BSE Digest v195 #133

From: kerry@io.com (Kerry Harrison)

Date: Sat, 08 Apr 1995 00:00:00 +0000

BSE Digest                  Friday, 7 April 1995        Volume 195 : Number 133

In this issue:

+       BSE: QSN(da...)
+       BSE: Re: Great New Game!!!
+       Re: BSE: Questions for RTG
+       Re: BSE: Questions for RTG
+       BSE: Drug Quantities?
+       Re: BSE: Drug Quantities?
+       Re: BSE: Re: Great New Game!!!
+       Re: BSE: Werth War Crimes Trial
+       BSE: Re: BSE Digest V195 #132
+       Re: BSE: Questions for RTG

See the end of the digest for information on subscribing to the bse-list
or bse-digest mailing lists.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

From: Jackmyster@aol.com
Date: Fri, 7 Apr 1995 04:06:52 -0400
Subject: BSE: QSN(da...)

The QSN evil? When did that happen? Far from it...I may accuse them of being
stupid....as the below shows, but not "evil".

Oh good...it's the "They were unarmed" thing (again).
It's not the FGZ's fault that the QSN leadership sent out two
"unarmed warships" to attack the FGZ in our own space....as
the QSN have already admitted...What, forgot to get m/xs?

Well, most everyone already has figured that one out on their own
Richard...even then, I could care less if people
"think I'm right"...now it's a matter of me being angry.

Please Richard...keep talking about this. The more you do
the less I have to say..<g>

------------------------------

From: Jackmyster@aol.com
Date: Fri, 7 Apr 1995 04:10:05 -0400
Subject: BSE: Re: Great New Game!!!

Harry:

That game has spread like wildfire through out NeverWhere. Thanks for the
demo tape....I hear they are working on a fully interactive
verison now.<g> (Where *everyone* can join in on the fun!)

Den of Earth

------------------------------

From: ccharnle@m-net148.arbornet.org (Chip Charnley)
Date: Fri, 7 Apr 95 07:29 WET DST
Subject: Re: BSE: Questions for RTG

Thad,
     I respectively disagree with you. As a professional programmer and
analyst, I understand your comments about re-writing code BUT the things I
have seen so far about this type of colony being able to use factories at
this level of production while others get this level for certain things and
this level for other things is user-unfriendly in the extreme. Things are
bad enough as they currently are with strion and other modifiers. The way
you are headed, I'm going to have to build a spreadsheet to keep things
straight running multiple colonies of different types. *NOT* the level of
complexity that I want in my gaming. In addition, the alure of BSE is it's
role-playing. NOT adding CRLs is a significant downer from a role-playing
standpoint as far as I am concerned. CRLs are what diferentiates a RESEARCH
colony not some name at the top of a turn printout. You going to label every
scan with the label RESEARCH COLONY? If not, how am I supposed to figure out
whether a colony is a research colony? I don't really want to write a SA
every time I am curious as to the category of colony. The type of colony
should be inferable from a good scan.

As to open discussions slowing things down, you are certainly correct.
HOWEVER, the single largest cause for the failure of a new system in the
computer industry is a failure by the designers to adequately compile and
address the USERS needs and desires. This is usually done in a desire to get
the system out the door quickly. BAD BUSINESS! In the long run you would
have been much better served clearing the design with the users and taking
more time to do it. I doubt VERY seriously that you would find ANYONE in BSE
(especially right now) that wouldbegrudge you an extra 6 months implementing
these changes as long as you were keeping them up to date on what was going
on and involved them (at least the ones on this list) in the on-going design
trade-off decisions.

Chip Charnley

>Hiya Chip:
>
>We have modified a lot of the stuff based on programming issues and such but
>the intent of all the changes remains the same. In the case of research, the
>idea was to have each colony be good at specific things ... I could just as
>easily rename factories something less descriptive as institute CRLs and
>such. The point os to restrict what certain colonies produce so that they are
>really good at some things and really crappy at others.What does the
>producing isn't that material in my eyes, especially when re-writing loads of
>sub-routines are involved <g>. In any case, we are real close now, and any
>open discussions just tend to slow things down big time. I think what we have
>at this juncture reflects the spirit of eberything we have said we wanted to
>do, so hold on just a little longer, I think you'll be pleased when you see
>the whole picture.
>
>Thad
>
>
>

------------------------------

From: Scragg@infi.net (Joe Eckhout)
Date: Fri, 7 Apr 1995 08:44:33 -0400
Subject: Re: BSE: Questions for RTG

