Re: long-term fun

From: PNMarkW2@aol.com

Date: Sun, 07 Feb 1999 00:00:00 +0000

> David desJardins wrote:
>
> >> I think you basically can't
>

> Carol@flagship-uk.demon.co.uk wrote:
>
> I agree that it's extremely difficult to design long-running games so
> that newcomers can be slotted in with a fair chance of making progress
> while elder players still have enough interesting goals to achieve.
> There have been various ways that have been tried, of course.
>
> [Other stuff deleted]

I think it depends on what you would view as a "fair" chance. In such a game
players are often not racing toward the same goal, so who is to say that a
player who started years earlier has any better chance then someone starting
today.

While there are other games that fall into the "open-ended" category (we
perfer "endless" around here) most of my experience is with the game I
current have the pleasure of running, Galactic Empires. This year Galactic
Empires will reach its 20th anniversary.

Now while not a perfect game by any means it does provide a good example of
merging different levels of activity into the same playing field. At any given
time in the games history you will find new empires trying to grow and expand
as fast as possible, middle sized empires flexing their new found might, and
large empires trying to maintain their position while competing against each
other for whatever passes as "power" this year.

We have people who have played for less then a year, some starting their
empire just this week, and others who have played for most of the games 20
year history. And believe it or not, it works.

The key in my mind is not to try and lock people into playing a position,
leave the game open enough that they can find their own way. By doing this
you leave enough room for everyone to play, large powerful empires with small
new empires, and not end up tripping over each other.

Of course I'm speaking from the point of view of an empire building type space
opera. I'm not sure how this would work in other types of games.

-Mark Wardell
-MMJ Enterprises
(http://www.mmj-ent.com/ge)

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References

long-term fun
"Enno Rehling" <rehling@usa.net>
Tue, 02 Feb 1999 00:00:00 +0000
Re: long-term fun
David desJardins <desj@math.berkeley.edu>
Fri, 05 Feb 1999 00:00:00 +0000
Re: long-term fun
Carol Mulholland <Carol@flagship-uk.demon.co.uk>
Sat, 06 Feb 1999 00:00:00 +0000

Referenced By

long-term fun
"Enno Rehling" <rehling@usa.net>
Tue, 02 Feb 1999 00:00:00 +0000
Re: long-term fun
David desJardins <desj@math.berkeley.edu>
Fri, 05 Feb 1999 00:00:00 +0000
Re: long-term fun
Carol Mulholland <Carol@flagship-uk.demon.co.uk>
Sat, 06 Feb 1999 00:00:00 +0000