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Answers to questions about the Metaverse

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Answers to questions about the Metaverse

how scoring works and more

from GalCiv2 Forums

Metaverse Question # 1: How does scoring work?

    The general forumula is SumOfDepreciatedScores / NumberOfGames^4

    Scores deprecate by 5% every 30 days with the maximum depreciate being 65% at 290 days or more.

Metaverse Question # 2: What is the status of the score re-calculation?
 
     Rankings are updated twice a day and a player's score is updated when a new game is submitted.  There was a bug that caused some scores to fail in the middle of updating, but that is being fixed.
 
Metaverse Question # 3:  Error 12 (serial does not match) - what is this and how can I fix it? 
 
     This is generally caused after updating or a re-install.  You probably mistyped your serial number, or left out a character, etc.  You won't be able to fix the save game, unfortunately, and I can't submit games or scores for you.
 
Metaverse Question # 4:  Error 16 (Please try again later) - Huh? I'm connected to the internet, I have the Skip Internet Check option ON, my anti-virus/security program/firewall is configured to allow GC2 to submit to the metaverse and I keep getting this error.  What gives?!
 
    This is a general error returned by the metaverse that GC2 doesn't recognize and doesn't know how to handle.  These errors were supposed to be logged so that they could be fixed, but a few of them were overlooked.   The guys who handle the web end of the metaverse have added additional logging code and will be monitoring the logs to try and fix these errors.  If, after repeated attempts, you can't submit the game, go into My Documents\My Games\GalCiv2 and rename the Endgamesave.sav file.  You can also create another subfolder and move end game saves there, and the load game dialog will still be able to load them.  This will let you try again later without worrying about overwriting your game.
  
Metaverse Question # 5: What causes the cheating flag to be tripped?
 
    Modifying data or finishing the game in 12 turns or less, even if you used legitimate means to finish the game.  Also, if you somehow end up with negative ability bonus points when customizing your race, that will set the cheating flag if you start the game with that race.  For 1.3 (starting with the third beta) I am adding a message box to warn if you have an invalid race config so that you can fix it before starting a game that will be flagged as invalid. Also, if we change the metaverse data for the races or the starting abilities, you will get this warning if you are using the old data.  If you are warned that you have an invalid race config, use the Clear button to reset to the default race configuration, and then make whatever changes you want.

Metaverse Question # 6: Why can't I use mods with the metaverse?
 
    Because mods can give you an unfair advantage over people submitting without mods, and not everyone wants to use mods. Anything we did to try to equalize a game using mods in the metaverse would just make more people unhappy. Also, mods can have unexpected effects on the code, because they ARE modifications.  For example, in GC1/AP, someone made a custom map with over 1000 planets and it caused the game to crash as soon as the 1000th (or higher) planet was colonized, because the max number of colonies was 1000.  It was a bug, but it wasn't one that would have shown up in an unmodded game, which always had far less than 1000 planets.
 
   If you want to compete with mods, talk to one of the fansites' webmasters about setting up a contest where everyone uses the same mods and agrees to play under set conditions.  Then you can post the results and discuss your different strategies. 

metaverse faq support
164,312 views 115 replies | Pinned
Reply #26 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
What does the cheater flag look like? Does it show up on Metaverse? Silly for a long-time player to not know this huh? hehe.
Reply #27 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
A little red skull and crossbones icon appears to the left of the game on your character's page.
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Reply #28 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Thanks Kyro!
Reply #29 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Just completed my first metaverse game under DA.

I get asked if I want to post the score to the Metaverse.
Then the message, connecting to the Metaverse.
Then I log on.
Then I get the message " unable to post to the Metaverse. Do want to try again ?"

I have tried several times.
No luck.
Reply #30 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
A little red skull and crossbones icon appears to the left of the game on your character's page.


Other then trying to use a mod when you are not suppose to or other obvious cheats as trying to alter the regestry or to decompile the game and recompile it with more of everything, what else can give you the cheater flag?
for instance if you quick save just before launching an all out attack and you start to loose so you load the quick save back in and try it another way, or build up more before quick saving again and trying it again. Will doing that over and over resualt in a cheater flag? Not that I have been doing that; but I am just trying to figure out what *not* to do.

