Chesslike Warlords Game Settings

Last Revised 16-Aug-96 by Bob Heeter

The following game settings are designed to go with the Chesslike Warlords Rules and Chesslike Warlords Armies.

Neutral Cities: Active

Neutrals need defense to reduce the value of heroes and allies and thus cut the temptation to sneak in a hero and some allies. Doesn't add many reverts to the game.

Razing Cities: Never

With heroes and ruins eliminated, cities are the prime trophies of the game, and shouldn't be destroyed. (Your opinion may differ; I haven't playtested it with Razing on yet.)

Quests: Off

Necessary to prevent endless reverting to get good quests & allies; keeps game playable.

Diplomacy: On

Makes it possible for allies to sneak through each other's roadblocks, and adds value to the game. Also allows alliance communication through the game itself.

View Enemies: On

Players can revert to peek anyway; no need to make it a hassle! Allowing viewing will save time, make it possible to catch cheaters who change the contents of stacks, and make turns easier/faster/simpler.

View Production: On

Players can revert to peek anyway; no need to make it a hassle! Allowing viewing will save time, make it possible to catch cheaters who improve their build times, and make turns easier/faster/simpler.

Hidden Map: Off

Players can revert, view other countries, and pre-play the map anyway, so there's no need to keep it hidden. Also, this makes it possible for scenario designers to play on their own scenarios, as they will not have as much of a special advantage if other players can playtest the map before playing in the tournament.

Intense Combat: On

Evens up the odds a little in all battles, reducing the need to revert to win battles.

Military Advisor: On

Players will use the battle calculators if they want more detail, anyway.

Quick Start: Off

Having QuickStart on balances out starting positions a bit and reduces the time it takes to play the game, but eliminates the enjoyable expansion phase of the game, and gives players who go first a chance to revert until crushing all nearby opposition, making the game unfair. I think the net result is a loss of enjoyability. If you want to get the game off to a fast start it would be better to customize the scenario so that players start with several cities, but not too close together.

Random Turns: Off in general, On if everyone is up for it.

Leaving this on would allows a very interesting twist to the game, but if it is to be done the game moderator must play a neutral side which is constrained to always go last, so that no player has the ability to control the turn order for the next round, by reverting and ending his turn over and over again until receiving the desired turn order. Playtesting so far indicates that this is a very viable option in games with experienced and organized PBEM players!

	...as I've stated before the God factor, or randomness if you will, 
	is what makes Warlords unique!  ... there are many subtle
	mysteries that unfold in such a game where revert is legal, yet a
	player must prepare himself for the vagaries of a random order!

	-- Jim Panagos

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