Hi guys
The following new games are filling up.
1650 GB 2 wk (Game 92) 4 nations available (3nation game)
1650 2 wk (Game 98) 25 nations available
2950 2 wk (game228) 12 nations available
Kinstrife 617 6 nations available
1000 2 wk (game143) 23 nations available
Grudge Games we need opposition for:
2950 team
I have the following drop-outs available - don't forget you get MULTIPLE free turns for GB and a single one for normal game for taking these up:
GB 1 pair
2950 None
1650 None
1000 None
Kinstrife 1 position
** JOverseer - new combined mapping/order input program now available. http://code.google.com/p/joverseer/downloads/list See below for more details.
GB 2950 FP: 1/7 Woodmen/SouthGondor, 2/8 NorthMen/ Dwarves, 3/10 Riders/Noldo, 4/9 Dunadan/ Sindar, 5/24 Silvan/White Wizard, 6/23 NorthGondor /Dunlendings
DS: 11/21 WitchKing/Corsairs, 12/25 DragonLord/Khand, 13/14 DogLord/ Cloud Lord, 15/16 Blind Sorcerer/ Ice King, 18/20 FireKing /DarkLieutenants, 17/19 Quiet Avenger/LongRider
1650 GB Duos FP: 1/4 Woodmen/Arthedain,2/8 Northmen/Dwarves, 3/7 Eothraim/South Gondor,
5/9 Cardolan/Sindar, 6/23 North Gondor/Dunlendings, 10/22 Noldo/Harad
DS: 11/20 Witch King/Dark Lieutenants, 12/21 Dragon Lord/Corsairs, 13/15 Dog Lord/Blind Sorcerer, 14/24 (Also CL town @3428 goes to village, CL town @3629 goes to MT) Cloud Lord/Rhudaur, 16/19 Ice King/Long Rider, 17/18 Quiet Avenger/Fire King
Bree: http;//bree.flagshipmagazine.com/index.php and via pdf.
** New Hall of Fame section of the website: http://www.middleearthgames.com/mehof
For now it's only for the present and recently ended games but we'll look at updating that in future.
** Wikki pages are now available for encounter updates on-line.
http://www.middleearthgames.com/encp...hp?n=Main.Home
Setting up in a game:
Gunboat and Grudge and other variant games cost more to start up with, check the house rules for full details.
When I get all 25 nations into the game I will allocate you your choice of nation from the list of nations that you have sent me - please send multiple nation choices as this helps to get everyone their 1st or 2nd choices - if too many choose only 1 nation the system falls apart. All nations are potentially available until I set up the game.
Descriptions of the type of game follow - please check this when contacting me with regards playing in that game. When joining with allies please tell me so that I can help out. You cannot join 1650/2950 games as Neutral with an aligned or Neutral ally. 1000 - some rules apply for joining with allied Neutrals please ask (you are usually Neutral Team and not allowed to change allegiance).
Up to 2 nation game: You can play one or two Aligned nations, or one Neutral nation.
2 nation game: You must play two nations.
Note please ask for variant games we can try to get you opposition for them if you are interested - mostly Grudge teams though - if I get 10 players for any single type of game then I will put it up for general availability below and push it, always check the rules for variant games;
Webmail Server:
Webmail server: You now have a webmail mailbox . This is a website you can log into, and once you are logged in, you are actually on a machine in this office. You can then click a button to submit your turn, and once you hit send you can know that the file is in this building - ie we have your turn. The system generates a receipt within about 15-30 seconds, for additional assurance. At the end of the day we run a process whereby your turns also appear in this mailbox every time your game runs. So you can also receive your turns here
One Banker Nation in more detail
Why is this a Bug? and not mid-game change of rules. I chatted to the game designer about this and it's unintended. It is an error of coding. They come up so rarely in Middle Earth, I'm very glad to say, that action has to be taken now to stop its impact. Due to the enormous impact it has on the game we feel that steps need to be taken now. In most cases it removes the entire need for a strategic economic element to the game and therefore benefits the DS majorly. There is a direct correlation between gold in the One Banker nation (the nation with the highest level of gold) and the market prices and natsell limits. (See below for example Leather @23 sell price employing this strategy).
