Quest Digest 2/5/95

From: ">>-Josh->" <J.P.Gallagher@durham.ac.uk>

Date: Tue, 02 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: 2nd 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> I think I got the date right this time.. :-)

JPG> Yup, another one, so fast, so soon... more like the old days. :-)
Please keep stuff coming in... the heat level seems to be rising in the
flame department, and coolant might be on the shopping list soon if it
gets _too_ bad...

JPG> Couple of things before we start.  Firstly, Steve has written to me
asking if I'd conduct a survey relating to process times and receiving
times for your turns.  I've drafted out a form, and subject to Steve's
approval that will be coming your way soon.

JPG> Secondly, the reason this is out so soon is because I'm getting lots
of long emails which reply to everything in the last digest, invariably
quoting much of it.  I don't mind quoting, and it isn't too bad at the
moment, but it does tend to make the digest less readable so if everyone
could keep it to the bare minimum I would appreciate it.

JPG> There is another reason it's so soon... I'm bored with my work and
wanted something interesting to do. :-)  Oh, Bill, I keep forgetting to
say; deepest apologies for getting you chucked out of your account at
Coventry... um.. oops. *half grin*  Cheers for letting me use it for the
time I could though, much appreciated.  And if you feel like updating the
helpline service add at any time...

--------------------------------------------------------------------------
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.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: roger.littlefair@unn.ac.uk
Date: Mon, 1 May 1995 13:41:40 +0100 (BST)

RoJ>I only get one letter that is in the form of characters, but the
player also sends a normal letter.  Having one A4 character letter and the
normal letter would be perfect in my opinion.

RoJ> Anyone had trouble with ` between ` turn fights?  My Dad`s latest had
part of the description missing and said something similar to Glopnip
seriously w. gravydish was wounded by..., but a lot was missed it seemed.

(JPG> Maybe it got confused by the names....)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: 01 May 95  16:34:41 BST
From: S Hughes <shug@festival.ed.ac.uk>

<snipped stuff>
I am trying to creat a map of Kharne <14> using a mapping program
developed by a friend. I have a complete and accurate map of the north of
Kharne and the occasional settlement form the middle zone and little form
down south. I am very keen to get hold of this info, and obviously have
much to offer for it. I hope you are able to put me in touch with the
appropriate people. Thanks very much. All the best

Stephen Hughes

JPG> This wasn't originally directed at the digest, but I thought some of
you may be able to get in contact with Stephen about this.  Email address
above.
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From: Neil Benson <9365040@mull.sms.ed.ac.uk>
Date:          Mon, 1 May 1995 16:50:43 +0000

> PN> Alas the games cannont be saved and the solution is not role playing the
> groups, there is not a cure to this bullshit know as quest.

NB> Wrong.  There is a way.  I don't know what it is but I'm prepared
to work damn hard to find it.  I've invested too much of my time and
effort into Quest to just let it slide.  So I'm prepared to try
something new.  Perhaps if you joined in you might find something for
you here?

> PN> To SA, please stop selling your 8 Dogs here.

NB>  Paul, this is everyone's digest and Stefan's alliance news is
certainly a lot more welcome than your pessimistic missives.

SF> Neil, Bit of a gross generalisation that the people at KJC can't use grammar
> correctly. My O-Level grade A says that I can! Please keep your flaming to
> yourself.

NB>  Steve, rather than try and make a point, I'd rather you just
fixed that grammatical errors that someone _has_ made.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Mon, 1 May 1995 19:21:29 +0100 (BST)
From: "C.H.E.B." <ctc@coventry.ac.uk>

> NB>OK, I'm not critising anyone here.  Perhaps in the game you guys are

CC> If you can criticise KJC's grammar (and god knows, it warrants it) I can
criticise your spelling!

> NB> Chris, your expressing my sentiments exactly.  Things used to be

CC> To all those who agreed with me THANK YOU! I really have been
recieving letters from other G7 players complaining about the poor service.

