nations that someone else has already selected. (It is very helpful if the organiser regularly updates the OP during the sign up stage, as it allows players to quickly see which nations have already been selected). The other popular option is random selection, whereby the organiser or neutral 3rd party randomly assigns each player a nation.

Map
This lets the players know which map the game will be played on. A download link to the map should be placed here. There are several things to consider when selecting a map, and it is important to pay attention to these considerations because it can have a big impact on how much the players will enjoy the game.

1 - Make sure the map is of an appropriate size relative to the number of players. Most MP games try to have the province:player ratio somewhere around 15:1, and over time this has become the standard ratio for most MP games. Games which have a ratio nearer to 10:1 are likely to be short brutal games, and those that are closer to 20:1 are likely to be very long and drawn out. 20:1 is the very top end though, and regular games should not have a higher ratio than that. If you are new and not sure just how much of an impact the province:player ratio has on multiplayer games, then please either ask for advice, or go for the generally accepted standard of 15:1. It is also important to keep in mind that the size of the map, and the player:province ratio, plays a large part in influencing how long a game will take to finish.

Now there are likely people who are used to playing other strategy games at a slow pace and on the biggest maps possible, and have fun building up a huge empire before even meeting anyone. But this DOES NOT carry over well to MP Dominions. You might even like playing SP games of Dominions on very big maps, but again this does not carry over well to MP. And even after reading this warning there will still be some who think that for whatever reason, if they organise a MP game on a huge map, and a ridiculously high province:player ratio, then their game will magically turn out ok. It won't. Which is not to say it's impossible, just that all the odds are firmly stacked against you. And if you are a new player, then please do yourself a massive favour and just stick to standard sized games to start with. And at the least until you are sure that you enjoy playing Dominions MP.

Mods

Victory Conditions -
Diplomacy -
General Rules -
Disallowed Exploits -

Admin -
Vice Admin -

Player List
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

(work in progress)

Edited by: Calahan.