ANNOUNCEMENT: “Fall of the Inca” – Hall of Fame Challenge Series XVIII (BTS)

By | January 27, 2017

The Hall of Fame Team would like to welcome new players, and welcome back old vets, to the Eighteenth running of the Civfanatics Civ IV Hall of Fame Challenge Series.

HOF Challenge XVII was a successful and competitive instalment of the series, won by ChrisFromLux. HOF Challenge XVIII is a collection of 10 games with a time limit of 6 months to complete them (from 25th January to 24th July 2017).

The winner will be the person who finishes the most games and collects the most points along the way (10 for 1st in each individual game, down to 1 for 10th). Progress results for all games can be found at http://hof.civfanatics.net/civ4/challenge.php. There are individual threads for each game in the Challenge Series forum so head on over and check it out.

This challenge has a theme – “Fall of the Inca“. The Inca are widely recognised as the most powerful nation you can play in Civ IV, especially at the higher levels where the anti-archery bonus for the Quecha UU means you have a powerful attacking force from Turn 0. Their UB, the Terrace, is based on a building you will normally construct in every city (Granary) and acts as a mini-creative trait. Their actual traits are 2 of the strongest in the game – Financial and Industrious. Finally their starting techs of Agriculture and Mysticism are very flexible – your workers have something to do immediately and you can compete in the race for early religions if you so desire. The Incans are so strong that their games do not count towards Elite Quatrromaster status and they are not normally chosen for Gauntlets.

Normally Challenge games have quite restrictive options and difficult opponents, this time the real challenge is the fact that each of these games is aimed at one of the oldest standing records in the HOF. We have targeted 10 of the oldest #1 slots held by the Incans, dates perceived as very difficult to beat playing as another Civ. Not only will you compete against the other players in this Challenge but also the spectre of these records which have stood the test of time.

As well as the Challenge page itself and the forum mentioned above we have created a special page on the site where you can explore some of the facts and figures behind the Incans and their dominance – this can be found at http://hof.civfanatics.net/civ4/fall_inca.php.

Civ IV Hall of Fame updated

By | January 25, 2017

The Civilization IV Hall of Fame has been updated. 7 games were accepted since the previous update.

Congratulations to NobleZarkon for the highest score of the update with a Small, Marathon, Warlord, Time game for 40,959 points.

Chaosquo was the most active player during this update, submitting 6 games. These games enable him to become our 19th Emperor Quattromaster (All Expansions)! He comes in ranked a very impressive 12th.

No player was brave enough to take on Deity this update.

Congratulations to NobleZarkon for winning Major Gauntlet 149 with a score of 40,959.

>> [url=http://hof.civfanatics.net/civ4/index.php]Civ IV HOF[/url]
>> [url=http://hof.civfanatics.net/civ4/stats.php?show=updates]Full Update Details[/url]
>> [url=http://forums.civfanatics.com/threads/civ-iv-hof-update-discussion-thread.609535]Discussion Thread[/url]

ModCast Episode 68: “Put Together”

By | January 21, 2017

Ready to go. The sixty-eighth episode of [url=http://thepolycast.net/modcast]ModCast[/url], entitled “[url=http://thepolycast.net/modcast/season9.php#mcepisode68]Put Together[/url]”, is now netcasting with a 51m37s runtime. The ninth season premiere features regular co-hosts [url=http://forums.civfanatics.com/member.php?u=20480]Rob “Rob (R8XFT)” Riley[/url], [url=http://forums.civfanatics.com/member.php?u=243820]Jett “TPangolin”[/url], [url=http://forums.civfanatics.com/member.php?u=205813]Jan “Janboruta” Boruta[/url] and [url=http://forums.civfanatics.com/member.php?u=145352]Scott “AlphaShard” Dirk[/url] and eight others in the show’s first composite episode of archived segments.

