Welcome Comrades to the 36th edition of the Dispatch
Hey everyone, it's been a while again. Three weeks have passed and once again we have a
marvelous issue for you all. The Freestyle Section offers you an interview of General Mojo along with the latest antics of the Cook. The Clan Section offers the latest scoop on the various clan wars and challenges (am I using the right lingo here? Please have mercy on me clan folks...) Tournament Section has a nifty review on ongoing tournaments and an unexpected letter from a famous TO... which leaves my very own Foundry Section, and boy is it ever stuffed full of cartography and foundry-related news...
TL;DR - issue released, contains stuff about stuff, read it it's good.
natty_dread -
Newsletter Executive If you would like to apply to join the news team, please visit the thread below for more details!
Click here for Recruitment Details... Good Afternoon! A shorter issue of the freestyle section this edition but it is still as exciting as ever. This edition, we have
TheSaxLad offering his thoughts on the Mentoring Pilot Program,
Deathcomesrippin on the Cheating and Abuse forum and how it operates and an interrogation of
General Mojo . We are also blessed with a cartoon strip involving our favourite cook!
nagerous Click image to enlarge. A Cheating and Abuse Report by deathcomesrippin show
Ahh, the Cheating & Abuse Forum. The place where dreams are made. The place where, as a single person, you can rise up, and overthrow the system, show The Man who is in charge, change the way an entire country thinks…… Not really, but it is still a fun thing to read, and a necessary function of a website which can have a fee and relies on volunteers. (Before I begin, a big shout out to LV for supplying me with some inside info on the running of the Forum. Thank you, sir, you guys deserve all of our support for putting up with people like me ) First, let us examine why this is necessary. This website is not a Fortune 500 company, so obviously some things have to be done on the cheap. There cannot be a 24 hour monitoring of every person who logs in, watching over us like Big Brother, monitoring our movements on the sites and whether person A logs out then person B logs in from the same IP a moment later, some kind of movie starring Shia LeBeouf. The rules are posted. When you first sign up and whenever you feel like refreshing yourself, it is a short click away. BUT, for whatever reason, some people can’t just take the game as is and play it for the challenge and the fun, some people need to win, or feel they need an insurmountable edge and of course some people just need to cheat. Since Lack and the boys cannot sit there all day every day and watch every single user in real time, they need a way to stop cheaters from prospering and this is where we come in. The Cheating & Abuse (C&A) Forum is a place where the general users of CC can go to file a complaint about another user if they suspect them of breaking one of the rules. It is a very simple process (I have used it, trust me on this). There is a handy little form that applies itself whenever you try to post of the forum. You just add in the information and erase the extra “xxxx” wherever you see them, and voila! You have a complaint filed. There are even helpful members who will fix your forms for you to make sure the C&A team can correctly process it. Also, since we are on the topic of posting in the forums (not really fair, since I can guide the topic to whatever I want), every person who posts in the C&A forum is checked out for multiple accounts. As always on this site, they are only human, and some people do slide between the cracks, but for the most part they catch many of those ne’er do wells. Unfortunately, LV could not go into details on how they scan for multis, but you know how it is, criminals always trying to stay one step ahead of the law. The C&A team consist of 4 permanent members, and a few people who help out: Lord Voldemort, evil semp, king sam, and eye84free. King Achilles oversees it as an admin. Andy is always around there and TheForgivenOne is one of the more noticeable helpers when it comes to filling out forms properly. There are others as well who will take the time to just fix up a report. These helpers should not be overlooked, there are quite a few cases that would never have made it to the eyes of the C&A team without this. Kudos to them for putting in unneeded time just to keep things rolling. Among those who are part of the actual C&A team, though, there are three “levels” of mods: the lowest level (and it’s not like they need enough points or experience to advance, it is just a plateau they advance through as needed) is eye84free at the moment. He is not able to bust multis, but does have the tools necessary for banning users and other tools for disciplining users to lesser degrees for the smaller offenses. The other three members all hold the same level of rights, and these are the ones who are able to bust multis as well as all of the powers of the lower level mods. Above them all stands Achilles, a King amongst gods, at least in that forum. He is a full on admin, and for the most part leaves the running of the forum to the other four. I feel I really need to stress this part, that even though they have different levels, they all are one team. They get along really well, and work together to rule on some of the more difficult cases. For the most part, a punishment will not be lifted once brought down, especially in some of the bigger cases. There are instructions on how to appeal the ruling in the email that is sent to the offender, and the steps that should be carried out. On a whole, the system works. Most users on the site do not enjoy being cheated out of their hard-earned points, and take it upon themselves to post about it. There are occasional spiteful posts, but those I am told are easily spotted and avoided. You can be punished, by the way, for spurious reports. So keep it clean, peeps. The mods have a strict set of rules and a strict set of punishments that they must follow. Very rarely are there any times where they find that they must set a precedent, in the years this game has been out it has seen it all so far, and the mods have been doing an admirable job of keeping up. Because of these strict rules, though, public opinion is almost never taken into consideration. The C&A mods have a thick skin, and must maintain their neutrality throughout all of their cases. There is a lot of feedback and flack aimed at them, and in my opinion they could be a lot worse than they are. It may be a form of online frontier justice, but it is the only justice that will keep this place running smoothly and efficiently. I applaud the fine volunteers in all the forums, but reserve my greatest appreciation for those in the thankless job of meting out punishment for nothing other than the satisfaction of keeping our mutually loved game clean.
