[PBEM News] To Boldly Go From: aspafford@juno-dot-com.no-spam.invalid (TBGer) Date: Fri, 02 Feb 2007 03:55:47 +0000 To Boldly Go (TBG) is an open-ended science-fiction play-by-web turn-based strategy game seeking additional players. However, unlike many on-line strategy games, there is a significant social/role-playing element to TBG which is essential to your long-term survival and success. Best of all, TBG is totally and 100% free. See: http://tbg.fyndo.com/tbg/tbg.html. With nearly 100 active players, TBG is a game of exploration, combat, trade, adventure, learning, acquisition and diplomacy that has been running for 10 years. Although most of this text-based space simulation game has a hard SF look, the treatment of very advanced aliens as deities and the use of spells adds a fantasy element. Each new player is a starship captain, given an old and failing ship by a group of mysterious aliens ("the Great Old Ones") with which to make a name for themselves. The starship comes with four inexperienced officers, no crew, and is made of primitive demo modules carrying just $500 units of energy (with energy functioning as money). Play begins in a star system containing an alien homeworld and other useful locations. Because demo modules decay rapidly, players must find non-demo replacements fairly quickly (especially a warp drive, which is essential for most movement). Modules of various tech-levels can be acquired by purchasing them from shops, successfully completing adventures, trading with player-ships, or attacking other ships (either aliens or players). Local space is a cluster of a hundred stars or so, containing about fifteen hundred assorted locations of interest: any other stars aren't accessible yet. A typical turn consists of having the four officers do things (for example, the science officer might go netrunning in the old Empire's computers while the weaponry officer hunts criminals, the medical officer researches medicine, and the engineer raises cash by asteroid mining), exploring for hidden opportunities, possibly a battle with another player or alien, and often ends with a jump to a different star for the following turn's adventures. Interacting with other players and learning the various alliance connections and "social customs" (e.g., the less powerful ship is usually expected to hail the more powerful ship) is a significant part of TBG, and a key to maximizing ship development. While the TBG turn mechanism supports an anonymous ship-to-ship mail system and a turnly public newsletter, large amounts of diplomacy occurs via e-mail. Communications originate from a multitude of diverse forums -- both public and private mailing lists -- as well as direct mails to allies (to plot strategy) and adversaries (for the clever to sow confusion and discord). Players choose their own goals and play until achieving them, or until some disaster -- often in the shape of another player -- destroys their position. New positions are usually available within a week of passing a short proficiency test (to ensure players understand a few key rules and are "serious" about playing). Turns process three times a week (Monday, Wednesday and Friday, at noon Pacific time), with ship and officer actions selected using a web form. We look forward to seeing you. -- posted from PBEM News - PBEM listings and announcements Reply to this post at http://www.pbemnews.org Up