Babylon 5 Wars Mod Beta Sign-up |
Babylon 5 War’s Beta Test Game
This game is being set-up as an e-mail game to help conduct a Beta test of the B5W mod. All players will e-mail their turns to the host. The game will then be processed and the turns uploaded to the host’s file front location for player download. Turns will run approximately once every 24 hours as processed by the host. Process time will generally be around 1700 hours MST barring “real life” events.
Interested players can download the beta from http://www.arpeegy.com follow the Leisure link then the B5W Mod link.
Current Known Beta Issues:
1. The Beta release contains ALL the shipset file folders for custom shipsets. To ensure the Beta release runs on your machine you must first have all these shipsets loaded into your SEV Empire folder (these SEV sets can be downloaded at www.spaceempires.net) or you will need to delete the shipset folders that you do not currently have loaded from the B5W mod empire folder. You can leave the B5Race folders as these are only racial pictures for the mod, not shipsets.
2. Drone cockpits are too small 5kt (should be 10kt) and Drone life support is not currently programmed (will be 10 kt in size as well). The cockpits will be changed in the next release and drone life support will be added.
3. The mod is MULTIPLAYER ONLY, it will not support AI play as no AI scripts have been programmed. So Quick Start play is not possible, etc.
The game will start as soon as enough interested players have signed up. To sign-up send a private forum message to Arpeegy and include your e-mail address. E-mail addresses will be used for game play reasons only.
Game Rules:
1. The game will not start until enough players have joined to create EQUAL teams as described below.
2. When players join they need to include their level of experience (Newb, Moderate, Expert, Power Player) and if they are interested in playing an “Ancient” race.
3. Only designated players (the most expert players willing to play ancients) will be allowed to select an “Ancient” race. The number of ancient players will be determined by the total number of “teams” based on interested beta testers. The break down will be: 8 players = 2 teams, 9 players = 3 teams, 10 players = 2 teams, 12 players = 3 teams, 16 players = 4 teams, etc.
4. The ancient players will get team members by finding them during game play. Once found the ancient player will send a treaty (treaty elements determined by the ancient) to the younger race player. The treaty title should include the ancient race name (Shadows, Vorlon, Walkers, etc.) to designate the team. The younger race player MUST accept the treaty. No team may have more team members than the total number of players divided by the number of ancient players. Thus in a 9 player game the ancient can have 2 team members (the full team is now 3 players including the ancient) in a 12 player game the ancient can have three team members (the team now has 4 members including the ancient), etc.
5. Once a team is selected it cannot be changed. The Ancient has invested too much into their “puppet” race to start over. A race already on a team cannot switch teams. Two ancients cannot team up.
6. The game is played until only one Ancient player is left alive. This team is then declared the winner.
7. If an ancient is destroyed their puppet races will be equally divided among the remaining ancients. The ancient whose team dealt the death blow to the destroyed ancient gets first pick of puppets. This “picking” can take place via e-mail then new treaties can be sent out the following turn to alleviate confusion.
8. If a player chooses to “drop” the game they should first surrender their empire to their “Ancient” team member. Please, do not simply abandon the game if it does not go well for you.
9. It goes without saying that the teams should work together to win the game…backstabbing a team or disloyal players are not allowed.
Beta Testers:
1. I am interested in balance issues and good play issues. So please report anything that appears odd or suggestions for improvement.
2. I am not looking to change the weapon selections, damage formulas, or equipment/tech availability for the various races…these are B5W cannon.
3. I am interested in attempting to balance ship sizes, component sizes/costs, tech tree costs, resource production, racial traits/enhancement costs, component restrictions, or any other issue that may be a mod killer.
4. The intent is to make this the most dynamic mod for SEV. Balance should not come from nerfing a race’s technology…but should come from resource cost/maintenance/component size/component limitations/etc.
5. Have fun. Don’t take the game too serious…it is a Beta. Your efforts will make the next release even better.
Set Up:
Quadrant Type = Spiral Arm
Quadrant Size = Large
General Options = All Warp Points Connected & Warp Points located anywhere in the system.
Technology Cost = Medium
Starting Resources = Medium
Home Planer Value = Good
Number of Starting Planets = 1
Home Planet Size = All player home planets the same size.
Empire Placement = evenly distributed through the quadrant.
Score Display = Player can view scores of all allied players.
Technology Points for New Players = Low (50000)
Racial Points for New Players = Medium (3000)
Random Computer Players = None
Sight Settings = See entire starting home system.
Event Frequency = Medium
Maximum Event Severity = High
Maximum Units in Space per Player = 20000
Maximum Ships Allowed per Player = 5000
Player Restrictions = Players can give gifts, Players can give technology through gifts and trades, Players can completely surrender, & Players can conduct intelligence projects.
