REview of ME-PBM (2/3) From: Rich <ricmal@delphi.com> Date: Tue, 30 May 1995 00:00:00 +0000 ME-PBM review part 2: Good points about ME-PBM: 1. Interaction with other players, allies and enemies. A lot of games have low or even no interaction formats, but ME-PBM is not one of them. I've (please note that 'I" refers to B.E. Wright, not the poster) enjoyed interactinmg with the many intelligent, capable people who've been attracted to this game. 2. In-game treachery. With some games it is hard to be treacherous. In this game, it is a REQUIREMENT! However, this is a game that rewards timing. If you backstab your ally too early, or too late, you'll lose the individual victory for sure. If you enjoy games where backstabbing is the norm, then ME-PBM will be a pleasure. 3. Interesting premise. If one were to examine this game without any knowledge of J.R.R. Tolkien, one would see a game with three distinct sides. An "evil" side mostly concentrated in the SE corner of the map, a "good" side who's largest powers are right beside the bad guys, but whose other groups arewidely dispersed; and a neutral side whose groups aredived into a souther and north western group. Each group of neutrals is powerful enough even at games start to tip the balance of power in their region. The usual course of things is that the eight evil positions adjoining the two strongest good positions in the south beat on each other mecilessly. In the north the evil group is slightly weaker than the good group, they NEED the neutrals to go evil. but it the neutrals DO, the northern good positions are in for a long campaign. The southern neutrals are in a similar situation with respect to the BIG conflicts. If they all go evil, it's all over for the good positions, if they all go good, the evils have much to fear. Usually the neutrals split one way or the other. But even within each alliance there's lots of room for back-stabbing (quite often special victory conditions for a nation include the death of an ally's character), theft, and other not so nice activities. As stated above, timing is important for the neutrals, the longer that wait to join the war, the stronger their kingdoms become, but the more resentful (desperate?) the aligned nations of each faction becomes. 4. Pretty graphics. Each character has a unique and well drawn portrait. The turn maps have large hexes and the map features are distinctive and easy to read. The overall map, in vivid color, is very attractive too. 5 OK economic system. This system is set up so that every commodity (from leather to steel) has a real military use, thus there is an inherent demand for everything. Supply is limited, and ironically the smaller locations (camps and villages) produce more goods than do large cities. However the larger towns and cities produce gold directly so that after sales the two produce about the same revenue. Thus the markets paly off of the limited supplyand economic system never crashes under its own weight. Some locations produce gold as a commodity, in this case the smaller locations are better than larger ones. The rules to move commodities about, buying and selling goods, are well thought out. It's not perfect, prices don't always reflect the true supply and demand (which is true in real life), but I've seen worse. 6. OK game newsletter, lets everyone blow off steam, announce victories, and has an article or two per issue. Considering the cost of turns, the price of the newsletter is a little high, but not excessive($15/12 issues). 7. The games run on time. ALWAYS. The game newsletter goes out at the first of the month. Always. This aspect of customer service is excellent, probably the best I have ever seen considering the sheer volume of games and game positions being run at the same time by GSI. 8. International relations. Each nation begins tolerant of, but not friendly with, nations on its side, disliking, but no hating nations on the opposing side, and neutral to the neutrals. To change another nation to friendlier or unfriendlier status take actions by the changing nation's commanders to affect their nation's outlook toward those other nations. Each level from friendly to hated affects diplomacy, combat, and the ability to move through another nation. It is difficult but NOT impossible to know how other nations feel about their neighbors. End of ME-PBM review part 2 of 3 Up