STARWEB EMAIL DISCUSSION GROUP (THE SEDG) (Sponsored by Flying Moose Technologies' Starweb Analyzer - http://www.accessv.com/~wulkan/fmt.html) VOL 16 Sept. 27, 1999 CONTENTS Get your name in the SEDGE - Here's how! Feature Article - HOW I DO MY TURN by Elliot Hudes Special Article - A new Private Game with a twist - By Ken Cassaday! Questions - Znnn Orders SEDG Web Page URL The Captain's Log - Doing My Turn - Part II The SWAP Corner - A NEW FEATURE! Tidbits and pointers on how to use the Starweb Analyzer. Correspondence - Braggart's Corner! GET YOUR NAME IN THE SEDGE - Here's how! This issue is dedicated to how one organizes their turn cycle that Walter (Nemo and his Evil Twin) started last issue. Following the feature article, which delineates how I prepare my Starweb orders will be Part II of Cap's "Doing my Turn". I invite any player who is still using pen and paper (or other aids such as spreadsheets) but is not using the Flying Moose's Starweb Analyzer to submit their account of "How I did my turn". This is to avoid redundancy since both Walter and I utilize the Analyzer. If it's a short account then expect it to show up in future Correspondence sections. If it's longer (and interesting) it could be the lead article for Volume 17! FEATURE ARTICLE HOW I DO MY TURN by Elliot Hudes (somnos@compuserve.com) I realize that things change through the game and I try to take this into account. I cannot show you how to make a flawless battle plan or brilliant strategy (NO, not because I'm incapable :-). It's just difficult, very subjective and likely a better subject for future SEDGs). I cannot tell you that this is the best way to do it for in reality different techniques suit different player styles better. I cannot even tell you this will ensure that your allies execute your plans flawlessly - NOW THAT WOULD BE SOMETHING! What I can tell you is that my technique works for me and it allows me to get my turn done with the minimal amount of mistakes. Using this I minimize the miscommunication between allies, ensure that I carry out what I have said I would (including allies requests) and never, never forget things like loading metal, art or transferring ships. Well, hardly ever . As I've intimated above, I utilize the Starweb Analyzer Program (SWAP) by Flying Moose Technologies. In fact I'm a founding partner of that company. (Conflict of interests now put out for public viewing along with a shameless plug for the product - Not a bad little bit of Advertising I would say :-). OK, buckle up and hang on -- After I receive my Starweb turn (always by email) from FBI I .... 1. Peruse turnsheet superficially - look for any unusual events (like enemy invasions, keys that don't move, successful attacks by my allies). Send my turnsheet by email to my allies. 2. Await the turnsheets of all my allies by email before doing anything else. This can be an annoying wait - I like allies who email turns - same day. 3. I use the Flying Moose Technologies Starweb Analyzer to view all the turnsheets, the map and its order editor for setting up my planning notes and orders. My plans below reflect this. 4. Update my Score sheet and email to buddies. Occasionally sending it to the enemy if I particularly want him to see how far ahead of him I/we are :-). 5. Use the Starweb Analyzer (SWAP) to update the map. Create a gif map and send it to allies unfortunate enough not to have the program. Email the map file to allies using the same program as me (voila - my map update appears whenever they call up our game on their SWAP). 6. Create a combined turnsheet of all alliance turns (in numerical world order) with the SWAP and email to players who don't have SWAP (and hence can't view all the turnsheets this way like we do). 7. Now the fun begins. Set Swap to only show worlds (by listing and highlighting on the map) where fleets are present. I can (and do) set it to show only enemy fleets and only allied fleets to get an idea of our offence and/or defence. 8. Use information in #7 to make a summary of all significant forces in different arenas to send by email to my allies. (Optional step - depends on whether I'm actively helping plan the wars). 9. Using #8 I create a masterful plan . Could be a War Plan, defense, moving art, metal, scoring plans etc. This depends on whether my role in the game is as a tactical War Planner (one of the Generals), a merchant, an art collector, the player proposed to be pushed to scoring victory etc. The plan can be as simple as "Get Shorty" to a 6- page diatribe where I outline the details of every key/ship/world. Obviously this depends on my allies, what they prefer and my own feelings. It may be a plan for a berserker to score or how to push another player into the winner circle. Like I said - it depends on circumstances. 