BattleTech PBeM Development Group From: bc@fccn01.fccn.pt (Luis Miguel Sequeira) Date: Fri, 13 Nov 1992 08:22:02 +0000 ******************************************************************* B A T T L E T E C H P B e M D E V E L O P M E N T G R O U P ******************************************************************* There seems to be some feedback about this BattleTech PBeM stuff, so I propose a news discussion about implementation and development details, here on rec.games.pbm. As I can judge by now, there are some PBM attempts on the BattleTech game. Speaking for myself, I'd like to know how they worked, and to build on them to develop a new BattleTech PBeM. Most new PBeMs are built from scratch, and usually someone writes all the stuff by himself, and then improves his work by listening to comments and suggestions by other players. Of course, sometimes there is a small group developing the game, and others join, to debug it or to extend it in some (hopefully) meaningful way. This time, I'll suggest a new approach: before even writing a line of code, to discuss the matter thouroughly here at rec.games.pbm; not only programming questions (this is only the second phase), but, as a matter of fact, all ideas about rules, settings, the way orders are sent and reports received, etc. etc. The first thing to achieve is a preliminary rulebook, i. e. to explore the mechanics of the game and to develop them through discussion. The second phase would be the implementation. Of course, I'm not talking about a 100,000-line program or something like that, but it would be nice to get a group of people working at the same time on different aspects of the game. Some could specialize just on the input & order processing, some others on database issues, yet others on reports, some on the rules themselves, and even perhaps someone just to collect suggestions and "gripes" from players, and eventually organize a newsletter about the game. If there is really interest in joining such a discussion or development group, please email me or post here on rec.games.pbm. This isn't going to be a formal matter in any way! I'm expecting to watch discussions about trivia such as how to convert 'mech stats into game terms, for example, and trying to find out common ideas about the subject. Also, if you never heard of BattleTech before, you may help us, too, by telling us about experiences with previous PBeMs in details like order processing and report generation, or database handling, which are universal issues anyway. My suggestion is also to post regularly a "digest" on things everybody has agreed upon, so that newer contributors may know where we stand. This could also be published on Greg Lindahl's electronic newsletter `PBEM', if Greg's willing. Two reports per month would be acceptable, I think. ---//--- First issue to discuss: game format. Is it going to be a tactical PBeM, i. e., an arena-type one, where each player joins with his lance on a common battlefield, on a free-for-all bloody carnage? Or is it going to be an economic/diplomatic/strategic game on a larger scale, where players lead mercenary units which not only need to prove themselves in battle, but also need money to keep their units in working order, and fame & glory earned in battle to achieve better contracts? Of course, the battlefield level *must* be present in some form (after all, that's what BattleTech is really about), but how? - Luis Sequeira (bc@fccn.pt) P. S. John (wool8657@mach1.wlu.ca) and Adrian (agiblett@cch.coventry.ac.uk), I'm counting on you to join the group!... _________________________________________________________________________ / / _/ _/ _/ _/_/_/ Computer scientists do it byte by byte. _/ _/_/ _/_/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/_/_/ God created Law and Order from Chaos, _/ _/ _/ _/ but Chaos was created by computer _/_/_/ _/ _/ _/_/_/ scientists. bc@fccn.pt Luis Miguel Sequeira Laboratorio Nacional de Engenharia Civil Phone 351-1-8482131 Ext. 2752 Centro Informatica/Grupo Sistemas Centrais "Don't call me, I'll call you" Av. Brasil, 101 - 1700 Lisboa, Portugal / _________________________________________________________________________/ Referenced By Up