newly inspired to PBM!!!

[ixnay]

My deepest thanks to BOB MCLAIN for sending me a spare copy of his PBM Universal magazine #1 !!! I never actually had a copy -- just a xerox of one article from it. I am almost literally salivating. It takes me STRAIGHT back to the glory days of PBM, when there were hundreds of professional games out there and many thousands of players.

Bob, if you are ever in the DC area, please let me buy you many beers! (That pretty much goes for anyone else here, but especially Bob for the zine and Grim for this site.)

And now I feel extra sucky for not having posted here lately or contributed to the PBM scene. SO, Bob's generosity and this awesome time-capsule of a magazine have inspired me to renew my once-paramount hobby. I pledge to do the following:

- post here at least weekly
- enter at least one professional PBM game immediately
- troll about for at least one amateur game if I can find one
- never drop out of a PBM game again
- game-log everything here

If others here are up for taking a similar pledge, we can form a gaming league -- Grimfinger's Grognards, or the Knights of PBM, or something. Anyone else want to join me?

[walter]

LOL!
To much coffee mate?

Besides that, it is a good idea :-)
Hows the Gaming Universal looking by the way, never had a chance to take a look at it!

[ixnay]

Hah, I had actually edited it down somewhat. I wanted to include something about building my own PBM game, but that's going to be slow in coming. (Probably better to just do first and then announce it, rather than announce it and then do it.)

Issue 1 is excellent, though rather different from Issue 2. It's smaller and has much less in the way of ads (understandable). Bob must have gone to magazine publishing school or something because the professional look and feel of subsequent issues really takes off. But I love Issue 1 for the articles -- a long review of Empyrean Challenge, several pieces on Feudal Lords, including info on how it was developed, etc.

Since starting this thread I haven't had a chance to sign up for a PBM game yet. Maybe after this weekend's camping trip. I'm thinking Hyborian Wars to see what Grim does when he's not here. I also need to dust off a couple of other free positions in ongoing games. Perhaps Sunday.

[walter]

And?
What game did you started :-)

[BobMcLain]

Well, I started a new game: Renaissance.

It's not a new game, really. Moderator Constantine Xanthos ran the first turn in 1981. He has run the game without interruption since then.

I took over some historical families in early 16th century Central Asia. My characters are far-flung: they range from extreme western China to northern Persia. First order of business is to consolidate, improve existing roads, build new roads, and develop my exotic markets.

The real action is in Europe, where the truly powerful players (including those who run the Holy Roman Emperor and the Pope!) are locked in continental battle. But I like the peace and tranquility of the steppes, where soon my limitless hordes of mounted archers, I mean, my limitless hordes of road builders will, um, do something.

Anyone like to join me?

[ixnay]

Well, I started a new game: Renaissance.

It's not a new game, really. Moderator Constantine Xanthos ran the first turn in 1981. He has run the game without interruption since then.

I took over some historical families in early 16th century Central Asia. My characters are far-flung: they range from extreme western China to northern Persia. First order of business is to consolidate, improve existing roads, build new roads, and develop my exotic markets.

The real action is in Europe, where the truly powerful players (including those who run the Holy Roman Emperor and the Pope!) are locked in continental battle. But I like the peace and tranquility of the steppes, where soon my limitless hordes of mounted archers, I mean, my limitless hordes of road builders will, um, do something.

Anyone like to join me?

Bob -- got a link to Renaissance?

Walter -- I've been sorting through Grim's links on the left. Figured it was a good place to start. I had signed on to a trial of that BSE variant several months ago, and after having left it unplayed I got a report that my 2 ships were pillaged by pirates. So I might fire that one up again and this time, er, "not" drop out.

I thought about Hyborian War, but am leery of joining a game dominated by experienced players who know all the strategies already. They did start a beginners game a while back -- maybe they'll do that again.

Some of the other games on the list have either been shut down or their forums haven't had a post in years. Some require downloading apps to your PC, which I am leery of.

Maybe we should do as Bob suggests and go in on a game together, blog about it here, etc. If I can get at least one other player from here to sign up for a game, I'll play it. (Bonus points if you join Grimfinger's Grognards!) Walter -- want to join Bob in Renaissance?

[BobMcLain]

The Renaissance [website] is really, really basic:

http://rensim.org/cx/

If either of you seriously want to join the game, I can send you (via PM) the name and email address of one of the more experienced players who has a vast database of the game's cities, families, player holdings, etc. He can give you an overview of what's what and who's where, and help you select decent families.

[walter]

Alas!
I justed started a Victory! game by Rolling Thunder Games.
There are still (4) positions open in this game.
First turn is within 2 weeks..


http://www.rollingthunderforums.com/inde...topic=2243


Have fun... Or join me as my neighbor.

Walt

[ixnay]

I'll sign up for one or both of these games this weekend. Regarding Renaissance -- it does NOT look "basic". The rules are fairly elaborate and extensive, and I suspect the player-created content base is ten times more so. Is there any decent onboarding process for new players? It's been running for 30 YEARS and doesn't appear overly welcoming to newbies. How did you hear about it, and what made you want to sign up?

And as for Victory -- looks like something vaguely similar to Flying Buffalo's Battle Plan (which is good). Is it? It looks interesting, but also expensive. $6 per turn-sheet, and you can submit 2 per turn up until a certain point when you can submit 3. $12-$18 per turn is steep. So same question to you, Walter, what made you want to sign up for this game?

[BobMcLain]

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.