10. Get feedback from my allies on my suggestions/plan or receive their suggested plans. 11. I start writing orders. I open up my Order Editor in SWAP and plan to incorporate a full description of what every fleet or world of mine is doing. The editor is more than capable of integrating my orders and these comments to be sent out to my allies. It acts as a summary of my positions specific plans and then the program can strip out my comments and send in my order sheet to FBI. I set the SWAP to use a Template that generates incomplete orders for me in Execution order. This means that my orders are listed like this -- a) All builds (target needs to be added) e.g W30B30 W40B1 b) All unload orders for fleets with metal over industry worlds. c) All keys in order of the world numbers they are at. A comment line identifying the world where it occurs precedes these orders. It is on this line that I put my comments. E.g. * W44 Going to shoot BELZBUB outa the sky F55AF44 (The order is usually just F55 awaiting me to fill in a job for the fleet). Using this template I cannot forget to build, unload or give each fleet a job. Even if I designate it as an ambush fleet I must assign it the SWAP ambush order so that I CANNOT FORGET to order fleets around. I then do orders for every fleet/world I own (if it is possible). 11b. I consider ship transfers and I make sure to consider whether loading metal is advised. 11c. Early game - usually before T6. Have I explored every border? If not, do I know who is on that border? I maximize expansion! 12. I make sure that my orders and comments in the editor match my plans (or my allies' master plan) in step 9. I can also add orders/comments for my allies that are either suggestions or are mandated cuzz I'm in charge of this resource (like the HW builds). Examples - I may put in targeting orders for them (and myself) so that we don't target the same keys by accident. Orders for allies will be stripped out of the editor before FBI submission. Examples of this below: * W44 My HW build instructions since I gifted my HW to EMPIREBLD [EMPIREBLD] W44B30F33 [ME] F33W66 SWAP will only extract the F33W66 for my order file to FBI. 13. Merchant Screen. I scope out the locations of my merchant's keys (even if it's me). If the key is at the HW I set the SWAP so this world is considered ring 0. I set the program search parameters to find the largest metal stockpile within 3 rings of this world (owned by myself or an ally). This is one of my favorite search parameters for the program. I can then suggest/do adjustments to the merchant key and send it to the best metal stockpiles. Keys out from the HW are loaded and brought home. 13a. Very Late Game - Is there enough metal at the HW to cruise to game end without further hauling? Yes - then the merchant keys/ships are available for other work such as being turned over to berserkers to score, pirates or even sent into battle. 14. Art Screen. I set SWAP to find all my art and consider orders for them. Move, hookup or unhook. 15. Gift Screen. Not to use your 2 gifts is a waste of Starweb resources. I make sure I don't forget to gift something. 16. Allies plans/requests - I review my allies email and my responses and make sure I have carried out what is expected of me. 17. Ally/Loader status. I double check this more often in the early game to make sure that I don't forget to declare it. At this point I usually consider if there is someone in the alliance who hasn't actually met another ally (it happens when a bunch of players coalesce into an alliance). In this case I reconsider my key flight plans and gift orders to see if I can create the desired meeting in the game. 18. Scoring. Now this may have been covered in my plans (see #9) but if not then I take a close look at the scoring of allies, enemies and myself. What can I do to push my score (if that is my goal that game) or my allies or slow down an enemy score. This may require tweaking my general plans, my gifts, and my ship/fleet behaviors (such as taking fleets off offence and onto robot attack). 19. Message. I admit it. I'm a message/sign junkie . I like sending some nonsensical, comical and in character diplo to everyone in the game - sometimes anonymously. 19. Sign - set it or change it. 20. Send master order editor plans/orders to my allies for perusal. Allow a few days for them to answer questions about specific fleet dispositions or acknowledge they will do certain requests. 