Everytime most players start a new game, there is one thing we all have to go through that is becoming more and more of a pain the more sectors there are in Trade Wars. It would really be nice if some of you sysops would post the warpspecs of the universe you banged. I have a cable connection and run ztm using SupG and even with that it take 4-5 hours to make a decent map of a new game.

Yeah but you're sleeping at that time, or should be. I like the fact that we start with a blank slate, and have to figure it out on our own... or at least our ZTM does. It's kinda like that new car smell... it adds to the experience.

+EP+

Yeah who ever has the best ZTM will have the best chance? On the other hand, someone that cashes during your ZTM time will have a head start. Part of the game is exploring and discovering the galaxy and all the wonders. Ztm will not show you that rogue planet or that special ship sitting there.

quote:Originally posted by Akor

Everytime most players start a new game, there is one thing we all have to go through that is becoming more and more of a pain the more sectors there are in Trade Wars. It would really be nice if some of you sysops would post the warpspecs of the universe you banged. I have a cable connection and run ztm using SupG and even with that it take 4-5 hours to make a decent map of a new game.



What do you mean warpspecs? ZTM info? Random generator number? If I use the ZTM from SWATH for you, and you use SupG and he uses CK's they will all come out different so I am to understand.
When you get into a game, all the specs of the galaxy are there for you to read. As long as it isn't a timed game what's 4 or 5 hours of your life given to a game? (ironic smirk)[|)].

For example, I logged in on the Simple Mind's Diablo game yesterday. Started ztm at 7:30 PM. At 12:30 AM ztm was still not done. Got up today and started exploring. Didn't get very far before Convict blew me away. He already had a head start because I didn't explore yesterday. Had I a copy of the TWX datafile, I would have been able to start earlier. I guess from now on I need to forget about ztming altogether or something. Anyway it is a good problem for the TW School area so I'll take the problem over there. Thanks for the input. I guess that is one of the problems everyone needs to overcome: the lack of warp data to prevent warping into a bubble that you can't get out of.

One thing has nothing to do with the other Akor. "USUALLY" it's a good idea to run your ZTM after you run your turns for the day, laying down a grid, ppting along the way, finding mcic ports. This all depends of course on how many corpies you have, who has a 24/7 connection, and any other factors that does not come to mind at the moment. I never do ZTM's myself becasue I use dialup, and don't want to tie up the phone line for 5 hours. I rely on one of my corpies running a ztm and giving it to me.

As far as you getting blown up. That had nothing to do with him having more sectors explored then you. It had to do with you hitting a fig of his or having a limp or some other way of him knowing where you are at that given moment. And if he did run around the universe already, then he had ppted/sst or whatever, got credits, got figs and was able to kill. I don't know what you mean by going into a bubble you can't get out of, unless you went thru a one way and all sectors around you were figged for him, and you did not have a t-warp to jump somewhere else.

Yes, I was afraid that without the ztm I might go into a one-way, which I understand to be the door to a bubble, and, without twarp drive, I wouldn't be able to twap out. Even if I did on-the-spot calculations, if I had already entered the bubble it would be too late. In that case, the only thing I can see to do is do a backward warp calc to the sector I am currently in to see if I can come back out of it.

Run turns first... ztm while asleep or at work... if u don't play from work... but AFTER ur outta or low on turns...
The only time I seen a special situation, I think was the first Corp wars... Vader let everyone in a day early, but if they moved they would be deleted. that first day was ZTM only...

So that all being said, the only reason to post warpspecs is so EVERYONE can have a 100% ZTM...and the truth of the matter is, 99% of the time it's not needed.

Would make first-day base building a little easier. Would also reduce first-day lag on the server.

quote:Originally posted by Singularity

Would make first-day base building a little easier. Would also reduce first-day lag on the server.



Running a ztm script creates basically no lag on a system. That's why delays were built into it.

quote:Originally posted by Singularity

Would make first-day base building a little easier. Would also reduce first-day lag on the server.


Lag, was it lag you say? Maybe and just maybe, if you happen to be running you're smoking hot Packard Bell 386 w/ a whopping 2-megs of RAM and a 50-Meg harddrive. [:P]

Its a gateway

I've had quite a few servers slow down with 5 or 10 people running a ZTM. Heck, I've had some that slow down with just a no-exp port upgrade macro (had that this morning).

A no experience port upgrade macro has no delays built into it. With the current version of TWGS (for like the last 3-4 years, really) I have seen no performance hit from ztms. Even on day 1 of a tournament with 100 players in the game.