Re: pbm game fees

From: oyvind@merak.com (Oyvind Bjartveit)

Date: Wed, 13 Sep 1995 00:00:00 +0000

I had to reply to this one.

cezton@nvg.unit.no (Kjetil Friden) wrote:

>6) Snail-mail is much more fun than e-mail.  Period.
Why ???

>The day when the games I play gets 100% in my e-mailbox and the
>player-to-player diplomacy happens electronically, then _I_ will search
>for a new one, hope you can handle that, Doomesday Prophet!
>--

All the PBeM games I have played in for the last 7 years have been
like this.  When people talk about fast turnaround they aren't allways
talking about hourly turns.  I don't like turns that happen more often
than once a week.   Here is what typically happens for me in one turn.
I consider this a lot more fun than PBsnailM games.

1. I get my turn, have a quick look at it and send out a status report
with usfull information to my allies.  I typically receive the same
from them within 24 hours of geting my turn.  Start analysing and
planning my next turn.

2. Discussion of strategies with my allies. I sound them out on the
viability of my strategies, plan co-operative ventures, resquests
information etc.  Responce to my emails varies, but typically the
reponce time on my mail is measured in hours.  If something critical
is going on, it is measured in minutes.  This phase is one of the most
enjoyable to me.  Player interaction is one of the things that attract
me to PBM.

3. Mid turn- I put together a first draft of my orders, and mail them
in.  This is to ensure that I get a set if a disaster occurs, and to
check for errors.  I get a reply back telling my about my 100 errors.
My orders are modified, resent, etc. and finally syntactically
correct.

4. Plans are changed, new ideas thaught of etc. etc.  Orders are
modified and resent. I sometimes resend orders minutes before they are
due.

5. I get my next turn results........

IMHO the interaction and intesity caused by PBeM games is far superior
to PBsnailM games.

As for econimics:  There is a larger startup cost to run PBeM games.
You need the equipment network connections etc, and the developpment
costs/time is also greater.

The operating costs are far less though.  If the game is designed
well, there is hardly any need for any GM action.  The game more or
less runs itself.  On GM could run 100 games, assuming that all he
would have to do is to monitor player publications and the general
progress of the game.  It can make the industry profitable, even for
small companies.

Examples:
Olympia: 150-200 players. US$2.50/ turn. Weekly turns = US$
375-500/week.  ~ US$ 2000/month.  It doesn't take long to pay back the
equipment needed. The time and effort involved in the development is
going to take a bit longer.

Odyssey: 2 games at the moment. 50 players. US$5.0/turn. Weekly turns
= US$500/week.  Potential for 10 times as many games, and the
operating costs wouldn't much more than they are now.

Oyvind Bjartveit

References

Re: pbm game fees
cezton@nvg.unit.no (Kjetil Friden)
Wed, 06 Sep 1995 00:00:00 +0000
pbm game fees
keith.langley@mdcs.com (Keith Langley)
Mon, 28 Aug 1995 00:00:00 +0000
Re: pbm game fees
chrisk@yogi.NoSubdomain.NoDomain (Chris Kessel)
Tue, 29 Aug 1995 00:00:00 +0000
Re: pbm game fees
lepag001@maroon.tc.umn.edu (Garrett R Le-Page)
Tue, 29 Aug 1995 00:00:00 +0000
Re: pbm game fees
Steve Pritchard <Steve@spelbind.demon.co.uk>
Tue, 29 Aug 1995 00:00:00 +0000
Re: pbm game fees
chrisk@yogi.NoSubdomain.NoDomain (Chris Kessel)
Wed, 30 Aug 1995 00:00:00 +0000