We played a game yesterday with the full Expansion Project but on our own 8-player board. We finally got 7 players from all over the country (the netherlands isn't that big. It takes you 3,5 hours from northwest to southeast)

Soon I'm gonna add a review here, but first I want to share some pictures with you.

The main reason was, (for all who read http://www.civproject.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=433 and http://www.civproject.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=443 allready clear) to test the new layout and artwork for all the civilization advances.

We also tested a full automated AST and credit calculator using Excell made by my cousin Gerart. All results and the final excell-file will be shared here too.

here are the pix:
(all pix are pov from my position, so i'm not on the pix myself. the guy in the red shirt is Gerart, also the winner. I play Babylon and ended 3th place)

I made composition of a few photos covering the cards. Since these are test-versions, I'm not gonna spend more time for a better photo or composition.









The automated AST renders all victory points by calculating the purchased cards, the number of cities (manually feed each round) and the place on the ast to a total score in graphic. At the end of the game this results into a fine graphic line that shows how you did compared to the other players. To me that's a great addition to a full day of playing game, where it doesn't actually influence it. (Asia and Iberia were not in the game so got stuck in stone age. In a newer version of the excell file, this will be removed)

OK.

after two weeks of for the holidays in which I spent a lot of time on Civproject, now this week duty calls again. leaving me with a lot less time and energy.

AS I promised the review of the game. NOT written by me, but by my cousin Gerart, who doesn't post here. I translated it for you to English.

here it is:



Review Winter Civ 2008

After a great session of a full day of Civilization, have I got the luck of writing the review again. With other words, I won again, though I have to admit, It has never been this close. (for external readers, in our group the winner has to write a review)

At the start of the day, it seemed like I would be the external judge and gamekeeper that would not play (as intended), but because of a canceling, we all decided to play with seven instead of six players. Looking at the Civ-know-how and experience of the guest of playing-group "phoenix" from Leiden, we didn't have the need for an external judge after all. I still like to thank them for the right order and discipline and the good conversations during the game, about certain rules we always interpreted different.

For a good start, all players randomly picked a color, and for that meant Crete. Far from my favorite. Though I got to win the game with this nation before. The first few round went like always, quick and purely focused on growth. Through the handicap of starting on an island, I soon ran behind one step at a time from the rest, though this luckily got straightened out during the first few calamities.

The first big weaponry came from Assyria, when Arvid decided that it would be a good start purchasing Fundamentalism. That was close to declaring a war, which would start a wave that would influence the whole game soon. Soon after Arvid, and especially to not become the victim of it, both Flo and Johan purchased it too. Quickly followed by Evertjan and me.

That wasn't all, because Flo tasted blood, purchasing both Politics and Monotheism in the following rounds. The ones that could keep up did the same.

At the same time, the other side of the mediterranean Sea, Mirjam did a good job building an empire. From Africa, she made a steady base, verbally well backed, by the way. This frustrated me this far, that I placed a mean argument, that I still regret. Nevertheless, Mirjam's empire collapsed through two Advances.

The shockwave that was started by Arvid, now finally hit the western part of the board, but this time the impact was much and much bigger. One neighbor with Fundamentalism, is completely different from three invaders using both Fundamentalism, Politics and Monotheism. Mirjam and Bob, who weren't bothered by these advances this far, and silently built at their empires, now got the full stuff.

When Flo purchased Astronomy, and traveled to the west to attack Africa from Carthago, Mirjam also got hit by both a Civil War and a Slave Revolt, enough to destroy most of what she has built.
Simultaneously, Johan and I tried to keep up, and stand our grounds. I succeeded better, partly through a lack of great calamities, partly through a bit more experience with the new advanced of The expansion Project. At about two third of the game I suddenly got to the first place. The second last turn I was run over by both Flo and Evertjan, but the final sprint made the way clear to victory. Nothing but one silly point above Evertjan and two above Flo. I play this game for years now at top range, but never experienced a finish this close. Though it was more luck than wisdom.

Gerart

From the photos - and going by just my memory - that looks like the original AdvCiv map without the western map expansion.

well

it is a map made by ourselves. it is the originalmap and the wxm alltogether in one.

D'oh - I mistyped that...

I've made a version like that as well - the original map plus the official western expansion.

Anyways, I committed myself to running ACEP/CivProject at a miniatures convention this May - I will have to get all my stuff in order.

I do like the graph you've got there; did you have every player record their score at the end of each round?

We are stil working on a good excell-file for that.

last week was a first playtest where we use the regular AST as preview for all to see and as backup for optional failing of the excell-file.

My cousin Gerart is working on the XL, but he does not want to share any untill it's finished. Then, he'll work it out as a 18-player file, now it's only 9 nations, because we never get more players.

the file does this:

when starting a new game, first a requester opens to insert all players real names to be linked with each nation. here you set the nations that don't include the game so that they will not be included in the AST

1-
each player has its own tab-page where all advances are on.
When the purchasing phase is, the judge can select the advances to be purchased and counts the total for that. like a shopping cart.

the jugde checks manually wether the player return this much points total in cards and or treasury.

2- There is one AST tab-page with a list of victory points for all players and a button "end of turn"
the judge cliks this, and is asked for mannually typing the number of cities for all players. when this is done the following happens:
all players are automatically checked for ast-requirements bases on cities and advances and then the AST is altered. The graph adds another point for each player noting the amount of victory points.

The shopping cart for all players is emptied and the cards are marked as purchased by that player. One column states the original cost of the card. the next the amount of credits given by any other card. the next column states the current price for that player.

3. in any new purchasing-phase, each players can view his personal list (this could optionally be printed each turn) of cards and what credits it has and can so easily decide what to purchase.


checking a card for purchasing does not subtract the credits until the "end of turn" button is pressed.

The file is still in progress, as it is even updated today.
when it's done, it will be shared free for all.

Great game report. In our games everybody seems to by green and orange advances mainly plus drama and poetry and music. We rarely buy fundamentalism, politics or even military. We tend to try for Anatomy as it gives 5 points plus 30 green credits plus is great against epidemic.

I must try buying a fast fundamentalism one day though I fear I would be heavily calamitised!

Is Gerhart's spreadsheet available for download somewhere?

My seven player group is playing on Friday. Interestingly it is the final game of our latest eight game championship. I am leading the championship with the trailing players requiring me to score less than 104 points in the final game and them to score 126, 136 or 137 points respectively to overtake me. (we drop our two worst scores and my second worst score this championship is 104)

Sadly, I am expecting to be heavily calamitised, attacked and trade embargoed for the entire game. Should be interesting though.

DG.

When you tell me, no-one ever purchases Politics or Monotheism this is your key to victory.

a quick Fundamentalism does help, for both making room, forcing players to buy it as well and for discount on Monotheism.

Fundamentalism makes enemies even at players who don't get hit. (in the end they will, and who started this shit...?). You soon become 'the agressor' and not everybody likes a player aiming for that.

But as you will be picked on anyway....

Hmm, I like that idea Flo, thanks. I was considering going heavy craft to get pottery and agriculture to help with calmities and metalworking to aid combat. I was aiming to follow up with Trade Empire to try to stop my opponents completing sets.

However the religion and politics route is looking very tempting now!

DG.