Frequently Asked Questions for SoC and Terminator games.From
Gloryordeath:
What is a sticky?
[spoiler]A sticky is a post found at the top of a forum page. It is marked with a
! instead of a star like regular posts. Stickies usually contain important or useful information, contests, and links and info that is often used.[/spoiler]
How do I find Society games to play that I can post in my Training Field?
[spoiler]UPDATE: You can either follow the method below or click on this handy link for Term and Standard games to post in your Training Field:
http://www.conquerclub.com/player.php?s ... so=&page=11. Click "Game Finder" on the left-hand menu.
2. Tick "Waiting for Players."
3. Choose "SoC Training Grounds Basic Terminator, SoC Training Grounds Basic Standard, or SoC Training Grounds Basic Team."
4. Click Submit.
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How do I post a game in my Training Field to get started?
[spoiler]Go to your Training Field's main page and click on the New Topic button.
A game form will appear automatically. The game form appears as soon as you start a new thread in your Training Field. This form has been carefully crafted to help you (the student) help us (the teachers) to help you.
You should create your first post in your new thread as soon as you can WHEN IT IS YOUR TURN. You will have 24 hours to take your turn, so the sooner you can post your ideas, the more time the teachers will have to respond.
Posting "Thank you" or "It's not my turn but..." is not recommended. The teachers are watching 19 different Training Fields and it takes a certain amount of time to locate a student post, evaluate the thread, and formulate a response. Non-productive posts eat up the valuable time that the teachers have volunteered to use to help you. If you want to say thanks or have a general, game non-specific question, feel free to post in the "Training Grounds".
This is the game form:Link to Game: [game]xxxxxxx[/game]
Spoils to turn in:
Next spoil set value:
Do you have a set of spoils?
Your Plans:The Game LinkThe first thing you need to do is to copy your game number and paste it OVER the "xxxxxxx" so that the link will work correctly. Remember you can use the "Preview" button to check that your game link works and your post looks good to you before you "Submit".
A good game link is crucial to your teachers as it helps them find your game and advise you on your move quickly and accurately.
Some of the most common mistakes involving the game link are:
- accidentally deleting one of the brackets... [game1234567[/game]
- inserting a space between the tags... [game] 1234567[/game]
- leaving the "xxx"... [game]xxxxxxx1234567[/game]
When properly done your game link will look like this... [game]1234567[/game]
Spoils to turn in:This should be a list of your actual spoils, and it should look like this...
r:Chicago, b:Montreal,
r:BerlinIn escalating terminator games, the spoils are THE key to winning, so an accurate understanding of your spoils is crucial for your teacher to give you the best possible advise.
Next spoil set value:The value of the next set can be found in your action menu...
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Waiting for your next turn...
jump to your next playable game.Map Inspect:
My Spoils ([bracketed] if owned, next set worth 4 troops): Spoilr:Northern Waste Spoil[b:Marillo] Spoilr:Straits Spoilg:Wiberg
[show / hide teammate spoils]-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The spoils will progress as follows: 4,6,8,10,12,15,20,25,30 and so on by 5 until the game is over.
Do you have a set of spoils?Your answer should be "yes" or "no".
Not answering this question can cost you the game, so please pay attention here.
Your plans:Study the map, think about your plans and tell us what you are thinking. If you are confused, unsure, or have questions, tell us that. The more info you give us the more help we can provide.[/spoiler]
Why do you teach mainly Terminator style games?
[spoiler]Because it allows the students to earn points in games without having to win the whole game. As a student learns the basic skills their kills will go up and this in the long run equals to playing a better end game such as standard style play.[/spoiler]
What maps can I post for help on?
[spoiler]Only the Classic map. For now...
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Do you also have a Team game class?
[spoiler]Yes we do, and any SoC student who has completed at least 5 Terminator games can post in the
registry for team games in the general Training Grounds forum.[/spoiler]
If no one posts in my game to help what should I do?
[spoiler]NEVER MISS YOUR TURN! The best thing you can do is be sure to post your games with as much time for us to get to them as you can. If time is running out for you or your game look on line fore a teacher or two and pm them. We will help you. Try to pick ones not in the game. Also, by adding all the teachers to your friends list, you can quickly see if a teacher is online. If you have no one to help play the turn as best you can, follow the first four rules and the basic strategy contained in them.[/spoiler]
What if I a student from my class and I are in the same game?
[spoiler]Contact any
staff member, particularly
macbone or
dhallmeyer, so we can move one of you to a different class so no one can see the moves you plan.[/spoiler]
Can I play with teachers?
[spoiler]Yes, we make games often so students have games to easily choose from. Just add the teacher's or teachers' names to your Subject when you make your new topic so those teacher know not to read that game's posts.[/spoiler]
Can I make my own games?
[spoiler]Yes, just be sure you make them on a classic map with the settings of Terminator, 6 or 7 player, sequential, escalating, unlimited fort, 24 hour turns, no fog.[/spoiler]
Can I post fog of war games?
[spoiler]NO! We can't see anything in fog games, not even your troops.[/spoiler]
Why should I not try to take a bonus?
[spoiler]Because in Term games it is troop numbers and placement that counts. Going after bonuses most of the time leads to two things: 1) you lose half or better of your troop strength and might not even get it and 2) even if you do get it you lose strength in other areas of the map and as such lose the ability to attack any ones placements in other parts of the map.[/spoiler]
Can a new recruit play Terminator games?