The Mentoring Pilot Program by TheSaxLad show
Mentoring Pilot Program – Is there life in the old dog yet? Mentoring Pilot Program you say? That sounds similar to the Society of Cooks... well it was. Created in 2007, before the society as an offshoot to Itrades thread, the pilot program was a place for people to offer their services, or request the help of another CC’er. However, towards the middle of 2008, the OP stopped updating the thread and it has fallen into disuse and disrepair. However, in it’s heyday, it was a big thing, although perhaps not effective at it should have been as PLAYER57832 , one of the first mentees of the thread, explains: I enlisted initially because I found myself playing with a lot of new folks, explaining various game rules, etiquette, etc. I have never considered myself an expert in strategy. I have been helped by various people along the way, but largely had to figure things out alone.
However, even with these limitations, PLAYER57832 still thought The Pilot Program was better than the current Society, stating: PLAYER57832 wrote: The cook's forum is OK as far as it goes, but it is just way too limited. By teaching only the classic, new people don't get exposed to the wide range of maps. I can say that if I were limited to classic when I first came (when classic looked like the Risk map), I would never have stayed as long as I have.
We can show that great players have either offered their skills to the program, or emerged from it. Players such as lord voldemort, natewolfman, AAFitz, DiM, PLAYER58732, and KoE_Sirius. KoE_Sirius, one of the thread mentors mentioned, had this to say about The Mentoring Pilot Program:KoE_Sirius wrote: It’s a good idea. I must have helped over 30 players with the advise on AoR2.When the map first appeared on cc. It was a walk over for the few that understood it. I think I may have closed the gap for those who read the thread and made the game more of a challenge. Not to my advantage in some cases I might add.
Has a thread that, in it’s heyday, worked well, helped many new and old players alike, helped players with nuances, helped players with strategy, and helped players with general etiquette, fallen into disrepair? Maybe it has because the OP lost interest, or maybe due to a ban. We’ll just never know. However, even though it is a dead thread without the opening poster, it might not be as dead as you think. AndyDufresne our resident Mod and Community Manager found that people were still posting and using the thread without the original poster. Unfortunately, no one was able to comment. Overall, the idea of a strategic starting point is covered by the society of cooks. However, as a new point, the program is a place to go to learn other maps. If it were to get revived with the help of the community at large it could prove a useful tool for CCers.
show: Interrogation of General Mojo
Hey there General Mojoahoy! From a scale of -10 to 100, how "Mojo" do you consider yourself to be?I am pretty freaking mojo. I don't think I can say 100, though, because my name isn't Conqueror Mojo. I'd probably have to say 89. What's your most memorable game?I have a bunch, so its hard to focus on one in particular. However, one game comes to mind during the height of DRS where we rolled some scrub clan in a quads game in about 2 rounds. That was fun. More recently, this past year's clan league games were memorable as well...the drama with beersurfer was pretty classic. And I can't leave out any game that I have ever played with Kitchen Sink ...he's a good shit. Why did you join CC in the first place?I joined with a bunch of longtime friends who also enjoyed playing risk. The website kinda grew on us and we've never left. And now that I've risen in the ranks I don't think I could ever leave...I can't even count the number of chicks I have landed simply because of my rank. What's your favorite type of society?Well, in my opinion, there's only ever been one society worth being in....so its not really my favorite, but just the only one I consider worthy of recognition. Did you always plan to be a general when you named yourself?Of course. Its the reason why I've never been a Field Marshall...General is where its at. Just ask Fruitcake . On a craps table, what is your favorite type of bet? Wow, another tough one. While I do enjoy the horn high yo, the whirl bet, and the fire bet, I'd have to give the nod to the Buffalo. If you spend the better part of your night firing off $25 Buffalos on every come out roll and still can't take home chicks at the end of the night, there's not much that can be done for you. If ever presented with the opportunity, do you prefer to blackout, or not blackout?I don't remember. How much do you miss Flame Wars?I actually didn't frequent flame wars all that much back in the day, but it was a necessary and valuable asset to this website. The closing of flame wars probably marked the start date of CC's decline. Mostly because once flame wars shut down Siedshow99 started to lose intereset. What do you have to say about the DRS joining the sexiest clan ever? Its been a good fit. We never had any intention of disbanding DRS, but we were in big trouble once we lost Kitchen Sink . He was our heart and soul. BpB has the perfect demeanor and approach to be a good fit for us. And now that mcapizzi is a bandit, theres no debate that we're the sexiest clan around. Were Trap and Sied not sexy enough to join? I'm not really sure the answer to that, you'd have to ask owenshooter . My guess is that trap and sied owned owen so hard in flame wars back in the day that he still holds a grudge. And I don't blame him, frankly...he got dominated pretty badly. Have you ever walked in on Trap and Sied? No, they are good about always locking the door. What is it like being in the sexiest clan ever?Its an honor, really. We go about our business and are quite competitive without getting mixed up in all the ego stroking that goes on around here. Plus, I get to check out happy2seeyou 's milk jugs every day...how can you argue with that?? Is Austin Powers your main man?Absolutely not. That would be disrespectful to Kitchen Sink . Are you still on double secret probation for DRS handing out bounties on CC members?Probably. And I wouldn't have it any other way. I am always down for a good old-fashioned bounty. Who's the sexiest member of CC's sexiest clan?I believe that we are all equally sexy. One of the perks of being a BpB. Favorite alcoholic drink?Yes. Favorite pizza topping?happy2seeyou Favorite US President?I don't really have one, but I am pretty sure jbrettlip 's favorite is Obama. Favorite US precedent? (I think you are a lawyer or a political person).Bowers v. Hardwick. I am still upset that it got overturned. Favorite body part? (or a serial killer)happy2seeyou 's jugs. Do you have some strange obsession with the color rainbow?I am pretty sure rainbow is not a color, but the answer is no...rainbows are lame. I prefer double rainbows. How much does volunteering for Conquer Club cancel out the sexiness of being a bandit? If you are a bandit, you are sexy, period. I don't think it matters what else you do. Besides, it takes a real man to pull off the color pink. Why did you and your DRS brothers choose the BpB over other such notable clans as THOTA, the flying monkeys and G1 when you were looking for a new home?Well, as I said above, BpB was a good fit for us because we don't take things too seriously. It was a perfect fit in that department. Plus, we are damn sexy. Are you at all related to Mojo Jojo?No. Have you ever given Love a Bad Name?Most likely. Who are you, really?I'm General Mojo, I promise. What is your favorite poem from within the bandit forum? That is confidential, but there are a number of good ones. I highly suggest applying for membership to come check them out. What's your favorite neverending story?Anything written by Fruitcake . George W. Bush or George H.W. Bush?Neither. I prefer trapyoung . Thanks for your time Mojo!