The summary of topics is as follows:

– [i]00m52s[/i] | [b]Topic #1[/b]
On pitfalls in the Religion and Tourism mechanics in [i]Civilization V[/i] and towards tweaking the game’s trade system User Interface (02m50s; recorded for [url=http://thepolycast.net/modcast/season5.php#mcepisode48]Episode 48[/url]).
– [i]05m28s[/i] | [b]Cartography Room[/b]
Much quality to be found amongst a number of the game’s user-created civilizations (recorded for [url=http://thepolycast.net/modcast/season6.php#mcepisode50]Episode 50[/url]).
– [i]08m11s[/i] | [b]Code Corner (Part 1 of 2)[/b]
Having City States in [i]CivV[/i] produce Settlers for expansion (recorded for [url=http://thepolycast.net/modcast/season7.php#mcepisode58]Episode 58[/url]).
– [i]13m30s[/i] | [b]Miscellaneous (Part 1 of 2)[/b]
A then-update on [i]Anno Domina[/i] for [i]Civilization V[/i] (recorded for [url=http://thepolycast.net/modcast/season7.php#mcepisode61]Episode 61[/url]).
– [i]20m57s[/i] | [b]Code Corner (Part 2 of 2)[/b]
Varying coding practices in game modding.
– [i]25m49s[/i] | [b]Modding Spotlight[/b]
Using an enhanced modding screen for [i]CivV[/i] and an events generator (recorded for [url=http://thepolycast.net/modcast/season8.php#mcepisode64]Episode 64[/url]).
– [i]30m20s[/i] | [b]Miscellaneous (Part 2 of 2)[/b]
The “weirdest and worst” comments for [i]Civilization V[/i] works in the [b]Steam[/b] [url=https://steamcommunity.com/workshop/browse/?appid=8930]community[/url], how the popularity of some has come to influence those creators’ approach to modding (34m13s) and how the most spent time on mod came to be so consuming (37m25s; recorded for [url=http://thepolycast.net/modcast/season8.php#mcepisode66]Episode 66[/url]).

[u]ModCast[/u] is the first spin-off of the [i]Civ[/i] strategy-centric [url=http://thepolycast.net/polycast]PolyCast[/url]; fellow sibling [url=http://thepolycast.net/turncast][u]TurnCast[/u][/url] focuses on [i]Civ[/i] multiplay.

PolyCast Episode 273 Topics List

By | January 19, 2017

This Saturday, January 21st, 2017 is to see the [url=https://www.youtube.com/user/thepolycast/live]second recording[/url] of [i]Civilization[/i] strategy podcast [url=http://thepolycast.net/polycast]PolyCast[/url]’s eleventh season. Beginning at 12PM ET North America ([url=http://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/fixedtime.html?msg=PolyCast+273+Recording&iso=20170121T12&p1=188&ah=2]timezone converter[/url]), Episode 273’s topics list is set as follows:

[b]News[/b]
[i]Civilization VI[/i] Coming to Linux
(https://www.facebook.com/civ/posts/10154758161740359)
[i]CivVI[/i] “Winter 2016 Update” Now Available on Mac
(https://www.facebook.com/civ/posts/10154764168805359)

[b]Open Mic[/b]
More 2016 Christmas Special Feedback
2016 Christmas Special Suggestions Redux
– PolyCast 2016 Feedback Survey Results (Comments)

[b]Miscellaneous[/b]
“History Respawned”: [i]CivVI[/i]
(https://www.facebook.com/civ/posts/10154758115165359)

[b]Intro/Outro[/b]
Aztecs Now Available for All [i]CivVI[/i] Players
“New Workers”, Old Issues
“Thought I Survived”: Sean Bean on [i]CivVI[/i] Narration

[url=http://thepolycast.net/polycast]PolyCast[/url] is a bi-weekly audio production in an ongoing effort to give the [i]Civ[/i] community an interactive voice on game strategy; listeners are encouraged to [url=https://twitter.com/thepolycast]follow the show[/url] on Twitter and [url=http://www.youtube.com/user/thepolycast]subscribe to[/url] its YouTube channel. Episode topics list is subject to change. Sibling show [url=http://thepolycast.net/modcast][u]ModCast[/u][/url] focuses on [i]Civ[/i] modding, [url=http://thepolycast.net/turncast][u]TurnCast[/u][/url] on [i]Civ[/i] multiplay.