[spoiler]Only in private games with password protection. Get a hold of us and we will set up games for you to play with other students. You do not have to be a silent student in SoC. We are happy to help you become an active member of the class.[/spoiler]
Can I only play the games you say?
[spoiler]No, but we will only help in games we support. The more effort you put into the program, the more you get out of it. So give it a good try and learn all you can, then use the new skills you learned to explore and play all you want in CC.[/spoiler]
Why don't you teach other settings/maps?
[spoiler]We have found the the settings and maps we use to be the most effective in teaching what we teach. Plus we will not teach anything we don't feel 100% confidence in teaching.[/spoiler]
Can I teach in the SoC?
[spoiler]All our teachers teach our way. The ability for a number of teachers to post in the same game and not miss a beat from one teacher to the next is a must. All teachers must go through games as a student our way and pass our training program for new teachers. All teachers are screened by
Iron Butterfly and the rest of our staff and all aspects of CC use are looked over. All requests should be placed with
dhallmeyer.
Students that go through our program must reach and hold at least a LT rank for a short time to establish that they fully know the strategies we teach. At this time they may enter the teacher training program.[/spoiler]
Can I play games against other players in my Training Field if none of us post the games for help?
[spoiler]Yes, if no one posts that game for help, then no one will be temped to cheat and take a peek at what moves the other player plans next turn. But be sure ALL members from your class that are in the game are OK with not posting for help at any time while the game is still going on.[/spoiler]
What does it mean to play "balanced?"
[spoiler]If you over attack you lose troop numbers which are very important early on in the game. If you are too defensive then you tend to lack spoils later in the game which are very important.
Also you need balance on the map. You will learn to manage your drop (your starting positions) and gain the ability to move to other areas during the game. Playing for a bonus often leaves you weak in other areas of the map even IF you mange to gain and hold it. So most times it should be avoided.[/spoiler]
Should I leave 2's behind when I advance?
[spoiler]No. In term games this gives you no advantage. In fact it can even hurt you in the long run. Having an easy place to card from gains you cards as well as it gives other players cards that you can take from them as you make your kills. Your best defense is having high troop strength and being well spread out on the map.[/spoiler]
Why should I leave spots for easy cards in Escalating?
[spoiler]Card spots benefit everyone, including you. Card spots allow easy cards to be taken, giving everyone the cards they need to progress in a game. You might consider blocking players from getting cards, but as cards become very important in the later stages of the game, most people will do anything to get a card, including hitting stacks of 3 or more. When players hit your small stacks, they not only waste their own troops but yours as well. In addition, if your opponents have cards, you have a better shot at eliminating them and re-cashing for a sweep. In short, leaving 1s for card spots is a win-win for you, but blocking those same spots is a lose-lose for you and everyone else.[/spoiler]
Why is it poor tactics to use all my forces to grab and hold onto a continent bonus?
[spoiler]If you begin with three of the four territories on one of the small continents, then it may be a good idea to try to secure the bonus. Otherwise, deploying all your armies in one bonus area makes you weaker across the rest of the board, and you become easier to eliminate once players begin cashing cards. Early in the game, an extra +2 troops per turn can be beneficial, but later in the game, when players are trading spoils for 8, 10, 12, or 15 armies, the +2 from the continent is insignificant.
Additionally, in securing your bonus, you will weaken the other players in that continent, making it easier for someone else to take them out. A better strategy is to build up a block to protect those other players (if they themselves are not trying for the bonus) so they are harder to take out in later rounds. By doing so, you can more easily eliminate them yourself.[/spoiler]
Why did a player in may game not follow the First Four Moves?
[spoiler]SoC Training games are open to all players, and most games have a mix of students, teachers, and players from the general CC population. As such, not everyone plays by our strategy. While this can be frustrating to a student, being exposed to other styles of play can help a student learn how to counter those strategies.[/spoiler]
Is it ok to attack on the first round for a spoil if the territory I'm attacking only has 1 troop on it?
[spoiler]So, even though the tert only has 1 on it, you wouldn't attack it for a card on the first turn?[/quote]
Eh, it depends. There's no rush toward getting the first set and cashing for 4, so you don't have to beat the other players to get your set. On the first turn, since the terts are randomly distributed, you usually need to spend time building up stacks in key areas. Only go for a card on the first round if you have great forts across the board. Even then, think about holding off and waiting until your next turn to card.[/spoiler]
Terms: Armies, Troops, Deploy, Mid Turn Deployment, Fort, Soft Attack, Card, Easy Card.
Armies: At the start of each turn the armies you receive which you place on your territory or territories on the map.
Troops: = Armies
Deploy: To place given Troops/Armies on the Board/Map.
Mid Turn Deployment : Troops received from killing another player and taking their cards. Their cards plus your cards must equal 5 or more to cash mid turn. You can cash in as many sets as you hold. Ex. You hold 6 cards. 3 blue and 3 green. You can cash BOTH sets. These troops can then be used to continue your attack.
Fort: To move or re-enforce one of your territories with troops from another one, or more, of your territories.
Soft Attack: To try to gain a card through an attack without losing many troops. Most times no more than 2.
Card: Card=spoil. An old board game term some of us can't let go of.
Easy Card: Taking a card from a place of little resistance i.e. attack a 1 not a 3 to try to lose less troops in gaining a card.
Card Spot: A territory that two or more players take turns attacking and leaving a 1 behind for an easy card.
Bonus Monkey (BM): A player who throws all his or her troops into taking over a continent bonus. Extremely dangerous. Approach with extreme caution, preferably with a two-by-four and a net.
Classroom: Your Training Field.
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