The tournament section is here to give you all the information you need. The News from the Front will slim down for this issue, and will only update you on the open and completed tournaments. Amazzony continues to scourge through the Open tournaments on her quest, what ever it is. Finally, barterer2002, non-staff, submited article worth reading.
Sir. Ricco
Tournament Executive
News from the Front by The Tournament Team show
Now Enlisting: Musical Chairs Doubles: Fantasy Tour hosted by keiths31 Enter into the realm of fantasy with keiths31's new installment of the Musical Chairs Tournaments. Each game it will be your goal, as you fight on the realms pure imagination, to not be the first eliminated.Battle Results: 1v1 Teams: Railed hosted by Serbia Team Chenglong Railway [dtellis (17th), Freyme (T-86th), ZionT (T-69th)] wins the tournament! Team Yechi Railway [olkok (70th), DBandit70 (88th), HighlanderAttack (1st)] take second and builds to HighlanderAttack's lead.Scoreboard [Top 5] 1. HighlanderAttack [8.06] 2. sonicsteve [6.66] 3. Bones2484 [6.38] 4. ubcman64 [6.26] 5. Phr34ky [6.08]
Join This? Or Not! by amazzony show
"Join This? Or Not!" is a completely unprofessional, biased and subjective view on tournaments that can be found in Create/Join a Tournament forums. I will try to bring to you the top tournaments that you should not miss and though my initial thought was to hammer down mindless tournaments then I have not found anything worthy of my despise Today's first Hooray (read: a victory cheer for a well created tournament) will go to my chat buddies jakewilliams and lord voldemort who are inviting you to play real time games in Chatters 1v1 tournament . Careful though - once you enter that devil's den, you are doomed! Second Hooray belongs also to TeamCC, this time to Society of the Cooks' Standard Invitational Tourney by macbone and oldrisky44 . As I am already favoring fellow mods then it would be unfair not to give my third Hooray to Sir. Ricco 's multi organiser TO; Capture the Flag . This is NOT yet-another-1v1-tournament, this is brought to you by the magnificent Tournament Organizers user-group lead by yours truly But, if you are interested in real magnificence then I suggest you to look up your joggers (or, erm, go and buy your first pair?) because The Track Meet by Woodruff will make the crowd go Huzzah! (read: a victory cheer for a really well created tournament) . Huzzah goes also to Pyrhhus for his haiku Warrior Poets . Like really, if I, the illiteral cretin, managed to create a haiku then you shouldn't have no problems with it. I also have 2 Hoorahs left (read: a victory cheer for a created tournament) and they belong to NFL tourneys. There's 2010-11 NFL Football by GeneralJestix and 2010 Football Season by CDLTexan . I've seen a lot of sports leagues fail but I do wish these organizers a lot of strength to get these to a Hooray ending! And, if you have managed to stay with me then we have reached today's final tournament which is dowian2 's 2010-11 NCAA Hockey . This is something that will be ran smoothly and won't get abandoned! hooray-hoorah-huZZah!