From the Desk of Sugien CSK
_____/}
@###{ ]::::::Cyber Striker Knight::::::>
~~~~;\}

Reply #31 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Sometimes there are issues when you upgrade the game itself and carry over an older saved game....I.E. Always finish and post games before upgrading the game itself.

You don't have to finish any games before starting new ones. So you can abandon a metaverse game with no penalties.

It's also fine to reload a game as many times as you want, though tradition is to only do so for reason, not just because a battle is turning out badly, etc.




Reply #32 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
No, saving and reloading will not trigger the cheat flag. Most methods of being flag most likely involve editing save files and/or the registry. So if you stick to the UI of GC2, you should never see the flag (with the very improbable exception of a < 15 turn win). It sounds like the other possibility might be when using old race configs with updates, but according to Cari, you will have a message box warn you in this case.
Reply #33 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
You should not receive a cheat flag aside from mods, data/savegame editing, anomolous situations (winning within 12 turns) or occasionally bugs. Repeated saving/reloading may be cheesy if abused, but it will not cause a cheat flag.
Reply #34 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
k, I was just wondering. I haven't been saving and reloading; because I have no need to at these levels. I am still at the tiny/small normal. I havn't lost a game on those since the first one I lost at thsoe settings. I am ready to kick it up above normal. I figure I will go up through all the dificuality settings in teh tiny first and then start kicking up the size of the universe until I get my butt tromped good and then I will start kicking the dificualty level down until I win and then play at one level above that until I start winning again. what ya think? Is that a good plan to get all the way up to where everyone else is?

From the Desk of Sugien CSK
_____/}
@###{ ]::::::Cyber Striker Knight::::::>
~~~~;\}
Reply #35 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Sugien. Don't worry about anybody else.
Go to the level that you enjoy.
If you get bored, then you can up the difficulty.
Personally, I like the crippling level.
Anything above that is just hard work.
Reply #36 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
the other day I wanted to see how hare it would be or if it was even possiable to research the *entire* tech tree. I found out it is possiable and that is when I got my first tech victory; but I researched it last and won after researching the *entire* tech tree

From the Desk of Sugien CSK
_____/}
@###{ ]::::::Cyber Striker Knight::::::>
~~~~;\}
Reply #37 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Metaverse Question # 1: How does scoring work?

The general forumula is SumOfDepreciatedScores / NumberOfGames^4

Scores deprecate by 5% every 30 days with the maximum depreciate being 65% at 290 days or more.

The formula above (taken from the very first posting of this thread) clearly is wrong, but does anybody have a working one?
Reply #38 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
SumOfDepreciatedScores / NumberOfGames^0.4

It's SumOfDepreciatedScores divided by the NumberOfGames to the 0.4 power (that's slightly less than the square root of NumberOfGames). Also each games score depreciates at 5% a month down to a minimum of 65% of their original value.

This results in your getting 'credit' for a decreasing percentage of each score as you post more games. This was the initial motivation for the AltMeta where the scoring is simply SumOfDepreciatedScores where each game depreciates by 1/6 every month to where after six months they no longer count. However, you do get 'full credit' for each new submission.

The following list shows the percentage credit you get for the first 32 games submitted to the 'real' metaverse.

1 = 100.0%
2 = 75.8%
3 = 64.4%
4 = 57.4%
5 = 52.5%
6 = 48.8%
7 = 45.9%
8 = 43.5%
9 = 41.5%
10 = 39.8%
11 = 38.3%
12 = 37.0%
13 = 35.8%
14 = 34.8%
15 = 33.9%
16 = 33.0%
17 = 32.2%
18 = 31.5%
19 = 30.8%
20 = 30.2%
21 = 29.6%
22 = 29.0%
23 = 28.5%
24 = 28.0%
25 = 27.6%
26 = 27.2%
27 = 26.8%
28 = 26.4%
29 = 26.0%
30 = 25.7%
31 = 25.3%
32 = 25.0%
Reply #39 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
It's SumOfDepreciatedScores divided by the NumberOfGames to the 0.4 power (that's slightly less than the square root of NumberOfGames). Also each games score depreciates at 5% a month down to a minimum of 65% of their original value.



That being the case a person would be better off to add new characters to his empire and post scores using it; because after learning the ropes and being then getting better scores by that time they are getting less then half of the score a new character would get for the same game. Likewise I would have been better off not to post my first 3 or 4 games because they were low scoring losers. Now I understand why people won't post loosing scores and will only post high scoring games.


From the Desk of Sugien CSK
_____/}
@###{ ]::::::Cyber Striker Knight::::::>
~~~~;\}

