Nilocy - I'm sure your eight foot dirt berm is quite imposing. Provided you roll well for it.
Since I'm sure you're all wondering, here's an update my current status. Now that I've finally got a handle on Iituem's population calculator, I can run numbers and give population stats. I haven't entirely figured out the combat system, but now that I know how the file works that shouldn't take long.
My list of things to do looks likes this - Figure up population numbers (at least a couple hours), write my own turn (hour or so), update List Post for point expenditures (hour or two), figure up combat results for the lizard/bug war (no idea, probably long), figure out diplomacy results (ditto), write 14 turn responses (call it as many hours), then finally double check my writing and put everything in order, so I've got more than a full day of work racked up on this game.
The rub is, I need to read a textbook on Native American civil rights by Monday, write a four page essay on the Ottoman empire by Wednesday, and master Spanish preterit by Friday, plus my usual job hours, and y'know, sleep. All of which seriously cuts into my allotment of ass-scratching (gotta play DF some time).
I'll try to get at least some of this done right now and tomorrow, but as much as I hate to say it, if the turn isn't up by Sunday afternoon, it's definitely going to be later in the week. Don't worry, I'm not giving up or abandoning this, just letting you all know that for the foreseeable future, turns are going to be a bit slow paced.
The irony is that by delaying all the time, some players will probably abandon, then it'll take less time to work out turns, thus speeding things along again.
Speaking of which, besides me, the remainders are a1s, Edmund, and Euchre. Absolutely no hurry, just bookkeeping.
Couple of things have crossed my mind. Since I can't think of a good system for success rolls, I came up with results that felt fair and interesting by way of that indecipherable GM intuition. I figure, as long as I use the same system for everyone each turn, the actual system doesn't matter too much. The math will stay the same (though I think I added some things wrong, like breeding), but I'll probably come up with a different die size and scale each turn, to account for point spread. Hopefully, a good standard will coalesce.
Second thing, after discussing it with Iituem, I realized that without some amount of abilities to protect a species from the natural world, it's quite easy to go extinct. For those who can't decipher the spreadsheet, the four main axes are Breeding, Region Food (with bonuses), Defenses (remember the divisor for developed tools), and Civil bonuses like shelter and organization. Put simply, you need to be really good in one or pretty good in at least two, or you'll see your populations decline. It'd be pretty hard to not do that, so I don't think anyone is in danger, but I haven't run everybody yet.