The View From a TO by barterer2002 show
You may or may not know who I am. I run tournaments. Over the past year or so there have been any number of discussions on tournaments and how things are. For the most part I think this has been a good thing and I think that there have been some positives that have come out of these discussions. There are times of course, where discussions have gotten off track, where passions have become heated and where we've all needed to take a step back and look. For the most part though I appreciate the changes that have come forth. Recently however, I was reading a thread in GD where it stated that there were no longer any epic tournaments, that everything was 1v1 and that people were just out for the medals. This was very similar to a heated discussion that occurred in the tournament forums last winter. To an extent there is some truth to it, there are a lot of 1v1 tournaments out there. The reason is, people like them. Not everyone but enough people like the simple 1v1 bracket style tournament that they will never go out of style. Its easy to see at times that 1v1 tournaments can dominate the sign up pages. Lets be honest though, for the most part these tournaments move on off the sign up pages within a day or two. I'll freely admit that there are some who organize tournaments for the medals and some who play the smallest tournaments they can find just for the medals. More power to them I think. As long as they go through and properly keep the tournament moving along and don't leave their players hanging, keeping the tournaments going along is fine. However, there is a perception out there that there just aren't any epic tournaments running. Nothing can be further from the truth. There are at least a half dozen currently active tournaments that began before last Ground Hogs day. These aren't things that are slow because the TO is slow, they're just long tournaments. I'm personally running three that started January 4 or earlier and there are plenty of others out there. Sir Ricco, for instance, has his Tournament 100 that began in 2008. So did Gozar's Legend of Tor'Na'Mit (although it appears to have stalled slightly this summer). I'd estimate that every month there is at least one tournament started that is going to take 6 months or more to complete, that every 2-3 months there is a tournament that will take more than a year. Maybe we have a different feeling about what epic is but I think they're still out there. I think that those who say they aren't just aren't bothering to look. The variety that we crave in our tournaments is there, on any given week there are quad, triples, doubles, other team, 1v1, other singles, terminator and assassin games out there on the sign up boards. Yes there are the simple 1v1 bracket that people love to play in. As organizers we'll keep making them the way that cotton candy machines keep spinning sugar into that tooth rotting spin that my children love. Not because there is anything to it but because its what people want. But before you write off tournaments as a land of simply 1v1 win 3 games and get a medal cotton candy, take a look and see what is actually there. And if you want a particular style, consider organizing one in that style (or ask a favorite TO to do so)
Hello again everyone. It seems to be map season now. Since last issue, we have had a flood of new maps - a whopping 5 maps have been given the beta stamp. Only one of them is at the time of writing this actually playable, but the rest should follow soon. We also have lots of new maps emerging in the Foundry - go take a look!
Also, I'd like to take this opportunity to encourage everyone who is interested in new maps to subscribe to the
Map Surveyors usergroup. In MS, you will receive notification about maps that are in development, and will have a chance to actively participate in the development. Map Surveyors also holds monthly lotteries with Premium Prizes, along with other interesting contests. There's no reason not to join!
-nd
Latest News show
Smashing Good Cricket Goes Beta Cairnswk 's last (?) map, Cricket: Silly Mid-On , is finally available for live play. The preferred sport of crazed Englishmen, cricket is translated in wonderfully chaotic fashion into a large, open-deployment map. As for the rules... who knows? Who cares! The only rule is survival as the wickets are planted and the batsmen take the field.Four More Maps In Beta A heap of maps have suddenly been launched for Beta. With a flood of new maps like this we felt creating a separate headline for each would be redundant, so here's a collective congratulations to each of the mapmakers! German & Italian Unification Maps QuenchedIndustrial Helix 's dual-map pack has finally been quenched after an extended period in Beta. Hopefully the first in many historical maps- the Russian Revolution is already brewing!- the wars of unification for two early 20th-century military powers are depicted in simple and satisfying style. Congratulations, Industrial Helix!Das Schloss Quenched As cairnswk states in his thread, this is the only map to be quenched twice. An extensive overhaul was done by the mapmaker during which significant changes were made in Beta. The final product is a testament to the dedication of the Foundry's mapmakers to fun, quality maps. Dubbed by AAFitz as the most fair 1 versus 1 map on CC, Das Schloss is a victory objective-based conquest-style map based upon a fictional commando raid on a Nazi stronghold located deep within a castle. The play is intricate and the bonuses evenly placed, producing a map that should delight deep strategy players. Congratulations, cairnwick!
Maps Review Maps Briefly show
Maps briefly New maps - Design brief submitted: Age of Steam: Transsib by natty_dread More of this in Map Showroom. Moved to Gameplay. California by The Bison King Another map by The Bison King has been launched. This one features California and has been Moved to Gameplay. Thailand by grifftron & FarangDemon An ambitious project to represent the country of Thailand in CC. Moved to Gameplay. Supernaculum by Arghead A new mapmaker making his first effort at a CC map, featuring an apocalyptic scenario on a tropical island. Colours map? by FixitDave A map of colours, still looking for a theme. Another new mapmaker making good effort. 400 Highways by Nuclear Marathon A roadmap from Canada. Currently only a hand-drawn sketch of the map exists. Map Movement: Secesh Heresy by MarshalNey Moved to Gameplay. Antarctica by isaiah40 & natty_dread Moved to Gameplay. Pachisi! by Victor Sullivan Moved to Gameplay. Peru by Rih0 Moved to Graphics. Conquer 500 by dolomite13 Moved to Graphics. First Nations of South America by Tisha Moved to Final Forge. Cyprus by thenobodies80, Gilligan Moved to Final Forge. Mexico by MrBenn & Fumandomuerto Moved to Final Forge. Age of Steam: Orient Express by natty_dread Moved to Final Forge.
