PBEM Fanzine v94n6 From: gl8f@fermi.clas.Virginia.EDU (Greg Lindahl) Date: Sat, 01 Oct 1994 03:12:47 +0000 ====================================================================== @@@@@@@@@@@@ @@@@@@@@@@@@ @@@@@@@@@@@@@@ @@ @@ @@``````````@@ @@``````````@@ @@`````````````` @@@@ @@@@`` @@`` @@`` @@`` @@`` @@`` @@``@@ @@ @@`` @@@@@@@@@@@@ `` @@@@@@@@@@@@ `` @@@@@@@@@@@@ @@`` @@ ``@@`` @@```````````` @@``````````@@ @@```````````` @@`` `` @@`` @@`` @@`` @@`` @@`` @@`` @@`` @@`` @@@@@@@@@@@@ `` @@@@@@@@@@@@@@ @@`` @@`` `` ```````````` `````````````` `` `` ====================================================================== A Fanzine for Free Computer-Moderated Play-By-Electronic-Mail Games ====================================================================== volume 94, number 6 september 30, 1994 ====================================================================== Greg Lindahl, Editor gl8f@virginia.edu ====================================================================== World Wide Web: http://fermi.clas.virginia.edu/~gl8f/pbm.html ====================================================================== Table of Contents: Opening Stuff o The Editor's Corner o Short Summary of Available Games Survey result o What's the most hated PBM game? Announcements o Blind Galaxy games forming Regular Features o Game Descriptions & Information o Archives and subscriptions by email o Hints regarding sending electronic mail to other networks o What's this "ftp" thing anyway? ====================================================================== The Editor's Corner ====================================================================== A slim issue. We had an article about the various soccer leagues scheduled, but it won't appear until next issue. Meanwhile, we'll have to survive with a survey and some Galaxy announcements. Speaking of Galaxy, if anyone would like to take over moderation of some of the orphan Galaxy games, please send me email. Howard Bampton has taken over "Hera", but there are several more available. -- g ====================================================================== Survey: What's the most hated PBM Game? ====================================================================== It seems that every gamer has a game that they hate, for some reason or another. Some of these reasons are irrational; every moderator can tell you a horror story about the Customer Who Would Not Be Satisfied, and some of these reasons are legitimate complaints about design, implementation, moderation, customer service, et cetera. I ran a survey on the Internet group rec.games.pbm over the last 2 weeks on this topic. I received a slim 13 votes. With so few votes, you should not consider the votes statistically valid in any way, shape or form. But I voted for #1, so I'm pleased that the results matched what I thought they would be. #1, with 5 votes, is Beyond the Stellar Empire, a commercial PBM game run by Adventures by Mail. No one even bothered to explain why they hated BSE. If anyone wants to know my reasons, there's a file in the PBM Games forum dating from 1986 explaining (in some detail) why I quit the game. A friend recently mailed me a copy; I had (blissfully) forgotten most of my reasons. In fact, reading that letter prompted this survey. But I digress. #2, with 2 votes, was the free Internet game Atlantis. One vote was for a flaky mailserver. Maybe you should ask for a refund! One vote was for design; the voter complained that as he grew more powerful he had to run too many units. Success can be bad. Honorable mentions go to: Middle Earth PBM, It's a Crime, VGA Planets, Duelmasters, State of War, Heavens Above, and Game Plan, with one vote each. ====================================================================== Announcement: Blind Galaxy games starting ====================================================================== Howard Bampton will be starting two Blind galaxy games soon. Both games will be run from his usual email server and with his normal rules/features regarding such. The first game will run two times a week, on Mondays and Thursdays at 4:30 PM eastern US time (18:30 GMT). The second game will run two turns a week for the first 6 turns, and then slow down to one turn a week [to get over the initial easy turns quickly]. Initial setups will go out the weekend of October 7th-9th, and the first turns will run on the 14th. Rules, server instructions (for orders and forwarded mail only) and source code for the game can be ftped from cs.utk.edu:/pub/bampton/Blind Blind games tend to run 6 months or more, so if you can not make a commitment for that long, please do not ruin the game for other people by signing up and then dropping out. Yes, this sounds like common sense, but 10% or more of new players never submit any orders. To join a game (or both), send mail to bampton@cs.utk.edu. Please specify which game(s) you wish to join, what email address reports should go to. You may specify an initial race name if you wish. The following optional features will be used in these games: 1) Version 3 compatibility mode 2) Player status information will carryover from previous turns 3) The K command will be used. 4) Partial techs (documentation will be in first turn report, as this code