Random advanced start idea

[Qgqqqqq]

Apropos of nothing, an advanced start idea: what if we gave the game to each person as a single player game, and let them play out the first X turns? Then, based on instructions, a lurker could play out those turns in hotseat, before setting up the game?

Obviously you couldn't have conflict between players, and you'd need to be careful about barbs, but that could eliminate some of the early turns. Realise those sometimes play out quite quickly, but not always.

[coldrain]

Is this advanced start idea meant more for Ffh2/EitB, or also for BtS etc? Sounds like it would get really complicated if played for many turns. And how to deal with random events?

Was it in a relatively recent game where several people played RtR or similar mod and had a sort of an advanced start, where players designed their "shopping list" in advance (following the gold prices for units, population, buildings, tech and etc. of standard advanced start), and a lurker/mapmaker then combined all of the player decisions into a starting save? I think this approach would work well if a mod or PBEM game mode doesn't allow for advanced start normally?

[Thoth]

Is this advanced start idea meant more for Ffh2/EitB, or also for BtS etc? Sounds like it would get really complicated if played for many turns. And how to deal with random events?

Was it in a relatively recent game where several people played RtR or similar mod and had a sort of an advanced start, where players designed their "shopping list" in advance (following the gold prices for units, population, buildings, tech and etc. of standard advanced start), and a lurker/mapmaker then combined all of the player decisions into a starting save? I think this approach would work well if a mod or PBEM game mode doesn't allow for advanced start normally?

Both PB 80 and 83 used advanced start points to speed up the early game.

[Qgqqqqq]

I was thinking EitB. On the one hand you're right that events are a thing - but it should stay consistent unless 'no random seed' is chosen. Also with EitB, the early game does tend to be longer.

There are definitely other ways of doing this.

[Aurorarcher]

I like the idea but seems potentially difficult to execute. The more turns the more difficult it is to gather instructions and follow them exactly. What is the number of turns you had in mind? Would definitely save the early boring turns and get faster to more interesting phase of the game.

Also barbs/events might mess things up badly but in those cases the lurker could play the turns as close to instuctions as possible.

Also, I guess Advanced start with ”shopping list” works in EitB as well, never tested it even in regular Civ 4.

[DaveV]

Yeah, this seems like more work than it's worth to me. In lots of past games we've managed a blitz to speed up the early, "press enter", turns.

Starting with an extra tech and worker gave me more to do in the earlier turns. Maybe start with an extra scout also, to make up early scout losses to barb animals?

[xist10]

In general, I don't think it's a good idea to give the map towards the players, that they can scout correctly.
I also think it wouldn't be really possible to replay it.

The solution in PB 80 and PB83 - creating the things with the WB, saving it as a scenario and then starting the PB(EM) with the created scenario would be the best solution.
If you use the platybuilder, you could even add partial builds in the cities ?

[amosfuegel]

A compromise could be to limit the initial advanced limit for the first 1-2 turns with standard additional resources (workers, scouts, 1 tech), with clear conventions for the lurker to reproduce accurately – both saving time and minimizing the risk of breaking the initial fairness of the game.

[Qgqqqqq]

I don't think Platybuilder can save those changes as a scenario.