Have you ever completed a SMAC/X PBEM game?

[duMa]

Have you ever completed a SMAC/X PBEM game?
How many?

I'm still relatively new to PBEM's, and I'm only involved in 4, but considering they've all stalled out to, at the absolute best, 1 turn/week... I have to wonder if anyone's ever completed one of these PBEM games?

If you have, did they involve people that had been invited? By a quick mind boggle, that's the only way I figure a game might complete.

Give me hope, people
Cheers.

[Flubber]

There IS hope although I have found that games move slower now than they did a year ago and people are less apt to be apologetic for delays.

I have finished over 10 Pbem games and have only had one that did not get completed. The key to getting a game that actually finishes is to find the right players. I have several people that I know to be both reliable and fast and I tend to try now to play combinations of those people . -- I have had games that did 100 turns for each of 4 players in just over 100 days. ( I believe we did the first 4 or 5 years in a couple of hours when we all happened to be online)

The other thing is I think that any more than 4 players is a mistake. Somebody commented once that turnaround time is an exponential function of the number of players and I have found that to be pretty accurate. 7 player games are glacial IMHO.

I am completely frustrated with the slow pace of some of my games but have recently given up on chasing them down anymore. If an old game makes its way to me, I will keep it going but my interest in it is way down.
If you want a taste of a real fast-paced game ( by PBEM standards) try a duel with someone

[Mongoose]

I've finished at least a score of pbems, not counting 1:1 games. I've had about that many die, too.

Flubber's right, having the right players is the key. As a general rule, he is also right about seven player games. BUT...when you can keep them moving, there is simply no comparison to games with fewer players.

I was spoiled early on. My first ever pbem was a seven player affair thrown together on the old Alpha.owo boards. Using time warp start (yech!) we completed the game in 15 or 16 months...~ 120 turns played. Additionally, only one player had to be replaced, because of moving across Canada and no ready internet access in the new abode.

I think that game remains the most fun I ever had in pbem.

[H0bbes]

I've finished a bunch & have had heaps fizzle & die; about 50% I'd say. 7 player PBEM's are possible but as Mong says, glacial is perhaps an understatement of their speed. The worst sort of games are the ones which take a long time to finally die.

Hobbes

[ksev]

Originally posted by Flubber
( I believe we did the first 4 or 5 years in a couple of hours when we all happened to be online)

A couple of hours for 4-5 turns is still long time...Yesterday I played say 70-80 turns on 4-5 hours..the first 50 on 2½ playing IP-online in real time. Its fast, its exiting and yuo don´t get bored. I don´t know with you guys but I don´t have the passions to wait 10-18 months for a game to finish...its simply too long time.

If any of you guys want to try IP-Online-Real time play then mail me....We are a couple of guys playing already..thinking about starting up a tournament if wee gets enough. We plan to play the first 70-80 turns on one or two days/evenings/nights and if the game isn´t settled yet, to keep playing on by PBEM as the turns takes longer to play.

[Flubber]

Originally posted by ksev


A couple of hours for 4-5 turns is still long time...Yesterday I played say 70-80 turns on 4-5 hours..the first 50 on 2½ playing IP-online in real time. Its fast, its exiting and yuo don´t get bored. I don´t know with you guys but I don´t have the passions to wait 10-18 months for a game to finish...its simply too long time..

I also had games where we whipped off 20+ turns through IP before switching to PBEM as well. PBEM is always slower but I was trying to show that there is hope . . with reliable players you can average about a turn a day EACH and finish a game inside 4 or 5 months

Back when I had a number of fast games, getting the turn once every day or two days was quite enough , particularly if the turns were longer to play as the game was involved. I am in about a dozen games so the idea is if one is slow, the others are coming around . . . but lately I have been very frustrated with PBEM as I have had several times where NO TURNS AT ALL in any game came for 2-3 days.