Turn Style = Simultaneous Movement
Victory Conditions = House Rule (see game description), Peace throughout the quadrant, & sole survivor.
Re: Babylon 5 Wars Mod Beta Sign-up
On #4: would the minbari be allowed to counter offer the shadow player?
I might be able to do PBEM, but only if I can get the game to work first. (lost serial number)
Re: Babylon 5 Wars Mod Beta Sign-up
I'm getting a crash bug when ever I try to create a race. Also no B5 races show up for quick start.
Re: Babylon 5 Wars Mod Beta Sign-up
Quotes form the other thread:
Quick start is not possible in this release, as far as I know. There is an error concerning it in Readme, I think.
Claim victory in your heart and the Universe will follow
Re: Babylon 5 Wars Mod Beta Sign-up
Well? I managed to talk a friend into being interested. How many is that?
Re: Babylon 5 Wars Mod Beta Sign-up
11 I think. the latest list I got had 8 players, not including yourself or BlueTemplar (if indeed he's playing)
Re: Babylon 5 Wars Mod Beta Sign-up
I'd like but I fear I won't have the time to play.
Re: Babylon 5 Wars Mod Beta Sign-up
Well the more the merrier I guess. 9 would be a decent number. 
Re: Babylon 5 Wars Mod Beta Sign-up
When do we start?
Re: Babylon 5 Wars Mod Beta Sign-up
As soon as all the Beta testers have joined the PBW game, loaded their empires, and my new laptop arrives. 
The one I am working on now has a broken LCD screen and it makes using it near impossible. Right now I am trying to type this between flickers, weird verticle lines, etc. Would be impossible to run a game on this machine right now. My laptop will be shipped on the 18th, I purchased one with XP since Vista is crap, and HP says due to all the other folks who also wanted to get XP prior to it no longer being available there is a little delay.
Loyalty above all else except honor.
Re: Babylon 5 Wars Mod Beta Sign-up
that means finding the PBW game. I've never done that. How does it work?
Re: Babylon 5 Wars Mod Beta Sign-up
How does turn submission work? CAn you do PBEM this way?
Re: Babylon 5 Wars Mod Beta Sign-up
I personally always visit the site and upload my turn, but you can do it via email.
when a new turn is ready it will send an email telling you so. You have the option of having your turn attached. I quit the option once turns got so big the email couldn't comfortably hold it. I just go to PBW and download it. Really big games can require the host to upload the turn somewhere else, as well as do the generation themselves since PBW fails if the turn takes too long to generate.
once you have done your turn you can, I am told, attach your turn to a reply aimed at the PBW address that sent you the turn (although it is headed as being from the host, this is just customising for the game). You also get emails purporting to be from the host with a stock message telling you to hurry up. Let me take the opportunity to point out this isn't personal nor, as I said, is it actually from the host.
I say I am told you can email it in. I tried it recently and it failed, it seemed to go to the host. I am told that was because the reply truncated the code in the header meant to direct it. It being an especially large game name.
Re: Babylon 5 Wars Mod Beta Sign-up
Ah, that's good to know. Email would seem to be a rather bad way to do it.
Re: Babylon 5 Wars Mod Beta Sign-up
"Racial Points for New Players = Medium (3000)"
Is it to late to change that? We already have signups for races (shadows, Walkers) that require more than that. They'd need some heavy disadvantages to play. I think it'd be a better test if we did 5000, just so the "ancients" wouldn't have to cripple themselves just to play.
Re: Babylon 5 Wars Mod Beta Sign-up
But with 5000 the younger races can even the table with additional upgrades. 
Maybe do TWO games one 3000 and one 5000?
Re: Babylon 5 Wars Mod Beta Sign-up
Maybe do TWO games one 3000 and one 5000?
I plan on testing all settings for the game. But I am only going to run one at a time. Makes it easier to fix bugs/balance issues along the way.
Loyalty above all else except honor.
Re: Babylon 5 Wars Mod Beta Sign-up
M'kay, I need to redo my race now though. I think I'll do the Mitoc instead. how do I change it? Oh and the custom shipset, I will be using one. I guess i'll stick it in the shipyard when I get it to work.
Re: Babylon 5 Wars Mod Beta Sign-up
I want to join.
But i dont remember all races from B5, so pleace say wich empire name I can use (or give a list).
Re: Babylon 5 Wars Mod Beta Sign-up
I guess i'll stick it in the shipyard when I get it to work.Simply rebuild the race and load the new empire file at PBW.
Loyalty above all else except honor.
