Quest List 10/5/95 From: ">>-Josh->" <J.P.Gallagher@durham.ac.uk> Date: Wed, 10 May 1995 00:00:00 +0000 ____________________________________________________________________ | | | THE QUEST DIGEST | | The forum for the E-mailing Quest-players | | Compiled by Josh Gallagher: J.P.Gallagher@durham.ac.uk | | Date: 10th May 1995 | |____________________________________________________________________| o This is not an automatically generated compilation, so if all contributions could be sent to me in a seperate e-mail with paragraphs initialled, I would appreciate it a lot. o Please do not use this list for your own purposes; people do not appreciate thousands of pieces of mail arriving a day! o If you ever want taking off the list, just say, and I will be happy to do so. I don't want telling off for any nuisance mail! o All material here is the exclusive property of the author and may not be used elsewhere without their permission. JPG> Exams exams exams... but I'm not stressed... no, really... -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Quest Helpline service. This helpline is chaired a by a panel of experienced Quest players, who will be available to answer any queries or solve any problems to do with Quest. Send e-mail to <godfrey2@cov.ac.uk> and give "Quest help" as the subject line. Contact me if you want to join the panel. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Sun, 7 May 1995 12:25:51 +0100 (BST) From: "Bill the Hamster." <godfrey2@coventry.ac.uk> > NPO> Does anybody out there, know of any Quest WWW sites.... > If there isn't any, I have a very small amount of stuff on > my home page and I would like more!!!! BTH> If anyone out there would like to do a Web page, but doesn't have access to a web server, I'd be happy to give you space on mine. Mail me if you would like to run a Quest page. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: editor@elbon.demon.co.uk (Paul Noble) > It would add an unknown to movement rate, especially off roads, and > might open up a new area for low-level magic and miracles. PN> how about this, use a lightning Blast when it's raining and everybody gets fried! I agree that weather would make for a more interesting game although the movement changes may be hard to impliment, also the problem of where weather stops and starts, you can't have all of kharne being rained on and then snowed the next, perhaps if it were localised, say 50% cahnge of snow in the mountains. > out now KJC know of the problem......but my latest PP did have a spelling > error. PN> My G3 group was going to be the run of the mill type cast Londoner Yuppie, you know, filofaxes etc. The Battle cry was to be ... Oi, Slags, Shat it! it came out.... O'slags Shut up. Slightly camp methinks. PN> This is connected to the xp gained from fights when a character doesn't get a hit in. Me and James Mintram compared notes on various fights we had and came to the conclusion that the when a monster was killed early in the melee round then the rest of the characters continued to hit the monster, despite it being dead already. James fought an imp (not very hard) and killed it with the first hit (guy on 100WS with big axe). The XP for the fight was around 250! when looking at who got the xp it became apparent that the characters with the highest WS got the additional XP, as if they would have scored hits only there was nothing to hit. Being killed early in the round meant the party still had chances to hit it. This has been borne out with a few fights both of us have had, perhaps looking through your old turns and checking the chars who gained the XP will add further wieght to this theory. Laugh if you wish. > AH> I'm trying to restart the Unicorn thing in G3 but no-one else seems > to be joining in...yet - time to write some letter to evil ally's PN> Whats the Unicorn thing? > AH> Alright, I have to come clean - the best mage I have ever recruited > had 48sk. Yes I do offer 1000+ gp's and I have done 20+ recruit orders > for EM's and still no joy. So be thankfull it wasn't a 38sk mage (but with > wonderfull other stats - not that it compensates much) I had turn up :( I have had recruits for 57, 58, 53, 56, 54 skills as well as the crappy 36sk, but Dean got the king of 59sk, just after I'd handed over the group as well, did I feel sick? I think so. > JPG> Hmmm.. have you been trying Luck of Novala? I was advised not to PN> I honsetly think that Lucks are probably the most overrated spells around, I've never found any better recruits using Lucks, in fact quite the opposite. The only thing I use Luck for is to keep my Novala Alignment. Luck reduces the XP gained from robs so I don't like it, I'd prefer to get a big XP gain than a big money gain, especially if you get big money and then have little xp to train up with. > EJ I could be wrong but I am sure that you can recruit recruits on your next > turn (the turn after they were offered) whenever you send the turn in, even if > you miss a game week out. PN> What happens if you just put in a X 22 Gonk join order and you havn't even issued a J order? -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Mon, 8 May 1995 00:33:13 +0200 From: magnuz.aemp@medstroms.se (Magnus Cassersj\v) >MC I'd agree on KJC and P.Reads comments, as I know the conditions (eventhough I don't run PBMs in such a large scale), just seems hard to get the players to understand the conditions for a PBM-firm... ;) But... >PR>The worst thing about PBM are the players. >MC I couldn't