SMPx3TC is nearly a year old and we're thinking of starting again. For the last year a group of us has played X3TC in a spirit of cooperation, taking turns one after another - personally I have found the experience incredibly rewarding, I've learned so many tips and tricks, even sometimes been amazed at the skill of some of the players who have taken part.
With real life taking more out of my free time I find the SMP style of playing is the most rewarding way of playing X3TC, for three days I'll play as much as I can then sit back and see how the other players act when it's their turn. I have done almost everything I can think of in the single player game of X3TC - tried the mods and scripts - to the point I'm pretty much burned out. SMPX3TC is different, different enough to stay interesting and with enough time in between rounds to recharge my X3 batteries.
As we are starting again, we are looking for new players to join us. We basically pass the save-game from player to player, with each player playing for however much time they have in a three day period.
How did the last SMP game go?...I think that I'll get one of the other SMP members to post a summary in the spoilers forum. I will say we got through the long plot in about ten game days, which I think is pretty quick considering we play in turns. A full status report can be found here Clicky.
The main flaw of the SMP style of play has always been all members "play as a single character." After a bit of thought we have tried to come up with a way to play the same game as different characters - every man for themselves. We'll be playing under a DiD style rule-set which is stylised below. The work in progress rule-set can be found here Clicky
For now the game is being kept vanilla 2.6 with bonus pack with a view to submitting a save game for the super-box.
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Message for OniBaku clan member XXXXX XXXXXX
As you all should know, we have been ousted from the greater pirate council and all of our assets have been seized or destroyed by our former brothers. We do still have the odd friend or two that is prepared to help us out though - so now the majority of us is heading to Argon Prime (of all places) to pool what we have together in an effort to reclaim what we have lost. The only safe haven we have found is costing us a great deal so we urge you to join us in our struggle to reclaim what is rightfully ours - the universe.
After our past mistakes we have formed a plan that should keep us safe:
- Our former brothers do have us under observation so we are all going to stay in one place - only one of us will be active (for a period of three days at a time) while the rest of us make ourselves conspicuous around Argon Prime to anyone who cares about us. We will take turns every three days in other words. Anything you get - tag it as yours.
- We think it best to divide the universe now so we all take nine sectors as our own, avoiding those sectors where we have had influence before to keep our anonymity (no plot sectors.) Since we all act differently, we think it's wise to have five of those sectors connected to forge positive race relations with all races, and it would help in keeping our former brothers from realising we are back in business if our interests are spread out more. No other clan member can build anything in a sector tagged by another, but all members can build stuff in unclaimed sectors provided they don't go overboard (maximum of five stations each - no complexes)
- Don't get us all into trouble by getting race reputation negative (including the Yaki.) The pirate clans are our enemies
- Since we will all be acting independently, each member of the clan is responsible for the security of his own kit alone. If you dig yourself into a hole - that's your fault.
- We drew too much attention to ourselves mining nividium before we were ousted - stay well clear of the stuff. If we do end up needing some for any reason we must all agree that it is worth the risk (nividium mining for plot missions only.)
- Each of us can only hoard a maximum of 16 boarding pods at one time. We feel that hoarding any more would draw unnecessary attention to the operation. Marines should be trained separate from everyone elses' marines too - marines spread rumours faster than bored old grannies in a bar, so they must think they work for you alone.
- We don't want to appear too rich - keep what's yours and transfer your money to a station that's yours.
- Anything unique that we get is to be stored in a nice safe sector because we might need it in future.
- No UTs. We don't need to advertise our presence to the whole damn universe. Keep your traders local and in your own areas, homebased to one of your stations.
- Once we are prepared to announce our return, our HQ will be placed in a dead end sector to make invasion/retaliation harder for our former comrades.
- To start you get the use of our communal Buster and thats it. You had better get yourself a ship and somewhere to keep it quick because you only have the first turn away from the clan to use it.
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This rule-set is designed so we can demonstrate our skills and differences while playing the same game. It's not exactly a competition, but it could become competitive quite easily. This style of game should allow a player to prove to his/her self (never mind other players) that they actually are masters of the game. If you are not a master of the game, this game should give you an opportunity to learn from players who I think are masters (not including myself - I'm goldfish crap compared to the rest of the SMP players and when I first started playing SMP I thought I was at least a good player.)
This is a once in a lifetime opportunity to prove how strong your X3-fu is to fellow players. I know what you're thinking - yes you - you're thinking you're better than us. Prove it then
Join the game at SMPX3TC 3