Re: Babylon 5 Wars Mod Beta Sign-up
Is there any way to view race portret?
What kind of shipset and portret i need for Abbai?
Re: Babylon 5 Wars Mod Beta Sign-up
You can use any shipset/race picture. but the other players will need a copy of whatever you use.
Re: Babylon 5 Wars Mod Beta Sign-up
Now, when we have 12 players, is Dragonswrd still ready to play Vorlons? Walkers are eager to pay them back.
Claim victory in your heart and the Universe will follow
Re: Babylon 5 Wars Mod Beta Sign-up
hmm... I'm thinking we should take steps to ensure that "ancients" do not get placed next to each other.
How? Simple(ish) actually, generate the map and set three points as starting systems, then when adding races to the game set the three ancient races as the first three races. they will then spawn at the three points chosen. When the game runs out of starting locations it'll spawn in randomly chosen systems(like it would if you don't choose starting locations).
why set only three starting locations? The starting locations are not linked to any specific race. you make a list of locations and the game picks one at random when spawning races. Starting with race#1 and going down the list. If the number of starting locations is greater than the number of ancients, then the excess locations will be assigned to the younger races.
Oh, another small tip, if you try choosing a system as a starting location and the game doesn't let you, then you've tried to select a nebula, black hole etc as thestarting location.
Re: Babylon 5 Wars Mod Beta Sign-up
PBW need corect order of races, so this will not work.
P.S. Before start send e-meil to each player and ask to reply, so you will know, who is still online (ready to play) and who is not
Re: Babylon 5 Wars Mod Beta Sign-up
You don't actually need to have PBW generate the game do you?
Re: Babylon 5 Wars Mod Beta Sign-up
The excellent idea! And establishing the correct order on PBW is very simple: all players that are before ancients in the current order need just to withdraw and rejoin the game.
Claim victory in your heart and the Universe will follow
Re: Babylon 5 Wars Mod Beta Sign-up
YAY! I'm done now. Shipset uploading now. Race will be uploaded soon.
Re: Babylon 5 Wars Mod Beta Sign-up
okay it's up, I uploaded the race and emailed the ship set files. Everybody (except the guy with the .pl domain) should have the shipset.(for some reason his failed to receive one of the emails)
Re: Babylon 5 Wars Mod Beta Sign-up
The guy with the .pl domain has received the "vree race data files section A" e-mail with the VreeB.7z file attached and, somehow, he thinks he has not received VreeA.7z
Claim victory in your heart and the Universe will follow
Re: Babylon 5 Wars Mod Beta Sign-up
There is an open source 7z file archiver available at http://www.7-zip.org
Claim victory in your heart and the Universe will follow
Re: Babylon 5 Wars Mod Beta Sign-up
O_O' did ya read the third email? I screwed up and sent out part B twice. the third Email should have an attachment named "Vree.7Z" where the first two had "VreeB.7Z".
Oh and I'm not actually playing as the Vree. I'm Playing as the Mitoc.
Re: Babylon 5 Wars Mod Beta Sign-up
I am still waiting for your shipset. I have got neither your second e-mail nor the third one. It would really be easier for everybody if you uploaded the files to a server, eg. Filefront, providing us a link to them.
Claim victory in your heart and the Universe will follow
Re: Babylon 5 Wars Mod Beta Sign-up
-_-' I tried fileplanet but it wanted to take an HOUR, then it crapped out 15 minutes in. time to try Filefront I guess.
Re: Babylon 5 Wars Mod Beta Sign-up
Uploaded to filefront Um, just search for Marhawkman.
Re: Babylon 5 Wars Mod Beta Sign-up
Are you sure it is possible to find it there searching for Marhawkman? I tried and found nothing. Is it so difficult to provide a link?
Claim victory in your heart and the Universe will follow
Re: Babylon 5 Wars Mod Beta Sign-up
OK, I finally found it logging in as Marhawkman.
Claim victory in your heart and the Universe will follow
Re: Babylon 5 Wars Mod Beta Sign-up
??? huh?
Re: Babylon 5 Wars Mod Beta Sign-up
anways link here: http://hosted.filefront.com/marhawkman/
Re: Babylon 5 Wars Mod Beta Sign-up
I'm using the Vree shipset. It has it's own special flag. I'm using that flag.
Re: Babylon 5 Wars Mod Beta Sign-up
I'm uploading an upgraded version of the Vree shipset. You don't need it immediately, but it's probably best if you update eventually. This is mainly a cosmetic change, but I did redo the hull layouts of spacestations.
There's still an issue with firing points, but that's a minor issue.
Re: Babylon 5 Wars Mod Beta Sign-up
Aww... I can't do online play...