Re: MEPBM 'riddle help' = you guys are weak...

From: Patrick F. McGehearty <patrick@convex.COM>

Date: Fri, 08 Aug 1997 00:00:00 +0000

In article <33eb8630.4281790@news.concentric.net>,
 <MDBench@spamisevil.concentric.net> wrote:
>Why don't you guys try reading some books by Tolkien to aid in
>solving your riddles?
>
>And while we are at it, it is my opinion that guys who post the
>correct answers for riddles/encounters/Dragons/etc. are
>helping to RUIN MEPBM.
>
>Imagine their version of the Hobbit...
>
>Gandalf gives Bilbo Baggins a piece of paper with the correct
>command on it so Bilbo and the dwarves can go and RECRUIT
>Smaug for use in the battle of the 5 armies.
>
>If you are afraid of a challenge, go ahead and keep passing all
>the information out and/or asking for it.
>
>					Michael Bench

I have read the Hobbit/LOTR/Simarillion a number of times, and still find
some of these riddles quite obscure.  I also have a book which provides a
cross index of ME names and characters, but not all names are covered.  Once
I spent many hours researching a riddle and made several incorrect tries
after a near miss of Smeagol failed.  It turned out GSI wanted Gollum.  Go
figure.  Now I look in the databases.  Saves a lot of time.  Besides,
answering riddles is a very small part of this game, only important if you
are seriously hunting artifacts.

When I started playing MEPBM several years ago, there were substantial
databases of game related info that it seemed like most of the experienced
players had access to.  To play without access to that info when your more
informed opponents are using it would not be a balanced game.  Now, there
are net sites with the collective information about the 1650 and 2950 games
(some of it erroneous).  Each person can chose to ignore this available
info, or they can use it.  I consider using this information similar to
reading strategy articles about the game or knowing the relative value of
Heavy Cav in Hills&Rough vs Heavy Inf.  Yes, you can chose to be entirely
self-taught, or you can build on the knowledge of others and bring your game
to a higher level of play.

If you really don't like the fact that others are using the "static
knowledge" about the game, try the Fourth Age game.  There the artifact
numbers change every game, as do the starting popcenters and characters.

- Patrick McGehearty
patrick@convex.hp.com

References

MEPBM 'riddle help' = you guys are weak...
MDBench@spamisevil.concentric.net
Fri, 08 Aug 1997 00:00:00 +0000