Map Showroom show
Map Showroom Want to comment on a map? Click map name to visit it's development thread! Age of Steam: Transsiberian Rail Author(s): natty_dread Map style: Standard Map size: Large Forum: Gameplay Development status: From yours truly, the next part in the Age of Steam series features the Transsiberian Railroad - one of the longest railroads of all times, running from Moscow to Vladivostok, in 1914 when the railway was finished. The gameplay is going to be slightly different from Orient Express, although the main objective is still the same - control the railway to win the game. The map features less side stations, but has an additional feature of industrial centers to give another bonus opportunity. It is also slightly larger than Orient. Currently the map is standing still in the Gameplay shop, waiting for Orient Express to be beta-tested, so the maker will have a better grasp on how the gameplay should work on this map. Baseball Author(s): Evil DIMwit Map style: Conquest Map size: Large Forum: Gameplay Development status: America's favourite pastime is after numerous stalled attempts finally getting represented on CC. Evil DIMwit is taking a conquest approach on the baseball field, creating another whimsical map on the footsteps of Woodboro and Doodle Earth. The game starts with 8 pitchers, which access the field through the batter in a similar manner as the parachutes do on Das Schloss. You then proceed by assaulting the field on various places. The aim seems to be replicating the dynamics of baseball as accurately as is possible with a CC map. Currently, the debate on the player names has finally reached a consensus, and gameplay is being worked out. Angevin Empire Author(s): tokle Map style: Standard Map size: Large Forum: Gameplay Development status: A first time mapmaker is making a good effort here with a map of the Angevin Empire in the 12th century. The Angevin Empire at it's peak controlled half of France, along with England and Ireland, which are all represented within the map. The gameplay is relatively standard, and historical accuracy seems to be in high regard for this mapmaker. Currently, bonus values are being discussed. Peru Author(s): Rih0 Map style: Standard Map size: Small Forum: Graphics Development status: Rih0 has made good progress with his Peru map, advancing all the way to the Graphics forum. This map features the nation of Peru, and has standard gameplay with a few twists. Gameplay-wise, this map should provide ample entertainment for the friends of small maps. It will probably be optimal for smaller games, with 2-5 players, and maybe small team games. Currently, the mapmaker is busy making the large version of the map.
Map Spotlight show
Map Spotlight: Cyprus I seems that a number of maps are being pulled up from the despondent wasteland of the recycling bin and lifted up to the saving light of the foundry. Not the least of which is a map of the Island Cyprus which was originally started by map maker Ruben Cassar. TheNobodies80 has recently taken over the project and has seen it through to the forge after giving it a makeover. It's a small map with a slight twist. The Island is divided between the Greek and Turkish occupied zones, each side rewards you 1 extra troop for every 5 or 6 (depending on whether you are on the Turkish or Greek side). Look for it in Beta, it should be out any day now. TBK: What made you decide to do a map of Cyprus? TN80: A day I was browsing the Recycling Bin when i found an abandoned map project by Ruben Cassar. Ruben was a good mapmaker, i love all his small maps but, unluckily, it was passed a while from the last time i saw him around in the foundry. So i decided to work on that project and finish the map. Today i can say that it was a good choice. TBK: What can you tell us about the history of Cyprus? TN80: Very briefly I can say that Cyprus, due to its position, has always been a landmark for many peoples in history: Romans, Ottomans, British. Only in the second half of the twentieth century, the island gets the independence. However the island was still controlled (or influenced) by foreign countries and at the mercy of the difficult international situation. On the island, mainly inhabited by two peoples with different cultures and origins, the tension rises quickly and in a short period of time it becomes a real war. After a series of events involving the international community, the island was divided de facto into two parts, with a large uninhabited area in the center controlled by the United Nations. TBK: In what ways have incorporated the history of the island into your map? TN80: The map represents the current administrative division as a result of the above events, in addition the long impassable border (UN Zone) across the map and the faction bonus highlight even more the reality/history of the island. TBK: How does this map differ from maps you have worked on in the past? TN80I honestly struggle to find common points.... TBK: Do you have any future idea's for maps? TN80: I'm working on a "solo" map about the Austro Hungarian Empire that's in the melting Pot. Recently i've also decided to team up with another foundry goers to develope the gameplay of another map project, we're at the beginning but i think that you'll see a first draft soon TBK: If you could go to (or suggest going to) one Mediterranean island, which would it be? TN80: I think Crete. I've never been there, but it seems a wonderful place.
Inside the Foundry Under the hood: Starting Positions show
Under the Hood: Starting Positions In this new series we pick a game mechanic, such as "one way borders", and show you how mapmakers have used that mechanic in creative or unique ways. If you find a mechanic particularly fun or interesting you can use the Map Info Database to find other maps with the same mechanic. Who knows you may find a new favorite. In this installment we are looking at "starting positions ". Starting positions allow a map creator to select one or more territories where they can guarantee players will start the game. This allows the them to do creative things like dividing territories amongst the players so that no one player starts with an unfair advantage. It also allows the creator to limit the number of territories where players start on a map allowing them to create “Conquest” style maps.Treasures of Galápagos - by cairnswk The Galapagos Islands are starved of water in many places. This, along with diving luggers, and natural fauna treasures that the Isles are famous for, from the concept for a map where everyone starts in the water diving. The objective is to gather as many treasures as possible to assist in conquering the map and other players. The allure of the underwater scenery with jelly-like amoeba and island map territory cells