CC> As an addition to my last diatribe, I sent a polite but firm not to
Kevin Cropper with my last turns (miraculously all three returned unscathed)
but didn't even get an acknowlegement of my letter! Someone read it
because they changed my account number, but I would have felt a lot
better if I was assured that Kevin had read it himself. As far as I know,
some inputter read it, thought "bollocks" and dumped it. Steve?

NB> the game5 rumours - there are no spaces between any commas,
> repeated full stops, and sentences never start with a capital.  I
> wrote to have mine desc corrected (on a handwritten scroll!) and it
> was completely ignored!

CC> You aren't the only one. There were mistakes on two of my three PP
cards (one I can't be arsed to have corrected, but I can spell and I'm
sick of other players blaming me for inputters' illiteracy). And as for
the last rumour card I sent it .... just too awful to talk about.

> > AH> I think that making plusx armour slightly resistant a bad idea. Some
>
> NB> At 6000 gold per suit - it would need to be damn good.  So it
> gives you 22AR, but AR only protects from damage.  You could buy

CC> And one acid blast and bye bye ...

> > SA> Another thing struck me. Why don't start to offer temple quests for
> > beasts in a nearby dungeon too? Or maybe ONLY temple quests for

CC> Nice idea, but could you really be bothered to trapse down that
dungeon? I don't bother with any T Quest which is more than a days walk
away. Would be nice to come up against some DECENT monsters though.

> > CC> I would like to congratulate Unfortunately I can't because it's

> NB>  I got charged for the turn which said: "All your characters have
> been killed.  Thank you for playing Quest."  Bloody cheek.

CC> That's well out of order. Presumably they used the "We PROCESSED it"
excuse?

> CMD> Whoa, Chris, KJC have got your gander, haven't they? I agree with you

CC> WELL SPOTTED - give that man a rat fur!

> not my place to tell a company how to conduct its affairs, turnaround times

CC> Why, they seem to have no idea themselves!

> poor service from KJC anecdotes, certain people may get the message. Kevin

CC> Not as long as we keep paying up. How about a period where no-one
sends in thier turns?

> 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.

CC> An almost identical thing happened to me a while ago.

> 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

CC> In four years of heavy post office usage I have NEVER had a letter
lost. And I used to send CASH through the post to KJC.

> CMD> What Chris (Christine "C.H.E.B." Clarke) has said about turns going in
                   ^^^^^^^^^
   That's CHRIS or you're going to be on the recieving end of my Luggage.

> the wrong envelopes and being sent to the wrong people may happen more
> frequently than she thinks. Thankfully, none of my turns have ever gone to

CC> Entirely possible. It happened once to me in Game 1 - I was lucky, it
was a nice guy who received the turn and he just returned it. He could have
expelled half my chars.

> CMD> Quest Digest Improvements poll. It may have been going on for two or three

CC> Quest Improvements poll - good idea
Quest Improvements poll implimentation - total garbage
Far too awkward. I admit I'm lazy, but it was just a total pain.

> >CC> If Steve is reading this, could you explain to me
> >why if my Jaunt II spell fails (because I try to go to level 12 when there are
> >only 3 levels, for example) why my mage still uses power points, despite not

> PN> doesn't jauntingto 10 get you to the bottom level? I'm sure I heard

CC> Not if it's a three-level dungeon! What I wanted to know was why is
my mage still using power points?

> >CC>I really would like an answer to these question (and a response regarding
> >turnaround times) because I'm beginning to feel as if KJC just couldn't
> >give a shit.

> PN> They don't, to them we're just money, sodding tolerate money at that.

CC> Then let's start getting LESS tolerant.

> >CC>know KJC hadn't used to be this bad. I personally blame running too many

> PN> Agreed, kill the footballers!

CC> In-game or in real life? Both?

(JPG> Both)

CC> Could whoever is interested in befriending this guy in G12/13/14/15
(whatever combination it is) mail me individually, please? I'm not too
bright and I find it easier to do a straight reply than cut and paste half
the digest. And sometimes I don't get a chance to read ALL of the digest
(sorry, Josh).
(JPG> Sometimes I don't either. :-)

> SF> Neil, Bit of a gross generalisation that the people at KJC can't use grammar

CC> Ok they CAN use grammar, they just can't spell or use punctuation
properly. Happy?

