When CTP2 comes out

[Sophanthro]

TheBirdMan:

K will do, when I start up another game.

[TheBirdMan]

St. Jon and Sop (and by the way, others of the "Clan" playing role-style games).

I LOVE YOU. Well - not your bodies - but the way you write and act.

I hope you will train me to explain, to argue and make diplomacy better. Better for me and better for the game!

Stavros: If you read this, you will certainly know that you're not the only, that the effect of water (ajusted with malt, raw fruit and humle (right word?)) applies to.

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Woodstock was here!

[St Jon]

If something positive could ever be introduced into any Forum by a posting from AH it will indeed be a cold day in hell!

If ever there was a 'man?' who 'sought pleasure from himself so as to bring down the all consuming fire' then it is he!

OK., it's a misquote but I bet even good old Leviticus would get the point.
[This message has been edited by St Jon (edited September 17, 2000).]

[St Jon]

Who are the 'Clan'?

As for the Role-Playing, it's all just part of the fun and a way of filling the time between Turns of a PBEM. 'Turn To' messages get very boring very quickly!

[TheBirdMan]

The Clan (my expression) are not a closed community - just those who tell stories on the forum and give ideas - input - hints - ways to write - things like this.

These are the people I most want to play with and against.

Taking the risk to offend someone. The "next turn" players are more like an advanced AI.

[Aaginor]

To all the Clanners:

So why don't we just start up a "Clan PBEM"?

Most of the games here seem to have Problems continuing. So what do you think about another try? A RPG-styled PBEM?

[King Thor]

I dont care if its a clan PBEM or not. If its a fast rpg game. And EVERYONE in the game is commited to atleat a 24 hour rule. period. I'm in the game ! .. You just TRY and keep me out of it!! Hell, thats just what I've been looking for in a game, a bunch of commited players that we all know will get the turn moving a few hours after they get them. That they wont cheat, and that they will role play! Dammit!

Start this PBEM, and you have yourself one player garaunteed sitting right here!

[St Jon]

It's not as easy as it sounds.

What someone will tell you that they will do is not very often what they will do!

The only way to approach it is that 70% of the Games that you start in will be tedious and probably not last the course. It is only by Playing people that you learn who is fun, who is a 'snail', who is a psycho and who is genuinely committed to playing out a Game. Some Games just 'work' because you get the right mix of people on the right World and things just 'happen' but the majority don't.

[King Thor]

Going by that math (and I'm gonna assume its right since you have *significantly* more experience in PBEM games than I do) , I will have to start/join around 10 games to get the 3-4 good games I want.

Just an observation, not making much of a point I know, but it sucks. There has to be a better way.. dammit! ..dammit! dammit! dammit!

But here is the point I'm gonna try and make. I actually agree with St Jon. On this point, only time tells whether a group of players will be fun or not. I have noticed that looking at past games or games in progresses I can tell which players are into Role playing, which players are slow to pass the turn, which players are aggressive, etc. That helps me decide which players are gonna be fun to play with.

I know this strategy wont hold true for new players (like myself) since there is no background to check on, but if there are only 1 or 2 new players in each game, subsitutes could be found pretty quick.

In short, if we really make an effort, we could get the number of successful games from 30% to 50-60%.

[TheBirdMan]

Pls read and follow the Love Conquers and Gigantic game treads to get new ideas.

Humor - sarcasm. And slaves union.....



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Woodstock was here!

[The True Demosthenes]

I agree, unless you've already played against the players, you are just going to have to hope that they keep it interesting and stay the distance.

If you've played a few games then you can get to know other players style and their reliability, obviously. All of us in Love Conquers have played at least three others in games before, so we already knew that the potential was there for a good game.

But that doesn't then mean that we should start forming 'cliques', that's not what it's about at all. I enjoy the game immensely, as long as the game is actually moving and going somewhere.

I've been lucky in the games I've had, most have been very enjoyable, and above all, fun. The roleplaying aspect keeps the game interesting, and 'behind the scenes' diplomacy adds intrigue. But you can't force these things, they're either there or they aren't.

[St Jon]

It is actually, sadly, far quicker and easier to discover who you don't want in a Game than who you do.

As Demos say's of the fun and intrigue, 'they're either there or they're not'. It is weird but sometimes you do just get that 'right' mix and the whole thing is fast and fun.

You can force the issue, as I did with 'Love Conquers', by only inviting Players I knew to be competent, would play quickly and contribute to the Thread but that does nothing for those new to PBEM.

PBEM is an inherently slow way of playing and, to me, you need something to keep it alive during the gaps however you should not ignore what goes on off-thread as that does just as much, if not more, to maintain interest.

[The True Demosthenes]

Too true. The roleplaying aspect can not only fill the void between turns and keep the interest up, but it really can add to the enjoyment of the game itself.

This really showed in the Semi Acc thread. Everyone developed their characters really well, and it was just as exciting reading the latest post as it was playing the next turn.

Still, it's not for everyone, and I wouldn't want to force the roleplaying aspect on anyone that doesn't want to partake, but it's certainly enhanced my enjoyment of PBEM. You've just got to give it a try and see what happens.

Still, we digress from the CTP2 issue, which I hope will have taken into consideration the thoughts of people here at Apolyton, especially considering that we are surely their target audience.
[This message has been edited by The True Demosthenes (edited September 22, 2000).]

[King Thor]

Honestly the Dutcheese, the love Conquers? and some others are the exact kind of games I'd love to get into, I wish I'd gotten onto the PBEM bandwagon sooner.

I agree with Demosthenes, what really got me into PBEMs was not playing the game, I had chucked CTP aside and left it in the pile of all the games I played, finished, got bored off, and forgot about. The reason I went back in there and pulled my CD back out and re-installed it was for one reason alone.

I came along Apolyton while surfing around and came into this forum and started reading the Dutcheese thread, after which I read a few others and when I actually enjoyed just READING the thread, I realized how much fun you guys must be having PLAYING and being PART of the Thread. I didn't want to miss out and I came storming in.

Like I said earlier, the players themselves decide how much fun the game is going to be.. I think St Jon did exactly what I was suggesting people could do to get a fun game. Because you can read the posts of each of the older players in the threads and decide the personality types, commitment and inclination to role play. The result is obvious in St Jon's game isn't it? Whats unfortunate is that since I'm new around here no one can reasonably judge how I play. This problem would affect all the newbies (dont get me wrong, I've been taken in for everygame that I asked to play in - but what I'm talking about is precisely the ones that would end up being the most fun - private "invitation only" games .. I'm left out of those. ) ...

Oh well..

[TheBirdMan]

Reading other treads, I often are - more that ready - to add a comments of my own. The day after, I regret having done so. The specific tread are for those who is playing the game.

Well, I still want to make comments of my own (that's why WesW gave me the nickname Woodstock I think) - this place (an AH tread) could be the best place to make comments/tips/comments to others comments.

Only for games, that you don't have any infuence on (AH you can comment everything just as you always do) and don't participate in.

And so be it. Best post last 2 days (my choice):

Love again: Mobius for his cash problems.