06-15-2012, 02:40 PM
I meant to say the Renaissance "website" is basic. I see that I left out the key word "website" in my previous post...
I played Renaissance for a short time back in the early 1980s as the Eastern European Bassarab family. Decent memories. Why not try it again? Of course, the game has changed, with fewer players controlling more families. No one will ever win. The enjoyment is 75% diplomacy, 25% strategy/tactics.
Oddly enough, the presence of so many powerful players makes the game MORE welcoming to newbies than your average edition of Starweb or Victory!. These powerful players would gain nothing, absolutely nothing, from squashing a new player flat. They're mentors, not maniacs. Given the vastness of the world, the established players love to help newcomers become established in areas where they don't lack local presence. Think of it as... colonizing.
Of course, once you become established on your own, you can do what you like.
There isn't an official on-boarding process. But one of the players has put together a "starter pack" that he sends upon request to those who ask. The pack includes such handy items as a game atlas, market reports, and even a utility for calculating distance. He'll also help prospective players find a good place to start.
Victory! is much, much more complicated than Battle Plan. No comparison. Back in the early 1990s, Allen Viduka wrote and published a book (an actual print book) about how to do well in Victory!. That'll give you some clue about the game's scope.
I played Renaissance for a short time back in the early 1980s as the Eastern European Bassarab family. Decent memories. Why not try it again? Of course, the game has changed, with fewer players controlling more families. No one will ever win. The enjoyment is 75% diplomacy, 25% strategy/tactics.
Oddly enough, the presence of so many powerful players makes the game MORE welcoming to newbies than your average edition of Starweb or Victory!. These powerful players would gain nothing, absolutely nothing, from squashing a new player flat. They're mentors, not maniacs. Given the vastness of the world, the established players love to help newcomers become established in areas where they don't lack local presence. Think of it as... colonizing.
Of course, once you become established on your own, you can do what you like.
There isn't an official on-boarding process. But one of the players has put together a "starter pack" that he sends upon request to those who ask. The pack includes such handy items as a game atlas, market reports, and even a utility for calculating distance. He'll also help prospective players find a good place to start.
Victory! is much, much more complicated than Battle Plan. No comparison. Back in the early 1990s, Allen Viduka wrote and published a book (an actual print book) about how to do well in Victory!. That'll give you some clue about the game's scope.