Page 3 of 5

Re: Discussion about the format of the longturn game

Posted: Tue Jul 18, 2017 8:40 am
by AndreasR
The income from donations goes towards paying for the server which hosts freeciv.org and play.freeciv.org. This is the same server which hosts the LongTurn games you participate in. With more income from donations we can afford an even better server, which can support larger games with more players. The current server is already close to its limits with all the very large LongTurn games that have been started.

"Share the material costs of the community you are a part of" would be a good description.

"DONATE! Servers aren't paid for by love!"

Re: Discussion about the format of the longturn game

Posted: Tue Jul 18, 2017 8:58 am
by Corbeau
This isn't "more information".

"More information" would be in format "Help, we are 500$ short" or "We have 200$ in our pockets, but it runs out at the end of the year when we have to pay another 500$". Don't have to publish bills, I'll take your word for it. But give me SOMETHING!

As for "Pay 100$ and get the game of your choice", I can get that for far less. Maybe even for free. However, the point of my request is, create a more diverse game that may cater to other tastes, too, not only "one homogenous land carpet". If people tell me they like 80% land, hell, I withdraw my request.

BTW, am I missing something here, or I am unable to create polls?

(and, for the record, I'd pay some money immediately, but I need to set up my bank account because, as it is now, I have to go to the bank and spend half an hour there every time I want to use PayPal (don't ask, it's a third world country), but I'm hoping to have it rearranged in a few months; and even when I do and even if I do pay 100$, it will not be "in order to have a game started with the settings of my choice")

Re: Discussion about the format of the longturn game

Posted: Tue Jul 18, 2017 9:18 am
by AndreasR
The current server costs 90 euros / month, if I recall correctly. Per Mathisen does the accounting, so I don't have updated accounts. With more donations we can support the current server for a longer period of time, or even afford a better server which supports more and larger games.

Re: Discussion about the format of the longturn game

Posted: Tue Jul 18, 2017 9:20 am
by Corbeau
Thanks. When you do get the current "account status", please post it, ESPECIALLY if it's negative. (And I don't mean "It's positive because the developers put forward some money"; people who spend their time maintaining and programming this game shouldn't be paying anything.)

But now we've gone way off-topic.

Re: Discussion about the format of the longturn game

Posted: Tue Jul 18, 2017 9:24 am
by Canik
Corbeau, about the 'players can't join after a few turns' idea. I wouldn't mind it now that I know about freeciv and will join those games before the limit.. but I'm very glad that wasn't in place already. I joined all the games past the deadline you suggest but I have a real good chance at becoming a power in Game 5. Because that one I joined at turn 12 or so and got a bomb starting location.

Game 4 I inherited a weak nation that was terribly mismanaged but there was still a little room for expansion and I'm on the coast, made some allies, could still come back.

Game 3 I was real unlucky and got a 2 city nation. Tried to surrender that game and it said I can't win anymore but it didn't destroy my nation or remove control so still playing that one just for fun basically.

Game 2 I joined like turn 78 but, well, I'm right next to you in that game so you know I'm doing ok and enjoying myself. Luckily that nation had a ton a gold. I am behind many others in terrority but I can catch up some. Granted, I may not have stood a chance if my neighbors were not friendly. (Thanks for being friendly! :D ) But the point is I joined that game really late and I'm happy being there and you guys seem fine with me there.

Being able to join those games has helped me get deeper into this game faster than I would've otherwise. I'd be pretty frustrated really if I couldn't join any of the longturn games. Thank god I could!

I do think units without a home city slowly dying would probably be a good thing. (Not sure you said this just saw it mentioned somewhere)

And I do think a cut-off at some point in Game 5 might make sense and be a merciful act to would-be late joiners since they'll probably be so very far behind. In tech-trade games though, with a good amount of gold to late-joiners, it's much more possible to make a come back or at least be relevant and really have fun.

Re: Discussion about the format of the longturn game

Posted: Tue Jul 18, 2017 9:33 am
by Corbeau
Canik wrote:Corbeau, about the 'players can't join after a few turns' idea. (...sniiip...)
Canik, thank you for your input. It is significant and, to me personally, it shed a completely different light on the issue. Everything you said sounds reasonable (couldn't be anything else because you simply shared your experience) and it has made me change my opinion, or at least adjust it. Thank you for this.

Re: Discussion about the format of the longturn game

Posted: Tue Jul 18, 2017 11:59 am
by AndreasR
Corbeau wrote:Thanks. When you do get the current "account status", please post it, ESPECIALLY if it's negative. (And I don't mean "It's positive because the developers put forward some money"; people who spend their time maintaining and programming this game shouldn't be paying anything.)

But now we've gone way off-topic.
Thanks. I hope that you will be able to donate, to support this open source project.

Re: Discussion about the format of the longturn game

Posted: Wed Jul 19, 2017 12:52 pm
by cazfi
Corbeau wrote:people who spend their time maintaining and programming this game shouldn't be paying anything.
Somewhat related: OpenHUB project cost calculator estimates that the development hours we've donated so far would be worth over $6,000,000 https://www.openhub.net/p/freeciv/estimated_cost
of which 26% (https://www.openhub.net/p/freeciv/contributors/summary) by me ;-)

Re: Discussion about the format of the longturn game

Posted: Wed Jul 19, 2017 1:24 pm
by Corbeau
My point exactly.

Re: Discussion about the format of the longturn game

Posted: Thu Aug 10, 2017 10:27 am
by pungtryne
It seems to me that with so many players, getting a free tech when researching philosophy gets a little unbalanced, or at least gives an effect that was probably not intended when making the ruleset. As of today, one can save off researching philosophy for later and get a tech cosing thousands of bulbs for just 200. When many people do this together and share, it's lots of "free" tech that gets researched very fast.

Others than me that don't think this is optimal? Same issue can be raised about Darwins voyage too.