make this map one of Cairnswk's most brilliant designs. This map utilizes starting positions by dividing the players between the eight diving reefs. Similar to other conquest maps this one starts all other territories as 1 or 2 neutral armies. However this map also includes a complex bonus structure, impassible terrain, and ranged attacks. Castle Lands - by pikkio A simple map with four quadrants, four bridges and a castle. Each quadrant has a catapult that can bombard the tower with the same colored flag (and vice-versa) and the castle. Except for bombardments the map has a standard game play. A map preferably suitable for Team Games. This map utilizes starting positions by dividing the players between eight territories either inside or bordering the castle at the center of the map. Five of the maps territories start neutral however the rest of the map starts randomly assigned to the players as normal. .New World - by Coleman Based roughly on the European colonization of the Americas players are invited to write their own version of history. Players start divided between nine starting positions in both Europe and the Americas. The map has nine continents known as empires. Bonuses are granted at a rate of +1 for every 2 territories controlled in an empire. Other features of this map are auto-deployed armies and ranged attacks.Poker Club - by yeti_cIn Poker you don't play your hand - you play the person opposite you. This game is all about the hand - gain cards to improve your hand - or to decrease their hand. Each combination of winning hands is available for capture and yields different bonuses - Your best hand pays your bonus. This map features one of the most complex bonus structures of any map but it also features starting positions that divide the players between sixteen starting positions. This map is a wonderful break from your typical land grab. Feudal War - by gimil You are of one of Feudal’s six great empires. Fight to unite the land under your rule. A true conquest style map. Players start on one of the six castles and must conquer their way through a sea of neutral territories to reach their enemies. Victory can also be achieved by conquering all castles.Eastern Hemisphere - by oaktown Oaktown brings us the Eastern Hemisphere at the beginning of the 20th century - an era of global colonialism and nation building. Centuries-old empires were on the verge of collapse as the Ottoman, Russian, Persian, and Chinese Empires fell. Russia was heading for revolution, centuries-old colonies gained independence, there was an international scramble to control African resources, and Europe was on the brink of war. The map of the Eastern Hemisphere was about to be completely redrawn. Eight territories in Europe - Great Britain, France, Spain, Portugal, Germany, Austria-Hungary, Italy, and Netherlands are set as starting positions for the players. The remaining land territories are randomly divided amongst the players. The map has traditional continent bonuses as well as bonuses for holding your starting country and corresponding colonies across the map.
The clan directors brought high drama to their forums this week. Yes, it was time to launch season 3 of the league. Our coverage includes the thoughts of chief league architect
jpcloet and an interview with first time contestants, Devil's Brigade.
The first set of three is nearly over in the Cup semi-finals: THOTA and KORT are building small leads. A dazzling array of challenges are underway - we bring you news of Grim Reapers, TIME and FOED.
Best of all we show you the work of Platoon Report Art Director the multi-talented
Dai-atan whose nifty gifs bring some much-needed colour to our pages.
Season 3: A League of their Own by laughingcavalier (TSM) show
The senior clan competition enters its third season with 24 of the top clans signed up to do battle across four divisions. The Schedule Games will start 9th October, and run to December. The most-fancied clans in each division will face each other in the final weeks. It will be a tough run-in for those guys, and who knows, might just give us the same cliff-hanging excitement as last year when play-off spots weren't decided till the very last minute. The Draw There are 4 divisions, all on the same level. The clan directors used a snake draft, pulling from CLA season 2 results. A few clans looked with raised eyebrows at their draw, comparing the strength of divisions one and two for example, but all are looking forward to meeting old and new adversaries. Division 1 Imperial Dragoons, Black Sheep Squadron, TOFU, Low, Legion and Time. Division 2 Bullet Proof Bandits, Empire, Angels of Death, Mythology, The Devil's Brigade, Memento Mori. Division3 Immortal Assassins, Nemesis, Agents of Chaos, The Fraternal Order of Exceptional Drinkers, Soldiers of War, Dynasty Division 4 The Spanking Monkeys, The Last Warriors, Left For Dead, Grim Reapers, Generation One, Knights of the Round Table The Sign-Ups It’s a strong turnout of the clans, with most of those who completed season 2 returning to the fray, and those being joined by new clans eager to give it a go. For a moment it appeared that player exhaustion might undermine the line-up. But in the end, clan players could not contain their enthusiasm. Last year’s winners, Legends of War, joined the competition with hours to spare, and the losing finalists Bullet Proof Bandits arrived rather sheepishly during an extended sign-up period. Most notable absentees are THOTA. They are a clan who have been around a long while and while they undoubtedly have an appetite for quality games, maybe they don’t want quite the quantity that some newer clans do. Other clans with strong reputations may be fielding fewer of their top players than in previous competitions. But as some players bow out, new players take their place. Don’t be surprised if some of the teams who put in top performances this year are new arrivals at the top of the CC tree. And don’t be surprised if some of the clans contesting the top spot have not been around long, or have not previously been fancied as contenders. The Format The format is this: Four divisions of six teams. Each clan has 5 play weeks. In their play week, they have a home set and an away set, each of 4Q, 3T, 2D. Scoring is based on the number of individual games won rather than the results of matches. The top two clans from each division make the play-offs with the winner of division one playing the division four number two, etc. Quarters, semis and finals in the play-offs, each in the same format as ordinary lead weeks, with the addition of a neutral trips, will produce a league champion. All should be tied up early in the New Year, in time for clans to start on season two of the Conqueror’s Cup. The clan directors have chosen a format that stays