[FAQ] The Modern PBM FAQ From: kmgraphiks@aol.com (KMGraphiks) Date: Fri, 26 Jun 1998 00:00:00 +0000 ================= NEW PBM FAQ for rec.games.pbm ----- Last Updated May 31, 1998 This newsgroup (rec.games.pbm) was established for the open discussion of commercial and free play-by-mail (PBM) games, and all other topics related to PBM gaming. We hope you enjoy the discussion and we hope you contribute to it often. Before you make your first post, we suggest you read this short FAQ to familiarize yourself with the hobby, with rec.games.pbm, and with the few guidelines of etiquette which govern the newsgroup. Send questions, comments, and suggestions to Ken Mitchell <kmgraphiks@aol.com>. 1. What is a play-by-mail (PBM) game? 2. Are there any PBM web sites? 3. Are there any PBM mailing lists? 4. Are there any PBM magazines? 5. Can I play these games for free? 6. What is an acceptable post to rec.games.pbm? 7. Is advertising allowed on the newsgroup? 8. Where can I find opponents for private gaming? 9. Who will answer my questions? 1. What is a play-by-mail (PBM) game? ----------------------------------- A PBM game is a multi-player, turn-based game played through the mail. Each turn involves an exchange of information between the players and a single moderator. The player submits orders for his character or his position, the moderator processes those orders (often simultaneously with orders submitted by all of the other players) and returns the results to the player in the form of a turn report. This cycle continues until the game ends or until the player decides to stop playing. All PBM games share several common characteristics: THEME. A PBM game may have virtually any theme, e.g., fantasy, science fiction, war, crime, sports. Additionally, it may have virtually any variation on its main theme, e.g., role-playing, wargame (tactical or strategic), etc. Regardless of your interest, you will be able to find a PBM game to match it. SPAN. A PBM game is either finite or infinite. A finite game lasts only until one player (or a team of players) satisfy the victory conditions. An infinite game lasts, theoretically, forever, with players entering and leaving at different times. You can't 'win' an infinite game; instead, you establish your own goals and pursue them. Virtually all role-playing games are infinite. MODE. A PBM game is either 'manually' moderated, 'computer' moderated or 'mixed' moderated. A manually moderated game is run by hand, with little or no computer assistance. A computer moderated game is run strictly by the computer, with no input from the moderator. Mixed moderated games range from hand mods with computer bookkeeping and database support to automated games with facilities for "Special Actions". DELIVERY. A PBM game is either postal or email. A postal game is played through 'snail' mail, though often you are able to submit your orders in other ways, e.g., email, fax. Your turn report, however, is always sent by post. An email game is played entirely through email, and tends to run at a faster pace. A few examples. Starweb is a finite, automated strategy wargame set in a science fiction universe, available by post or by email. Absolute Fantasy is an infinite, manual roleplaying game set in a fantasy universe, available by post. Crack of Doom II is an infinite, mixed moderated strategic wargame with roleplaying aspects, set in a fantasy universe, available by post. The moderator should offer you enough information in his brochure or advertisement so that you can similarly categorize his game(s). Commercial play-by-mail began in 1970 with the formation of Flying Buffalo, Inc. by Rick Loomis and the release of his first game, Nuclear Destruction, which is still running today. Free play-by-mail has much deeper roots, and might arguably be traced back to the first time a couple of chess players swapped moves by post (or Pony Express, or royal messenger). It has recently grown exponentially with the advent of free games of all description available by email and supported by web pages on the Internet. The commercial PBM 'industry' probably has 5000 active players worldwide. Many more folks play free PBM games, but most will agree that the overall quality of commercial pbm games are better. 