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version 0.2.0 last updated by cracker – February 26, 2003

Frequently Asked Questions
This FAQ will be updated to include the most up to date answers to common questions that arise about the Games of the Month. You will find more detailed answers to some of these questions by following the links that may be included after the quick answer.

What is the submission deadline? updated 2-26
When can I visit the spoiler threads?
Can I open my own spoiler thread?
I did terrible; should I submit?
How about a game of the week, etc?
How about dividing players by difficulty?
Can I use a new software patch to play?
Can I play the same game in the Civ3 or PTW programs? updated 2-26
How do I know my game is received?
When are results published?
GOTM scores in the High Score Hall of Fame?
How do I download, unzip, and start?
Can I submit more than one copy of the game?
How do we submit the QSC? and how does the scoring for QSC work? added 2-14

When is the submission deadline?
The submission deadline can be different for each game event. The deadline is always specified in the game announcement and in the list of received submissions for each event that will be updated in the discussion forums. The submission deadline for full GOTM games is the last day of the month. The submission deadline for the QSC competitions is the 20th day of the month. Other game events may be added so you will need to pay attention to which competitions you want to participate in and then try to complete and submit the games before the deadlines.

When can I read the spoiler thread(s)?
Do not read, visit, or otherwise participate in the spoiler discussion threads until you have passed the time point or key events specified in the title of the thread.

Some people have their own spoiler threads. Can I open my own spoiler thread?
In most cases, No. One of the important aspects of the Games of the Month is to support discussion of strategy and tactics from the perspectives of many different players. To support this objective we need to keep almost all the discussions consolidated and focused on the game events. Some players choose to build a set of web pages to provide more detail as to how they played their GOTM games. These players may open a spoiler thread in the discussion forum to announce their website and collect comments and feedback. Effective January 1, 2003, individual players may not open any spoiler threads without first contacting the forum moderator by PM or email.

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I did terribly. Should I still submit?
Yes. We like to have all the games submitted, even if you had a terrible result. Every game that you play and submit will earn you points to improve your position in the Global Ranking and eventually these points will add up. Some games at higher difficult will provide you with more Global Ranking points over a longer period of time than easy victories on lower difficulty levels. When we receive a broader cross section of games from players of different skill levels it helps us to stay in touch with you and to collect better statistics on how the game was played.

How about a Game of the Week/Day/2 Months/Year?
The GOTM staff actively considers a variety of game events that will promote participation by a broader community of players. Most of these concepts have been considered and rejected because they do not support the greater goal of having as many players as possible play the same game and then participate with their peers in discussions of how the game events progressed. If you still think you have a great new idea, email it to the administrator at: gotm@civfanatics.net .

How about dividing the GOTM for good and bad players?
(e.g. Chieftain - Regent & Monarch - Deity)
This idea also conflicts with concept of having players of all skill levels work together to play the same game and then compare notes on how the game was played or how the game should have been played.

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There is a new patch. With what version should I play?
The version of the software that you should use to play the game is specified when the game is announced. We will generally use the most current version of the software available to most players at the time the game event is opened for play. If a new software patch is released after a game is opened for play, you visit the GOTM website for instructions. In general, you should not “switch horses in midstream” because it creates play issues that may be more complex than you might expect.

Can I play the GOTM with Play The World?
Civ3 and PTW are different software versions of the same game. You may now play each GOTM game one time for the purposes of submitting the results but you may play the game in your choice of one of three different software formats: Civ3v1.21g for Macintosh; Civ3v1.29f for PC; and PTWv1.14f for PC. You must choose the version you want to play and then make sure you download the correct game version to match your choice of software. Each version of the game is equivalent but will only function properly in the version of the software that it is designed to match. You must complete the game entirely in the first software version that you choose to play. You may still only submit the game for your first attempt at playing the game.

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Originally posted by thefrenchzulu in October 2002:
I have tried uploading my GOTM10 file, but neither ways worked! I emailed my file to Matrix, but forgot to set a return receipt. How do I know he received it?
This question reflects the “old way” of doing things and really does not apply to any game events after December 2002. If your game submission files have no format problems and if your player name matches as registered member name on the civfanatics forums database, then your player name will appear in the list of received submissions for that game event. It may take 3 to 4 days for the submissions list to be updated and current but we try to stay on top of this tracking. If you have any questions about your submission there is a contact email address included at the end of the submissions tracking thread for each game event.

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Originally posted by thefrenchzulu in October 2002:
I have tried uploading. When is results published? I saw the previous one was the middle of the month. Is that the release date?
This question also reflects the “old way” of doing things but there is still no preset date that the game results will be released. We validate every individual game submission received for each event and then compile some statistics and summary information for every event. If all the players wait until the last possible moment before the deadline then the results can be delayed by a few days. In general, we will be trying to compile and release the game results within five working days of the closing date for the event.

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Originally posted by thefrenchzulu in October 2002:
Why isn't the GOTM scores on the HOF? Some is much better than the scores listed there.
A The High Score Hall of Fame (HOF) has rules that may not be compatible with many of the features of the Games of the Month. The HOF concept does not currently include any procedures to normalize the score results across a large pool of players or across game conditions that vary widely according to map conditions, terrain, starting positions, and disposition of rivals. So trying to draw any correlation between HOF High scores and GOTM High scores may not be of any great value. You may look at the game announcement of any GOTM game event and if the conditions for the game match the requirements for the HOF games then you may submit your GOTM result to the HOF administrator and it will probably be listed if the score is high enough.

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Originally posted by Sun on Oct 21, 2002:
Every time I download a GOTM I do so with the winzip … and then I'm clueless as to how to open the GOTM … what I should do to get the game started?

Answer Originally posted by BoBtheBuilder on Oct 21, 2002:
It is important that you make a note of what directory you unzip the compressed file to.

The recommended location for this directory is for you to create a new folder under the “Saves” folder in your Civilization III or CIV3PTW folder. Create a new folder to keep the starting save file for each GOTM and for any save files that you create to support timelines, discussion, or submissions. (this paragraph edited)

After you unzip the file start Civ III.
Select the "Load Game" option from the starting screen
Navigate to the folder you unzipped the compressed file to
If everything worked properly you should find the saved GOTM.
Select the file and open it and you should be on your way!

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Originally posted by Danalea on Nov.3, 2002:
Can you submit more then one game? In other words, you want everyone to submit so the stats have some meaning, but if I play and hate my score, submit it anyway, then play again and do really well, can I submit that game too? Or is it just one per person per month?

Answer Originally posted by Yndy on Nov.4, 2002:
It's definitely one game per month. Even if you lose the first game early on you have in depth knowledge of the map, therefore the second game would be flawed and would not represent your true performance but one enhanced with map knowledge.

If you pay attention to how you play your game you may be able to submit save files from your one attempt to play the game to be considered for inclusion in the results for both the GOTM and the QSC events. You still can only use your first play attempt, but at least you get two chances to participate in two different ways.

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Originally posted by Juramix on Feb.11, 2003:
How do we submit the QSC? And while we're on the topic, how does the scoring for QSC work?

Submissions of your 1000BC save game and optional Log for the QSC (Quick Start Challenge) can be made to: quick_start@civfanatics.net

Details on the QSC Scoring and other details (including some excellent strategy items) ,can be found at http://www.civfanatics.com/doc/civ3/cracker/quik_start/index.htm. Thanks to Cracker for providing this site.

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