21. Send in orders to FBI. 22. Check off that the game has been sent in on my master game list (which tracks due dates, orders sent and receipts received). Yes, this is very, very type A behavior but when you have been in up to 8 games at a time you can easily forget if you sent in orders. 23. Receive last minute requests from allies for changes, deletions or additional orders that they wish me to put in my orders!(Or annoying requests for major revamps of MY TURN). 24. Send in revised orders to FBI. 25. Redo #21 -#24 as often as is necessary. 26. Move onto the next Starweb game. (YOU AREN'T ONLY IN ONE GAME ARE YOU!!!!!) ----------------------------------------------------------------------- SPECIAL ARTICLE - A new Private Game with a twist - By Ken Cassaday kenjody@foxinternet.net Ken Cassady sent this in... I come to you SEDG readers to throw down the gauntlet. I suspect that some, even a few, of you reader actually play Starweb. I challenge you to a private game of Starweb. Here are mine and Elliot's ideas for a game. A PUBLIC PRIVATE BITTER END SW GAME 1)SEDG Participation: The players may post diplomatic messages to the SEDG newsletter and/or via the game. 2)VICTORY CONDITIONS: Play to the bitter end. We play until one player has 150 worlds. 3)MAP: A "neverbeforeplayed" map. I sent in this request for a map for this game. "I would like a map that would take a while to get to all of the players. If you could have defensible positions on the map that would be good. If you have a map that you have not used that would be even better. (Some of these guys complain that they have seen it all.)" Rick comment was "Oh, we can do THAT. (heh, heh)" So I expect something interesting and devious. 4)PUBLIC FORUM: (This is Elliot's idea, but I think this would be great). Each player will receive all the players turnsheets (Yes, this is a Public Private Game). All the turns are also posted to the SEDG Web page so subscribers can follow the game along. Then even the lurkers can make comments on the play as it progresses in the SEDG. 5) BLACK BOX - Is a Pandora's box (you never know what you're going to get good or bad) as it changes every turn! Let Rick be creative! 6) EMAIL: All email game. 7) CHARACTERS: No Artifact Collectors. Empire Builders are thought to be a handicap but will be allowed. 8) COSTS: Rick offered a cheaper rate if I host the game. The game set up will cost $30, which I will divide up between all of the players. The "neverbeforeplayed" map will cost $20 but I will pick up that cost. The Pandora's Box will cost $5 per turn. So I will charge $3 per turn per player to pay for the turn and cover the "BOX" cost. This is a substantial saving from the usual SW game. Since FBI is charging a global turn fee the costs per player will likely rise when players drop out. Rick did not mention increased turn fees after 10 turns but I will pass those on to all players as they occur. 9) HOSTING? What FBI meant by hosting the game for the reduced cost was that I would collect all the orders and send them in all at once to FBI. I would also collect your turn fees and FBI will bill me not you. FBI would send me all of the printouts. I would forward them on to everyone in the game and the SEDG. We get to set our own due dates for the game. Two-week turn around is good for me to begin with. I could change this as people wish to slow down or speed up the game. Just keep paying the turn fees, I do not want to go into debt playing this game. I will also post or Elliot will post the game printouts to a web site. Since I will be playing the game myself and collecting all of the turns I can send my moves by email to Elliot or someone else in the game the day before I look at the orders. Until that time I will put any orders from players into a folder - AND I WON'T LOOK AT THEM. Editor's Note: If I decide to play this game also I would suggest we just let Ken hold the orders and trust him. If he cheats the other 14 players can eradicate him :-)! 