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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
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Reply #51 from Stardock 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.



This is a wildly incorrect belief. If I play 55 games, where the first 5 I score 0 but after that I score 10,000 each, here's what happens:

Submit first five: 55 games, total score is 500,000. Metaverse gives me (500000 / 55 ^ 0.4) or ~100,652 points.
Don't submit first five: 50 games, total score is still 500,000. Metaverse gives me (500000 / 50 ^ 0.4) or ~104,563.

The difference is less than 4% and this is assuming your first five games are so bad that you scored NOTHING.

The metaverse rewards "hard work", i.e., playing a lot of games. Higher scores are important obviously, but a terrible player who submits every game will climb the ranks far faster than people who only submit one in ten games because they're paranoid about score. If I average 2500 points a game and play 500 games, I'll be doing nearly well as the guy who averages 10k per game and posts 50 games. And if I ever have an occasional game that doesn't suck, I'll end up doing better than the 50-game guy even though my typical game is 1/4 his score.

(Yes, I know 10k isn't a good score for power players - the numbers are just examples).

Not saying the metaverse formula is perfect, but simplifying it this way makes people who don't do the math themselves think it's a very harsh system when it's really not.
Reply #52 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Been awhile since I played this game due to all the crashes I was getting. I kept one game that I started as a metaverse game but kept updating the version hoping that one day it would not crash and I could finish it.

This saved game has gone through about 3 or 4 versions. I would play a couple turns get frustrated and put the game away till the next version came out. Well after several versions and several months I upgraded to the latest greatest and whoohoo no crashes. I was actually able to finish few turns without the game going for a dump. Since I was almost finished this one save I spent a couple evenings and pounding out the dry routine of mopping up the galaxy and saved the end game file.

Well I figured I would post it to the metaverse as it was a better score then my previous postings but I can't. I don't even remember how I put the first 2 games up. I didnt think that it would be that hard to find out how to post a game but after scaning threads there is nothing here indicating how to upload a game.

For some reason I think it was automated and was triggered on a game win but I didn't get that screen. To be honest its been so long I pretty much forgot how to even play this game

Can I still post this game or do I need to start fresh.
Elemental: Reforged
Reply #53 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
For some reason I think it was automated and was triggered on a game win but I didn't get that screen. To be honest its been so long I pretty much forgot how to even play this game



...are you sure you started it as a meta game? If you did, it should pop up after the end of the game and prompt you to submit.
Reply #54 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
I'm trying to "add a player" on my account to be able to submit to Metaverse and it keeps saying I'm using unusable letters. Any way to fix this.
Reply #55 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
I'm trying to "add a player" on my account to be able to submit to Metaverse and it keeps saying I'm using unusable letters. Any way to fix this.

Don't mean to be trite but are you using only alphabetic characters with no spaces? I'm not certain but spaces may not be allowed. The error as you report it seems pretty clear that it doesn't like some character that you're trying to use.

You could at least make a test with a real vanilla name to try and determine if the issue really is the name you're trying to use or some other part of the process is broken.

You might also want to check that the name is not already in use by searching for it in the metaverse.
Reply #56 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
This being my first Metaverse game and the looming 1.92 TA patch, I was wondering if I need to worry about the patch discounting my game.

It was started under 1.91. Now if I don't finish before 1.92 comes out, what must I do to make sure it'll still count? Not patch up to 1.92 so as to not change versions mid-game? Or make sure I patch up to 1.92 so that my system has the version that Metaverse shows as current?
Reply #57 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Not patch up to 1.92 so as to not change versions mid-game?

I don't know for sure but it's always safer to not update the version in the middle of a game. It usually doesn't cause a problem but there certainly have been occassions where it has.

Precisely how big a probelm this is depends on how large a game you're playing and how long it's taken you to play, but personally when I spend 4 weeks on a game I get rather annoyed if I can't submit it.

I think it's better to be safe than sorry, just don't update until you finish your current game.
Reply #58 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Simply not patching until you finish is your best bet. The metaverse will happily accept old versions, but cross-patch games can be problematic.
Reply #59 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
If I luck out (sorry everyone who want's/needs this patch live) it'll come out after tonight or tomorrow night. It's a large map, but am progressing trough it fairly fast. I think another 3 or so hours is all I'll need. After that, I'll wait for 1.92. I just dearly want this Cakewalk medal off of here lol.

