General Game Discussion

[jouldax]

In the past few games, we've gotten further and further away from the small alliance idea to the point where it's basically 1v1 + a partial alliance. Our next round will again feature this setup, but to an even greater degree. I wish more people actually read these boards, but I understand they have their limitations (password difficulty being the largest hindrance). With that said, to those of you who DO read this, I'd like some feedback on the direction of the game. My fear right now is that we might as well go back to a draft or council game, which is fine, but which has led to unrest in the past. I thought smaller alliance games were more active and fun, but people always get left out. At the end of the day, I don't want this game to collapse, but I need feedback from a broader base about where the game should go as I try to design more fun games and maps. Any thoughts on this topic would be appreciated.

[Storm]

I think...

...leave the planets at their current levels.
...reduce alliances to 12/3

Planets should be difficult to take, especially once they start getting toward max level. Add in a few mine fields and more planning is needed to go after a rock. (And yes, going after four planets in one night was rather thrilling...but it shouldn't be THAT easy.)

There are always going to be people who will only play with certain other people, and you can't force them not to. That will just make them decide not to play. Though yes, smaller alliance games are more fun...if you can get all of the alliances to be active. It's not fun being in one that isn't doing much.

There's also the issue of gaining/retaining new players. I know there's information out there to help new players, but unless you already know someone who is playing and can help teach you the ropes, it's difficult to get started and not get completely and utterly frustrated to the point of giving up. But that's a different discussion.

[Holti]

Training new players is exactly why bouncer and I designed the new player game. There newbies can practice their speed and ask questions of bouncer and I. We're currently working with two new players who are active and asking questions, hopefully more will sign up

[Storm]

But two out of how many that have joined the new player game?

I'm not saying it's a bad idea, because it's definitely not. Bouncer was good about messaging me when I first started playing again.

Since there's so little activity in a new player game, how about setting one up that runs perpetually, and once players have reached fledgling rank (or some other rank stuffed in between beginner and fledgling), then they are "graduated" out of the new player game and invited into the main round? Along with that idea, have the new player game stuffed full of missions for them to complete, to let them get a handle on all the dynamics. Give them the basics on how to trade, how to find decent routes. NPC ships that they either have to work with, or fight, to give them a taste of being part of an active alliance.

I know, I live in a dreamworld.

[Incognito]

But two out of how many that have joined the new player game?

I'm not saying it's a bad idea, because it's definitely not. Bouncer was good about messaging me when I first started playing again.

Since there's so little activity in a new player game, how about setting one up that runs perpetually, and once players have reached fledgling rank (or some other rank stuffed in between beginner and fledgling), then they are "graduated" out of the new player game and invited into the main round? Along with that idea, have the new player game stuffed full of missions for them to complete, to let them get a handle on all the dynamics. Give them the basics on how to trade, how to find decent routes. NPC ships that they either have to work with, or fight, to give them a taste of being part of an active alliance.

I know, I live in a dreamworld.

It's a great idea, and I would be all for it. Only problem is we don't get enough new players to make 'graduating' really mean something. A newbie game can only teach someone so much. It's great for getting players use to the interface and movement ingame, but until they actually experience competition for routes, or large-scale ops and counter-ops, they won't really learn those things. NPC based combat would be useful, especially if we could get the NPCs to attack traders, but it still isn't the same as fighting a real player, one that will duck in and out of sector and fight on unos.

Currently, newbie games don't record stats either. So unless they join a real round, their rank will not increase.

[Storm]

My rank increased while playing the newbie game....I didn't get credit for kills, but I'm pretty sure I gained rank points. I could be wrong. I poked about in the newbie game for a bit before dropping into the draft round.

Like I said, I live in a dreamworld.

It would be interesting to see NPC ships coded with the ability to pop in and out of sector, and at least for training purposes be on a matched level with a new player's ship. It could go something like:

Skippy goes out trading, next thing he knows he's being attacked. Before he can get out of sector he's been podded. Once he returns to HQ in his pod, he's greeted with a message from his "trainer" about what had happened and tips that he could try next time...like laying down scouts, running as soon as he gets a scout message (and not looking at that message first!)

Or if Skippy is in a warbird and gets into a fight, once that fight is over he'll receive a message geared toward whether he won or lost.

All with the caveat that it's all simulation and that playing with other real players is a whole other game.

Though, given enough players in a new player game, players would get a taste of that interaction too.

[Holti]

I set up both new player games to NOT record stats, in large part because we cannot stop a vet setting up a new account and "pretending" to be a newbie for easy kills.

I also wanted to add the NPCs to give newbies much needed practice on firing on other ships, but at the time of the first new player game Bouncer and I created, npcs were in used in the regular round and they could not be used in more than one round due to the way the game is currently coded. For awhile, the previous new player game had enough where Bouncer could hold a mini port raid, which is what we aimed to do. We have two active newbies, and the game is set to last 6 months, if I remember correctly. Hopefully we will get enough active newbies to hold practice ops. For now, we answer they questions and stress the importance of speed. I'll talk to Page about adding NPCs, since they have not been used in the regular round. Only Page can add the NPCs.

[Storm]

Then I remembered wrong! *shrugs* Leaky brain pan.

[thebladerunner]

Then I remembered wrong! *shrugs* Leaky brain pan.

not sure where to go to join a game in here! it's been years since I played and now I cant find where to go?

[Incognito]

After logging in at smrealms.de, you can see a list of the current active rounds. Just click Join Game to join a game.