Re: PBM costs

From: phy6drhj@ast.leeds.ac.uk (Dean Johnson)

Date: Tue, 29 Aug 1995 00:00:00 +0000

In article 595@protocol.protocol.com, chrisk@yogi.NoSubdomain.NoDomain (Chris Kessel) writes:
> |> Yeah, you've got THAT one right (among others)   I may need to form a MEPBM-
> |> Anon support group soon. <G>
> |>
> |> Player of seven games.  <And more on their way to me...>
>
> I've got a general question for all PBM players.  How do you
> afford it?  I used to play just one game, at $7.50 a turn it cost
> $15 a month, plus usually another $30 a month on phone bills.
> For that price I can buy a brand new computer or board game every
> month that will almost certainly give me more play time than the
> two PBM turns did, plus I'll have them forever and I can probably
> sell them to someone else eventually.  I guess I could afford it, but
> it seems I can get a hell of a lot more value for my money elsewhere.
>

Yeah, I play computer games as well.  I enjoy them but PBM gives me
something that they don't on the whole. i.e. Competition and cooperation
with other humans.  The diplomacy is the best bit.

> And never mind trying to play 3 or 4 games...that gets close to costing
> as much as my car payment!

Cost is not really the limiting factor (given that you have some
disposable income), time is.  For a $7.50/turn game the complexity
is usually high.  To do it justice (and get you money's worth) I
suspec that you have to invest a reasonable amount of time.  This
normally constrains me to playing one PBM of that type.  I play more
but they tend to be simple faster turnaround games.  Guess what, they
are cheaper too.

>
> I've thought on and off about playing again, but the costs involved are
> just way too high to really even consider it.

I guess you are thinking about it differently.  Compare it to what you
spend on alcohol (if you drink), videos or other entertainment per month.
How long does the game keep you occupied/entertained during that month?
That is what I use to judge whether a game is good value as that is
really what you are buying.

Dean

References

PBM costs
chrisk@yogi.NoSubdomain.NoDomain (Chris Kessel)
Fri, 25 Aug 1995 00:00:00 +0000

Referenced By

PBM costs
chrisk@yogi.NoSubdomain.NoDomain (Chris Kessel)
Fri, 25 Aug 1995 00:00:00 +0000