Re: EMG's Imperium

From: Grant Gainey <ggainey@widget.com>

Date: Wed, 16 Sep 1998 00:00:00 +0000

JChromis wrote:
>
> While I love EMG's Global Diplomacy, I am unable to help you with Imperium.  I
> am simply writing to congratulate you on what has to be the most entertaining
> post I have yet seen on this NG.  If more of the posters had your sense of
> style and humor perhaps there would be more posts which actually discuss PBEM
> games.  Bravo!

Thank yew, thank yew, thank yew verra much...

I play games to have fun, dammit.  Sometimes, on Usenet, no-one can
hear you laugh.  One of the reasons I posted my note was exactly
because I realized that a) rec.games.pbm showed a LOT of new messages,
and b) NOT ONE of them was actually about games - they were all
about the newsgroup itself.  Desiring more conversation about the
games themselves, I decided that starting threads was the best
response.

Here's another thought on PBM Games: as mentioned, I'm currently in
IMP041.  Imperium is a finite, computer-moderated, email, space opera.
It's gonna end, at +- 50 VPs and/or +/- 30 turns.  Many folk view
such wargames much like one would view chess; any communication at
all between players is in "gamespeak", and tends towards the dry
and analytical.

_I_ like to roleplay a bit, even in wargames.  For IMP041, I have
two characters - "Ellington of Ellington", the pompous, egotistical,
air-headed windbag who runs my House Major, and "Grant, Head Tech",
who runs the communication console and likes to make comments about
his clueless boss.  This is fun (for me) - although it takes extra
time, and sometimes I can't pay as much attention to the two of them
as I'd like.

Now, I have met some gamers who are really put off by roleplaying
in any game other than one clearly labelled "RolePlaying Game".
"Just play the damn game," they grumble.  And the fact that I can
on occasion have even _more_ fun when being utterly smashed has
been taken as some kind of personal affront - "Can't you be more
serious about this?!?"  Short answer - no, I can't <g>.  It's A
Game, and while winning is good, and I'll bend all my efforts towards
it, it's _not_ critical to my self-esteem.

Anybody have any opinions on the responsibilities of players to
respect the preferences of the other players, when it comes to this
kind of question? Opinions, comments, brickbats?

Grant
_________________________________________________________________________
Grant Gainey                                         ggainey@widget.com
The Widget Workshop         http://www.widget.com/        (919)829-1933
  "In theory, there is no difference between theory and practice.
   In practice, there is no relationship between theory and practice."

References

EMG's Imperium
Grant Gainey <ggainey@widget.com>
Tue, 15 Sep 1998 00:00:00 +0000
Re: EMG's Imperium
jchromis@aol.com (JChromis)
Wed, 16 Sep 1998 00:00:00 +0000

Referenced By

EMG's Imperium
Grant Gainey <ggainey@widget.com>
Tue, 15 Sep 1998 00:00:00 +0000
Re: EMG's Imperium
jchromis@aol.com (JChromis)
Wed, 16 Sep 1998 00:00:00 +0000