*edit*
Ah thanks for seconding Mumble's comment Kryo.
Reply #60 from GalCiv2 Forums Top

1) Is there any minimum difficulty level you have to play on?

2) how do you save and reload?

3) How to start one?

4) Is this where the medals come from?

5) what cant you do to avoid being flaged for cheating?


I am going to try my first game tonight

Reply #61 from GalCiv2 Forums Top

1) Is there any minimum difficulty level you have to play on?

No

2) how do you save and reload?

Same as you do in a sandbox game.

3) How to start one?

Make sure you have a charcter created and starte the game through the Metverse button. You'll be asked for your login and then to select the character(if you have more than one) that you'd like to play with. Then it's all the same as playing a sandbox game. You'll be asked if you want to submit it to the meta at the completion of the game.

4) Is this where the medals come from?

Yep. Once you have a character, you can go to your edit characters in your account options here and click on the default button to the right of the one you want the medals to show for. Then they'll show at the bottom of your posts.

5) what cant you do to avoid being flaged for cheating?

Don't win before April 8th of the year zero, don't mod any .xml files and such besides what's been outlined in the ARC threads(sorry no link). Basically play it straight and if your using DA or later the game should inform you if it has been cheat flagged for some reason.

Reply #63 from GalCiv2 Forums Top

Hmmmm, I just looked at the general legend for the medals and such. How come the Krynn are not there as a race logo?

What are the achievement medals for, they are just listed as: achievement 1, 2, etc.

Reply #64 from GalCiv2 Forums Top

Krynn and Korath won't be listed since the medals are based on races from the base game.

Reply #65 from GalCiv2 Forums Top

Krynn and Korath won't be listed since the medals are based on races from the base game.


I wonder if they will put them in for 2.0

Reply #66 from GalCiv2 Forums Top

I think they would then have to revamp the Racial Victory medal to include those two races, making people w/ just DL unable to get a Racial Victory medal.

Reply #67 from GalCiv2 Forums Top

What are the achievement medals for, they are just listed as: achievement 1, 2, etc.

There's some good info about the Medals and what they mean in this thread

https://forums.galciv2.com/164127

Unfortunately not all of them are known.

Reply #68 from GalCiv2 Forums Top

I think they would then have to revamp the Racial Victory medal to include those two races, making people w/ just DL unable to get a Racial Victory medal.


That makes sense. Darn though, cuz I play %50 of my games with the Krynn and the other %50 with any war-mongering type combo I come up with. I'm really starting to like the Drath with their War Profiteering.

Reply #69 from GalCiv2 Forums Top

Something that's been bugging me lately.  If you re-load and continue playing a MV game that has already been submitted, surely only the best score from that game should show up?

Reply #70 from GalCiv2 Forums Top

Yes, you can resubmit once if you replay a game.

Reply #71 from GalCiv2 Forums Top

Something that's been bugging me lately. If you re-load and continue playing a MV game that has already been submitted, surely only the best score from that game should show up?

Yes, you can resubmit once if you replay a game
A slight clarification. The MV allows a single resubmit but the score will be the score that was submitted the second time which is not necessarily the best score. Of course most folks would play out the game a second time knowing the previously submitted score. Then you decide to resubmit only when and if you better the previous score.

Reply #72 from GalCiv2 Forums Top

That's good to know, thanks.

Reply #73 from GalCiv2 Forums Top

Something I'm not clear on if anyone knows.  I've been logging in to the metaverse before I start a game.  I tend to play for a couple of hours then stop and come back later.  I have been logging in to the metaverse again each time before loading game.  Is this required or will it count game once you have logged in the first time.  Thanks for the clarification anyone.

Reply #74 from GalCiv2 Forums Top

When you start a game fresh after logging in, that game is now associated to that character.  You don't need to re-log in to play from then on out.  The only time you'll need to log in to the MV is when you finished the game (if you hadn't logged in prior to loading up tha game).

Reply #75 from GalCiv2 Forums Top

Thank you for the reply Loupdinour

I have two other questions that my post brought up.  None of my medals displayed.  Is there anything I have to do to correct that?  And how do you get Karma?  By posting to the forums?  Thanks again.