2. Are there any PBM web sites? ---------------------------- There are several general interest web sites and hundreds of other web sites devoted to a specific company or game. The best way to find these web sites is to use an engine like http://www.yahoo.com or http://www.altavista.com and search for 'play-by-mail' 'PBM', etc. Most PBM web sites have a page of links leading to other PBM web sites, so once you find one in theory you'll be able to find them all. The best place to start is: Commercial Games: http://www.tightbeam.com Free Games: http://www.pbem.com Both of these sites have lots of links and plenty of information. Both have been around for years and will likely stay around. TightBEAM focuses on commercial games (you pay a fee for each turn), PBEM.COM focuses on free games (you don't pay anything), though it has a small section about commercial games, too. 3. Are there any PBM mailing lists? -------------------------------- Some PBM games have their own mailing lists where players can post messages about the game, ask questions, and brag about their exploits. Ask your moderator whether he offers a mailing list for your game. To join a list, you usually send email to the server with the single unquoted word 'subscribe' in the body of your message (some lists may have different procedures). A few lists we know of: Beyond the Stellar Empire (science fiction adventure) ---> send email ('subscribe bse-list') to majordomo@pbm.com (US version) ---> send email ('subscribe uk-bse') to majordomo@pvv.ntnu.no (UK version) Godfather (gangster wargame) ---> send email ('subscribe godfather-list') to majordomo@tightbeam.com **UPDATED 5/31/98** Legends ---> send email ('subscribe-legends') to majordomo@listbox.com Lords of the Earth (historical simulation/wargame) ---> send email ('subscribe LOTE-L') to majordomo@list.play-by-mail.com Midgard (medieval roleplaying/power game ) ---> send email ('subscribe midgard') to majordomo@midgardusa.com PBM-FORUM (general PBM discussion focusing on player interests) ---> send email ('subscribe PBM-FORUM') to majordomo@list.play-by-mail.com PBM-AGRA (general PBM discussion focusing on moderator interests) ---> send email ('subscribe PBM-AGORA') to majordomo@list.play-by-mail.com Stars of the Dark Well (science fiction adventure) ---> send email ('subscribe sdw') to majordomo@kern.com The PBM Mailing List (general PBM discussion) ---> send email ('subscribe') to pbm-list-request@tightbeam.com Victory! The Battle For Europe (WWII wargame) ---> send email ('subscribe VICTORY-L') to majordomo@list.play-by-mail.com World War IV (wargame) ---> send email ('subscribe ww4-list') to majordomo@tightbeam.com The Phoenyx offers a large number of mailing lists for on-line role-playing games. For further details visit http://www.phoenyx.net/. Don't use 'subscribe' here unless you want to subscribe to all their mailing lists. Try 'help' to get more information on how to selectively subscribe. 4. Are there any PBM magazines? ---------------------------- In North America there are publications devoted to PBM games: Paper Mayhem (David Webber; 1518 Adams Ave.; Ottawa, IL 61350-4770). A one-year subscription is $24.00 for 6 bi-monthly issues. Paper Mayhem has been in business for for over 15 years. PBM Report (Ken Mitchell Graphics; 3508 Ashwood Dr.; Urbandale, IA 50322-3028; kmgraphiks@aol.com). A one-year subscription is $15.00 for 6 bimonthly issues. The PBM Report is a 12-page professional newsletter, not a magazine, its first issue was in September, 1997. A free sample issue is available upon request. More info available at: http://www.tightbeam.com/pbm-report In Europe there are also magazines devoted to PBM games: Flagship (14 The Hollows, Exmouth, Devon, EX8 1QT UK; Flagship@flagship-uk.demon.co.uk; http://www.antsnest.demon.co.uk/flagship). A one-year subscription is L16 (pounds) for 6 bimonthly issues. Flagship has been in business for over 15 years. A free sample issue is available upon request. 5. Can I play these games for free? -------------------------------- Quite a few PBM games are available free of charge. Most of these games are role-playing adventures, some of them using worlds and universes created by the moderator, most of them using commercially available systems, e.g., AD&D, GURPS. You'll find the vast majority of free PBM games on the Internet. There are extremely few free postal games (as running them would entail an expense for the moderator). The Phoenyx server and the PBEM.COM server have information about hundreds of free role-playing games: Phoenyx: http://www.phoenyx.net/ PBEM.COM: http://www.pbem.com A number of wargames are also available for free, among them VGA Planets, Stars!, and Galaxy. To join one of these games, visit: Galactic Traveller: http://www.jacobean.demon.co.uk/gtrav.html With all these free PBM games available, why pay for turns? Generally, but not always, a game run for profit by a commercial company will be around longer, will offer better service, and will provide a more 'polished' gaming experience. We realize that exceptions abound, and that many commercial games have 'gone under' without refunding their customers' accounts. The best advice is to find a game you like and then, if it's not free, decide whether you can afford it. No PBM company makes a lot of profit: the turn fees are usually not much above the cost of labor and supplies. If you do think a company is charging a high turn fee, let them know and remind them of all the free games out there... 