Date: Fri, 1 Aug 1997 16:32:05 +0100 From: Tournament HeadquartersSubject: W2WT: Rules Tutorial #1 - Starting the Round [ I thought I should get this out before too many players start ] [ making their moves... It's not as long as it looks! - Bob ] ***** Rules Tutorial #1: Starting a Game ***** Here is the essential info for playing your first few turns. Several more Rules Tutorials will be sent during the Practice Round, covering all aspects of the Rules. Above all, remember the 10th Commandment of the Tournament: "When in doubt, ask your Moderator!" (Just use a "query" message.) Here are the two key questions you probably have... 1. How Do I Take My Turn ? 2. How Do I Send My Game to the Next Player? ... and here are the answers! 1. How To Take Your Turn: For now you can basically move normally, as though this were any other Warlords game - but don't end your turn when you're done! (See below for details.) All you need to worry about right now are the Turn Report rules. As you take your first turn, you should have available a copy of the Turn Report Template, which is included at the end of this message. It is also on the Web at: http://www.heeter.net/w2home/tournament/RptTempl.html Fill it out as you take your turn, delete whatever parts you don't use, and email your Moderator if you have any questions! Here are some useful tips you should know right away: a) WarBOT will tell you that any army with strength 2 or more can take a neutral city. Only lone bats and scouts cannot capture neutrals. Side effect: Many players build light cavalry early on, because they are the cheapest, swiftest way to expand. (But they die in droves against elephants and griffins later. :) ) b) So don't bother running WarBOT when taking neutrals. In any 1-on-1 battle, the attacker wins if it is stronger. So "Hero xxx takes neutral City yyy and pillages Scout for 175 gold" is sufficient for your Turn Report. (See, writing turn reports is really trivial once you get the hang of it!) By reporting these details, everyone knows you didn't cheat - and your Moderator can give you more tips, too! c) Finally: Heroes should move 22, and scouts pillage for 175. If they don't, tell your moderator quickly, because you've got the wrong army set, and you need to get that fixed! When you complete your turn, paste the Turn Report into an email message, and send it out as an *archive* message, like this: To: warlords@pixgen.com (The Warlords Remailer) Subject: GameName, GamePassword, archive (plug in your Pxx game name and your password, of course) Then put your turn report in the body of the message, and the Remailer will send it to all players and the Moderator(s). Should there be a mistake, the Moderator will point it out and explain what do to. Don't be afraid to ask questions or make mistakes at this point - everyone is learning the rules together! One more tip: If your email software allows you to create "Stationery" (standard messages), it helps to make a special stationery for your game, with the Turn Report Template and the correct "To" and "Subject:" lines. (Eudora users take note!) 2. Sending the gamefile to the next player: When you are done with your turn, save the game *without* hitting the "end turn" command in Warlords. (PC players can't save in between turns, and we don't want you to start the next player's turn, because they might get a hero. This also allows them to check your move a little to catch cheating.) Save the game with the name PxxTyySz, where xx is the game #, yy is the turn # of the next player to go and z is the side # of the next player to go. The idea here is that when you receive the gamefile with your Side number, you know it's your turn to move! So if you're the last player to go in game #18, the name of the file after your first turn would be "P18T02S1". PC-Classic players should use the first slot (which becomes SAVE0.DAT). Leave Warlords and go to the SAVE directory. PC-Classic players should type "copy SAVE0.DAT P18T02S1.SAV", continuing the above example. All PC players should then type "pkzip P18T02S1 P18T02S1.SAV" to create P18T02S1.ZIP, which you will send via the Remailer. Mac players can simply use StuffIt to create P18T02S1.SAV.SIT. (But please drop the .SAV and make it P18T02S1.SIT in the end.) It's important for the .ZIP or .SIT file to have the same base name (PxxTyySz) as the gamefile. It is easier to track the game (especially for the Moderators, who track many games each), and it's essential for the script that allows Headquarters to automatically maintain the official gamefile archive. It's wise to keep old gamefiles with their PxxTyySz.SAV filenames. You can have an ongoing game archive, which allows you to figure out your enemy's vectoring plans, rescue games if the gamefile gets corrupted, catch cheaters, and relive your glorious triumphs. :) When the gamefile is ready, send a "gamefile" message like this: To: warlords@pixgen.com (The Warlords Remailer) Subject: GameName, GamePassword, gamefile (replace the game name and password as usual) Attach the gamefile to the message, and send it onwards! If your email software does not support attachments, do whatever you did to get Certified. If the gamefile goes through successfully the Remailer will send out a turn-change announcement to everyone. That's it! This should help you get the game moving. Over the 10 turns of the Practice Round, we will provide more Rules Tutorials on all the aspects of the Tournament Rules that become important. Good luck - and may "The Greatest" Warlord Win! -- Tournament Headquarters *********************** Official Turn Report Template ************************ REPORT FOR TOURNAMENT ROUND ______, GAME ______, TURN ______, SIDE ______. ============================================================================== ### Rules: http://www.heeter.net/w2home/tournament/Rules.html *** Turn Start and Hero Actions: (Repeat lines as needed for extra events.) First Turn without a hero? See hero replacement rule; Declare Turn X: ___ Turn Y? Z? New Hero? ______ arrives in _____ with a _______ for ___ gold. New Hero Level? Hero __________ is now a _______________. Gold at Start of Turn: ___________ Hero __________ visits Ruin/Temple _________ and receives ______________ ### (Maximum allowed gold is 1800 for a ruin/sage; 3600 for a stronghold.) ### Account for all units, builds, and gold of your opponents to catch cheats! *** WarBOT NoteCard and Battle/City Capture: (Repeat for each battle fought.) ### Battle Bonuses Info: http://www.heeter.net/info/bonuses.html Battle against player _________ in terrain ________ in/near ____________ Attacking units, in fight order, with base strengths: ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ Total bonus of attacking hero command ITEMS (items only): _____ Defending units, in fight order, with base strengths: ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ Total bonus of defending hero command ITEMS (items only): ____ If defender is in city, number of units built in city: _____ ### Enter into WarBOT, paste the results below, and delete the notes above. City _________ taken (looted ____ gold, sacked/pillaged ____ gold, razed?) *** New City Builds and End-of-Turn Declarations: (Repeat for each new build) ### Gold Info: http://www.heeter.net/info/gold.html New Build of unit type ________ purchased in city __________ for ____ gold Final Cities: _____ Gold: _____ Income: ____ Expenses: ____. ### Be sure to save game and reload so gold information is updated correctly. If you have no hero, check Final Gold and Declare/Change Turns Y&Z: _____ Final Hero Experience: _____ Change from last turn: _____ ### Check your hero's safety, check your city production, and you're done! *** File Transfer: Round R=__ Game xx=___. Next Player's Turn yy=___ Side z=__