agree on this - would be quite boring just sitting and filling in turns *and* processing them all by yourself, wouldn't it?! There will allways be players who won't bother to look through the rules before they phone. Everyone wants a 'deep' PBM but few wants to spend hours reading the rules, I guess... -------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: "Edwin Lambregts" <J.W.P.Lambregts@kub.nl> Date: 8 May 95 12:13:51 MET >CMD> December 1993. I send in a turn. And wait... and wait... and wait... and >'phone KJC up. They claim never to have received it (about 4-6 weeks after I >sent it). Processed turn arrives 4 days later. > >CMD> Two months ago. I send in a turn. And wait... and wait... and wait... >and 'phone KJC up. An update follows immediately. Actual processed turn >arrives 6 weeks later. (It's very worrying when I get it... it looks like I've >given out a load of orders that I didn't and my character skills are lower >than I expected...) > >CMD> Now I'm not going to rush to blame KJC for these, as they may well be >just Post Office faults. However, considering my experience of PBM, not just >Quest, but other KJC Games games, and other, non-KJC Games games, I wouldn't >be so sure. > EL>"Fortunately" (NOT) this is not only a KJC-problem. My friend Emiel Wanders (he gets this digest too, so: "hi Emiel") is playing the game at PBM Express in Holland (like me) and he is also waiting for a turn he sent 4 weeks ago (give or take a week). Phonecalls do not seem a remedy. This is already the second time it happened. ..... Makes you think about quitting Quest... doesn't it ? Keep on hoping for better times! Greetz.... Edwin -------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: maximus@IAEhv.nl (Frank Maximus) Date: Mon, 8 May 1995 22:01:50 +0200 (MET DST) The homepage will be: http://www.iaehv.nl/users/maximus/quest.html The 1st release will be at Monday evening (MET) 15 May 1995 JPG> This was snipped from an email to me, (hope you don't mind, Frank!). I haven't checked out the page yet, but will do soon.... I'll get a link to it from my own homepage soon... -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Mon, 8 May 1995 23:25:29 +0200 From: magnuz.aemp@medstroms.se (Magnus Cassersj\v) >>JPG> Thing that persuaded me against it was extra cost. I dunno, it may have been worth it.. I like the idea of a semi-hand moderated Quest game. MC> Never ever trust a PBM with hand-mod'! In most cases they'll drop/fold or (even worse?!) they'll be like for ex. Spellbinders The Apoch, where it could take *months* before you'd get your turn back. I'd like to add about Spellbinder; if you even imagine that KJC mistreats you then you should try out Spellbinder Games. I could nag about it but I won't... However, last time I had a problem I wrote a personal letter to Kevin, explained what had happened (together with a copy of my turn) and guess what? He fixed it! -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Tue, 9 May 1995 09:16:58 +0200 (CES) From: ui99@rz.uni-karlsruhe.de (Roland Ottl) Just a short note here for that monster value list: SEER 1620gold 7sectors south + 9sectors east Carry on ! Roland Ottl *** eMail ui99@rz.uni-karlsruhe.de -------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Neil Benson <9365040@mull.sms.ed.ac.uk> Date: Tue, 9 May 1995 09:35:48 +0000 > One of the problems with most games is the unrealistic predictability. > If weather was introduced to Quest, it could affect movement and > sighting distances somewhat. NB> Are you kidding? I have one of my characters very seriously injured. So I know next turn their movement will be reduced, but by how much I don't know. So I don't know if I'll make it back to the city, so the quest might fail, etc. etc. I don't want the situation to change during the game week so that all my orders fail becuase it rained and we got stuck in the mud! > Peter Read, GM dynamic Games >The worst thing about PBM are the players. NB> And you're still in business? Surely if you had no players, you wouldn't make as much money? Peter, please let us hear your description of the perfect, player-free PBM game? NB> The reason that KJC are receiving the sharp end of the stick recently is because we all pay them relatively a lot of money for six sheets of paper. If it was _me_ that everybody paid then _I'd_ receive the criticism. KJC take our money. They aren't giving good value for money. Only _they_ can improve the game system. NB> You've got to remember that KJC market students. To a student stlg1.80 is equivalent to four loaves of bread and four pints of milk. One turn is still only half a dozen sheets of paper. We're all willing to pay for the anticipation, the drama, and the suspense; but these things have gone and we're faced with boredom turn after turn. We still play in the hope these things will return. Only KJC have means to improve our turns. Meanwhile, I'll keep fighting to improve the game outside of the turns, that's all I can do. CMD> I'd like to know what other fantasy PBMs people play and how they compare to Quest. NB> I tried Serim Ral for a few turns. That was a great game and had some excellent ideas that could make Quest fantastic. Unfortunately it wasn't an open-ended game and my game was filled with cliques who didn't appreciated newbies. NB> Serim Ral begins much like Quest with a few characters and a map. You own a castle and troops who are assigned to the leaders. You have to trade with other players and with NPCs for