I'm guessing this may wind up being an unpopluar question, but I have my reasons... I want to set up a game for "newbies"... However, I want to prevent any of them from using helpers to play. Is this possible? My reasoning is simple enough... I have some users that are newbies and know enough to go out and look on the net for helpers. And then I have some users that not that quick. In addition, I definitely don't want to turn into the "TW2002 Helper" tech support line. I know I can put out a disclaimer, but I was hoping to prevent helpers in this particular game.

It may even be nice to have a "no helper" tournament.. See how well everyone does without using helpers...

Any thoughts on this? I'm not looking to block helpers in every game. Believe me, I know how useful they can be. I'm just looking to block specific games...

Thanks,

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~~ XenoPhage ~~
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~~ XenoPhage ~~
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I don't think you can prevent helpers. You could use "Max Command/Cycle" setting (TEDIT Menu H, Setting S) and "Processing Interval" setting (TEDIT MENU H, Setting 1). By setting these to discourage helper use and posting messages you should be able to control the use of helpers.

At the least you will take away alot of the advantage of using a helper.

Good luck


Rand Al Thor, The Dragon Reborn
Let the Dragon ride the winds of time...

You're right, not only would it be an unpopular subject , it's not at all possible. The -only- way you could enforce any kind of rule against helpers would be to set your Max Commands/Second setting to one. Of course, if you do that, you'll have problems keeping players on your server... I certainly don't want to have to wait a second between every command I send.

It's been discussed before, and if there was a way to enforce a no-helper rule, that'd be cool for "newb" games. But there isn't, unfortunately.

Lisa M. Wilson
aka Rave
uhndagrowhn bbs

uhndagrowhn bbs
telnet://uhndagrowhn.merseine.nu

quote:
Any thoughts on this? I'm not looking to block helpers in every game. Believe me, I know how useful they can be. I'm just looking to block specific games...


The only way to be sure is to keep track of what your users are doing. Logging, spying on their port, etc. And even then there's a fuzzy line of "are macros helpers?", etc. (And you can do macros as simply as typing in the commands into notepad and cutn'pasting them to your terminal screen...so how do you tell if someone is smacking a macro key or having a helper smack the macro key for him? Having a real low turn game might help too, a few hundred turns...of course, then people lose interest. Its all a balance I guess.

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badboy@goosemoose.com
ICQ# 105123166

Download your free helper today!
"Isn't it time you put a little J-TWAT in your game?"
http://j-twat.sf.net

I guess you're all pretty much right.. Blocking helpers is all but impossible.. I guess it's better to live with them and just make sure everyone playing knows they exist rather than trying to block them..

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~~ XenoPhage ~~
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quote:
I'm guessing this may wind up being an unpopluar question, but I have my reasons... I want to set up a game for "newbies"... However, I want to prevent any of them from using helpers to play.


How about actually limiting access to the twgs to your machine and building a web interface and force the players to play through the web box? .. That's the only way I can see it being possible .. and even then some of us would find ways

Regards
<<DW>>

Have you played a game without helpers recently???? If so, have u compared that with how u play WITH a helper??
Perhaps back in the day when the game was new...playing manually was ok...but that was when 28,8 modems were "FAST". Now its a long and boring procedure to attempt to be a serious Trade Wars player and not use a helper. Its like asking a computer programmer to go back and use his bloody fingers to do calculations!! n e ways...just my 0.02$
l8ter

*Proud Member of the Alliance*

Live Long And Prosper!

quote:
Have you played a game without helpers recently???? If so, have u compared that with how u play WITH a helper??
Perhaps back in the day when the game was new...playing manually was ok...but that was when 28,8 modems were "FAST". Now its a long and boring procedure to attempt to be a serious Trade Wars player and not use a helper. Its like asking a computer programmer to go back and use his bloody fingers to do calculations!! n e ways...just my 0.02$
l8ter

*Proud Member of the Alliance*

Live Long And Prosper!


I am in a game against a team that is using Helpers. In fact, I am the only one NOT using any type of helper. I don't have the points most of the others do but when they come after me, they learn something fast. The Helper doesn't make the Player. Hit me in one area and the other Areas strike back hard. Normally, a player or team that attacks loses their biggest and baddest home planets. My Helper is a Telnet Log.

Anyone that depends on a helper is just a plain lousy player. Using it for the mundane tasks is okay but it has nothing to do with strategy and this is what most players are lacking today.