is experimental) Note: Howard doesn't read mail constantly, so please wait at least 24 hours (48 on weekends) before assuming that your mail was lost. ====================================================================== Short Summary of Available Games (full information down below) ====================================================================== Abstract games --- an automated email server has 4 different abstract games available: Abalone, Hex, Twixt, and Trax. These are detailed in the PBM List mentioned below. Atlantis 1.1 --- open-ended strategic fantasy game, with 122 players. Celestial Empire --- a more complicated space-opera game. There are 2 games running. New games start occasionally. Dougal Scott is looking for a moderator to take over running these games. Diplomacy --- Play Avalon Hill's Diplomacy boardgame by email. On September 15, there were 1000+ players involved in 251 games, with new games starting frequently on several fully automated email servers. Galactic Conqueror (German language) --- An economic/strategic space-opera game, with fancy interface programs available for PC's and Atari ST's. Galaxy / Galaxy/2 / Galactica / Blind Galaxy --- An economic/strategic space-opera game. There are 200+ players involved in a twenty or so games. New games start occasionally. Republic of Rome --- Play Avalon Hill's Republic of Rome boardgame by email, using an automated server. Star Empires --- A simple strategic/economic space-warfare game. Fly around the galaxy, maim your enemies, capture their planets, and produce more ships to maim the enemy with, etc. Sports Simulations --- a variety of different electronic leagues are available, with the most popular being a set of soccer leagues with compatible rules. Decentralized games --- a couple of games are available which are designed for a few players, and the moderation programs are available so you can run your own games. For more information on any of these games, please wade through the "Game Descriptions and Information" section below. It lists ftp sites and the addresses of the moderators. The sports simulations and decentralized games descriptions are located in the "PBM List", which is a separate document available at the FTP sites. ====================================================================== Game Descriptions and Information ====================================================================== Note: This information grows old. If you are looking at this issue from an archive, consult the file "PBM.list.gz" in the ftp archives for more up-to-date information. ====================================================================== All of these ftp sites are mirror copies of each other. Please use the closest one. FTP Site: ftp.erg.sri.com username: anonymous Directory: pub/pbm FTP Site: ftp.funet.fi username: anonymous Directory: pub/doc/games/play-by-mail World Wide Web: http://fermi.clas.virginia.edu/~gl8f/pbm.html ====================================================================== Game: Atlantis 1.1 Type: strategic economic/military, fantasy setting Duration: open-ended Turns: one per week GM: jjc@mpa15c.mv-oc.unisys.com Status: up and running, accepting new players Description: Atlantis 1.1 is an upgrade of Russell Wallace's original Atlantis 1.0 system. Atlantis features multiple faction types, a mostly player-run economy, simple economics, and a simple combat system. The major changes are increased movement for ships and mounted forces, and reduced taxation income. About 124 players are participating as of September, 1994. The rules are available from the ftp sites, as are back-issues of the player newsletter. If you would like to join, read the rules and then send email to the GM. Russell has written about half the code for 2.0. If you are interested in completing it, write him at rwallace@vax1.tcd.ie. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Game: Celestial Empire Type: strategic economic/military space-opera Duration: close-ended, 30+ turns Turns: one per week GM: Dougal.Scott@fcit.monash.edu.au Status: occasionally starting new games Description: Players compete to capture worlds which produce many different types of resources, of which different amounts are needed to manufacture various items. The author, Dougal Scott, is running several games, and he periodically starts new ones. The rules can be ftped from yoyo.cc.monash.edu.au in the directory /pub/celemp. After you have read them, if you still want to join a game, send your name to Dougal at the address above. He is also looking for a new moderator to take over running his games, because he is graduating. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Game: Diplomacy Type: email version of Avalon Hill's pure strategy game Turns: frequency varies from one per day to one per 2 weeks for different games. Email Server: judge@morrolan.eff.org HELP in body of message; the subject is ignored. Description: The Diplomacy Adjudicator is a fully computer-moderated gamemaster for Avalon Hill's Diplomacy boardgame. To get more information from the moderator, send email with the word "HELP" in the body of the message (the subject is ignored) to judge@morrolan.eff.org. There are also other judges available, but most games are run on the EFF judge. The diplomacy Hall of Fame is available via ftp from ftp.netcom.com, directory /pub/starkey. Diplomacy is probably the biggest PBEM game out there, with 251 games going as of September 15, 1994. I'd estimate at least 1,000 players are active in one or more games. