FACES Of APOLYTON #3: TAU CETI

[Father Beast]

Wow! somebody made a 2173 transcendence win? I've got to read about this!!

I could care less about the pbem games, but I liked the discussion of the game.


about the choices: it seems to me that since CTP and AC are the less poulated game forums (civ2 and civ3 being the most active), that it makes sense to have interviews with their people. after all, if I hadn't read these, I wouldn't know anything about them.

[mark13]

Father Beast:

2172 transcendence thread

He was, er....not bad

[Avenoct]

Mirror Korn469's comment.

I like the way the interviews have gone so far. Shortish, but hitting good questions. Of course, I'm a Smac player so I'm not twiddling my thumbs (or nose!) at the wait to hear about people I'm familiar with. Good job, and nice to learn more about the history behind the tournament (ZsoZso, etc.). Congrats Tau Ceti on your well deserved recognition, and thanks for your contributions to the MP community.

It's hard to resist provoking the off-topicers with an off-topic question: What exactly do you have in mind in a hard-hitting interview? Maybe ask Brian Reynolds why he left Firaxis?

-Smack

[Jeje2]

One more question...

First tniem has a very good point that I second.
To me these people have been srtangers before this, though they have done some great work. So I'm glad.


Now to todays interview, becoue I have one more question to Tau Ceti about SMAC PBEM. (Have no previous knowledge about this)

Tau Ceti, you talked about moderators. Could you cindly tell to us what a moderator does during a game of SMAC PBEM? Are you the only moderator? If not, then what does it require to become a "good" moderator?

And finally has there ever been atteempts to bribe moderatrs?


Tau Ceti thx in advance, you have earned your position of glory.

[Tau Ceti]

Most of the time, a moderator does absolutely nothing. The main job is to assign or collect passwords to/from the players and hold them in case a player drops out (which is quite common), so that a replacement can take over. You also settle rules disputes if any arise.

That is all I can think of right now, so that is not where the real work lies. Setting up the games is what takes time.

Anyone can be a CMN (Creator, Moderator, Narrator - the narrator part is usually a lie ), as long as he has some experience with the game so as to be able to create balanced positions, and is willing to learn how to use the scenario editor to actually do the work. There are several who do this at a semi-regular basis at this very site, and you can find more (for SMAC at least) at PlanetACOL.

Smack, mark, korn, Mis: Thanks!

Eli: I post very little in the Off-Topic (probably around 30 posts there in my entire career), so I am not surprised you have not noticed me. I do tend to lurk there, though.

[Eyes_Of_Night]

Is SMAC even a multiplayer game?

[Solver]

Actually, AI of SMAC is even worse than of Civ 2.

[Eyes_Of_Night]

Ok, so their only form of MP is through email? And primarily they just play against a horrible AI? Would I be going too far in saying that playing against the AI is a meaningless achievment?

[Bugs ****ing Bunny]

Not at all. You can always wear a blindfold to make it more of a challenge.