true to some of the founding principles of the competition: democracy, reliability and innovation. • It’s democratic: jpcloet and masli considered a World Cup- style format, but in the end opted for four divisions, all on the same level. Contestants will get to play against clans at all levels, clans they may not have played before or might not otherwise get the chance to play, whether they are top-ranked clans or newbies. • It’s reliable: The clan directors have done the planning to get the nuts and bolts right - for all of us who enjoy playing these, there’s just a few folks who do the work of putting it together. The entrants list looks as strong as the set-up with almost all the clans having proved themselves through good organization and multiple wars or competition. • It’s innovative: When the clan league came in three years ago it was a big, dramatic new thing – each year it’s moved on as the clans themselves have got more sophisticated. This year there are fewer dubs games and more quads – reflecting the shift to teamplay with greater depth. And there are limits on how many games any one player can take in a challenge. First contestants: Devil's Brigade The story of the league won’t be about formats so much as it’s about the fun of playing with your mates and the drama of putting in your best performances to take your clan as far as they can go. First clan to sign up for the League was a newcomer: Devil’s Brigade. Their league contact shaneback gives us an idea of what we’ve all got to look forward to. shaneback speaks to The Dispatch Three hours from announcement to signing up - had your clan discussed it before or did you just know you wanted in? We had been discussing joining for season 3 earlier in the year and everyone in the clan was looking forward to it. What are you looking forward to in the league? The league is going to provide the opportunity to fight it out with several clans and players that we would normally not play against. Hopefully we are able to learn some new tactics and strengthen our teamwork. The only clan in our division that we have challenged is the Angels of Death, so we are going to be playing a lot of new faces. We ended up in the same division as Empire, which should make for an interested match-up as several of our members were originally in Empire. When you get to the end of the season what do you want the clans you have played to be saying about you? Hopefully with quality play we will gain the respect of our competitors, and we move up a few spots in the clan rankings. What's the lowdown on Devil's Brigade? The Devil's Brigade celebrated our first birthday a couple weeks ago, and in our first year we have a record of 3-1 in clan challenges. With several recent additions our numbers have swelled to 25 members. We are in the beginning stages of developing a map based on the real world Devils Brigade. From the Horse's Mouth A big shout to the clan directors for the effort they put into organising this competion - we're expecting over 500 players to compete in over 1000 games. That takes a lot of hard work, careful planning, not to mention some diplomacy to get it all going. The clan league is one of the biggest community projects on CC, and it's great that it's made it to year three. So we asked head clan director jpcloet for his view on what we've got to look forward to. jpcloet wrote: Season 3 of the Clan League should see some of the best competitive team play on the site. Of the 24 clans involved, a number of them look to make their mark and achieve one of the 8 spots in the expanded playoffs, while others look to make a statement, and others simply are still trying to make a name for themselves. Season 2 showed that anything can happen and Season 3 will likely contain some surprises. For the clan I lead, Angels of Death, we are looking to finish above .500 for the first time, as each year we have ended up in the toughest division which has always included Legends of War and The Spanking Monkeys. People think our Division this year is weaker than the others, however, you cannot take any clan lightly. Each Division seems to have its own questions. Can anyone take a playoff spot from LOW or TOFU? Can The Bullet-Proof Bandits repeat their great Season 2 performance now that there are more quads and less doubles games? What will we in see in a very balanced Division C? Will G1 rise up; and would that mean TSM misses the playoffs for the second year or will the 2 previously AOD players vault TSM to the top? I'm really happy how the league has progressed, and when people say "we should consider that for Season 4", the outlook continues to look great for clans on the site. I hope everyone enjoys the games and experience of the league and best of luck to all.
Check out the action at: Clan League: Season 3 - Standings & Results
Cup Semis: THOTA-LOW; TOFU-KORT by Dai_atan (Legion) show
Four clans are left standing in the ultimate battle for clan supremacy to gain the Imaginary and very pixel based Conquer Cup! Vs Vs THOTA Vs LoW After trawling through this challenges thread filled with slurs, retorts, counter retorts, riposte, counter ripostes and praise of fish food hurled back forth between THOTA and the Mods, I managed to find a few posts that were pertinent to the the Challenge itself.Reptile wrote: after the first rounds of each game i am involved in between drop and first round dice, i am expecting to see a huge lead for thota after the first round, it will be their competition that has to catch up this time unfortunatelly. i hope this one evens up at some point, i dont care if it is the third round as long as it happens. it just might take 2nd and 3rd after our start here, though it seems pretty impossible. have fun all
Blitzaholic of THOTA had this to say:It would be nice to start with a good lead, since our last few challenges we were down like 7 games at one time in each one of them previous challenges.
As we go to press this match stands at THOTA: 9, LoW: 6 TOFU Vs KoRT KoRT takes an unexpected early lead against TOFU and look to be about to take the first set. To quote FoxGlove of KoRTI would say that approximately 2/3 of the battle will be in Batches 2 and 3!
We here at the dispatch agree with this assessment. meanwhile a tale of woe is being propagated from with in the ranks of TOFU as Knight2254 had this to say:This challenge might be over soon considering what happened in round 1 and the unforgiving drops / first team starts of round 2.
I think it's going to take a heroic comeback in round 3 for us to have any chance.
Could the Cows prove victorious in this challenge, what this reporter has been saying to his mother for years will be proven true:This Reporter wrote: MOTHER I DON'T F***ING WANT THIS SOY BASED TOFU C**P! EVERYONE KNOWS STEAK IS BETTER!