materials to expand your realm and build more castles. Battles offer experience or the chance to join more troops. The terrain included lots of interesting and magical locations such as tombs and magical glades and things. You could carry out wars, assassinations, bartering, alliances, craft armour, weapons, etc. etc. NB> Good possibilities but you need to be prepared to stick with it for a few games before you break into the cliques and discover all the secrets needed to suruvive - like how to prevent your mage being killed when he successfully reseached a spell - I lost both of mine like that. >DR > Quest > is very good to start with. I used to be a nervous wreck waiting for the > postie with my questies. Today it just isn't the same. The only thing of > interest is to see if the group's had a Battle. We want more in the game > and if we sit in the corner and say nothing, NOTHING will be done. The > reason I still play is I have an alliance of nearly 40 members now, I get > a lot of enjoyment out of their letters and creating an interesting newsletter > every month. NB> l echo all that! -------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: "Ewan Jones" <c1ej@dmu.ac.uk> Date: Tue, 09 May 1995 15:18:55 BST EJ Is there anyone else with anything Quest related on their WWW homepage ? Mine (though still under construction) is accessable via :- *********************************** * http://www.cms.dmu.ac.uk/~c1ej/ * *********************************** (JPG> see Frank Maximus, above.. he got permission for the blurbs and stuff) EJ Game 15: If anyone playing in this game knows anything about the Glooooom (as opposed to Dooooom) alliance advert in the newspapers please contact me. EJ I have recently trained my BT upto 99 skill by turn 17 (in game 16), can anyone beat this or is this a record ? -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Tue, 9 May 1995 16:20:11 +0100 (BST) From: "C.H.E.B." <ctc@coventry.ac.uk> > From: bv@bigblue.no (B. Vermo) > From: dynamic@dynamic.DIALix.oz.au (Peter Read) > > G'day Gentlemen, CC> I am neither gentle nor a man > Someone complained that Kevin is making good money out of Quest. > Sure he is, and so am I - it's a reward we eventually receive for [snip] CC> I think the point is you make money out of us therefore your standard of service should be good enough to justify those returns. > Inputter errors are another problem. Many times it is the player > who is at fault, but it is easer to blame the inputter than to [snip] CC> I'm not denying I ever cock-up a turn and when I have rang KJC about that major booboo they have been more than helpful. However "Any errors are the fault of the player" doesn't cut much ice with me. If you can say "where humans are involved there will be errors" then that has to work for the inputters too; or are they Martians <G> I can type properly but after a couple of hours the concentration goes and I spend a lot of time reaching for the backspace. > or H 2 119 5. If the inputter is an experienced gamer, they correct > the problems and you wouldn't even realise you had made an error. CC> Good, very nice but how many staff actually play in a game they input? (If I was one, I'd be sick to death of Quest by the time I got home without running a group.) > Poor response to phone calls. The worst thing about PBM are the > players. I spend a lot of time giving answers to questions that CC> Then get out of the F*#@ing business. I'm sorry, but that is so ARROGANT! Older players know better than to ring up the GM especially with a more rigidly-structured order such as Quest. I can understand questions for free-style games. If a new player needs help, then it's in your interest to help them. Otherwise they'll just decide the game is too complex and will give up - and you lose cash. > I have a lot of other comments but I'll get off my soap box before > this gets too long. Unfortunately, things do go wrong and it seem CC> Too late. Personally, you sound as if you really can't be arsed. So give up. > Regards Peter Read. GM of Dynamic Games in Australia. CC> Guess which company I won't be playing with in the future. > AH> Alright, I have to come clean - the best mage I have ever recruited > had 48sk. Yes I do offer 1000+ gp's and I have done 20+ recruit orders CC> You don't want to hear about the three I've got at 55 skill for 1000 gps, do you? <EG> > NPO> Does anybody out there, know of any Quest WWW sites.... > If there isn't any, I have a very small amount of stuff on > my home page and I would like more!!!! > At the moment there is nothing of interest to people who aren't > in game six. So bloody well send me your stuff so there will be! > I would very much Like to have that FAQ on there Chris CC> The updated version should be around after the exams finished (too much coursework due over Easter). It will be done in AmigaGuide format, so it should be easy to convert to html. CC> If anyone wants to quote my FAQ or spread it around, but KEEP MY NAME ON IT. Or I will get very annoyed. You won't like that. > DR> KH > Just because you think it's a great game doesn't mean everyone does. Quest > is very good to start with. I used to be a nervous wreck waiting for the > Fine, Quest does have a lot to offer. Come back and tell me in 100 > turns time that quest has something to offer. I'm there and there is very > little bar combat, believe me. CC> Hear, hear! I've got two 100+ turn groups and one 70 turn group and life is BORING. I haven't the heart to engage