10) SIGNING UP: If your interested let me know. What I will need from each player is a) Money - $32 made out to Ken Cassady - This will cover the setup fee and first 10 turns of the game. Send all your money to (check or money order) Ken Cassady 3913 S 322nd St Auburn, WA 98001 Editor's note: I have suggested that perhaps you could inform FBI to transfer $32 from your account to Ken's. FBI could then inform Ken as to who has done so - I'm not sure if FBI will do this (but I can't see why not). b) Sign up information Name Account number (not your password) Character Name Character Type Write to: Ken Cassady at kenjody@foxinternet.net Note: DSL is coming so this email will change in a month or so. Please note that if you sign up by email your spot in the game isn't firm until the $$ arrive. Rick suggests that we have side bets on collecting artifacts. I am game but I need ideas. Editors suggestion: How about Victory requires that the sum of your worlds and art must equal 160! So if you collect 50 art you only need 110 worlds to win. Then art has some value! I have played in games with weird victory conditions - FBI cannot track them so you have to announce to your fellow players that "I have won" and then inform FBI. But it can be done. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- QUESTIONS - Can anyone answer these? Ken Cassady was asking about ambush orders (and their flagging in SWAP). I had difficulty answering it because I found that I didn't really understand the nature of the Unambush order (Znnn). I would like some input. Ken said (some editorial license use here): I wanted to put two worlds that I have fleets at with the order Znnn. I do not own the worlds. I am trying to take the world FnnnAH (with one key) but I do not want to kill any of his fleets that might be flying by while doing so. I wish I could call him up and just tell him what I am doing and have him avoid me for the while. The joys of Anonymous games. The rules describe that I can set a world no ambush but does not state that I have to own the world to make the command. Editor: I believe what Ken is trying to do is keep his nonmoving keys from ambushing. Obviously there are other ways around this - Ken can fire with the second key, move it away (and even back) or declare the player an ally. But the question is does Znnn also cause your keys at this world to 'Not Ambush' and can you utilize it on a world you do not own. My feeling is that this order only works for the homefleet and has no bearing on keys. I am relatively inexperienced with this order as I rarely shut down ambushes. Can anyone clarify? Regarding Volume 14's 'The Highest SW Score' Question. Dave Newman said: The old Long SW games used to end when the first player crossed 50,000 points. Of course, the 32,765 limit must have existed in the software, so the games actually started at -25,000 and ended when someone crossed +25,000. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- STARWEB EMAIL DISCUSSION GROUP - is now available on the web. Look for our new MAPPER'S SECTION on the SEDG Web Page. http://www.accessv.com/~somnos/sedg.htm ----------------------------------------------------------------------- FEATURE - CAPTAIN'S LOG 990919.0539-4 By Walt Schmidt walts@dorsai.org "There. I've done my best. If that won't do, I shall have to wait until I can do better." - Victor Heerman and Sarah Y. Mason That's all we can ever do - our best. Although it always amazes me how one's best can become better when the spirit moves us. Hopefully these two Logs will have gotten you thinking about ways to do better with your turn. Hey, you don't have to agree with me - all I suggest is you "think about it." Now to recap some things from the last log... - I use the Flying Moose Technology Starweb Analyzer (SWAP for short), that's my frame- of-reference. - I receive all my turns via email - saves on the processing. - My steps can be thought of as being four Phases: -- Getting Ready (steps 1-5); -- Thinking About It (steps 6-9); -- Doing It (steps 10-20), and; -- The Finish (steps 21-24). - I am particularly fond of step 24 [THE Captain and his drink cannot be parted!] [Hi Alter!] [HI Nemo!] [Want a drink Alter?] [HELL Yeah!!!] [LONG LIVE PATRON ANEJO !]. - And, the twenty-four steps are: (Getting Ready - steps 1-5) 1. Process Turn [using software], or manually 2. Update Map 3. Set-Up Fleet Control 4. Set-Up World Control 5. Set-Up Raw Material Control (Thinking About It - steps 6-9) 6. Identify Current Potential Friend or Foe 7. Identify Potential World Visit Needs 8. Set Sign 9. Set Message Everyone (Doing It - steps 10-20) 10. Begin Order Coding - in world numeric order, except for homeworld, do: 11. Build - and as needed update 3 - 5, for each of the 11 - 20 12. Transfer 13. Unload 14. Hook/Unhook 15. Load 16. Fire/Conditional Fire 17. Character Specific Orders 18. Move 19. "Met" Messages 20. Do Homeworld Orders - 11 - 19 (The Finish - steps 21-24) 21. Go do something else for a day or so 22. Decide to change or not change items 6 - 20 23. Email/Send turn 