Reply #40 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
That being the case a person would be better off to add new characters to his empire and post scores using it; because after learning the ropes and being then getting better scores by that time they are getting less then half of the score a new character would get for the same game. Likewise I would have been better off not to post my first 3 or 4 games because they were low scoring losers. Now I understand why people won't post loosing scores and will only post high scoring games.


That is the deficiency that the AltMeta was formed to correct.
Reply #41 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
It's SumOfDepreciatedScores divided by the NumberOfGames to the 0.4 power (that's slightly less than the square root of NumberOfGames). Also each games score depreciates at 5% a month down to a minimum of 65% of their original value.

This would result in a total score of 131351 according to my carefully implemented Excel sheet, but the Metaverse shows 134756. It did work half a year ago, but now I don't hit the right result anymore...
Reply #42 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
131351 according to my carefully implemented Excel sheet, but the Metaverse shows 134756

That's a pretty close result. Actually, technically the score depreciates 5% every 30 days, not every month. An extra depreciation of 5% on one score may be enough to account for the difference. Also Cari's post says 5% every 30 days to a min of 65% after 290 days but this must be a typo because 7 * 30 = 210 days not 290.
Reply #43 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
My calculation takes the 30 days depreciation into account. It used to give the exact result up to a single point, but it's not doing that anymore. Maybe something is wrong with my scores behind the scenes.
Reply #44 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Well I play the game first and foremost; because it is fun; but the rankings don't hurt;o) If I understand it correctly, then I should or could add another character to my empire using my DA pack, and then add him to my empire and my empires' score would start climbing; because of my knowing a tad more about how to win, right? Hmmm maybe I will revisit the meta and check into it better. I guess the meta isn't obverted to letting total noobs join. Then they can read posts and learn before posting. Well at least that is the way I am, I tend to read for a while before posting and sticking my preverbal foot into my mouth, lol


From the Desk of Sugien CSK
_____/}
@###{ ]::::::Cyber Striker Knight::::::>
~~~~;\}


Reply #45 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
I have never used mods or anything and I'm trying out the Metaverse for the first time... but I keep getting the warning saying that my legit custom characters are illegal! What's up?
Reply #46 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Try re-creating them from scratch.

If you first created them in an earlier version and then upgraded the program, there is a chance they used to be legal and are now illegal due to some changes in point distribution (DL only I think)...
Reply #47 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Quick question: is there a way to start a Metaverse game, save it and resume it at a later point, while still being able to submit the Metaverse score at the end?

Also, is it possible to start a Metaverse game, continue it offline, then submit the score once you're back online? (I do tend to travel a lot --> from time to time I'm not near any internet connection)
Reply #48 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Noctilucus, you only need to be online to start and post a metaverse game. The rest of the time you can save, load and play it just like any other game. When you finish the game, it even makes a final turn saved game (EndGameSave.sav - always the same name, so be careful to not overwrite it before posting the first one) that you can just load it and hit end turn on when you are back online.
Reply #49 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
OK i have got the (16) twice now when i try to post a game and i have checked my firewall and its allowing GC2.. I have changed the name of the file and still get the same thing I need help this only started happening when i did the 1.7 beta patch....

Thanks
Reply #50 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
OK i have got the (16) twice now when i try to post a game and i have checked my firewall and its allowing GC2..


Try contacting [email protected].