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+--- Thread: [S&D SUGGESTIONS] Small Ads/ Classifieds (/showthread.php?tid=130535)
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[S&D SUGGESTIONS] Small Ads/ Classifieds - Participant-Observer - 08-06-2017
Charles (and everyone else):
It occurs to me that it might be fun for S&D readers to submit their own small ads to S&D. Perhaps a couple of pages every issue could be dedicated to requests for help, particular types of games, as well as in-game bragging, challenges, and so on.
Of course, it also occurs to me that nobody else might find this amusing at all. And it that it might be a real nuisance to include.
I'd be interested to hear what y'all/ youse think.
RE: [S&D SUGGESTIONS] Small Ads/ Classifieds - Davin - 08-06-2017
(08-06-2017, 02:22 PM)Participant-Observer Wrote: I'd be interested to hear what y'all/ youse think.
The more public participation, the better for all of us here.
I'd still like to set up a game of Galac-Tac with as many forum members as I can interest, and they can post their tales of glory someplace like this in the magazine as well as here on-line.
RE: [S&D SUGGESTIONS] Small Ads/ Classifieds - Angerak - 08-06-2017
(08-06-2017, 03:04 PM)Davin Wrote: The more public participation, the better for all of us here.
Indeed. Whatever gets the crowd involved is good for PBM.
RE: [S&D SUGGESTIONS] Small Ads/ Classifieds - Participant-Observer - 08-06-2017
I think that my eyes were first opened to the (humorous) possibilities by an Old School Revival RPG project, a couple of years ago. Here's a blog with some suggested small ads for the Expanded Petty Gods book (IIRC).
RE: [S&D SUGGESTIONS] Small Ads/ Classifieds - GrimFinger - 08-07-2017
(08-06-2017, 02:22 PM)Participant-Observer Wrote: Charles (and everyone else):
It occurs to me that it might be fun for S&D readers to submit their own small ads to S&D. Perhaps a couple of pages every issue could be dedicated to requests for help, particular types of games, as well as in-game bragging, challenges, and so on.
Of course, it also occurs to me that nobody else might find this amusing at all. And it that it might be a real nuisance to include.
I'd be interested to hear what y'all/ youse think.
Pretty much anything game related can be submitted to Suspense & Decision. That's a separate issue from who will, or whether anyone will. I have no qualms with what is proposed, though.
RE: [S&D SUGGESTIONS] Small Ads/ Classifieds - ixnay - 08-09-2017
I'll play that galac-tac game! Let's make a public spectacle of it! Like we did with that old Far Horizons game!
RE: [S&D SUGGESTIONS] Small Ads/ Classifieds - Participant-Observer - 08-09-2017
(08-09-2017, 04:45 AM)ixnay Wrote: I'll play that galac-tac game! Let's make a public spectacle of it! Like we did with that old Far Horizons game!
I'm ... interested. Off the top of your heads, does anyone know what the turn frequency is?
RE: [S&D SUGGESTIONS] Small Ads/ Classifieds - Davin - 08-09-2017
Ixnay, you and Bob are already signed up to play in galaxy #60 (which is still out there and available). I'd love for other folks to jump in there as well! If we can get at least a half-dozen players (10 or 12 would be better) then we can make a reasonable game out of it. See my post at Galac-Tac group game offer for more details, including the fact that I'm giving away plenty of play time to get people involved. I'd like for people to post their experiences (both general and position-specific, as long as it doesn't give away any of your position's secrets) on the forum for discussion and interesting reading. Pick what and when you'd like to talk about it, and I especially encourage public sabre-rattling. Treaties are, at best, temporary (since "there can be only one" in the end), but you can make them with an anonymous in-game messaging system (so you don't know who you're talking to) rather than in the public forum.
Since we now run over the web instead of using paper mail, turn frequency can be much faster. For comfort's sake I think that a one-week turnaround works out pretty reasonably for most people (that way you can have your own favorite day of the week to spend on it), though I can change that to anything the players desire.
In addition to signing up for the group game, I encourage everyone to also immediately sign up for a "solo" game (against simple computer players) for a little preparatory play to get used to the game system and commands and try out some strategies. You may play in as many solo (computer) and/or human games as you feel like you have time for once you get signed up.
The game is true to its PBM ancestry with web-based "turn sheets" and web-based "printed reports". You may certainly print your turns (even old turns if you want) and work from the classic report style on paper (I do), or you can do all your work on your screens without using any paper. Better yet, for those of you playing on Windows computers I have a "game assistant" program called "GTac" that you can download from the web site and install on your computer. It offers a customizable map-based interface for you to explore the galaxy, and will allow you to input and error-check your turn sheet and will submit it for you, as well as many other helpful features.
FYI - missing turns in the early (expansion) part of the game will hurt your position (as it will limit the size of your empire), but as the game progresses missed turns are less critical (unless you're in the middle of a major offensive, on either side). You normally set up automated "shuttle runs" that will continue running your basic economy every turn even if you miss one.
There's a manual on my web site for reading, even before you sign up, plus a number of introductory and quick-start articles that were published in S&D and are also available on my web site that will give you a good flavor and direction for the game. Doug Neman also publishes in S&D a fictionalized, first-person, episodic storyline set in the Galac-Tac universe for some fun reading. It may be interesting for some to note that his empire name in that storyline is "Benevolence Limited" which was taken from an actual Galac-Tac game position way back when and kind of gives you a hint about the style of play.
Does anyone have any questions or want to sign up to play?
RE: [S&D SUGGESTIONS] Small Ads/ Classifieds - Angerak - 08-09-2017
I'm looking forward to when I have enough free time to play a game. When I do, I'll try to remember to give it a try. My memory isn't what it used to be. At least, I don't think so ...
RE: [S&D SUGGESTIONS] Small Ads/ Classifieds - Davin - 08-09-2017
(08-09-2017, 05:13 PM)Angerak Wrote: I'm looking forward to when I have enough free time to play a game. When I do, I'll try to remember to give it a try. My memory isn't what it used to be. At least, I don't think so ...
It's like they say, when you get older your memory is the second thing to go ... I forget what the first thing is.
Time requirements for Galac-Tac vary widely based on your style of play. Some people (like me) spend hours on a turn figuring out the details of how to do things in the best and most efficient possible way. Other people just throw together the main commands they need and they're done in 15 minutes (and do pretty well that way). It all depends on what you're wanting to get out of it.
FWIW, in the beginning of the game really all you're doing is some simple expansion work and there aren't many decisions to be made. (For instance, send all the cargo ships I've got to the nearest unknown stars and there's not much more to it than that.) So in the beginning it doesn't take much time at all. After about a dozen turns you'll probably start running into other people, and that will get more interesting (provided that you've done a good job during expansion to have some choices).
The most time-consuming part in the beginning used to be reading the manual, but if you'll read some of my introductory articles instead you'll even be spared that for quite some time.
The good thing about getting started now is (a) playing for free, and (b) playing against all the local denizens that you've "met" and can chat with.