New type of game: prototype game replacement players needed From: tenny@games.ultranet.com (Dave Tenny) Date: Sun, 22 Jun 1997 00:00:00 +0000 TENN Adventures in the Tenth Millennium I need replacement players for a free (prototype) PBEM game of galactic conquest. This game is a fully computer moderated discrete event simulation, and it is therefore somewhat richer in event complexity and object interaction than most games (though this is offset by the early prototype nature of game at this point in time). This game is not for lightweight players. I need rabid rip, snarl, and tear types of players who will really beat on the game for me. We're running two turns per week. This is a prototype game under development. So far we've run 120 turns on this game, so the empire you get may be in shambles. However there will be plenty of raw materials, and a standing offer of "reincarnation" for prototype game players who get creamed. While there aren't any rules as such governing game play, the technology on which you base your strategy changes enough that your plans may occassionally be clobbered, because of the prototype nature of the game. On the other hand, your feedback on what makes the game work for you is extremely sought after, and may be incorporated as development continues. THERE IS NO GRAPHICAL USER INTERFACE. Well, that's not strictly true, but what we have is pretty sorry excuses for GUIs. If you can write them, you're even more welcome to play. Turnsheets are currently ascii, and should be compatible with any program or computer you use to receive e-mail. What pathetic excuses for GUIs currently exist are mostly PC oriented, though I'm expecting some Java enabled GUIs soon. The moral of this story (the above paragraph) is that if you have never played a game using graph paper to plot your position, you may have difficulty with this one. The PC-based tools are useful enough that graph paper isn't usually necessary, but we're not much beyond that at this point. Again, this game is for die-hard gamers who like detailed strategy games. A sample (homeworld quadrant) turnsheet fragment might look like: <NUCLEAR-QUADRANT-MINE-FIELD-1>{0,0}[0]: TOTAL-UNITS: 109, UNITS-AVAILABLE: 109 <PLANET-1>{0,0}[0]: RADIUS: 9043, TYPE: ROCK-BALL, ATMOSPHERE-COMPOSITION: OXYGEN-NITROGEN, ATMOSPHERE-DENSITY: MEDIUM, TEMPERATURE: TEMPERATE-COLD, TERRAIN-TYPE: PLAINS, NATIVE-LIFE-RATING: INTELLIGENT, MINERAL-ABUNDANCES: [GEM-STONES: AMPLE, RARE-EARTHS: AMPLE, RADIOACTIVE-ELEMENTS: AMPLE, PRECIOUS-METALS: AMPLE, INDUSTRIAL-METALS: AMPLE, LIGHT-METALS: AMPLE, ORGANICS: AMPLE], AXIAL-TILT: 27, SOLID-AREA-PERCENT: 27, GRAVITY: 1.578, CONTAINED-OBJECTS: ( <MINING2><POPULATION-CENTER-301>: MAGNITUDE: 5 SIZE: 10074287, VERBOSITY: INTERESTING, CONTAINED-OBJECTS: ( <MINE-224>: MAGNITUDE: 5, ELEMENT-TYPE: LIGHT-METALS SIZE: 2500000, EVENT-STATE: RUNNING, EVENT-COMPLETION-TIME: 12.23.4.15.34, <MINE-223>: MAGNITUDE: 5, ELEMENT-TYPE: RADIOACTIVE-ELEMENTS SIZE: 2500000, EVENT-STATE: RUNNING, EVENT-COMPLETION-TIME: 12.23.4.15.34, <MINE-222>: MAGNITUDE: 5, ELEMENT-TYPE: LIGHT-METALS SIZE: 2500000, EVENT-STATE: RUNNING, EVENT-COMPLETION-TIME: 12.23.4.15.34, <MINE-221>: MAGNITUDE: 5, ELEMENT-TYPE: INDUSTRIAL-METALS SIZE: 2500000, EVENT-STATE: RUNNING, EVENT-COMPLETION-TIME: 12.25.1.00.01, <STOCKPILE-779>: ELEMENT-TYPE: LIGHT-METALS SIZE: 240, TOTAL-UNITS: 240, UNITS-AVAILABLE: 240 <STOCKPILE-780>: ELEMENT-TYPE: INDUSTRIAL-METALS SIZE: 240, TOTAL-UNITS: 120, UNITS-AVAILABLE: 120 <STOCKPILE-508>: ELEMENT-TYPE: RADIOACTIVE-ELEMENTS SIZE: 342, TOTAL-UNITS: 488, UNITS-AVAILABLE: 488 ) TOTAL-UNITS: 73465, UNITS-AVAILABLE: 23465 <PC1><POPULATION-CENTER-1>: MAGNITUDE: 6 SIZE: 26419314, VERBOSITY: INTERESTING, CONTAINED-OBJECTS: ( <INTRA-QUADRANT-LASER-CANNON-939>: SIZE: 10, <INTRA-QUADRANT-LASER-CANNON-938>: SIZE: 10, <INTRA-QUADRANT-LASER-CANNON-937>: SIZE: 10, <INTRA-QUADRANT-LASER-CANNON-936>: SIZE: 10, <INTRA-QUADRANT-LASER-CANNON-935>: SIZE: 10, <SHIP-668>: SPACE-REMAINING: 105 SIZE: 115, CONTAINED-OBJECTS: ( <RAM-SCOOP-ENGINE-364>: SIZE: 10, ) <SHIP-FACTORY-1>: MAXIMUM-SIZE: 10, CURRENT-SIZE: 5 SIZE: 200, <SHIP-FACTORY-36>: MAXIMUM-SIZE: 20, CURRENT-SIZE: 5 SIZE: 300, <SHIP-FACTORY-37>: MAXIMUM-SIZE: 20, CURRENT-SIZE: 5 SIZE: 300, <SMALL-MASS-DRIVER-ENGINE-88>: SIZE: 1, <SMALL-MASS-DRIVER-ENGINE-FACTORY-5>: SIZE: 500, <SUB-STELLAR-EMR-SENSOR-181>: SIZE: 5, RUNNING: YES <SUB-STELLAR-EMR-SENSOR-FACTORY-10>: SIZE: 400, TOTAL-UNITS: 415300, UNITS-AVAILABLE: 257775 ) As you can see, it's a VERY data intensive game. 1+ hours per turn is not unusual for an advanced empire. Note that empires can support multiple players if you want to split the workload with someone, and in fact some of the replacement player slots are for "co-players" in an empire, though if you're brought in as a coplayer, it usually means you're running the whole empire for the prototype game, and that you have a "lurker" in your empire who I've invited to watch the game play. Order syntax isn't for the faint of heart either: you might write orders like: (do-serial ;; execute these orders one after another, ;; not in parallel (get intra-quadrant-laser-cannon :from <pc1> :for <ship-668>) (loop ;; Execute the following orders until I ;; cancel this order (move <ship-668> <star-56> orbit) (move <ship-668> <star-55> orbit))) ; patrol this binary star system The player guide is about 110 pages. You don't need to read all of it to play, but it gives you an idea about the magnitude of game complexity. So, if you can hack this stuff and want to play, please sign up! Visit the "alpha game signup page" derived from the TENN homepage: http://www.ultranet.com/~tenny/tenn.shtml Don't forget to click on "send" when you fill out the signup form. The web page and FAQ are in a sorry state. I put all my time into the server technology, running turns, and keeping the player guide up to date. This is a part time fly-by-night effort. However I've been working on the game for 7 years, and the fact that the first prototype game has run 120 turns should show that I'm reasonably dedicated to the effort. (Note that the 120 turns weren't all run at 2 per week, this prototype game has been running for less than a year). Note that the player guide is not available via the web site. It is made available to players after the signup screening process when they actually start playing the game. This is why I've given some samples above demonstrating what the game output and input look like (to entice you or scare you off, either serves the correct function). I only need one or two replacement players right now. If you sign up and I can't use you right away, you'll be in the queue for the next opening, typically every 4-6 weeks. It's also possible I may start a new prototype game soon, and the players who have demonstrated real "play effort" in the first prototype game will be first in line for the next prototype game. One final caveat: do not sign up if you have any professional affiliation with commercial gaming houses. I don't need my competitors picking up my few decent ideas in advance of the release of this game. By signing up, you acknowledge that you have NO commercial gaming affiliations. Post Groups: rec.games.pbm, comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.strategic "TENN" and "Adventures in the Tenth Millennium" are trademarks and/or service marks of Jeffrey D. Tenny. Dave Tenny tenny@games.ultranet.com Up