Recently I started an Unlimited Turn version of my StarTrek Theme Game. I've put a lot of work and effort into game design. I'm also one for helping people learn to play and helping out where needed. In the Unlimited Turn version of the game I felt there was a need for Game moderation to help balance the Game. So I asumed the role of Q. Most recently I had a few players setup a SD block on Day one and they were killing newbie players as they entered the game. So I brought out a Borg Cube early in the game and had them both killed. I did not replace or help any player they had killed. and explained that I didn't like SD blocks for killing newbies.. now if this game was more advanced and we already had set players fighting aganst each other and there was no more newbies around I would not have a problem with an SD block as i think it adds to Good vs. Evil play. I just want to know what other gameops/sysops think about this type of game style.

I read the rebang and smack talk forums, so I know most of the whole situation here.

While I have no problem with how you want the game to be, and myself like to run games with no SD blocks etc. as well, I feel you went about things the wrong way.

Firstly, players need FIXED rules. Changing them and creating them on the fly will not sit well with anyone. I realize you paid to register your server, and you can run it however you please, but if you change as you go, people will stop playing your server because by doing something they didn't even know was wrong, they lose their investment in time and effort. And they'll complain, rightly so, at their loss.

Secondly, if you MUST create a rule midgame, you need to give those who previously violated the rule time to back out of it before "applying your wrath". Ex post facto application of punishment will sit even worse with players than the midgame creation of said rule. i.e. Make the rule known, but do NOT retroactively apply it. Survey claims you warned him, he promptly removed the block, then you destroyed him anyway.

I know how much work can go into game design. I'm currently working on a game I plan on calling "The Living Galaxy", in which quite a few unique custom races will live and thrive within 20000 sectors, and I as GameOp will act as "dungeon master" for the players, coming forth with various offers from NPCs based on what the players do. For example, I might offer the leading evil player after a couple of weeks a custom ship at a high cost, that sort of thing. And I'm strewing various derelict vessels throughout the universe to be found. Ether probes are set to max cost to at least try to encourage manual exploration (really wish you could set those costs to 0 to disable a given item). Anyway, you get the point.

But once you've spent so much time building a game like this, you have to come up with a solid and valid set of rules BEFORE opening it to the public. Take a look through the rebang forum and read the announcements. Most of them include rules, and you can use any one of them as a framework for developing your own rules, to make sure you don't forget anything. When the rule is announced AHEAD of time, no one can rightly complain that you destroyed them or banned them for violation of it.

quote:
Ether probes are set to max cost to at least try to encourage manual exploration (really wish you could set those costs to 0 to disable a given item). Anyway, you get the point.


Easy enough to disable eprobes. Just go through and edit each ship to carry 0 ether probes. Bada boom, bada bing, eprobes are history no matter what they cost.

Lisa M. Wilson
aka Rave

quote:
I read the rebang and smack talk forums, so I know most of the whole situation here.

While I have no problem with how you want the game to be, and myself like to run games with no SD blocks etc. as well, I feel you went about things the wrong way.

Firstly, players need FIXED rules. Changing them and creating them on the fly will not sit well with anyone. I realize you paid to register your server, and you can run it however you please, but if you change as you go, people will stop playing your server because by doing something they didn't even know was wrong, they lose their investment in time and effort. And they'll complain, rightly so, at their loss.

Secondly, if you MUST create a rule midgame, you need to give those who previously violated the rule time to back out of it before "applying your wrath". Ex post facto application of punishment will sit even worse with players than the midgame creation of said rule. i.e. Make the rule known, but do NOT retroactively apply it. Survey claims you warned him, he promptly removed the block, then you destroyed him anyway.

I know how much work can go into game design. I'm currently working on a game I plan on calling "The Living Galaxy", in which quite a few unique custom races will live and thrive within 20000 sectors, and I as GameOp will act as "dungeon master" for the players, coming forth with various offers from NPCs based on what the players do. For example, I might offer the leading evil player after a couple of weeks a custom ship at a high cost, that sort of thing. And I'm strewing various derelict vessels throughout the universe to be found. Ether probes are set to max cost to at least try to encourage manual exploration (really wish you could set those costs to 0 to disable a given item). Anyway, you get the point.

But once you've spent so much time building a game like this, you have to come up with a solid and valid set of rules BEFORE opening it to the public. Take a look through the rebang forum and read the announcements. Most of them include rules, and you can use any one of them as a framework for developing your own rules, to make sure you don't forget anything. When the rule is announced AHEAD of time, no one can rightly complain that you destroyed them or banned them for violation of it.


Thanks you for your Input! greatly apprecated.
I myself don't play in unlimited turn games as i find them to be a waste of time. I created this version of my game based on player demand. And obviously did not think everything out. I understand now that the rest of the TW community needs rules to follow, i don't think this is entirely true for turn based games but i can now see that. An Unlimited turn game may be quite different.. Anyway.. I've got a basic idea of how game play should be and I'll just turn it into a Basic Rule Set.. any input on this would be great! .
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I'll form a war treaty that all new players/corps will be covered under.
A player/corp must opt out of the War Treaty to begin PvP play.
A Player/corp can only attack other Non War Treaty Players/Corps.
No SD Blocks Unless game advancment requires. (sysop anounced)
A Player who blows ports Drops mines or offensive/defensive fighters or or player created navhaz in open space opts himself out of the war treaty. (players will have to report it and i'll have to check it i guess.)
No Homesector Invasions of War Treaty Covered Players/Corps.
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I'll keep it rolling around in my head for the next little while and come up with something.. any input from anyone would be great!
Thanks again for your thoughts and Ideas.

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