Game styles

All of the variations and themes listed below come from actual games, many of which have been played multiple times with varying modifications.

Traditional Styles

Blitz games

Blitz style play is where the game is played online in semi-realtime, new turns are usually generated every 5-10 minutes. Blitz games last several hours and be played in a single stint. Often multi-year generations are used to speed the begining of games. Blitz games are usually played in tiny or small universe, anything larger being extremely rare. Diplomacy is very brief, as the lack of time and pace of game don't allow time for big negotiations.

Duel games

A duel is usually a game between 2 human players each controlling a single race. Most duels are fought until one player concedes victory to the other. Other duel styles include:

• contests between two teams(eg the famous EACvsIRC game)
• two players controlling multiple races each
• each player designing one race and both players playing both races 2vs2

The Duelling Club at HWF provides a public ranking system for duelling. The most famous(notorious?) club member being Chagarra.

Solo games

One player games against the computer players are still popular with players both new and old. Players usually quickly move to games against other human players as, good as the AI is, it is nowhere near as difficult to face as human oppoenents. In addition many tactics and strategies have been developed since the AI's were written. Often testbed games will include AI players to simulate competition.

Variations & themes

AFON Start

• What is the AFON start?

Xdude first used this setup method in a game called "A Force Of One", where 9 good guys in a rag tag formation arrived in an empty galaxy ready to settle. Each fleet comprised of 10 SFX, 40 Privateers, and 40 Large Freighters. Each fleet carried about 1 million colonists and the rest of the cargo space comprised of minerals, about 50%/25%/25% G/B/I. If you've ever seen Battlestar Galactica, you've seen the rag tag fleet I am talking about. -Xdude

Each player gets at least Prop 8 and Con 8. This ensures all players get SFX and decent engines. A few players get extra tech due to differing costs and PRT(like SS).

What does this setup do? With Pen Scanning, it allows quick colonization of greens, and movement of mins to accelerate growth. People can still screw up with this jackpot of colonists and minerals. Crash colonizing by sending the Privateer and Large Freighter leaves you with no cargo ships to move mins for 7-8 turns. One person dropped his entire 10/40/40 on a -12% yellow on the first turn of the game leaving him helpless for the first 50 turns of the game.

This setup can allow you to kick some major ass. Use it well.

Rabid weasels in a box

This game variation restricted all participants to -f races and has had several sequels.

Primitive Stars!

Primitive Stars! games are designed to make the game much longer and slower than a regular game. The aim of this is to make much greater use of the 'early' and 'midgame' and is achieved by a (relatively) extensive set of restrictions on race design and game play.