Visit slbbs.com port 2002 for a rip roaring game of TW where you also have to battle the Klingons, Romulans, Orians and the Borg.

quote: The Helper doesn't make the Player...Anyone that depends on a helper is just a plain lousy player.

I agree with you 100% on this. I only use my helpers for exploring, laying fig clouds and other monotonous tasks...but when it comes to strategy, attacks and the such....you know who is using a helper(loser) and who is going in manually(winner). I was only refering to those monotonous tasks in my previous comments. But I don't feel one can be truly competitive in the game without some form of aid!
l8ter


*Proud Member of the Alliance*

Live Long And Prosper!

quote:
quote: The Helper doesn't make the Player...Anyone that depends on a helper is just a plain lousy player.

I agree with you 100% on this. I only use my helpers for exploring, laying fig clouds and other monotonous tasks...but when it comes to strategy, attacks and the such....you know who is using a helper(loser) and who is going in manually(winner). I was only refering to those monotonous tasks in my previous comments. But I don't feel one can be truly competitive in the game without some form of aid!
l8ter


*Proud Member of the Alliance*

Live Long And Prosper!


I run a Server and have run a BBS for about 20 years. I go back to the TW1 days of yore. I am involved in a game that I make hardly any overt moves against the other players. My points were the lowest. I had one of the teams attack and blow up a planet of mine that I had moderate interest in for later. The game was about 60 days old and no one had attacke Ferengal. I usually don't myself. They had hit it once and it weakened them bad. I sent the #1 Player who was online at the time that I was beginning my attack. I made one pass at it, stripped it and blew it. Never mind how. The #1 Player noted that he didn't wish for me to be ticked off at him. If that other team retaliates, I take out there home planets. Two passes and it's done. Points don't mean a thing. I don't use helpers or scripting of any kind yet have the hidden ponies in the game. A Player is a Player but an old Sysop has Years of experience. There is no replacement for good Playing.

One of the things I am going to do in my big game server is excellerate the bad guys devolopment. That should extemely slow down the scripters since they will blow themselves up in short order.


BTW, I don't play in my own games. I use another sysops system for myself.



Visit slbbs.com port 2002 for a rip roaring game of TW where you also have to battle the Klingons, Romulans, Orians and the Borg.

Heh... old age and treachery will beat youth and "skill" every time.

Good to see another old-timer.

-Stryker
"Eagles may soar, but weasels don't get sucked into jet engines."

Well...youve showed me....can't argue with experience. But I would like to know how u took out ferrengal so quickly?? Was it weakened by the previous attack, or was it just low in developement??
I am interested?


*Proud Member of the Alliance*

Live Long And Prosper!

quote:
Well...youve showed me....can't argue with experience. But I would like to know how u took out ferrengal so quickly?? Was it weakened by the previous attack, or was it just low in developement??
I am interested?


*Proud Member of the Alliance*

Live Long And Prosper!


Give you a hint. Look at all your resources, not just your ships.



Visit slbbs.com port 2002 for a rip roaring game of TW where you also have to battle the Klingons, Romulans, Orians and the Borg.

quote:
I agree with you 100% on this. I only use my helpers for exploring, laying fig clouds and other monotonous tasks...


Mundane tasks are one thing but using ZTM (Zero turn mapping) throws the game into an imbalance when it is specifically to avoid having to come into the nasties areas, trade, etc. storing all information on all 20k sectors without visiting them or evens scanning them all in the first day. Using the ship that is provided, to visit 20k sectors, that would require 60k to 80k of turns. This particular script is made to specifically defeat the game turns, combat, pitfalls, other players, etc.. To allow it would be unfair to the ones that actually wish to play the game. Using this script to gather all the data of the game enables other scripting to be bullet proof. I watched three players run up over 3 mil apiece in less than 2000 turns starting with the base ship. This may cause a reset of the game if any of the normal players bring it up.

Let's hope the damage is minor. The ones that depend on those scripts alone only get a better start until they are caught and told not to use them. The Better players will, sooner or later, surpass them.




Visit slbbs.com port 2002 for a rip roaring game of TW where you also have to battle the Klingons, Romulans, Orians and the Borg.

quote:
Heh... old age and treachery will beat youth and "skill" every time.

Good to see another old-timer.

-Stryker
"Eagles may soar, but weasels don't get sucked into jet engines."


Who Us? Now why would I ever show cunning. Better to let it sneak up on you<grin>. Glad to see another old timer in here. Maybe the kids will teach us something::))



Visit slbbs.com port 2002 for a rip roaring game of TW where you also have to battle the Klingons, Romulans, Orians and the Borg.