> SF> Chris, All turns are input the day we receive them. They are printed off

CC> Supposedly process would have been more accurate, don't you think? If
I send a turn on Monday and it has processed three days later, I think we
can safely assume that the turns have been hanging around somewhere for a
couple of days.

> next day. We have just purchased a L2000ish, 18 PPM Kyocera Printer to remedy
> the printer shortfall.

CC> Anything to help, I suppose.

SF> We have recently employed a new staff member in the 'mail room' so
I'll chat

CC> Tell her there's a big clue; that square-shaped thing in the top left
corner.

SF> Not that it's any consolation but, Network space permitting, I'll be
> routines which keep an entire copy of your previous turn stored on the network

CC> I can see the result of teleport from an update, but I lost a Temple
Quest - thanks to this brilliant idea of only allowing one every two
weeks I have to wait until NEXT turn to try to get one. That is the sort
of info it would be useful to keep a copy of. Why can all updates
automatically process I0, I99, P0 and any Quests offered?

> <stuff cut about KJC being slow with turns>
> day turn around as long as it is at least regular. BTW you should hear
> Paul Noble when his turns are late, an instant fountain of abuse ;-).

CC> Good, now just get him to pick up the phone before he starts the abuse.

> AH> I still have nightmares about the time I phoned KJC up about a late
> turn....do they take lessons in sounding suicidal, tediously bored, seriously
> depressed and devoid of emotion?.... or did I catch them on a good day?

CC> Good day. Try the silent treatment. Let them break it - I'm great at
this and it drives people up the wall.

> DR> Count me in if you want a 68000 programmer. I looked at it but couldn't
> do it on my own.
>     If any one wants a quest mapper for the Amiga mail me your address and
> an SSAE I'll send a demo. I'm still waiting for a couple of people to get
> back to me but it is finished. (WB 2 or 3 only)

CC> Me please ctc@coventry.ac.uk

(JPG> Me too.. you can put it on the net for us can't you? Email address
above!)

> DR> It took you this long to work it out?

CC> They were really great when I started. But recently - since BSE -
pathetic.

> DR> "C.H.E.B."
> in Cornwall it feels that way. It took Mark (Ed G14) 5 turns before he knew
> he'd got the position after two "Next week"s from KJC and then he found out

CC> They never even told me I had the editorship of G7 - I just got a
turn back with my "draft" newsletter back.

> > CC> This is a plea from a fellow G7 player who hasn't got net access, but
> > would dearly like to gain some allies in G12/13/14 or G13/14/15, I'm not
> DR> Does he eat Honey Roasted Peasant?

CC> No idea. Why, do you have HRP-only alliance?

> DR> How many times have KJC promised this that or the other? I forget.

CC> I lost count two years ago. And I'm good at maths. Ditto the rest,
though.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Neil Benson <9365040@mull.sms.ed.ac.uk>
Date:          Mon, 1 May 1995 19:31:28 +0000
Subject:       Re: Quest Digest 1/5/96

Josh

Could you possibly use another system to label the digests.  The
current one gets a little confusing.  Today' s Digest was for 1 May
1996, but it's still 1995.  I have another one for the 28 May 1995,
but that date hasn't happened yet.

How about a simple numerical order: 1, 2, 3...

Just start with number 1 on the next Digest, it doesn't matter that
you have missed out the ones to date.

Neil

JPG> Oops. Sorry people. :-)  I remember sending out a digest on 3/1/95
which was labelled a year earlier, 94... didn't realise I'd done it
again.. I'll try and be a bit more careful. :-)

JPG> Anyway, I lost count on the Quest List versions (I'll do another of
those soon... if you want your group status updated/included, please send
me info).

JPG> Well, that's the lot for the moment, and I am too lazy to go and do
a contents for this one.  As I say keep stuff coming in.  A final
question; I am interested as to whether anyone here has experienced first
hand the official alliance features yet... any interesting stories to
tell on them?

>>-Josh->
"Dreamer...  Nothing but a dreamer..."