Re: This Newsgroup is SO Boring

From: "MindShift Design" <mindshift@usa.net>

Date: Sat, 21 Nov 1998 00:00:00 +0000

Steve Walker wrote in message <734m61$dq2$1@quince.news.easynet.net>...

>> Are you jsut a
>>figment of my imagination (see below). No-one would play the games if they
>>didn't know about them. I don't massage my own ego - my wife does that for
>>me <g>. We advertise because we are in business and want players to play
our
>>games so we can continue to be in business, and au contraire - lots of
>>people are interested in the updates. Just because they don't post a reply
>>in the NG saying "HEY - THAT WAS A GREAT UPDATE - I'M INTERESTED IN >YOUR
GAME" doesn't mean they aren't interested.
>
>Well it certainly doesn't mean they ARE interested does it. Sorry, I
>still can't work out why people should be interested in reading
>updates of a game they aren't playing. Can't these GM's organise a
>better way of contacting their own players? It's a fair point surely.

It's also a fair point to say that they should also be allowed to post here.
And lots of them do. And the greater majority of them do have alternative
means to communicate with their players. They post here to get other people
into the games, by presenting small samples of the in-game goodies that a
player can expect. That's why you see the Smugglers News and other items
like this. It's a conventient place to open access to all players for
informationa as well as get new players into the game.

>>Put in some interesting conversation threads, and we'll converse. Put in
>>inanity like this, and most people will ignore you. And what makes you
think
>>anyone gives a toss what you think then ? Natch.
>
>Well you didn't did you? I think I'm quite in order to present a
>different view on things without people like yourself throwing your
>dummy out of the pram

Actually the in-laws were in visiting and I had to find something to do
while they were here to pretend I was busy. <picks up soother of ground>.
Thought I'd lost that. The point is - you are entitled to your opinion, we
all are. Your message originally came across as slagging GMs because they
post here. Well at the moment, if GMs stopped posting we'd be left with an
FAQ or two , and a couple of messages each month from players looking for a
little information. At least when there are more than a half-dozen messages
in the NG for lurkers and passers-by to look at it they don't decide it's a
dead NG and ignore it again.

I agree that there should be more than just GMs posting and a few messages
here and there from players - but to be honest, you're already preaching to
the converted.

>I said that as a potential player I wouldn't have got much help... not
>that I didn't get any help. In other words, if I WAS a potential
>player... but no matter. The point is that there are very few players
>of games here, the group is dominated by those that run the games. OK
>some of those obviously play other games aswell but you get the
>general drift....

I get the drift. The problem is that one of the reasons that this NG is so
quiet, is because a lot of players don't post here. They use alternative
ways to communicate. Some games have their own in-game message boards,
others mailing lists, others yet private mailing lists for players to use.
It's only dominated by GMs because there is a lack of other communication by
players.

>Surely this means that the ng may well be a decent way of GM's
>communicating with each other but as a resource for the general game
>player it's about as useful as a chocolate oven

In that case, get the players contributing. As I said, don't lay the blame
on the GM's feet. If you ahve a problem with players posting, then tell the
players, but don't berate the GMs who post information that they feel
players might be interested in. That's the purpose of a messaging system.

>>And, no, it's not funny.
>
>Somehow I knew you'd say that

That was a given ...

>Steve
>[no 9-line sigs here]

I like my sig, thank you very much.

Regards

Jason Paul McCartan
MindShift Design
Game Developers
    "Altering Perceptions, Creating Worlds"

Home to the PBM/PBeM Developers Webring

email: mindshift@usa.net
website: http://members.xoom.com/mindshift

ICQ #: 16802661
AIM: Japem

References

Re: This Newsgroup is SO Boring
"MindShift Design" <mindshift@usa.net>
Thu, 19 Nov 1998 00:00:00 +0000
Re: This Newsgroup is SO Boring
summit@easynet.co.uk (Steve Walker)
Fri, 20 Nov 1998 00:00:00 +0000
This Newsgroup is SO Boring
summit@easynet.co.uk (Steve Walker)
Thu, 19 Nov 1998 00:00:00 +0000