As we go to press this match stands at TOFU: 5, KoRT: 9
State of Play show
LETS DO THE TIME WARP AGAIN! by Dai_atan Vs Grim Reapers (RPI: 26, PWRR: 33) go up against the new kids on the block TIME (UNRANKED), This is A challenge that will keep us all at the edge of our seats and biting our nails as we wonder whether TIME will prevail or if we will be out of TIME and be brought into the clutches of the cold hands of the Grim Reapers. While I would happily spend this entire segment coming up with TIME puns, this reporter simply just does not have the [Insert Appropriate Measurement of Linear Progression Here] as this challenge is now underway and proving a close match up for both clans with the current standings at: GR: 5 TIME: 4LAPPING IT UP by laughingcavalier vrs vrs The Fraternal Order of Excpetional Drinkers leapt into action as soon as they were formed and are already into their fourth challenge. And it is not easy challenges that FOED are playing - currently against Agents of Chaos and Nemesis . Clan co-leader danryan spoke to the Dispatch: danryan wrote: AOC is kicking our ass right now, the final score will be closer as there are a lot of unfinished games that will be wins for us, but I don't see us getting anywhere near a tie. My prediction is 35-25 for AOC or thereabouts - they are a fantastic clan with 4 really top class players in Eyestone, Myrelock, Namor, and ccatman, and everyone else there can play well too. If nothing else, they've exposed some weaknesses in our team play that we need to address. Since we'll be playing in their division in the League there should be some interesting rematches. Nemesis has turned into a very interesting challenge - they dominated trips whereas we seem to have the edge in quads, but we're still in the middle of the first batch. They can talk trash with the best of the clans on CC, and can back it up. Impossible to predict who will win this one but I think it's going to be very close. Our last 2 clans wars were each decided by 1 game (31-29 over Myth, 29-31 loss to ID) and I think it's a testament to how good a lot of the clans on CC have gotten that so many are evenly matched. Nemesis played THOTA to a standstill, AOC gave TOFU a nice run for their money, and look at KORT leading TOFU right now!
Clan Wars: The Pirate Cocktail by BoganGod (BotFM) show
From the Bogan News Desk, sitting back viewing my collection of classic mullet pics, and started thinking (mental note, more rum called for, cuts down on thinking nicely, only leaves room in the ole brain box for booty, wenches and more rum). Started to think about clan wars, and how boring they have become of late. Started musing on possible ways to shake things up a little or a lot. Dangerous thoughts dem ones, very dangerous, not original but definitely dangerous, no I’m not drunk and repeating myself. Am using literary license and stressing the dangerous part for dramatic effect! So as I am a lazy bastard, decided to think back on what others have had to say on the subject, and look through a few suggestions, in both the forums, and the clan leaders association. Came across a few interesting if slightly contentious options to jazz up a boring little predictable war. 1. Allow Nuclear spoils – not a traditional type of card game, and there are a lot of mixed feelings out there in CC land about how “authentic nuclear is”, whether it requires “skill” etc. I for one wouldn’t want it in a clan war, having horrible thoughts of nuclear on a random map, and pulling something like doodle earth. I do feel that nuclear requires a more than average amount of communication on team games, taking out your partners stack is not that productive….. 2. Inclusion of Beta maps – I like this option a lot, would reward a clan with active players that like trying something new. Could be included as a limited option to not ruffle to many feathers on old cc chooks. Maybe limit beta maps to 10-20% of a clans home maps. Could work, and could be a lot of fun. 3. Freestyle – Freestyle is a dirty word for a lot of serious players. It could work in clan wars, though I don’t see many clans expressing any eagerness in trying it. With first turn advantage and players in different time zones. I can see it becoming a game of chicken, who will join last etc. I don’t know how it could fairly be introduced into clan wars, but then I’m no freestyle master, don’t even have my freestyle gold. Is an option that some of the younger clans have been expressing a desire to try. 4. One vs One – This has been used in clan wars frequently in the past with a best of 5 series on 1vs1 counting as 1 game. In 1vs1 there is a very strong 1st turn advantage, stronger on some maps than others. Gives clans an opportunity to give their experienced standard players that aren’t that good at team games a hit out. Unsure on my feelings on 1vs1 games in clan wars, am happy to include them. Definitely don’t actively push for them. 5. All random challenge – This I think could be a very good idea, would test the depths of a clan's knowledge of the site. I think more clans would consider it if the suggestion to exclude some games from random goes ahead. That way clans would not end up with hive, doodle, or a few other either lengthy or very luck dependent maps. Might take some convincing but I could see the Pirates playing an all random challenge at some time in future. 6. Odd number challenge – This is an excellent idea, make the challenge 61 games for example with the 61st game being classic trips possibly. Prevents the need for a tie break, I think everyone feels kind of cheated in a close war when it comes down to a 1 game or best of three tie break. 7. Free agents – Something I don’t think anyone has suggested as yet, and not sure whether it would work. Could be quite cool to have a few free agents within clans. That is players that are in a clan, are not clan leaders, and are prepared to jump ship on a temporary basis to help another clan out in a clan challenge. Imagine if you will dear readers a clan war between TOFU and THOTA, where TOFU has a few of the best players from KORT on their team, and THOTA has a few of the best Legion players. Could be a brilliant war, would be great to get a lot of the best players on site in a big war against each other. Probably just a Bogan Deities’ wet dream, but dream with me readers, it could be a lot of fun. Well long suffering and eyesore readers, this has been thirsty work, so I must leave the Bogan news desk, and depart to the bar. Donny the bull, his goat, MegasWoman’s parrot, and JefJef are trying to drink all the rum. I MUST HAVE MY SHARE!!!!!! A CAPTAINS SHARE. ARRGGGGGGGGG ps. Will try and remember not to eat the beer nuts, I've noticed where the parrot has been perching.......
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