>Thad,
>     I respectively disagree with you. As a professional programmer and
>analyst, I understand your comments about re-writing code BUT the things I
>have seen so far about this type of colony being able to use factories at
>this level of production while others get this level for certain things and
>this level for other things is user-unfriendly in the extreme. Things are
>bad enough as they currently are with strion and other modifiers. The way
>you are headed, I'm going to have to build a spreadsheet to keep things
>straight running multiple colonies of different types. *NOT* the level of
>complexity that I want in my gaming. In addition, the alure of BSE is it's
>role-playing. NOT adding CRLs is a significant downer from a role-playing
>standpoint as far as I am concerned. CRLs are what diferentiates a RESEARCH
>colony not some name at the top of a turn printout. You going to label every
>scan with the label RESEARCH COLONY? If not, how am I supposed to figure out
>whether a colony is a research colony? I don't really want to write a SA
>every time I am curious as to the category of colony. The type of colony
>should be inferable from a good scan.
>
>     As to open discussions slowing things down, you are certainly correct.
>HOWEVER, the single largest cause for the failure of a new system in the
>computer industry is a failure by the designers to adequately compile and
>address the USERS needs and desires. This is usually done in a desire to get
>the system out the door quickly. BAD BUSINESS! In the long run you would
>have been much better served clearing the design with the users and taking
>more time to do it. I doubt VERY seriously that you would find ANYONE in BSE
>(especially right now) that wouldbegrudge you an extra 6 months implementing
>these changes as long as you were keeping them up to date on what was going
>on and involved them (at least the ones on this list) in the on-going design
>trade-off decisions.
>
>Chip Charnley
>
Chip:

I'm not quite so eliquint in my way of communicating so please don't take
offense if I sound like l'm flaming you but I think your wrong.

Why should a CRL automatically make you a research colony?  Do the CRLs turn
ordinary colonist into highly trained scientest and researchers?  I say no.
Designating your colony as a research colony means that it has a larger
population of scientest and researchers.  A production colony would have a
higher population of workers and a special production colony would have a
population of workers more highly skilled in the production of certain goods.
>From a roleplaying point of view this seems to make more sense the just the
use of CRLs.

I like the idea of colonies not being able to do everthing well.  By
specialising it will stimulate trade and shipping.  This will also keep the
big colonies from being huge self sufficiant corks in the economy.

So you have several colonies and can't keep them straight huh?
Waaaaaaaahhhh.  Get rid of a few of them.  There will be enough players
comming back that I'm sure you can find someone to run a few of those
confusing colonies for you. <grin>

Joe

------------------------------

From: wayne.alexander@linxinc.com (Wayne Alexander)
Date: Thu,  6 Apr 1995 18:55:00 GMT
Subject: BSE: Drug Quantities?

Any one in the know,

Is there a vanishing point for the # of drugs you can give your
colonists?  When do you reach the point of diminishing returns?

Luxury goods = +10/mu, right?

Thanks for any info.

Wayne

- ---
 ~ QMPro 1.53 ~ EEM: Shipwrights to the Stars for over 150 years!

------------------------------

From: btb4@Lehigh.EDU (B T Braun)
Date: Fri, 07 Apr 1995 13:13:37 EDT
Subject: Re: BSE: Drug Quantities?

Wayne,

+30 points max on drugs.  The number given simply depends on drug type.

Be seeing you,

Brad Braun
btb4@lehigh.edu
///////////////////*********************************************\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\
                            Brad's Sig. File Here
 >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>><<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

------------------------------

From: HarryFlash@aol.com
Date: Fri, 7 Apr 1995 16:50:50 -0400
Subject: Re: BSE: Re: Great New Game!!!

Dear Den,

Glad you enjoyed the game!!!  I hear Q-COM II is due out soon!

Regards,

Harry

------------------------------

From: HarryFlash@aol.com
Date: Fri, 7 Apr 1995 16:57:04 -0400
Subject: Re: BSE: Werth War Crimes Trial

Dear Sir Arthur,

I now believe there is a good chance that your brother Forrest may be
pardoned by the War Crimes Tribunal.  The tribunal is merely waiting until
after the "snap" general election that Harry has just called to ratify his
Contract With Werth.  So be patient.

