Welcome to the MVL Round 12!

This is a (mostly) Military Victory, Mixed Settings round.

So, how will it work, you ask? Here's some scoring information.

There are 4 groups of settings groups; teams are not required to submit a victory of each settings group. Your team can chose to submit 4 games from the same type, a game from each type, or anywhere in between. 
As with last round, 6 base points will be awarded for teams submitted 3 qualifying games.  Team bonus points will be awarded as last round: 3 points each to the lowest speed, highest score, and fastest average submission, and 2 points each for second. individual bonus points will be awarded per settings group (similar to all-victory rounds); that is, the fastest game and highest score in each group will receive 1 point (you can get 2 points for having both the fastest game and highest score in your settings group).  It's the same goal here as last round, to get teams to decide between team and individual bonus points. As before, 3-player teams will be allowed an optional 4th game, subject to the same random assignment as last round.

There's the basics. We're piloting a new victory conditions on two of the maps this round as well: race restrictions. For some of the configurations we'll require players to play as and/or play against certain AI players.  JustinSane and I know this was a "controversial" suggestion, and that's why we haven't imposed the criterion in every map setting.

One more note about the 2.0 beta. We've included settings that are in the 2.0 beta, but we've tried to keep them as close to "stock" as possible for now (i.e., "uncommon").  This is so players with the beta will be on roughly equal footing as players who don't have it; in future rounds, and depending on how the beta develops, we may consider using other options for tech brokering and frequency of extreme environments and mega events.  This is mostly an FYI statement.

So, on to the settings!

Settings Group 1: Speed
Outlook: tiny map, military victory, any 2 opponents, player may select any race and any ethics
Map sliders: rare stars, rare planets, rare habitables, tight clusters, abundant asteroids, very fast research,
     abundant anomalies, random minors (all game editions) occasional random events, occasional extremes
Check: all victory conditions, surrenders, mega events, tech stealing
Do not check: blind exploration, super abilities, "disable tech trading", "disable tech brokering"


Settings Group 2: Score
Outlook: medium map, military victory, any 7 opponents, player may select any race and any ethics
Map sliders: abundant stars, abundant planets, abundant habitables, scattered stars, slow research, abundant anomalies,
     abundant asteroids, 7 minors (random in DL), occasional random events, occasional extremes
Check: all victory conditions, surrenders, blind exploration, super abilities
Do not check: "disable tech trading", "tech stealing", "disable tech brokering"


Settings Group 3: Challenge
Outlook: medium map; military victory; 5 opponents which must include the Drengin, Korath and Yor; player must use Iconians
     and any ethics
Map sliders: uncommon stars, rare planets, common hiabitables, loose clusters, very slow research, rare anomalies,
     common asteroids, disable minors, occasional random events, occasional extremes
Check: all victory conditions, surrenders, blind exploration, mega events, super abilities
Do not check: "disable tech trading", "tech stealing", "disable tech brokering"


Settings Group 4: TA Special
Outlook: small map; ascension victory; any 6 opponents; player must select Arceans, Korx, Thalans, Drengin or Iconians and
     any ethical alignment
Map sliders: common stars, common planets, common habitables, scattered stars, fast reserach, common anomalies,
     common asteroids, 4 minors (random in DL), occasional random events, occasional extremes
Check: all victory conditions, allow surrenders, mega events, super abilities
Do not check: blind exploration, "tech stealing", "tech brokering"

Now, for the team rosters

I announced last round that team C would be suspended for until further notice.  captains and former team C members should take note of the new rosters.  Since all teams are now down to three members, i've randomly assigned each player in a straightforward manner. Former team C members should note their new allegiances. I"ve embolded the former team C members to make it easier. If i missed someone's announced sbatical or resignation, please let me know!

Also, we need a new captain for team E.  For now i've assigned Pndrev based purely on expeience, but i expect team E to let us know who the captain will be (even if that means confirming Pndrev): though, since Davabled happened to be assigned to team E and agreed to serve at team C captain last round, he might be a good option as well.  Note: i've indicated the players who may optionally submit a forth game for respective teams in yellow (though as with last round, a second/forth submission would be null and void if a new player joins your team mid-round).

Team A: Capt. dystopic, PlayJeff, loupdinour, KushHaze
Team B: Capt. JustinSane, Ferrel, Lethrin. neilo
Team D: Catp. KzintiPatriarch, Ragnar1, SilverBeacher
Team E: Pndrev; RhetoricalSun; Galefury, Davabled

Okay, i hope that takes care of everything, but i doubt it does. if there are any questions or things that remain unclear, please let JS and i know soon. Lastly...

***Round 12 will end at 12:00 midnight on Nov. 29 (the evening between Nov. 29 and 30)***

I decided this round deserves and extra week. Ending on Nov. 22/23 would be Thanksgiving weekend for Americans (unless i totally have my dates f***ed up), and i felt ending during that week would in a practical sense be like ending a week early for a significant number of players.  For future reference, I don't by any means know every country's holidays: if you have a significant holiday occurring during an end-week, whether it's national or religious or whatever, let me and JS know and we'll take it into strong consideration.

Special thanks to Commissioner Emeritus SilverBeacher for creating the screen shots, and sorry about never doing it last round.

GOOD HUNTING!