One More Turn Season 5 Commentary

By | January 18, 2017

Some of the cast and all of the crew review [u]One More Turn[/u]’s fifth season with lenses on character development, plot movement and writing evolution. The show’s sixteenth bonus feature production, Season 5 Commentary, [url=http://onemoreturn.net/#s5commentary]is now available[/url]. It has a runtime of 01h48m22s. [u]OMT[/u] features the voice talents of [i]Civilization[/i] strategy-centric podcast [url=http://thepolycast.net]PolyCast[/url] regular co-hosts [url=http://apolyton.net/forums/member.php?action=getinfo&userid=2]Daniel “DanQ” Quick[/url] and [url=http://apolyton.net/forums/member.php?action=getinfo&userid=22677]Stephanie “Makahlua”[/url] among others; Quick is also the dramedy’s writer and creator.

A story set in the near future, [u]OMT[/u] features geeks deal with non-geeky problems. One can [url=https://twitter.com/onemoreturnshow]follow the show[/url] on Twitter and [url=http://www.youtube.com/user/onemoreturnshow]check out[/url] its YouTube channel for caption capability. Selections of American music and soundtrack composer [url=http://www.imdb.com/name/nm2228215]Kevin MacLeod[/url]’s work is included throughout the series.

This production concludes [u]One More Turn[/u]’s fifth season; renewed for a sixth thirteen episode season, the story is set to continue in 2017.

HOF Civ5 Update

By | January 17, 2017

The Civilization V Hall of Fame has been updated. 21 games were accepted since the previous update.

Congratulations to [b]blatc[/b] for the highest Firaxis score of the update with a Deity, Science, Standard, Standard, Great Plains, Poland (Casimir III) [BNW] game for 5515 points.

[b]zenmaster[/b] was the most active player during this update, submitting 7 games.

Only 3 players were brave enough to take on Deity this update
[b]blatc[/b] – 1400 AD, Turn 200, 5515 points, Deity, Science, Standard, Standard, Great Plains, Poland (Casimir III) [BNW]
[b]Dines[/b] – 30 BC, Turn 347, 4721 points, Deity, Domination, Marathon, Standard, Pangaea, Assyria (Ashurbanipal) [BNW]
[b]Dines[/b] – 1230 AD, Turn 546, 4377 points, Deity, Domination, Marathon, Huge, Pangaea, Ethiopia (Haile Selassie) [BNW]
[b]Dines[/b] – 60 BC, Turn 344, 5059 points, Deity, Domination, Marathon, Standard, Pangaea, Rome (Augustus Caesar) [BNW]
[b]walkyc[/b] – 1868 AD, Turn 304, 2050 points, Deity, Diplomacy, Standard, Small, Inland Sea, Venice (Enrico Dandolo) [BNW]

[COLOR=”Blue”][B]Gauntlet Results:[/B][/COLOR]
[b][url=http://hof.civfanatics.net/civ5/gauntlet.php?show=major&gauntlet=212]G-Major LXXIX[/url] – Diplomacy, Deity, Small, Inland Sea, Standard, Any Leader [/b]
1st [B]R.G.A.M.[/B] – 1848 AD T-294
2nd walkyc  – 1868 AD T-304

[b][url=http://hof.civfanatics.net/civ5/gauntlet.php?show=minor&gauntlet=214]G-Minor CXXXVI[/url] – Diplomacy, King, Small, Pangaea, Standard, Rome (Augustus Caesar)[/b]
1st [B]qoxf[/B] – 1515 AD T-213
2nd [B]Mighty Dwaarf[/B] – 1710 AD T-252
3rd zlither  – 1765 AD T-263

[SIZE=”3″][B][COLOR=”Blue”]** New Gauntlets Starting **[/COLOR][/B][/SIZE][COLOR=”Green”]
[b][url=http://hof.civfanatics.net/civ5/gauntlet.php?show=major&gauntlet=215]G-Major LXXX[/url] – Domination, Emperor, Standard, Shuffle, Epic, Poland (Casimir III)[/b]
[b][url=http://hof.civfanatics.net/civ5/gauntlet.php?show=minor&gauntlet=216]G-Minor CXXXVII[/url] – Science, Warlord, Standard, Fractal, Standard, Huns (Attila)[/b][/COLOR]

>> [url=http://hof.civfanatics.net/civ5/index.php]Civ V HOF[/url]
>> [url=https://forums.civfanatics.com/threads/hof-civ5-update-discussion.609162]Discussion Thread[/url]

PolyCast Episode 272: “Choices Mattering More”

By | January 14, 2017

Clearly. The two-hundred-and-seventy-second episode and eleventh season premiere of [url=http://thepolycast.net/polycast]PolyCast[/url], “[url=http://thepolycast.net/polycast/season11.php#episode272]Choices Mattering More[/url]”, features regular co-hosts [url=http://apolyton.net/member.php/2-DanQ]Daniel “DanQ” Quick[/url], [url=http://apolyton.net/member.php/22677-Makahlua]Stephanie “Makahlua”[/url], [url=http://forums.civfanatics.com/member.php?u=136315]Philip “TheMeInTeam” Bellew[/url] and [url=https://www.youtube.com/user/SBFMadDjinn]”MadDjinn”[/url]. It carries a runtime of 59m59s.

