Re: Ongoing Strategy Games.

From: bjones@concannon.llnl.gov (Brian Jones)

Date: Thu, 08 Jul 1993 17:58:01 +0000

In article <srt.742146336@aerospace.aero.org: srt@aero.org (Scott 'Dr. Pain' Turner) writes:
:Carl suggested having to transmit orders and reports to and from a
:main unit as a way to encourage empire building via vassals and to
:even the game out for newbies.
:
:I like Carl's ideas (he's too modest to mention that he's got a neat
:implementation of this in a new game he's implementing) but I don't
:think it really addresses the issue of making the game fair for an
:incoming newbie.  This game mechanism may mean that it is more
:difficult to build a big empire, but an incoming newbie player is
:still going to be at a big disadvantage to an established player with
:a strong (if small) empire.
:
:					-- Scott T.

I've been watching this thread for a long time, and I wonder:
Does anybody out there agree with my feeling, that the experienced gamer
should be able to wipe the floor with the newbies? After all, he/she has
put in a hell of a lot of time and effort gaining that experience, it
ought to be worth something.

As for games where having started earlier is an advantage. Is
this not a metaphor for real life, The young upstarts struggling against
the powers that be? Often the only way that the upstarts can win is by
banding together like wolves to take down the lion. If the game is so
constucted where not even this is possible, then it is a badly designed
game. (though if the lion is crafty, and the wolves are not, then there
is no reason for the lion not to win)

On the subject of large empires, perhaps a game might include
orders for subversion and revolution, which might occur spontaneously,
or at the instigation of other players. Such events should become more
likely the larger the empire, with economic and political conditions
also playing factors.

As a final thought, it has always been my feeling that in any
game with more than two players, diplomacy is more important than
strategy. (of course, some might argue that grand stategy encompasses
diplomacy.)
--
---------------------------------------|        Brian R. Jones
"It's not MY planet, Monkey Boy",      |	bjones@concannon.llnl.gov
John Bigboote, Buckaroo Bonzai.	       |---------------------------------

References

Re: Ongoing Strategy Games.
bruno@cerberus.csd.uwm.edu (Bruno Wolff III)
Thu, 08 Jul 1993 15:01:42 +0000
Re: Ongoing Strategy Games.
srt@aero.org (Scott 'Dr. Pain' Turner)
Thu, 08 Jul 1993 15:45:36 +0000

Referenced By

Re: Ongoing Strategy Games.
bruno@cerberus.csd.uwm.edu (Bruno Wolff III)
Thu, 08 Jul 1993 15:01:42 +0000
Re: Ongoing Strategy Games.
srt@aero.org (Scott 'Dr. Pain' Turner)
Thu, 08 Jul 1993 15:45:36 +0000