Regards,

Dr. Zachary Smith

------------------------------

From: Ron.Kleinman@Eng.Sun.COM (Ron Kleinman)
Date: Fri, 7 Apr 1995 14:25:10 -0700
Subject: BSE: Re: BSE Digest V195 #132

>>
>>From: HarryFlash@aol.com
>>Date: Wed, 5 Apr 1995 21:16:05 -0400
>>Subject: BSE: Great New Game!!!!
>>
>>Folks,
>>
>>   Sorry I haven't been more active here, but between preparing the Werth War
>>Crimes Trial, readying IND Werth for a visit from a VERY IMPORTANT person,
>>and playing a great new computer game, I just haven't had much free time.
>>   Anyway, the great new game (which I stay up late every night playing) is
>>called Q-COM.  It is about a mythical urine-colored race from the mythical
>>Drill System attempting to enslave all the free peoples of the CP.  It is
>>nerve-racking and exciting, and when the last Q-colony goes up in a nuclear
>>cloud, you want to stand up and cheer.   It is now the most popular computer
>>game at IND Werth, and I hear it is selling well at most other colonies
>>(except SMS colonies, where self-help programs on how to lick the stinking
>>feet of six-fingered monsters are apparently the best sellers).
>>
>>Regards to all,
>>
>>Harry
>>

My Dear Sir Harry,

Your posting was extremely interesting in almost every respect.  The fact
that the population of a large Capellan colony such as IND Werth still uses
computer games to amuse themselves when Holograph based virtual reality
games have been available for decades has caused many smirks and silent shaking
of the head among the more civilized folk I have been trading with.

For example, the number of "How many Werthless Werth'ers does it take to
change a zymung tube" jokes making the rounds has gone way up on Bome alone
since your unfortunate posting.

As for your apparent infatuation with the details of the Q-COM game
itself .. well considering your reputation and the affection you were held
in by many .. it's all rather sad.  To see a noted citizen of no mean
accomplishments hunched night after night over a computer game, indulging
himself in an orgy of wishful thinking while the actual real-world situation
is developing quite independently of those wishes .. perhaps we should
consider making a Holio-TriD of it.  Something like:

"Sir Harry Flashpan
		the Later Years"
	  (showing the side-effects of excessive (ab)use of Robotic Sheep)"

If you wish, we can program a sequel where the entire Periphery is enslaved
by IND Werth.  This way you can continue to enjoy yourself until your quarters
at the funny farm (new tech) are completed.  Alternatively (and what your many
admirers hope) you can snap out of it, and return to being truely IND.

Yr Obiedient Servant
						Nicholas Van Rijn
						QSN Blue Whale
						MerchantPerson

------------------------------

From: ccharnle@m-net148.arbornet.org (Chip Charnley)
Date: Fri, 7 Apr 95 18:27 WET DST
Subject: Re: BSE: Questions for RTG

>I'm not quite so eliquint in my way of communicating so please don't take
>offense if I sound like l'm flaming you but I think your wrong.
>
No offense taken.

>Why should a CRL automatically make you a research colony?  Do the CRLs turn
>ordinary colonist into highly trained scientest and researchers?  I say no.
>Designating your colony as a research colony means that it has a larger
>population of scientest and researchers.  A production colony would have a
>higher population of workers and a special production colony would have a
>population of workers more highly skilled in the production of certain goods.
>>From a roleplaying point of view this seems to make more sense the just the
>use of CRLs.

I never intended that there should not be differences between research
colonies, general colonies, and production specific colonies. I just don't
like the feel of the WAY things are being done and I question that there
isn't a better way. I know as well as anyone that the economy is a disaster.
Larry Kuderick, Bill Ameling, Gerry Austin, Fred Bailey, H.S. Lahman, I, and
a host of others were berating the company that cannot be mentioned on this
point in the early 80's. I *HATE* the huge, self-sufficient monstrosities we
have today but I also don't think that it will ever change without a fall in
to total anarchy the way ship sizes/bombardment capabilities are going.

>
>I like the idea of colonies not being able to do everthing well.  By
>specialising it will stimulate trade and shipping.  This will also keep the
>big colonies from being huge self sufficiant corks in the economy.
>

I agree

>So you have several colonies and can't keep them straight huh?
>Waaaaaaaahhhh.  Get rid of a few of them.  There will be enough players
>comming back that I'm sure you can find someone to run a few of those
>confusing colonies for you. <grin>

That wasn't called for and I only have 2 colonies that mean anything at this
point.

Chip

------------------------------

End of BSE Digest V195 #133
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BSE Digest v195 #133

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