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Game: Galactic Conqueror (German language) Type: strategic, economic/military, space opera setting Duration: typically 25-30 turns Turns: typically 1 per week GM: hz@zardoz.ruhr.de (Harry Zimmermann) Description: Galactic Conqueror is strategic SF-PBeM-Game for up to 50 players. Each player starts the game with a small fleet of starships and is the owner of one of several hundred planets. The winner is determined by an point system which gives points for specific actions each turn. The first player who reaches a pre-set winning score will be the winner of the game. Since there are almost no trade options in the game, player interaction mostly concerns negotiations about borders and coordination of attacks or defense. Players can: o invest in science o build industrial facilities and strongholds on planets o build ships (26 different classes) o attack enemy or neutral planets o engage in espionage or corruption o and much more... At the start of the game, each player can see only 4-10 planets, whose coordinates are given relative to his own starting-planet. Every time a new planet is conquered, all planets up to a given distance from this new one are revealed. The rules and an Atari ST and PC Clone client can be ftped from ftp.cp.tn.tudelft.nl, in the directory /pub/pbm/Galactic_Conqueror. The clients are graphical point-and-click interfaces to the game. You could play without a client, but this is not recommended. An X11 client is in the works, as is an eventual translation of the rules into English. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Game: Galaxy Type: strategic, economic/military, space opera setting Duration: typically 50-80 turns Turns: typically 1 or 2 per week Email Server: galaxy@acca.nmsu.edu, Subject: HELP [ but it's dead ] GM: bampton@cs.utk.edu (Howard Bampton) [ blind galaxy only ] GM: rwallace@vax1.tcd.ie (Russell Wallace) Description: The game typically takes place on a 100x100 2D map, with a few hundred planets and 20 to 50 players. Players compete to capture planets, which can be used for economic expansion. You can purchase technology in several different areas, allowing your ships to fight harder and move faster. Galaxy turns range in size from 10kbytes early in the game to 100-200kbytes late in the game. The rules and source code are available for ftp, or via the email server, whose address is galaxy@acca.nmsu.edu. It takes commands in the subject line. Start with "help". There is also (at the moment) a separate mailing-list server at galaxy-request@acca.nmsu.edu, which has mailing lists with game announcements and discussion of code development. There are 17 games running on this server as of May 11, 1994, with about 200 different players participating. You can write to humans who run games; they start games occasionally and also have standby positions. They are: bampton@cs.utk.edu [ blind galaxy only ] rwallace@vax1.tcd.ie Howard Bampton has a variant called "blind" galaxy. You can ftp the source for it from cs.utk.edu:/pub/bampton. It features a wraparound map, a double-blind mail-forwarding system, and you received only limited information about other players other than what you can observe at systems where you have ships. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Game: Judgment Day Type: strategic economic/military, present day setting Turns: one per week GM: rwallace@vax1.tcd.ie (Russell Wallace) Status: beta-test finished, looking for a moderator Description: Judgment Day is a game for up to 25 players. Each player controls an empire which can build weapons and attack each other. When the nukes start flying, remember to duck and cover. The source code is available at the ftp sites or from Russell. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Game: Republic of Rome Type: Historical (Roman Empire) Turns: player-paced Email Server: ror@hpeswlw.fc.hp.com HELP in body of message, the subject is ignored Description: RoR is an email adjudicator for Avalon Hill's game Republic of Rome, a cutthroat game of politics set in ancient Rome. All aspects of play are fully automated; there is no human GM. Players control factions of Senators; each turn they must elect officers and vote to raise and deploy forces to fight the many wars that arise; they work to increase the influence and popularity of their own Senators but must also work together to prevent destruction by war or by popular revolt. If Rome falls everyone loses. To get started, buy a copy of the board game, read the rules, then send email to the address above with the word "help" in the body of the message. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Game: Star Empires Type: strategic empire-building, space setting Turns: one per week, 60+ turns per game GM: rhl@jambo.mitre.org (Roger Lincoln) Status: occasionally starting games; watch rec.games.pbm Description: Star Empires is a very simple game which is very addictive. Players compete to control planets, which produce resources which can be used to build various types of ships. There is generally a large amount of diplomacy, and the GM encourages humorous player press releases. The rules are available for ftp from the Dutch ftp site. ====================================================================== Archives and subscriptions by email ====================================================================== PBEM is archived at the ftp and WWW sites mentioned earlier. I have a mailing list that distributes the magazine, but I prefer that you obtain it via Usenet or other means instead of asking to go on the mailing list. ====================================================================== The remainder of this magazine does not change, and is not of interest to most readers anyway. Skip it. ====================================================================== Hints regarding sending Electronic Mail to other networks ====================================================================== OK, so now you're wondering, "I'm using FidoNet or CompuServe or FoobieBlech and those email addresses he keeps on talking about sure look funny to me!". Welcome to the modern world of networking. See, there's this big amorphous network called the Internet that lots of other networks and services, like FidoNet, CompuServe, DELPHI, America Online, GEnie and Prodigy are hooked up to. And you can send email between all of them, if you know the right incantations. Sometimes size or cost limitations will keep you from being able to play games on another network, but at least you can send me letters to the editor or articles. If your Compuserve ID is [76515,1122] then your canonical Internet address will be "76515.1122@compuserve.com" -- notice that the comma has become a period. To send mail from CompuServe to the Internet, you use this sort of address: >INTERNET:gl8f@virginia.edu Compuserve users have to pay extra for mail to or from the Internet. If you're a flat-fee user, the cost is 5 cents per 2500 characters, minimum 15 cents, but the first $9 per month is free. This can add up to a bit of money if you send frequent messages, or get into a Galaxy end-game where your turns are large. In addition, the maximum size for a given message is 50kbytes, and most Internet games do not split their game turns into pieces if they are too large. Diplomacy and Arena, for example, generally don't have large turns. Diplomacy games with no press don't send that many messages. America Online does not charge any extra fee for Internet email, and has recently removed their limit on message size, so they are perfectly adequate for playing Internet games. Their addresses look like "username@aol.com" Delphi addresses look like "username@delphi.com". Internet access costs $3/month extra, but that gets you access to email, ftp, irc, gopher, etc. at their normal hourly charge. Prodigy has finished their gateway. I don't know how much they charge for sending messages to the Internet. They do have a charge for sending large numbers of messages inside of Prodigy. Their addresses look like "username@prodigy.com" GEnie's addresses look like this: username@genie.geis.com. The maximum incoming message size is 900kbytes, but the biggest outgoing message is 50k or 2500 lines, as limited by the GEnie message editor. These sizes are big enough to play all games. GEnie doesn't charge extra for Internet email. FidoNet addresses, such as "Dale Webber at 1:105/55.0", look like dale.weber@p0.f55.n105.z1.fidonet.org in Internet form. To send email to the Internet from FidoNet, send normal netmail to the user UUCP, and then on the first line of the message, put the line: To: gl8f@virginia.edu Unfortunately, unless your FidoNet BBS is hooked directly to the Internet, they ask that you keep email under 10kbytes and only occasional. Ask your sysop for more information. ====================================================================== What's this "ftp" thing anyway? ====================================================================== ftp is an acronym for "file transfer protocol", and it is only directly available to the privileged few who are directly hooked to the Internet using heavy-duty hardware. There is a way to use ftp via email, and if you can get email to me, I will send you a document explaining how to use it, or you can get this information by yourself by sending email to any of the following addresses; if they don't recognize any commands, they'll send back instructions: bitftp@pucc.princeton.edu (USA/New Jersey) ftpmail@sunsite.unc.edu (USA/North Carolina) ftpmail@decwrl.dec.com (USA/West Coast) ftpmail@doc.ic.ac.uk (Europe/United Kingdom) bitftp@vm.gmd.de (Europe/Germany) ftpmail@cs.uow.edu.au (Pacific Rim/Australia) ====================================================================== PBEM is published monthly. Please redistribute it far and wide, but do not modify or delete any articles. Write me if you want to redistribute it in other forms; such permission is easy to obtain. For example, some old articles are being translated into German. PLEASE CONTRIBUTE! Our focus is primarily on free wargames, but we're interested in articles about anything relevant to play-by-email. Referenced By Up