Erfworld Game

[Dark Arbiter]

Dang. I shoulda been paying more attention to this. Props to all of you guys for working this all out. If there's anything that can still be worked on, say the word and I'll jump on it - got a lot of free time on my hands right now.

There's a game that I play/run called Realms of the Unknown, which basically plays like a cross between GURPS (freeform RPG) and Civilization. It's more or less a freeform Civ game - so thematically it's very similar to ErfGame. It runs the same way (i.e., sides take turns, report "orders" to a GM, who runs the orders and sends back the results to the player), and although it was designed to be a pen-and-paper or PBP-style game, I've been running it for a long time now via Google Wave. Not sure if anyone has tried it, but it is practically built to accomodate this kind of a game. I also have a pretty complex program/spreadsheet system that I built to help keep track of stats and incomes and such like that, and I'm working on making a version that works with the ErfGame rules as they're listed here.

SO my point here would be that
a) I'd love to join in/contribute/(help) GM - I have a lot of experience with this kind of thing
b) I think Wave would be a great medium to run the game in
c) If anyone thinks it's a cool idea, I'd be happy to show/donate my spreadsheet stuff to help anyone who is GMing.

Hopefully I'll get to help out in whatever way is needed!

[BLANDCorporatio]

I for one would much rather we kept that Wave thing away. Thank you.

[Dark Arbiter]

I for one would much rather we kept that Wave thing away. Thank you.

Ha - not a fan I take it?

[BLANDCorporatio]

Let's say more the not-early-adopter type.

The thing somebody told me about Wave (and they were being enthusiastic) was the lamest gimmick in this class that I've ever heard.

So I'd need some convincing first. Why is it so great and better?

[Dark Arbiter]

Let's say more the not-early-adopter type.
...
So I'd need some convincing first. Why is it so great and better?

Well I'll give you that it definitely has some issues - it's still in the infinite Google-Beta, so it may never actually see a "version 1.0". I think that it's really nice for this kind of game because of two things. First, it allows for you to view an entire log of the "conversation" of orders and GM returns, which is really convenient if you need to ctrl-F for a previous order to see what happened when. Second, it allows the GM to separate the various players in order to better keep track of them.

I don't know much about how the current Alpha-test is running, so I can't say anything about the quality of that, but I do know that it works a heck of a lot better than playing by email.

[BLANDCorporatio]

That's smashing, but I recall that this very board here allows a backlog of replies-messages to be seen too. Also, there's a button Rules and Settings which allows you to make new folders. Several email clients (google's too I think) also allow folders for precisely the reason of ordering the messages. They aren't used because heck, people are lazy, but they're there.

So is it something about Wave's design that makes sorting and such more streamlined etc?

PS: and this is my last message on this topic here. This thread is not about the merits of Google Wave.

[turbler]

indeed it isn't. It's good to hear though that most of us are on the same page (turn). I hope the new results are soon, too.

[Dark Arbiter]

Fair point. Subject dropped then. I'm gonna go work on Mathamancy.

[Azgrut]

Maybe it is a good idea to pile up all the specials we have thought of by now so we have a list of them.

Specials in this list should be the non magic specials. So the Natural X mancy should not be added since that is something of a specific unit.

Those of what I know of now are:

Spoiler: show

Mount: Allows a rider to fight along side it. A non heavy non mount unit can ride a unit with the mount special even if he does not have the Rider special but it will suffer a -4 to combat and defence.

Rider: Allows riding a mount without the -4 combat/defence penalty.

Leadership: Allows the unit to command other units. Warlords will add their leadership bonus to all other units in his stack (not to himself).

Toxin: The toxin unit(s) will inflict additional damage on the enemy unit the turn after the battle. Even if the toxin units perished (needs work).

(Terrain) Capable: Does not suffer terrain penalties.

Frightening: Reduce leadership and/or stack bonus.

Dance fighting: If a commanding unit and his whole stack can dance fight, the whole stack will recieve a +6 bonus (need work!)

There are more. I am sure about this.

[BLANDCorporatio]

Here's more

Spoiler: show

Builder: reduce city build/upgrade cost by 2%. Up to 20% reduction possible by stacking units with this special.
Surveyor: increase output of a resource point by 2%. Up to 20% reduction possible by stacking units with this special.

[Crovius]

If anyone cares to ask I'm curious if anyone has:

Made a second city, or a third for that matter?
Had an engagement?
Built a Mine?
Built a Wharf?
Built a Lumbermil?
Built farms?
Met a potential Ally?
-Wipe them out?
-Ally with them?
- Ally witht hem after doing actual negotiations instead of just agreeing to whatever they wanted?
Popped their 1st Warlord?
Run into another player?
-Fight eachother?

Mind you I'm just curious, feel free to not answer any, be vague if you do answer, or be detailed and gushy. I'm not trying to meta game, I swear. I just was wondering if I'm doing well compared to everyone else or if I need to start working harder.

[Azgrut]

Already answered it in another topic.

I had a question though. What are the rules of the archery special?

[Crovius]

Hm... "Units with archery can hit Flying units in the same Hex."

Other than that th erest below is not really needed but can be considered.

Any unit can throw something at an enemy but takes a (insert really big penalty here, like -10) to their attack because they are trained for melee, not ranged combat. Units with Archery don't have this penalty to ranged attacks.
Units with Archery always are the last stack hit by an enemy stack not being led by a Warlord. (Since Warlords allow their stack to specify who they hit)
Units with Archery can attack from the Walls or another Defensive location without enemy units being acle to hit back.
Units with archery can hit an enemy stack that melee units would not necessarily be able to reach (enemy archers, units up on a wall)

Those are just some thoughts.

[Kaed]

All that stuff with the archery works, with a couple of things added/changed.

As mentioned back in the summer updates, units without the Archery skill have such an amazingly low chance to hit with a projectile that it would be implausible to try unless the attacks were en masse from a wall.

Units with Archery have a 75% chance to hit with an attack.

On Dittomancy - Doubling arrow volleys gives the secondary copies a 35% chance each to hit. Quadrupling the arrows gives the teiriary arrows a 15% to hit. This involves alot of rolls in mass combat, so some form of mathematical construct will be needed to simplify it. But no hurry on that right now.

[BLANDCorporatio]

If anyone cares to ask I'm curious if anyone has:

Made a second city, or a third for that matter?
Had an engagement?
Built a Mine?
Built a Wharf?
Built a Lumbermil?
Built farms?
Met a potential Ally?
-Wipe them out?
-Ally with them?
- Ally witht hem after doing actual negotiations instead of just agreeing to whatever they wanted?
Popped their 1st Warlord?
Run into another player?
-Fight eachother?

Mind you I'm just curious, feel free to not answer any, be vague if you do answer, or be detailed and gushy. I'm not trying to meta game, I swear. I just was wondering if I'm doing well compared to everyone else or if I need to start working harder.

For the sake of argument, let's count the joke turns and then, in no particular order, the answer to your questions are
7 NO
6 YES

[Crovius]

So who are we waiting on?

[Ehbobo]

Not sure, but I think we're waiting for Kaed to send you and turbler turn 19.

[Azgrut]

19! I thought you guys were stuck somewhere at 14 or something.

That means I can have a go soon .

[Kaed]

Sorry guys, I'll get right on that now.

[Crovius]

So the city will just pop into existance when I amke it right? Cause I'm planning to start on mines next, and should get my Warlord in my next turn.