The summary of topics is as follows:

– [i]01m23s[/i] | [b]News[/b]
Attending to the “[url=https://civilization.com/news/entries/civilization-vi-winter-2016-update-now-live]Winter 2016 Update[/url]” for [i]Civilization VI[/i] leads to [url=https://forums.civfanatics.com/threads/new-patch-20-december.607584]analysis, opinion and recommendations[/url] that are not always congruent with each other; then, the [url=https://www.civfanatics.com/2016/12/20/civ6-dlc-poland-civilization-vikings-scenario-pack]Poland civilization and Viking scenario[/url] Downloadable Content (DLC) leads [url=https://forums.civfanatics.com/threads/new-civ-look-poland.607585]to[/url] a [url=https://forums.civfanatics.com/threads/the-viking-dlc.607601]similar[/url] split.
– [i]31m36s[/i] | [b]Open Mic[/b]
Looping in feedback [url=https://forums.civfanatics.com/threads/polycast-2016-christmas-special-we-wish-you-a-merry-civmas.607826]from the[/url] show’s 2016 Christmas Special, its [url=https://forums.civfanatics.com/threads/polycast-episode-271-not-just-a-lame-clip-show-xx.607429]most previous episode[/url] (39m42s) and the first part look at the 2016 Listener Feedback Survey results (47m57s).

– [i]Intro/Outro[/i] | [b]Miscellaneous[/b]
Fanfare timing and computational query.

[url=http://thepolycast.net/polycast]PolyCast[/url] is a bi-weekly audio production recording [url=https://www.youtube.com/user/thepolycast/live]live every other Saturday[/url] throughout the year, in an ongoing effort to give the [i]Civilization[/i] community an interactive voice; sibling show [url=http://thepolycast.net/modcast][u]ModCast[/u][/url] focuses on [i]Civ[/i] modding, [url=http://thepolycast.net/turncast][u]TurnCast[/u][/url] on [i]Civ[/i] multiplay.

Civilization IV HOF Update

By | January 12, 2017

The Civilization IV Hall of Fame has been updated. 24 games were accepted since the previous update.

Congratulations to [b]Todelotti[/b] for the highest Firaxis score of the update with a Standard, Epic, Immortal, Domination game for 314912 points.

[b]Chaosquo[/b] was the most active player during this update, submitting 15 games.

Only 2 players were brave enough to take on Deity this update:
[b]Chaosquo[/b] – 2995 BC, Duel, Marathon, Deity, Conquest game for 60591 points.
[b]fizbankovi[/b] – 1886 AD, Standard, Normal, Deity, Domination game for 111423 points.
[b]fizbankovi[/b] – 1765 AD, Standard, Normal, Deity, Cultural game for 94379 points.

No players gained number one positions on harder difficulty levels:

One player gained a composite table High Score [i](i.e. Any Condition)[/i]:
[b]Todelotti[/b] with a 970 AD, Standard, Epic, Immortal, game for 314912 points.

[SIZE=”3″][B][COLOR=”Blue”]** New Gauntlet Starting **[/COLOR][/B][/SIZE]
[COLOR=”Green”]
[b][url=http://hof.civfanatics.net/civ4/gauntlet.php?show=minor&gauntlet=594]G-Minor 219[/url] – Domination, Deity, Ancient, Tiny, Normal, Pangaea, (check options)[/b]
[/COLOR]

>> [url=http://hof.civfanatics.net/civ4/index.php]Civ IV HOF[/url]
>> [url=http://hof.civfanatics.net/civ4/stats.php?show=updates]Full Update Details[/url]
>> [url=https://forums.civfanatics.com/threads/civ-iv-hof-update-discussion-thread.608897]Discussion Thread[/url]