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OK, I'll put my head on the chopping block: I'm in the best test (game #200) of Quest of the Great Jewels. Anyone else?
So far, I've communicated with three other players and know of three more (one of whom uses a player name familiar to me from years past). That leaves another five unaccounted for.
Bob McLain
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Have you played PBM games before, Bob?
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I'm in QJ #200! There's a second playtest forming. It's really fun, more people should sign up.
Also, should this game have its own subforum now that it is officially "a thing"?
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I blame FaceBook. Think I am just as guilty. Came hear hoping to see some talk about the game. Sadly, it is just crickets.
I'll never forget, it is PlayByMail.Net, that made this all possible. It brought together all the participants.
I am in Play Test games 200 and 201, under different player names.
So far I am enjoying myself, though I do need to get better at turning in my turns in a timely matter.
Game 200 has taken some interesting and unexpected turns. Which has reminded me of some things from the old PBM game.
Fog of War, which is a necessary part of the game. But with it, it is hard to learn any lessons from losing. Did you lose to a much larger player, or was it a close call. Are you expanding fast enough, or using the benefits of your race's abilities better than your fellow race players.
My suggestion is that there be some type of 'post game', turn by turn history sheet. Sort of what like the Civilization PC games do. So at the end of the game, you would get this post game report that would show you how fast and wide other players expanded, whether or not the Forbidden Cities were taken at all, and other information that would help learn to be a better player.
I believe a post game report is an investment in the players. It will keep them interested in the game, well after they have lost. While the winner gets all the accolades, the rest of the players at least will get to see the big picture of how the game was won and lost, which is important to becoming better players.
I understand this is asking a lot, a lot of work. Even something bare bones would be nice. And it will probably pay dividends when you eventually will make this pay to play.
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I wrote a lengthy article/diary of the first six or seven turns of QJ200, at Charles Mosteller's request for inclusion in S&D #14. With Charles dead (to a reasonable certainty), it's unlikely there'll be another issue of S&D. Unless someone objects, I'd be glad to post the article here, in several installments.
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Bob: Well, I have no objections.
To go off-topic a bit...
Starkadder: "I blame FaceBook" -- Me too. It's a sad fact that people are abandoning web forums for the ease of Facebook groups. My own private family website is dead after 15 years; when once there were posts from cousins, aunts, uncles every day, now hardly anyone visits. Even the larger forums, e.g. Something Awful, are slowing down.
While I appreciate it allows faster interactions by being a central site, FB groups doesn't have the "history" that a forum does. (Try finding a specific posting from a couple years ago.) I'd suggest starting a PBMGames subReddit -- reddit.com is a thriving site with bazillions of users, it's discussion-oriented, and old historical discussions are kept archived and searchable.
