Turns of RP3 (Role Play Three)

[DilithiumDad]

Current roster is:

Gaians - Lady SITS
Hive - Chairman Christmann (in his absence, being temporarily played by Googlie)
University - Provost Mark13
Morgan - CEO Ironwood
Sparta - General Black Sunrise
Believers - Qantaga
Peacekeepers - Delegate Dilithium Dad

[Qantaga]

2111 sent to the Peacekeepers.

[Black Sunrise]

Wow, seven human factions? We could be playing this game for years!

Indra
Black Sunrise

[Ironwood]

One thing, I noticed, Googlie, is that despite the "Role-Play" nature of this game, and the requirement that in reasearch, we "stay in character," we're using non-blind research. I know most people prefer to play with this option, but I would think that we'd want to use blind research in this style of game.

For example, for someone like Morgan or Zhakarov, what would be "in character" for research? Certainly, in a time of peace, researching build or discover techs, respectively, would be "in character." But in a time of war (or impending war), I'd think both of them would readily begin developing weapons technologies; neither of them are fools, and know where their advantages lie.

For Zhakarov, it'd be a sort of "So, they think I'm a mindless dreamer? I'll show them what my mind can do to them."

For Morgan, it'd be more of a "Our assets are threatened by the agressions of another faction. Gentlemen (talking to a research team on his payroll), I want the best weapons money can buy."

And you realize that, as far as "in-character straight shots" are concerned, I have a considerable advantage. For my in-character straight shot goes straight toward "Industrial Automation." In other words, crawlers. I myself have never used crawlers as an integral part of my strategy, but I've heard much about the unbalancing aspects of these things, when properly used. Usually, in MP, this is balanced by the fact that anyone can do it. But because this is an "RP" game, I will get them considerably earlier than everyone else.

Any thoughts? Why non-blind research?

[SITS]

Turn 2112 to Googlie

Trying to move a damaged rover to an alien monolith it encountered two Mindworms - both of which were converted into energy.

[Googlie]

2112 to Mark13

In the original RP1 (which died a death when a player just dropped out without pasing on his password) we had considrable discussion whether we should be blind, or directed within our priorities. We opted for the latter as we felt that one of the key features of a RolePlay game would be in the inter-faction interaction, and knowing what we were researching, and indeed directing that research, would provide for better gameplay in terms of trades and denying techs.

We just carried that through to these 3 games (RPs 2,3 and 4)

There is a perception that the game engine uses the blind research as a game leveler (denying a crucial tech that is on the path to some deeper one for many turns, so that the player in the lead sometimes gets offered fusion last) This was felt to rob the roleplay game of some of its potential richness.

having said all that, there is an expectation that players will largely follow their faction's research priorities (without totally ignoring the other streams, though)

Googlie

[Ironwood]

Has Mark13 passed his turn on yet?

[DilithiumDad]

I am the CMN for RP2 and by request and consent of the players, blind research was set. No word yet on how that is working out for them. They started a week after us and have been having similar problems with delays!

[SITS]

Turn 2113 to Googlie

[Googlie]

2113 to Mark13

I have e-mailed Christmann to see how long his absence is likely to continue.

(although, in all fairness, I must admit I have absolutely no recollection of the map -as you can imagine, having set up some fifteen or so scenarioed starts these last couple of months all the maps eventually run into one another in the memory banks)

So if the rest of you have no objection, I'll still play on until C is reunited with his own computer with smac loaded on it (unless he advises to the contrary and suggest a permanent replacement)

G.

[Qantaga]

Googlie, I have no problem with you playing on until C returns (and even welcome you to stay on if he does not return).

[Qantaga]

2113 sent to the Peacekeepers.

[Black Sunrise]

5 days since anyone played a move. Could we resend to the peacekeepers, or find out what's going on? I'm in 8 games, and NONE of them are moving, and I'm bored mindless.
Indra

[Qantaga]

2113 resent to PKs.

[DilithiumDad]

Turn was new to me. Have not had e-mail problems so I don't know what could have happened.

SITS has been lost from address book somehow

Therefore I am using thehandy file upload feature to put the turn here.