groups with E orders because I'd wipe them out (exceptions for groups with general hostiles or groups who annoy me!). CC> More, tougher monsters (NOT magic-killing but ones which stay in melee). Has anyone out there played "The Magic Candle" on computer - talking to characters leads you to dungeon locations, but once there you need an item(s) which have to be sought across the land. > So you haven't had a mis-type yet, aren't you lucky. You'll be > saying different when a 'G' order gets typed in as a 'H' order and no gold CC> Friend of mine tried to hand all his hides to the Town Council, got inputted as give gold and 13 members each gave 464 gps. > FET> About wanted changes in Quest. I would appreciate more > common sense from my spellcasters. Slumber/Charm/Confusion > etc. doesn't work on "mindless" monsters (like Gt.Beetles), > but nonetheless - every time in run into these beasts my > spellcasters insist on making the same mistakes again and > again and again. They should learn that a certain combina- > tion of spell and monsters is no use and let it be. They > don't use anti-undead spells on non-undead monsters (even > though this spell is top-priority), why can't the same be > true for mind-affecting spells against mindless foes?? CC> Probably too complex to program. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Tue, 9 May 1995 10:44:35 +0100 (BST) From: Lord of Spoons <A.O.Hooper@herts.ac.uk> > JPG> Hmmm.. have you been trying Luck of Novala? I was advised not to > get a mage with a skill of below 50, and I only offer 1001 or 1099 for > mages.. admittedly I have only ever had one offer of above 50, but he > makes a very nice addition to the part. :-) AH> Yep I have tried Luck - I cast it most turns in cities to aid robberies anyway. Perhaps a call spirit of Phyloqure would help? Which reminds me - we all know what good a spirit of Novala does, but what about the spirits other gods? I'm sure it is not worth recruiting a mage with less than 50sk if you have the time but I'd rather get on with interesting turns as personally real life $ are worth more than gp's. All I want them for is their acid blasts anyway..... > From: NP Olver <np-olver@csm.uwe.ac.uk> > I'm just wondering that to spend it all on? AH> If you have less than 15 characters (or a few useless characters) I'd spend 1000 on a 'super' character otherwise perhaps something different like a magic ring. > From: Dave Rees <chaos@thanes.demon.co.uk> > No we feast on honey roast peasant for tea! All members are expected to > feast on ex-enemy adventurers killed in battle. If it's been a lean time > peasants have to do. The trouble is buying the honey in the first place, no > shops seem to sell it. (Could be time for a new item?) AH> So *thats* where all those empty jars in dungeons come from. Its the litter left over from a honey roast peasant picnic..... -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Wed, 10 May 1995 21:41:03 GMT From: kryten@menageri.demon.co.uk (Kryten) I agree that it is a good idea to use the digest for game messages etc... I personally write the newsletter for an alliance in game 11, The Dawn Raiders, and would find it useful to be able to contact others about events in that game. JPG> *grins* A third game 11 player... kewl.. :-) I'll reply to your email in a minute... I also agree that it might be easier to have two 'digests', the first with info and comments on quest in general, the second with game specific info, but then I don't do the editing. In response to some of the comments in the last few digests about turns arriving late, incorrect etc.. I've not had many problems myself but do know someone who was sent another persons turn sheet by mistake along with his own, another friend had his first startup turn completely mucked up, and I am waiting now to see if the postal strike here in Edinburgh has cost me a TQ for one party and another quest for my other. I was interested to read that there are only a few places that you can buy mage skill at. Is this true for all games or just specfic ones. I ask as my mages desperately need training but I can't find any place to train at, all the magic shops I have investigated don't sell it? Can you confirm? JPG> I can confirm that in game 11 I haven't found any yet either... still working on it though... Well hopefully you should receive this missive in good time, that is if Akamon (my DF) decides not to eat the carrier pigeon. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Wed, 10 May 1995 10:34:36 +0100 (BST) From: Lord of Spoons <A.O.Hooper@herts.ac.uk> AH> Just quickly for those who wanted to know Kevin Croppers e-mail. It is (I think - I'll check again later): 100412.2424@compuserve.com AH> I would suggest only using it if you *really* wanted to contact him for something important - or flaming his arse! <VBEG>. (If this gets mis-used because it got posted here I'll have to claim someone else logged on as me and did it ;> ) AH> Before I go - the inputter who used to leave notes at the end of your turn, saying your letters were read and what was done about it, was Sarah - you know, the one KJC dont employ any more. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- JPG> Apologies for any late response / lack of verbosity... exams exams exams... :-( Well, at least I have Quest turns to break the monotomy... and of course the Quest Digest to put out. :-) Joy... Happy Questing... good luck on exams... >>-Josh-> "Dreamer... Nothing but a dreamer..." Up