My brief stint in PBSE was much like Fungus' experience.
The moderators created a very polished interface and kept the game fresh with interesting events/newsletters. They meet with players each year at a pub in England, gather input/suggestions from their players, and explain modifications to the game that need to be made to maintain balance.
Most importantly, I met some extremely generous, patient and kind players in several affiliations.
As stated by Fungus, role-playing is encouraged, but not mandated (except in certain forums). Many players dispense with role-playing and just power game and that is also accepted.
I would still be playing except for three reasons...
1). The expense. You can play ships for free, but the real fun comes from running space stations which cost roughly $2.25 (IIRC) per station per week. This can add up quickly...
2). The time investment. Station turns are run once a week but ships can run a turn each weekday. If you are not super organized, it can become overwhelming.
3). I (generally) do not like open-ended games. The tendency for some established players to annihilate newer players' stations simply because they can leaves a bad taste in my mouth. PBSE has its share of bullies...but the majority of players are some of the nicest people I have encountered in PBM.
If you have the time to spare, and the money, and you do not mind occasionally getting stomped by more powerful players, PBSE has a lot to offer.
The moderators created a very polished interface and kept the game fresh with interesting events/newsletters. They meet with players each year at a pub in England, gather input/suggestions from their players, and explain modifications to the game that need to be made to maintain balance.
Most importantly, I met some extremely generous, patient and kind players in several affiliations.
As stated by Fungus, role-playing is encouraged, but not mandated (except in certain forums). Many players dispense with role-playing and just power game and that is also accepted.
I would still be playing except for three reasons...
1). The expense. You can play ships for free, but the real fun comes from running space stations which cost roughly $2.25 (IIRC) per station per week. This can add up quickly...
2). The time investment. Station turns are run once a week but ships can run a turn each weekday. If you are not super organized, it can become overwhelming.
3). I (generally) do not like open-ended games. The tendency for some established players to annihilate newer players' stations simply because they can leaves a bad taste in my mouth. PBSE has its share of bullies...but the majority of players are some of the nicest people I have encountered in PBM.
If you have the time to spare, and the money, and you do not mind occasionally getting stomped by more powerful players, PBSE has a lot to offer.