So I created a team email address for diplo communications. We can do a lot of things with filters to organize things, and we can also set up forwarding for anyone who would like to get incoming messages forwarded onto them instantly. I'm going to reserve 4 posts under this to serve as our dossier on each team, and those will gradually be filled in and detailed. It should contain info such as team captain, roster list, diplomat, current deals, intel gathered, etc.
Login: gilletterb at gmail
Password: gillett3
Apparently rbgillette was already taken - go figure. Did one of you guys do that by any chance ? If so, I kind of like that better. If not, gilletterb should be fine. If someone is really opposed to that for some reason and can register something better, we can switch.
After posting this thread, I'm going to reserve 4 posts - one for each team. There's a 30 second throttle that regoarrarr knows ALL about, so I do ask that you give me 2 minutes to reserve them.
After that, if you want me to set up forwarding from the diplo account to your own email account, either post your email address here or PM/email it to me, and I'll hook you up so as soon as we get an email you'll get a copy.
Also, if you're interested in working on the diplo team, sign up here. I think it's best if we get several people interested in helping on this front and then go from there. This is not an urgent priority as it'll likely be a couple weeks minimum before we meet anyone.
Although I want to be involved in diplo, I'd prefer not to get the emails fowarded to me. I can still view the emails on the gmail account, right?
Merovech's Mapmaking Guidelines:
0. Player Requests: The player's requests take precedence, even if they contradict the following guidelines.
1. Balance: The map must be balanced, both in regards to land quality and availability and in regards to special civilization features. A map may be wonderfully unique and surprising, but, if it is unbalanced, the game will suffer and the player's enjoyment will not be as high as it could be.
2. Identity and Enjoyment: The map should be interesting to play at all levels, from city placement and management to the border-created interactions between civilizations, and should include varied terrain. Flavor should enhance the inherent pleasure resulting from the underlying tile arrangements. The map should not be exceedingly lush, but it is better to err on the lush side than on the poor side when placing terrain.
3. Feel (Avoiding Gimmicks): The map should not be overwhelmed or dominated by the mapmaker's flavor. Embellishment of the map through the use of special improvements, barbarian units, and abnormal terrain can enhance the identity and enjoyment of the map, but should take a backseat to the more normal aspects of the map. The game should usually not revolve around the flavor, but merely be accented by it.
4. Realism: Where possible, the terrain of the map should be realistic. Jungles on desert tiles, or even next to desert tiles, should therefore have a very specific reason for existing. Rivers should run downhill or across level ground into bodies of water. Irrigated terrain should have a higher grassland to plains ratio than dry terrain. Mountain chains should cast rain shadows. Islands, mountains, and peninsulas should follow logical plate tectonics.
Greetings shaven Vikings! It is such a nice surprise meeting you this early in the game, no doubt you feel the same way. On this, our first contact, we have a challenge, a request, and a declaration.
Challenge: Guess our Pyramids ETA .
Request: Anyone but regoarrarr handles your diplo with us.
Declaration: We are going to continue RB tradition and rush Sareln to our mutual detriment; do let us know when you find him.
The Tropical Trolls
P.S. We sent this as a PM as we don't seem to have an e-mail address for you. Feel free to reply directly to our e-mail address [email protected].
Well then, I hadn't expected contact quite so quickly but I guess I should have. Guess we should draft a generic hello at minimum. Also need to get the team situated. Thought it could wait til next week, but I guess not.
I think a lot of teams are expecting Regoarrar, Kyan, or myself to be the primary diplo contact, but I think it'd be interesting if someone else was the lead. Or we could have a couple people do it depending on who we are talking to. Merovech or Xenon, you guys interested? I think other people expressed interest as well, but no one else posted here anyways.
How about I type something up really quickly, then post it in here (as an edit in this post) for comments before sending?
Edit: Here it is, titled "Re: First Contact"
Quote:Hello Equatorial Ettins!
We are also pleasently surprised to meet you so early. Tell us, how do you feel about a rousing game of alternating challenges? We haven't yet come to a consesus regarding your challenge, but maybe once we do, we will attach one of our own.
As for rushing Sareln, I'm sure something can be arranged.
Merovech
Official Not-regorrarr
Team Gillette
<Their Message>
Merovech's Mapmaking Guidelines:
0. Player Requests: The player's requests take precedence, even if they contradict the following guidelines.
1. Balance: The map must be balanced, both in regards to land quality and availability and in regards to special civilization features. A map may be wonderfully unique and surprising, but, if it is unbalanced, the game will suffer and the player's enjoyment will not be as high as it could be.
2. Identity and Enjoyment: The map should be interesting to play at all levels, from city placement and management to the border-created interactions between civilizations, and should include varied terrain. Flavor should enhance the inherent pleasure resulting from the underlying tile arrangements. The map should not be exceedingly lush, but it is better to err on the lush side than on the poor side when placing terrain.
3. Feel (Avoiding Gimmicks): The map should not be overwhelmed or dominated by the mapmaker's flavor. Embellishment of the map through the use of special improvements, barbarian units, and abnormal terrain can enhance the identity and enjoyment of the map, but should take a backseat to the more normal aspects of the map. The game should usually not revolve around the flavor, but merely be accented by it.
4. Realism: Where possible, the terrain of the map should be realistic. Jungles on desert tiles, or even next to desert tiles, should therefore have a very specific reason for existing. Rivers should run downhill or across level ground into bodies of water. Irrigated terrain should have a higher grassland to plains ratio than dry terrain. Mountain chains should cast rain shadows. Islands, mountains, and peninsulas should follow logical plate tectonics.
? If so, I kind of like that better. If not, gilletterb should be fine. If someone is really opposed to that for some reason and can register something better, we can switch. 
