Re: Question on starting a new PBM or PBeM game

From: nicholso@pioneer.arc.nasa.gov (Melvin H. Nicholson YBH)

Date: Mon, 23 Mar 1992 18:17:49 +0000

rorschak@daimi.aau.dk (Jesper Lauridsen) writes:

[lots of stuff about Bryan did or didn't say deleted]
[lots of stuff about commercial use of the net and legality deleted]
[lots of stuff about whether net games can be good deleted]

>As said by others: the net is not there to provide commercial services.
>Also the fact that orders are sent as ascii files and not as symbols on
>paper makes the running of game a lot easier for the game master.
>All he has to do (assuming format error free orders..) is to write
>(or get) a program that does the running for him.
>
ACK!  As one of those particular breed of masochists who actually runs a
pb(e)m games, I must most voiciferously disagree with the above.  Game
mastering is a lot of work, and the electronic medium can only solve
some of the many problems involved...

Here's a brief insight into what GM's have to do:

1) deal with people who state five or six times that they're going to
continue for the next game/section/season/whatever, then bail out at the
last minute (or more often, when their orders are already late)

{BTW, SPARF is still looking for reliable standby's for exactly the
above reason.  mail me if you're interested.  Unless there is mail
waiting for me at my other account right now, one of the 32 teams
is still without a manager.  Mail to labc-3ad@web.berkeley.edu if you
are interested --- DO NOT MAIL TO THIS ACCOUNT}

2) deal with numerous unforseen special cases and errors.   You'd be
surprised how many any inetersting game will have.

3) keep the aforementioned software running smoothly, even when the net
isn't.

4) deal with people who are often (very) late.

Mel

References

Re: Question on starting a new PBM or PBeM game
bigmac@erg.sri.com (Bryan McDonald)
Sat, 21 Mar 1992 00:40:47 +0000
Re: Question on starting a new PBM or PBeM game
sjc@cs.purdue.EDU (Steve Chapin)
Sat, 21 Mar 1992 13:16:09 +0000
Re: Question on starting a new PBM or PBeM game
rorschak@daimi.aau.dk (Jesper Lauridsen)
Sat, 21 Mar 1992 21:34:30 +0000