Phoenix and the Ambassador From: den@netcom.com (Gamer's Den) Date: Thu, 11 Aug 1994 18:42:08 +0000 To all PBEM gamers: Gamer's Den just released the Phoenix Ambassador, a VGA MS-DOS front-end to our diplomatic space conquest game Phoenix(c). The Ambassador is available for free and it includes sample data that you can browse through to get a feeling for the interface and the game. --- Phoenix Phoenix is an elegant, engaging, and well-balanced PBEM space game of diplomacy, exploration, economic expansion, and military conquest for novice and expert players alike. Phoenix is the 6-year-old brainchild of veteran game designers Garrett, Goodman, and Woods. You control a space empire composed of one of seven different racial types expanding from a single homeworld. Your goal is to control over half the galaxy, either singly or jointly with up to a quarter of the players in the game. Pump R&D points into your combat, sensor, jump drive, and science technology. Balance your military and economic growth as you explore the galaxy and search for your neighbors. Drop off command centers on secure planets to monitor and direct your expansion. Centralize your production on a few planets or distribute your efforts. Most important, negotiate with other players while paying close attention to the planet tally to insure you are one of the winners. From 1 to 20 folks can play in a Phoenix game. The size of the galaxy scales with the number of players, and a new balanced map is generated for each game. Beginners are encouraged to start in single player games to become accustomed to the system, and then move to multi-player games to delve into Machiavellian diplomacy at its finest. Highlights: Human Support We have full-time administrators to help you play. Turn Checking Prechecking for all turn submissions to help spot order errors before a turn runs. Forecasting ability uncovers grave tactical errors before they 'happen' to you. Player Interfaces We offer the Phoenix Ambassador, a high-quality VGA DOS interface, for free to all players. There are several Unix/Curses freeware tools available. Pick Your Games We have an unlimited number of games to play. You can join one that is setting up or create your own. Pick your racial preferences, update frequency, opponents, and game size. Pick Your Speed You may join games that process turns 1, 2, and 3 times per week. Single player games process turns at the player's leisure. Private Games We will host a private game for you and your friends with whatever options you desire. Extensive Rules The 200+ page Player's Guide is filled with examples, strategy hints, and designer notes. It is available for free on-line and for $15 for a printed copy. Archives Get your old turn results from our turn archives. Local Times All due dates are reported in your local time. We offer two free turns to all new players, so you can check out the game for free. Turn fees are $2.50 for multi-player games and $1 for single player games. --- More Info Copies of the Phoenix rules and the Phoenix Ambassador can be found in the following places: WWW (Internet): file://ftp.netcom.com:/pub/den/phoenix/rules.zip (rules) file://ftp.netcom.com:/pub/den/phoenix/rules.Z (rules) file://ftp.netcom.com:/pub/den/phoenix/amb.zip (Ambassador) FTP (Internet): ftp.netcom.com:/pub/den/phoenix/rules.zip (rules) ftp.netcom.com:/pub/den/phoenix/rules.Z (rules) ftp.netcom.com:/pub/den/phoenix/amb.zip (Ambassador) CompuServe: RULES.PHO in lib 6 of the PBMGAMES forum. (rules) AMB.PHO in lib 6 of the PBMGAMES forum. (Ambassador) AOL: Use Keyword PBM and look in the Files folder. (both) The Ambassador zip file contains the executable and several art files. You should read 'README.DOC' first, and then run the program 'PHOENIX.EXE'. Gamer's Den support staff can be reached at support@den.com (Internet) and 73613,3472 (CompuServe). Gamer's Den -- Phoenix, Copyright (c) Garrett, Goodman, and Woods 1988-1994 All Rights Reserved Up