24. Have a drink of Tequila; knowing this turn will be the best it could be! Now you might be wondering - "...he took a whole log to do the first five steps, the first phase. How's he gonna finish everything else in just one log?" That's easy... "In preparing for battle I have always found that plans are useless, but planning is indispensable." - Dwight D. Eisenhower And my planning encompasses the first two phases - with the second two phases [except for step 24] almost automatic. Enough with the re-hash - let's get on with "Thinking About It..." 6. Identify Current Potential Friend or Foe a. This and the next three steps are almost as crucial as the first five steps, and only can be "properly" completed after having fully finished the first five steps. Let me say that again, with emphasis on, and thinking about, the pre-thinking- about-it phase [THERE you go again, Nemo - you've lost half your audience.] [No I haven't, Alter. Phase I and II are crucial - I'm just emphasizing this - and I'm sure all are following me.] [SO you say!]. In order to plan my turn (Phase II), I have to understand where I'm at (Phase I). I mean - and contrary to what "The Boss" [for those who might forget from a previous Log - I might be The Captain, but it's my spouse who's The Boss] might say - I do not LIVE StarWeb. And being in several games does require me to "get back into" any one particular game. Phase I is how I do that. So finding myself at step six - I realize that step six, in itself, is fruit for another Log [I KNEW it! You are going to suffer us through a book. Several thousand words isn't enough for you, Nemo]. Trying to decide who's (still) a friend or foe includes consideration for not only your game-state-of-mind, and what you see on any particular turn, but also what part of the game you are in (beginning, middle, end), and who has said or done what to you of late. Right now I'm in one game as a standby, where an alliance has shown me no respect. Want to guess my game-state-of-mind. However you get there, and whether or not you later change your mind, you decide on who is a friend and who is not - and plan you turn accordingly. 7. Identify Potential World Visit Needs a. Do you need a particular number of raw materials. Are there new worlds that need exploring. Has someone placed a key or two where you would rather they didn't. Have you made a promise that needs keeping. Or, do you have specific alliance duties. You get the idea - but now that you decided where - you've got to plan how. We all have just a finite number of keys - that can only travel so far. 8. Set Sign a. A great tool. Everyone who sees your keys sees it. And at the beginning of a game - it allows you to start the diplomacy right off [...as in "here's my email"]. What I don't understand is why more players don't use it. Mine is always set, includes my email address, and usually a statement from which can be construed my player-type. And if the game is at a particular point - a bit of mis-direction is not out of the case... 9. Set Message Everyone a. An even better tool. If they've seen you - they get the message - and the message is not as limited as your keys' Sign. When is it a must - for a new Standby position - think about it! [VERY cute Nemo - now you're gonna tell us that's one of the reasons why this phase is called "thinking about it.] [ No need, Alter, you just did] [ARGH!] [Chuckle]. 10. Begin Order Coding - in world numeric order, except for homeworld, do: a. The next eleven steps - or ten if you want to consider step twenty to just be the "ten," repeated for your homeworld - become mostly mechanical and based on the planning done in Phases I and II. I've chosen to do my coding in world numeric order - but there are other ways. Using SWAP you can decide to do those worlds that are within reach of homeworlds, first. In an alliance you might decide on an order that considers your alliance responsibilities. Me, and considering what I've set up in Phases I and II, I like to KISS (Keep It Seriously Simple). What ever you choose - it's your poison [TALKING about poison - have you tried Cuervo's Anejo yet, Nemo] [Alter, you know I have - and you also know it surely ain't poison] [YEAH - but have you tried Cuervo's 1800 Coleccion?] [Alter, you know I haven't - who has $1,000 for a bottle - but I dream]. 11. Build - and as needed update 3 - 5, for each of the 11 - 20 a. In Phase I you set up your controls. Now in the following steps you will be changing things - for which you might want to change your controls - I know I do. As I do each world in turn, why build first? It makes sense to me. 12. Transfer a. Ships, from, to - all according to the planning you've already done. 13. Unload a. Be careful - you don't always want to unload. 