Thoughts and Comments on Democracy Games

[Mart]

This thread is for discussion of DG games.
DG games of SMACX, though we can relate to other games.
It is not intended completely general, but we can make such posts.
The purpose is to find out what we think about Demogames, because we are planning one soon.
And possibly help us to work out what form this next DG could have.

[Unorthodox]

My opinion on demogames:

They are best when they are NOT specifically about competition.  Yes, yes, we all know how to be super efficient and do all sorts of tricks, this should not be about who knows more of that or who gets the better starting position. 

You NEED 1 dedicated player per team to do turn reports and whatnot.  A backup is mightily useful as well. 

ROLEPLAY the ever loving hell out of it.  IN PUBLIC.

I'm sure certain folks here would HAPPILY throw public announcements and news of the game up on the front page.  USE that. 
Propoganda, fun stuf, etc. 

I've proposed before, and it's been horridly shot down in Civ games (where people want to be competitive) but a PUBLIC team (and it would HAVE to be the peacekeepers in this) for folks new to demogaming to join, discuss, vote on actions, and get a feel for the game before deciding on a specific team to join "for real" is IMO a great idea to get the game moving and garner activity after it's underway. 

[Mart]

...
I've proposed before, and it's been horridly shot down in Civ games (where people want to be competitive) but a PUBLIC team (and it would HAVE to be the peacekeepers in this) for folks new to demogaming to join, discuss, vote on actions, and get a feel for the game before deciding on a specific team to join "for real" is IMO a great idea to get the game moving and garner activity after it's underway. 

That is something new, I guess. I am not sure, if this was a part of any SMACX DG before. As for me, I like the idea.

[Unorthodox]

Oh, it's never been done before...it probably wouldn't interest me much had it been done before.  Outside the box, that's me. 

I think some rules for the public team would need to be laid out (and I'd theoretically possibly be willing to run it, maybe, if I can get the game working).  Essentially acting as a neutral party/balancing act, NOT out for their best interest/to win.  Pretty much like the UN (hence the peacekeepers).  Step in to prevent massacres and such. 
(which in a way makes it something of an offshoot of my previous mercenary teams which depending on whether you were on the receiving end or not were either a really fantastic idea or totally ruined their game, only instead of acting FOR MONEY, we act FOR PEACE/BALANCE.) 

[Buster's Uncle]

Uno; I love you.  I love you and want to talk you into running off hEt so we can get gay-married.  You may interpret that as interest in and support of your ideas.

[Mart]

So Peacekeepers are to be played - special multiplayer faction.
Everyone would have access to this faction, open to public.
Though members of other teams would probably have only "observer" status. A bit difficult thing to ensure, but let us see.

Wasn't the ACDG1, the first DG on Apolyton played as PK (singleplayer)?

[Unorthodox]

Um...I don't know, I joined Apolyton for the first Civ III demogame (because the CFC demogame was too far along at the time).  I joined a multiplayer AC game shortly after the first PTWDG started, to help the AC people get a multiteam one going as a favor to MrWhereItsAt (he and I rescued the first civ III demogame from the ashes).  Whether that was the first team one or not, I cannot say.  Santiago was a lot more fun than Glory of War (my civ III ptw equivalent of a santiago team), as the AC people were amused by my public ranting and boasting, the Civ III people not so much...the team full of SP 'experts' were not expecting psychological warfare as part of the MP game and would get pissed at me. (so naturally I amped it up)   

[Buster's Uncle]

I encourage SMAC-talking/in character in plain MP - we've got a mature crowd who seem to play well that way, fortunately.  I see nothing but benefits to that in a well-managed community where everyone understands the deal.

[Unorthodox]

Just going to throw this out....


Um, we once did a couple of RPDGs at MZO.  Role playing demo games.  (this is civ III and IV jargon, deal with it) 

It might actually work with the right (smaller than needed for a traditional demogame) crowd.  I can't remember the term length, 20, 40 turns, or something.  It was set up reality show styled.  Each term, there was an "immunity" challenge, something in game that players could do to gain immunity.  Build a wonder, sail around the world, kill a bear, something.  Anyhow, at the end of the term, THE PUBLIC voted one player off.  Those votes were based on the ROLE PLAYING AAR's each player were posting. 

I was playing the Aztecs with some modified Aztec mythology written into my AARs at the time.  Kind of a shame it's lost to wherever websites go to die.  Can't even remember the actual url to check the waybackmachine

[Buster's Uncle]

That should turn up googling MZO, shouldn't it?

[Metaliturtle]

I miss the old poly DG's thems were some good tiems...

[Buster's Uncle]

I think them's some good tiemz we could bring back.  Are you game or are you lame?

[Geo]

* Geo checks his desktop crutches.

Still lame it seems.

[Buster's Uncle]

 

[Mart]

We can start already some RPG, I have an idea:
Unity Voyage - Crew Story

that would be intro to our future DG