Re: New PBeM/PBM Site

From: arnie@solid-gold.co.uk (Pete Williams)

Date: Mon, 12 Jan 1998 00:00:00 +0000

On Sat, 10 Jan 1998 23:11:08 -0600, silver@phoenyx.net (Karen J.
Cravens) wrote:

>In article <34b7d5a4.3466751@news.firstnet.co.uk>,
>arnie@solid-gold.co.uk (Arnie) wrote:
>>Fifty? I wish! In total over the past couple of years there might have
>>been this many (at a push), but now there's barely five general PBM /
>>PBEM sites worth looking at. This is why we need fresh blood and new
>            ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
>This is the entire point.
>

I think you're purposely reading this sentence out of context. The
operative word is "general" sites -- meaning sites not devoted to just
one or two games. I doubt there have ever been more than half a dozen
such sites at any one time, which is hardly "fragmenting the target
audience" as you would have us believe from your earlier post.

>>You mean it gives all of us more choice regarding where to go for our
>>PBM / PBEM browsing pleasure?
>
>"Choice" isn't exactly it.  If the information is scattered over
>fifty indexes, one may as well use Yahoo and visit each site
>individually, so where's the point in *anyone* running an index site?

You're just assuming that all that any PBM / PBEM site can do is list
available games in a variety of different ways and announce new game
openings. What about other news, views & reviews; in-depth articles on
'good gaming' and strategy (yes, I know Greg has a few); hints & tips
on popular games; in fact anything and everything to do with these
games. Why just game lists?

Sure, nobody needs more than one or two good game listing services,
but there are a lot of other possibilities that a new site might like
to have a go at which the established sites clearly show no intention
of ever attempting. And if any new sites want to round off their
services with a game list as well, why not -- though they'd save time
and effort by just plugging into one of the established lists!

No offence intended, Karen, but I think you've got your 'RPG blinkers'
on. RPGs, and the people who play these games, wouldn't need half of
the features I'm suggesting -- these belong in the realm of strategy
and power games. Your entire argument revolves around what *RPG* games
and players need in a web site, which, granted, they're already more
than adequately catered for. Well, I'm a strategy gamer -- as are many
other people in this group -- and while you as an RPG gamer are happy
with available web services, I am not. Quite simply, existing sites do
*not* cater for my requirements as well as they do your own, because
our needs and wants are entirely different.

I want a Web magazine -- a 'Flagship' online -- not just another game
listing. Until one comes along, I'll cheerfully support every new web
venture 100% in the hope that one of them is run by a dedicated
strategy gamer, not an RPG player or avid supporter of "anything...
just as long as it's free". Perhaps then we'll have a site which
caters for the entire hobby (and *everything* that any part of the
hobby might want) rather than just a portion of it.

And yes, I also want a site where I can spend a lot of money in
sponsorship and  advertising of my commerical (shock! horror!) deep
strategy games, and thereby hopefully gain a few new players who share
my love of this type of game. You might call this an ulterior motive;
I prefer to call it simply earning a living doing something that I
*thoroughly* enjoy -- which is more than most people can say... :-)

Pete.

References

Re: New PBeM/PBM Site
silver@phoenyx.net (Karen J. Cravens)
Sat, 10 Jan 1998 00:00:00 +0000
Re: New PBeM/PBM Site
"Starburst" <fil@syroxdev.co.uk>
Tue, 06 Jan 1998 00:00:00 +0000
Re: New PBeM/PBM Site
lindahl@pbm.com (Greg Lindahl)
Tue, 06 Jan 1998 00:00:00 +0000
Re: New PBeM/PBM Site
"Starburst" <fil@syroxdev.co.uk>
Wed, 07 Jan 1998 00:00:00 +0000
Re: New PBeM/PBM Site
silver@phoenyx.net (Karen J. Cravens)
Wed, 07 Jan 1998 00:00:00 +0000
Re: New PBeM/PBM Site
arnie@solid-gold.co.uk (Arnie)
Thu, 08 Jan 1998 00:00:00 +0000
Re: New PBeM/PBM Site
silver@phoenyx.net (Karen J. Cravens)
Fri, 09 Jan 1998 00:00:00 +0000
Re: New PBeM/PBM Site
arnie@solid-gold.co.uk (Arnie)
Sat, 10 Jan 1998 00:00:00 +0000

Referenced By

Re: New PBeM/PBM Site
silver@phoenyx.net (Karen J. Cravens)
Sat, 10 Jan 1998 00:00:00 +0000
Re: New PBeM/PBM Site
"Starburst" <fil@syroxdev.co.uk>
Tue, 06 Jan 1998 00:00:00 +0000
Re: New PBeM/PBM Site
lindahl@pbm.com (Greg Lindahl)
Tue, 06 Jan 1998 00:00:00 +0000
Re: New PBeM/PBM Site
"Starburst" <fil@syroxdev.co.uk>
Wed, 07 Jan 1998 00:00:00 +0000
Re: New PBeM/PBM Site
silver@phoenyx.net (Karen J. Cravens)
Wed, 07 Jan 1998 00:00:00 +0000
Re: New PBeM/PBM Site
arnie@solid-gold.co.uk (Arnie)
Thu, 08 Jan 1998 00:00:00 +0000
Re: New PBeM/PBM Site
silver@phoenyx.net (Karen J. Cravens)
Fri, 09 Jan 1998 00:00:00 +0000
Re: New PBeM/PBM Site
arnie@solid-gold.co.uk (Arnie)
Sat, 10 Jan 1998 00:00:00 +0000