6. What is an acceptable post to rec.games.pbm? --------------------------------------------- Obviously, the post must deal with a play-by-mail game or with an aspect of play-by-mail gaming. Many posts are questions about game mechanics or queries about game openings. Others are requests for help in developing a game, announcements of new games, and so forth. Some moderators post their newsletters. If you're unsure whether your post is 'acceptable', read the newsgroup for a few days to learn what other people post and how their posts are received. A few specific guidelines: 1. Be courteous. Don't insult anyone, don't 'trash' anyone's game. 2. Keep it short. Limit quotes of previous posts to relevant text. 3. Follow the guidelines below, for posts that advertise games and services. You should, whenever possible, label your posts. For instance, if your post is a question about Middle-Earth PBM, it should include 'ME-PBM' or 'Middle-Earth' in the subject line. If your post is an ad for a PBM game or service, it should include '[AD]' at the beginning of the subject line. By labeling your posts, you won't waste the time of readers who don't play a particular game or who aren't interested in a particular topic. If your discussion with another member of the group degenerates into a 'flame war', you should move the discussion to private email. Even though the discussion is quite interesting to you and may consume the greater part of your daily thought, it's usually dull and offensive to others. You rarely 'gain points' by perpetuating a nasty or rude discussion. On the other hand, if you disagree with another reader, you should not hesitate to put forth your views. A frank discussion isn't a flame war; it's a frank discussion. People who complain of 'being flamed' are often, in actuality, complaining about posts that contradict or deny their own opinions. Finally, and perhaps most important, rec.games.pbm is a non-moderated (open) forum. Everyone is equal. Some readers will try to assume authority and set arbitrary policies, but you have no obligation to listen to them unless they make sense. 7. Is advertising allowed on the newsgroup? ---------------------------------------- Limited advertising of commercial and free PBM games is allowed on rec.games.pbm, provided that the following guidelines are observed: 1. Label each advertisement clearly with '[AD]' in the subject line. 2. Avoid hype. Avoid opinion. Avoid bombast. Stick to the facts. 3. Limit the advertisement to a couple of paragraphs. 4. Include an email address or web site URL where readers can find more information. 5. Do not post the same advertisement more frequently than once per month. Generally speaking, your 'advertisement' should be written in such as way that it doesn't seem to be an advertisement, but rather an informative announcement or report about your PBM game. Many people on the newsgroup don't like advertisemenets. The more your post resembles an advertisement, the more you will anger them. You are much better served by sticking with a short description of your game. If readers are interested, they can visit your web site or contact you. Advertisements for free games should follow the same policy: just because it's free doesn't mean you can hype it! If you choose to ignore these guidelines and post frequent hype-ridden ads about your game, most readers will not want to deal with you and will tell their friends not to deal with you. Play-by-mail players tend to be intelligent, well-educated, friendly people: you can't market games to them using the tactics of a used car salesman. An alternative to posting an ad might be to provide some marketing information about your game or company in your signature file. A sig file ad up to 4 lines is generally acceptable and should be separated from your relevant post by a single line with two dashes and a space (-- ). Most email programs will let you set this up so that it automatically appends itself to your postings. 8. Where can I find opponents for private gaming? ---------------------------------------------- Iif you want to play board games or computer games on-line, and you're not interested in joining one of the many commercial or free games that include, as part of their service, a steady stream of new opponents, you should visit Eric Pass' web site: http://www.nyx.net/~epass You should also check the web site of the manufacturer who produced the board game or computer game you want to play on-line. They usually have lists of interested players. You will likely need a dice server. You'll find one at: http://www.irony.com/webdice.html 9. Who will answer my questions? ----------------------------- If you have questions, the best place to ask them is right on the newsgroup! Everyone welcomes questions, and you will often get many useful answers. If you don't want to post a question, you can send private email to the FAQ maintainer, at the email address below, who will respond to all questions promptly and politely. We hope you enjoy rec.games.pbm, and we hope you enjoy all your PBM adventures! ----- Ken Mitchell kmgraphiks@aol.com Up