Has everyone been contacted? Yes - note if you want to see some of the discussion check out the forum (it's the sticky thread called One Banker Nation Ruling) and the list.
For now we'll do that by hand (and I'll implement a code change as soon as we can get something sorted and tested):
It's simple to moderate - if players feel that the market has been bumped unfairly get in touch and we'll check the orders. If we find that it has occurred, we'll remove all the gold received from that banker nation and we will consider further measures. (Note sending gold to nations is still fine for other reasons - it's easy to moderate).
This is the simplest short term solution and workable, especially if players abide by this ruling. Players are generally very ethical, so a hand moderated ruling will work well. We do something very similar in Gunboat and find it works fine.
We will not make any changes to the market prices in current games, even if the banker nation tactic has been used. However, from Monday we will enforce this new ruling.
I intend to take no action about using high tax rates or market buy-outs to affect the market prices. They are tactical choices, with both positives and negatives, and there are strategies which opposing teams can employ to counter them. (Eg Emmissaries for low loyalty PCs, ease of Threatening for high tax nations, and selling product and keeping a low gold level for reducing the impact of Buy-outs). We might look at keeping gold levels below 200k in future for other nations in the game as we appreciate that some Neutrals will look at increasing their own gold values appropriately.
I'll soon look at implementing code changes. These will aim to emulate the present market, with removal of the One Banker nation strategy. No doubt this will have minor changes to the market code, but I feel that something needs to be done here.
** Thanks to everyone for bringing this to my attention; it is very, very much appreciated. **
OBN ruling
What is being banned? The One Banker Nation (OBN for short) strategy is now banned. There is no effective counter that an opposing (FP) team can employ to deal with it. We will update the ruling in the Front Sheet GM Message section should updates occur and on the forum and list.
Ruling 10th December 2006; "Gold sent to a single nation with the goal of significant upward increase of market prices is not allowed, whether through caravan transport, ransom demands, or other methods. Gold sent to a nation that brings the nations total reserves to more than 80k gold will have that exact amount of gold sent deducted from its stores. In addition gold received by that nation from other sources such as Ransom demands from team-mates etc will be dealt with similarly.
Such an attempt may be judged to have occurred if the upward increase of market prices occurs coincident to the transfer of gold. Judgement may be requested by the opposing team if it feels this ruling has been violated. The judgement will be made by the moderator with opportunity for explanation by the team in question if requested
Later offences will be dealt with more strongly. Examples of this include removal of additional gold from the receiving nation but other penalties might apply. We reserve the right to take appropriate action. Most likely that would be to remove not only that second gold send but give that player a final warning. Further impacts and you'll be removed from the game. Note if we feel that a player is deliberately breaking the rules then we might well enact such a ruling earlier. Ie if you break the rules we'll take appropriate action and that can be anything from removing the gold sent to removal of further in game funds and removal of that player from that game. Any player that brings the game into disrepute we reserve the right to act further."
Check out our Message Board: www.halo5.net/meforums and the "mepbmlist" via http://www.MiddleEarthGames.com
Middle Earth Games Ltd
Website:
www.middleearthgames.com
Email:
me@middleearthgames.com
Post:
UK: 340 North Road, Cardiff CF14 3BP UK
US: ME Games Ltd, 73 Edgewood Terrace, South Bound Brook NJ 08880
Telephone:
Phone Times: 10am-6:30pm UK Time (BST); 5am-1.30 (EST)
UK: 029 2091 3359 (029 2062 5665 can be used if main engaged)
(Dial 011 44 29 2091 3359 if in the US)
US Phone: (732) 642-8777 EST
Fax:
UK Fax: 029 2062 5532 (24 hours)
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