Well, that's how the game was originally designed, but you played all of your turns before the next guy came in. But I know what you're saying, have a system of combat where each player attacks in turn, not based on realtime delays, but more based on how many figs you can attack with when it's your "turn", etc. I do like that idea. It's much more fitting for TradeWars than realtime twitch combat. But it's also a major deviation and would probably require entirely new combat routines. I don't know... I'll look at it. It's an interesting idea.

One of the concerns with such an approach is, how isolated are battles? Can I be bringing in reinforcements to our battle? If so, I'll take my time to make sure I can get my buddy off the couch and into the game. Or do you say once a battle starts, it's an isolated battlefield, maybe only allowing others to enter at certain points along the way. There are a lot of things to think about there. But in general, yeah, I'd like to see this game get back to more of a strategy than a tactical game. For certain game modes, that is.

I'm just suggesting that the delay be in relation to the emulation mode and ship twp. Just so the entire senerio does not feel too out of place. As an example if the delays were simular the the 56k emulation, but you used that same delay in the 2400 game, it would feel too fast. Do you see what I'm saying?

Let's see if I can illustrate what I'm thinking:

Emulation Mode X Ship constant setting X Ship TPW = delay

1MB X 250 ms X 3 = 750k

56K X 250 ms X 3 = 42k

2400 X 250 ms X 3 = 1.8k

This will keep the combat or battle delay "true" to the emulation.

My server's not been opan a month yet and I'm getting players. Running 56k down and 1MB up, 250 ms ship with static 150 ping.

I've already had to reset one game, they captured Ferrengal in 3 weeks with only 750 turns - I had 1M fuel on it too.

Well in the Pogo version of Risk, there is a 30 second inactivity timout. If you miss 3 timouts you get replaced by a computer player. In most MMORPGs, you have to wait for you weapons or spells to recharge. Depending on what weapon it can be 1s to 30s with more powerful attacks taking longer to recharge.
For TradeWars, I'm thinking that when one player attacks another player, then the second player has a very short timeout, say 1-5 seconds, to counter attack, transport or flee. When the timeout expires the other player can attack again.

That's easier said than done, as four tables are involved.

Heheh. Been there ;)

I've worked on these kinds of combat systems on other projects. Even Tradewars projects. I'm sure a better system could be devised. I'm just trying to make the smallest change possible to accomplish the goal. But maybe a completely different combat system option would be worth considering. Hmmmm.

Just looking and V2.x servers with more than ten players:

Ice 9 - 75 Players - EtherProbe Move : Constant (1 s)

Clasic TradeWars (EIS) - 31 Players - Rob/Steal : Constant (2 s)

Jace's Night Club - 21 Players - Rob/Steal : Constant (2 s)

The Little Stardock - 17 Players - EtherProbe Move : Constant (250 ms)

Memphis Tradewars - 14 Players - EtherProbe Move : Constant (1 s)

Blue Lobster -11 Players - EtherProbe Move : Constant (333 ms) and Rob/Steal : Constant (2 s)

Ground <-ZERO-> -10 Players - Rob/Steal : Constant (2 s)

It would appear that the Rob/Steal and EtherProbe Delays are the only ones being used on popular servers.

On one hand, yes, the most popular games are unlimited or high turns with no delays. On the other hand, JP's polls on Facebook show that a majority of players past and present are opposed to aggressive combat scripting. How to explain this apparent contradiction?

TBH, I think unlims are popular because of factors external to the game, such as having way too much time on your hands. In an unlim, you're giving ground to your opponents every second you're not online. TW is also a very addicting game. When I'm involved in a turn game, I still think about TW all day, but at least I can take comfort in the fact that while I'm not playing, my turns are regenerating at the same rate as everyone else's. I can play one or two hours a day and know that I have the same chances as everyone else. And that's very important. Being in my mid-30s, I'm probably toward the young end of old school TW players. We have jobs and families to attend to. We don't have time for unlims.

The problem is, the unlim arms race has produced weapons that can be applied rather destructively to turn games. High-speed scripted combat is one of those. Finding a way to limit that is crucial to popularizing turn games again.

Facebook is a very different croud than we have here in the forum.

I think this forum is mostly people who actually play, and FB is more people who used to play and might be convinced to come back if the game were more like what they remember.

I find I spend more time in turns game play than an unlim. The game is slower, and lasts longer. I don't want a game that lasts for days, or God forbid weeks. A weekend game is all I can commit to. An unlim is basically a death match, unless someone is running a truce.

               / Promethius / Enigma / Wolfen /

"A man who has no skills can be taught, a man who has no honor has nothing."

So, I've been thinking a lot about an alternative combat system, and I have some ideas that I really like, but I keep coming back to the fact that for v3, I want to avoid changing the game too much. Combat and move delays have been a part of the game forever, even if seldom used outside of the HVS version, so I'd rather fall back on a limited combat/move delay system than go to an entirely different combat system. Then I'd like to explore the new system for v4, where it could become the standard way for handling combat. That doesn't mean that I can't prototype it in v3 as I've done with lots of things I'm holding for v4. And of course I could change my mind if I can't find any better solution to handling interactive combat in v3.

And here time is a relative concept - Prom likes fast/short games. Start to finish over in one weekend - that requires gold edits and long hours per day in that weekend game - AFK mostly I presume, but that's a few very long days.

Players like Mongoose and myself prefer to be at the keys an hour or two a day for an extended time. We don't have "days" to dedicate to a game. Once TW gets into your bloodstream, it becomes a part of your daily routine. I'd rather play TW an hour or two than watch anything that's on TV today. We love thinking about the game we're playing, thinking up new strategies, or trying to figure out what the opposition is up to.

I think once we convince the players hanging out in facebook that it's safe to come back and play the long strategy type games again, you'll see a shift in popular servers and delay settings. This is afterall Labor Day weekend, the end of summer and beginning of indoor activities. I predict we'll see more players coming back this winter.

Sounds good! Let us know when you have something for us to "beat" on

Why do you presume everyone is AFK… did you actually read what he posted and you quoted?

I think that’s what everyone else says they are doing as well welcome to the club.

I think your wrong about the players hanging out in face book and returning for the reasons you “think” they might. How ever your perdition of a pick up of player volume in winter is right… only for the reason that it’s ALWAYS been like that.