Re: New PBEM games!

From: huntlks@tuns.ca

Date: Sun, 12 Mar 1995 18:36:47 +0000

In article <3jmgj2$gde@eri.erinet.com> dpierce@eri.erinet.com (Daniel Pierce) writes:
>
>From Unit 16:
>
>Announcing Interstellar Traders!
>
>Interstellar Traders is a free to play open-ended computer moderated
>play-by-email science fiction space opera game for any number of players.
>Players own and operate a merchantman starship, trading between planets, star
>bases and starports accross the galaxy.  Your goal is to survive the other
>cut-throat merchants, vast alien empires and changing economic prices,
>getting filthy rich in the process.  There is no end to the game, you set
>your own objectives and agenda.  There is no beginning, one can join at any
>time.
>
>Interstellar Traders has been open since March 1, with turns being run twice
>per week on Tuesday and Friday at midnight.  To learn more about Interstellar
>Traders, e-mail for the rules at dpierce@erinet.com.
>
>We have over a dozen players in the game and turns are short to write.
>
>What is Interstellar Traders?
>
>    I.T. is a game of individual merchant traders who each own one
>starship in a galaxy of empires.  As you travel from system to system you
>will trade raw materials at star bases, earning credits which will allow you
>to purchase more equipment and weapons for you starship.  Some empires will
>be friendly, others will shoot you on sight.  You start at a Star League
>Star Port with up-to-date lists showing where you can trade at other
>locations.  Besides other merchants you will interact with the large empires
>of Galactic Empires.
>
>The importance of being a trader:
>    You are the only people who can safely travel into just about any
>location.  Although no one empire is your ally, you start with no enemies
>either.  This gives you the advantage of being able to gather information on
>empire's locations, ships, ship movement, and the relative size of war
>fleets.  Also, no one empire has the ability to build all the possible things
>in the game.  You can act as arms dealer for empires who would rather not
>advertize that they may buy weapons from the Star League.  Remember, you are
>like Harcourt Fenton Mudd, any Ferrengi merchant, Sir Francis Drake, Sindbad
>the sailor and Han Solo.
>
>To sign up for the game, ask for the rules, or if you have any other
>questions, email to dpierce@erinet.com  (Daniel Pierce).
>
>-----
>
>Announcing Galactic Empires!
>
>We are starting up and 'alpha' testing Galactic Empires (which will become a
> $1.00 per turn pay game) which is an electronic play-by-e-mail science
>fiction space opera game of exploration, colonization, diplomacy, and war. It
>has any number of players, all in the same game, with multiple types of games
>going on in the background (foreground for them).  All positions in the
>'alpha' are and will remain in the final game.  If you want to become the
>terror of the galaxy, sign up now!
>
>What is Galactic Empires?
>
>    Galactic Empires is a game of interstellar empire building amoung many
>other empires and other types of players.  There is no end to the game, you
>set your own objectives and agenda. You start with a planet, a few ships, and
>a short list of other star systems.  The rest is up to you.
>    Unique to this game is the concept of "parents".  A parent is the large
>computer (or maybe a human) run empire which you can declare yourself to be a
>part of.  All the other players who have the same parent are really part of
>the same empire.  If you, and a few of your friends are in the game and you
>declare the Federation to be your parent, then collectively, you and your
>friends ARE the Federation.  Where you colonize, the parent will send people
>too.  Where your planets, bases, colonies are, the parent will send ships to
>patrol.  Where you have bases, the parent will send cargo ships to transport
>resources.  Where you attack, the parent's largest battleships _may_ be
>automatically sent to attack too.  Even the smallest, weakest players can be
>part of a vast empire, helping to set policy and long term goals, with the
>same technology level and abilities of the parent.
>    Currently, the only empires that you can have as your parent are: the
>Federation, the Antares Confederacy, the Dreenoi, the Cyborgs, and the Mechs.
>Each empire has it's own special abilities and level of technology.
>
>A short list of the main actors of the galaxy:
>
>    Formost and oldest of the empires is the Star League.  They inhabit
>enormous star ports and build most of the starships that you will see.  They
>have a star port in most sectors of the galaxy where you usually can get the
>highest profits on basic resources and get repairs done on your ships.  All
>of the Star League star ports are 'open' locations where no one is permitted
>to fire upon another.  The Star League will never fire on you unless you fire
>first, regardless of your hatred amoung the stars.  At the first sign of an
>attack, everything the Star League has at that location will fire at the
>aggressor, making a very quick form of suicide.  The Star League can build
>any ship, any device, and are the only ones who can build Stargates and
>hyper-long jump drives.
>    Next in size is the Federation.  They are the main muscle in the galaxy,
>owning hundreds of planets and starships.  They try to set the law where ever
>they can.  As they have spent most of their history blowing things up, they
>can build Planet Busters and Genesis Devices.
>    Friends, but not to close, of the Federation is the Antares Confederacy.
>They split off from the Federation about 130 years ago in a bitter war of
>independance.  For many years now they have put the past behind them and are
>now leaning toward becoming the Federation's strongest ally.  Their empire is
>a loose confederation of smaller, independent empires.  They can build
>Cloaking Devices and Solar Stabilisers (see Nova Bombs...).
>    Next are the Dreenoi, a very alien empire.  Dreenoi are bugs.  Very large
>bugs with nuclear weapons.  They breed like bugs.  They don't like non-hive,
>non-insectoid races and view most humanoids as food.  Their goal is to
>inhabit every system.  Your home may be next on their list of targets for
>tonight.  In the dark between the stars you can almost hear them munching.
>They can't build anything special but they work three shifts and have triple
>production of resources, build capacity, and population growth (they really
>are bugs).
>    Somewhere in between are the Cyborgs.  Half human, half machine, with a
>hive mentality that sometimes seems aimless and contradictary.  They will
>ally with you one day and blow you away the next.  They have double
>production of resources and build capacity, but a very low population growth.
>    Last and worst of all are the Mechs.  No one knows what evil empire's
>twisted genius created these metal monsters from hell.  We can only hope he
>was the first to die.  The Mechs goal is to stamp out all organic life in
>the universe.  They have immense hyper jumping space stations which can
>overpower any opposition and vaporize entire planets.  No one has found one
>of their systems and lived to tell the tale.  They rarely mine resources,
>have a limited build capacity, and can make Nova Bombs, Star Blasters, and
>Star Citys.
>    Rumors talk in wispers of another empire, the Boskone.  No one knows
>of this empire, where they are from, or even if they are humanoid.  All the
>evil of the galaxy is laid at their door step and they are said to be
>involved in all the crime going on in the more civilized sectors.  The
>Federation claims that Boskone is running drugs into their class 10 planets
>with no regard for the law.  The Antares Confederacy say the Boskone are
>buying and selling warships to the Cyborgs.  The Star League claims that the
>Boskone are just a bunch of renegade Interstellar Traders and secretly
>implores the Federation to stamp them out.  Some merchants, suspected of
>smuggling drugs, have been blown up by the Federation.  Drugs have been
>coming into Federation and Antares space from somewhere and no one is
>talking.
>
>
>To sign up for the game, get a copy of the rules, or if you have any other
>questions, email to dpierce@erinet.com  (Daniel Pierce).
>
>--
>*********************************************************************
>*:   \ | /   :     Programming Services, Unit 16        :   \ | /  :*
>*:  -- * --  :  Daniel Pierce - dpierce@erinet.com      :  -- * -- :*
>*:   / | \   : Pacunium-non-fumo - Money doesn't stink  :   / | \  :*
>*********************************************************************
>