game with pairs on a large random 'sea' map

[Manus von Olie]

Who wants to play on a large random map with lots of water in teams of two? The last surviving team wins. Possible options are: mixing in very strong (++) AI countries; no shroud (to make an even division of teams on the board); restart when one player doesn't have a port to start with. Personally I like few cities, and expensive upgrades and 'underdeveloped' countries to start (the minimum level of research at the start of the game. Nothing is decided yet!

[Iron Knight]

I'm interested. For balance you might want to have People's Republic on AI+.

[drOlive]

Count me in.
It could be interesting with enough players for 2 vs 2, or more.
My preference would be only people's republic ai(++), 4-5 towns per player and lots of water

[boethos]

I'll play.  Never done teams before but I've played island maps (land 30-35%) with people's republic.  I like shrouded too but you're right that would make it hard to keep it fair.
I'm up for it if you all are.

[Manus von Olie]

OK, here's a proposal:
map: 80 x 80 hexes, 10 regimes, 10% land, Rivers Qty = 40 x, Forest level 50, Mountains level 40, 30 towns, no roads, City Size 1, Researd mod = 400%, Swamp = level 30.
People's Republic and Shrouded map,
further: Fog of War, Shroud, Passwords, Anti-Supply, Anti PBEM Cheat, Screenshots,
AI opponents: + in strength.[:@]
I saw that even 10% land leaves some rather big islands. Then anyway I prefer shrouded maps, because I like to poke around in the dark [X(], even if that means a form of disbalance. drOlive said that we could send screenshots to our partners, that's kind of cool. [:'(]
Lastly: I downloaded the newest version of AT, but do I have to patch something up in order to have the newest version of creating random game too?
[;)] 

[Iron Knight]

Well having shroud on does present the problem of not starting with a port city.

[mavnb]

would love to be in. Herman invited me.

[Manus von Olie]

OK, mavnb, welcome, hope we can start soon...
 
Iron Knight: I described the solution for having no port at start in my first post: you just claim it is so and we restart the game... You agree with that? Redoing the first turn is no big deal anyway.

[drOlive]

I'd rather not play shrouded map, as we might restart a game a couple of times just to make sure no one starts with city island.
It would be easier if one player ran a random map creation until he gets somewhat balanced positions and share the first turn open for everyone to see, that is before we start the actual game. In that case we'd all know where everyone starts and can divide into teams to balance it out even more.
For example
_map deleted_

[Manus von Olie]

OK, drOlive, that's a good plan: a map like the one you put here looks very ideal. Seems more people are for some openness of maps to ensure everybody gets a port from the start and some even division of the pairs. Do you want to generate the map, if everybody agrees with my suggested rules? We need only one more extra player to have 3 pairs, or one less to have 2 pairs? Are you with Iron Knight? If so, could you 'generate' a partner, too?

[boethos]

yes, that map looks good.  trying to get a good island map does seem hit-and-miss as to whether the land is split into small islands or clumped into a few big ones.  unshrouded seems the only way to choose fair partners, i'm for recruiting one more and making three teams of 2.  we can use some arbitrary partner pattern like first player to post here is partner with the last, second with second to last, third with fourth.  That would make it Manus/??, IronKnight/mavnb, drOlive/Boethos - not necessarily that pattern but something like that.

[boethos]

...then on the map the partners would start at 1/4, 2/5, and 3/6...

[Arditi]

  I'm interested, if you have the room.
    Best Regards, Arditi[:)]

[boethos]

looks like we have our sixth player - watch out for Arditi, he's sneaky....  [:D]

[Iron Knight]

I was more thinking of having no port cities on and island(which happens now and then). I'm ok starting with an inland city as long as there is a port city some where, but I also like drOlive's idea.

Edit note: lol I should refresh the page before I reply.

[Arditi]

 Who's sneaky?  I think I learned that from you!  haha[:D]
   Best Regards, Arditi[:)]   If you guys will have me, I'm flexible to whatever is decided.

[Manus von Olie]

[:)] Welcome Arditi, good that you joined us, even though you're sneaky... It's the best way to survive these games, I noticed. Then I agree with Boethos that the turns should be team A, 1 and 4. team B, 2 and 5, team C, 3 and 6. How about using the game drOlive sent? If that's possible of course. It looks balanced and all, not according to my specifications, but who cares? I prefer to play with drOlive, we're both promising beginners. Then Arditi seems to be somewhat more experienced and could play with Mavnb, who is quite new, I think. And then Boethos with Iron Knight.
 
Soon we're                                

[boethos]

Did drOlive send a game?  To who?  That map he posted? works for me.  and the teams, to.  I know Arditi who did beta testing on this game and probably has the most experience, but I have no idea about the rest of you (currently in a game with drOlive, not over yet.)
Something like this?
Team A:  1. drOlive, 4. Manus von Olie
Team B:  2. Arditi, 5. mavnb
Team C: 3. Boethos 6. Iron Knight
 
dr Olive starts because he made the map and so has the first turn already anyway, the rest is arbitrary but as good a way as any I think.

[boethos]

hmmm... on further inspection of the map it looks like 1 and 3 are on the same island (it is a scrolling map, right?)  drOlive and I already have a ladder game going, we don't need to share an island starting out this game.  I'd rather have a map with us each on a separate island if possible.

..edit.. I see map loop was not mentioned. If it is not turned on then there is no problem, opposite sides of the map do not share an island. I'm just used to using looped maps now so I was concerned maybe we were too close.

[Manus von Olie]

OK, so it seems everything is settled, at least to me. I suppose too the game could be started with drOlive doing the first move and sending it to Arditi, Arditi to Boethos etc. (nr 1 from country 1 sends it to nr 2 from country 2 etc: see? Look at the map and Boethos post two back from this post) Then we need each others email adresses to send the turns. So, if everybody sends his email adress to me by the email button underneath this post, then I send the adresses through to everyone. For possible questions or practicalities we have the weekend to sort them out, so let's try to start on Monday, with drOlive doing the kickoff...