First, i must say... the detailed work you and Daala have invested into "Outpost 4" is top of the line! Also, the speed of the server is strong.
Outpost 4 is the only server with complete planetary specs. displayed in game. Darn important, if you are in doubt about how to apply your col'ing turns, or which planet goes lv4 first.
Thanks... i will be making your server a full time location to play.
ps: i ran a wildcat bulletin board for a bit.. and the opening screen (game selection) reminds me of Wildcat. Very clean and easy to navigate.

Last year, you showed interest in my Black Market idea. I have since run an unsuccessful Black Market game on Big D's server... it garnered no interest. Go figure... players would log into the game, read the sales beacons and then go to the dock and overpay for figs and ships and such. ??? What's up with that? oh well. Anyways, finally some players are willing to play a Black Market game after the HHT 2010 is over. Would you be willing to Tedit a Black Market into an existing edit, on your server? It might take a couple tries before we understand the ramifications the Black Market has on game play, and to establish how strong an asset postion the Black Market requires to meet early game sales. The Black Market fits well , i believe, with your sysop tw pilosophy and perhaps after the game economics are worked out, the Black Market could find a home on your server.

respectfully... cc bee

Hello CC Bee,

Thanks for the compliment. I had left on deployment during the summer and Daala spent some time fine-tuning the site and server-side information that gets displayed. On my return in October, she managed to add a few extra games and check to ensure that all the information was correct. We find that the more info you can provide to players in-game seems to help. Of course, we have to credit Promethius on the script we use to provide the game information. We tend to lean on the details more than anything- after all more info is better than trying to guess.

I had to spend the last couple of weeks to get caught up on the forum posts and where the TWGS was sitting at. At the time John was working on the TWGS, we were testing one of the beta's (just before my departure). Currently, we are only running v1.04.09, which had the fix for the mail issue, allows us to rebang/add games without shutting down the server, and a few other changes. I am not familiar with what version TWGS is at now, and our TWGS does not contain any in-game fixes that may have been done. We may be behind at the moment, but our TWGS seems to run very stable. Plus the fact we now have all our game rebangs and other maintenance 100% automated makes our job easier.



Of course we would be interested in hosting The Black Market. At the time of your description, it was an interesting concept to add to a game. In the older version of TradeWars, there were add-ons we ran when we had our BBS years ago. Currently, since the add-ons do not work with the current TWGS, we are creating add-ons via server-side scripting in TWX. Some of these add-ons will provide a few extra "goodies" in games, and may fit with The Black Market. We just have to be inventive and try to cover all possibilities.

As far as The Black Market... What will you require as far as a game for this? Do you want an unlimited turn game, or turn game? We do have an unlim game that was just rebanged and has no players currently- we can use that one if you wish (Game F), or we can add a slot and create a closed game for you to test and tune before placing in a public slot.

Let us know what you will require and we can get you underway.

Cheers

Rght on!

If it proves viable... Black Market has found a home. I think it will fit well with the Academy theme. New and Returning players will have a safe place to start a game, and an inside track to useful information, from experienced players.
I see the Black Market in opposition to the Stardock. The market will not be constrained in it's efforts to serve self and inluence game events. Manipulation of markets, backroom deals, and numerous new ways to earn a buck or turn will foster a new style of play.

What is the Black Market:
- a pregame advanced asset position, housed in a large secure bubble
- it is a business that trades most available dock and port items
- it trades with everybody (if it so suites the markets plan)
- the Black Market is not allowed to directly conduct war on the other players

The Objective:
- absorb all other corp members and their assets and in a united force, defeat the market

Which Edit:
- FreeSpace looks almost perfect (equip 1:1, org 1:1, some fast build planets, mbbs...)
- aside from the Black Market addon, i have a couple requests concerning the edit intself.
1.) can we limit corp size to 2 players at the start, and allow corp. membership to grow through conquest (conquer a corp, take their assets and those traders are allowed to join the victorious corp. (now 4 players on that corp)... absorb all other corps. (resistacne is futile). This would encourage battles amoung the various 2 man corps to claim the manpower.
2.) number of turns... start them off with 2000 turns (some corps will grow rapidly in numbers and power) (slows the game a bit)
3.) it might be in the markets best interest to limit sectors to 3 planets (thins defence capability and growth... uses additional turns, encourages corp battles and slows game slightly).
(i might be wrong, but have a look in game K... i think the org planet is short 100k cols capacity... as described in specs)
The rest of the edit looks like a great starting point for working out the kinks.

In the future, the Black Market would be run by a different corp. and they would put their own stamp on the game.

The Market needs:
1.) about a 15 to 30 sector bubble (size dictates all aspects of game performance)
2.) gate protection, one lv6 fueled planet
3.) about 5 cashing sectors (max. upgrade) sbb (other bubble sectors are empty), earth, oceanic, max cols in the appropriate 1:1 categories over upgraded cashing ports... no citadels necessary.
4.) about 200k figs
5.) about 200 mill creds (required to fulfill early hiring and expansion, and purchase of a shipyard)
6.) one other lv6 planet used for selling shields, products and interdicting ccustomers until they pay. (fuel only).

The growth of the corp. membership:
- maybe set that very high and make a game rule describing method of corp. growth
- they have to defeat other corps to grow membership
- the Market should have the right to hire additional staff from within the game to meet the demands of specific game events...

hmmm... i'm have a brain freeze... so got to take a break.
check it out and comment, Thrawn

cc bee... out

Not to rain on your parade.... How are you going defend something like this against a corp with more assets than this has.. Or will it be invicible like ferrengal is in some edits?

Part of the fun

comet, in the early going, the market will be too strong to attack with any definite chance of success. Also, the market will make it very "advantagous" to start your game, at the market. I dont know anyone that averages 10k creds a turn over their first 500 turns.
The Black Market will hire as many traders as want to work... the market pays 10k per turn. Think about that:
1.) Market buys a turn
2.) Trader loses a turn
3.) Market saves one of their own turns
LOL.... how is that not profitable for The Black Market and for your early game.
If, at the start of the game, some corps. decide to not use the market... those corps. will fall behind in development.
It is a "catch22" ... your work for the market strengthens the market (ouch)... you don't work for the market weakens you (ouch).
Either way the market becomes stronger... and remember, the market is not a combat force. (perhaps a bit of skull dugeree). So the market will be defeated but not likely by a 2 man corp on the first day.

Game play would most likely be aggressively securing more members for your corp through conquest.

Also....The Hive Black Market is not gonna be sweating, waiting for defeat... The Black Market will keep a wary eye on corps with big plans... the market has big plans of it's own.... the Enforcer is coming to town.
So, bring it!!!

oooohhhh!!!