14. Hook/Unhook a. Now what to do with those freakin' Plastic artifacts - or worse - those other two [expletive deleted]. 15. Load a. To L or to Lx - that might be a question. 16. Fire/Conditional Fire a. REPEAT! REPEAT! [That's an insider for any other current or ex-Naval types] 17. Character Specific Orders a. "You Task me Nemo - you leave me no choice but to..." 18. Move a. Or not - don't forget those that are mutually exclusive. 19. "Met" Messages a. While one could argue that individual messages are part of Phase II - I don't agree. Signs, Message Everyone, email - they are all part of Phase II. Met Messages are, for the most part, used by me as a result of my Phase II planning. 20. Do Homeworld Orders - 11 - 19 a. Can you say "My plan has changed." Why I do my homeworld last, is a function of how (almost always) by the time I get done coding orders for all other worlds - my plans have changed some. What (usually) gets adjusted because of this - that which is going to or coming from my homeworld. 21. Go do something else for a day or so a. Really - put the turn aside - leave it alone - go do that other thing - you know - the one you put off so you could do this turn, in the first place! 22. Decide to change or not change items 6 - 20 a. Okay - some time has gone by since I've put the turn down. And since I want to make this turn all it could be [NEMO!] [Sorry, Alter - the devil made me do it] [_N_E_M_O_!!!] [ ], and since I want to get all the enjoyment I can out of this turn, I re-think it - sometimes changing my plan and the orders that go with that change. 23. Email/Send turn a. Can you say "ISP Down?" Can you say "Lost in the mail?" Can you say "Fog of War?" Loomis can! 24. Have a drink of Tequila, knowing this turn will be the best it could be! a. Now if anyone so appreciates these last two Logs that they feel they want to reward me with a bottle Cuervo's 1800 Coleccion, whom am I to tell them how they should spend their hard-earned cash. And if there is anyone so inclined, I have this bridge for sale... Any Questions? - Shai Dorsai ! Nemo ----------------------------------------------------------------------- FEATURE - THE SWAP CORNER - Incorporating Information That Isn't on a Turnsheet This is for those of you who have purchased Flying Moose Technologies' Starweb Analyzer (SWAP) and are too lazy to read the help files (ALL OF YOU! ). As you know SWAP combines all the turns provided by you and your allies. In some cases you may have information but not a complete turnsheet. Two different types of information can come your way. You could receive some world information cut and pasted from a turnsheet or you could just be given map data (the worlds and their connections and perhaps owner). If somebody sends you worlds but it's an incomplete turn you have two ways to incorporate it. You can add these worlds to an existing turnsheet for that turn. In other words, you can pretend you saw the information on that turnsheet. You can create a dummy turnsheet and put these worlds in. You must have the header information from the game number down to the line with the 3 spaces/12 dashes before the world information. This header information must be formatted as FBI does and I find the easiest thing to do is copy an existing one and rename the owner as [DUMMY]. But the minimum that you must have is the Game identifying line and one player character. You don't need all the statistics regarding industry, mines etc. Game SW-X1281, Turn 1, [DUMMY] [SOMNOS]: Empire-Builder ------------ After the header you paste in the worlds you know and end it with the line comprised of 12 '=' . You can make a dummy turnsheet for each turn if you wish to track when these worlds were last seen. Or if you are like me you can just have one dummy turnsheet labeled turn 1 and keep piling in new information as you receive it. Since on turn 1 only Homeworlds are on any printout, if you see a non homeworld stamped as last seen on turn 1 you are alerted that this is a world from the dummy turnsheet. You will have its statistics but not the last turn it was seen. For example - W1 (28,67,112,154) [SOMNOS] (Metal=38,Mines=6,Population=75,Limit=75, Turns=4,I-Ships=1) ============ Map Data The Map View can manipulate only worlds that appear on a turnsheet. So to keep your map current it makes sense to place mapping information into your dummy turnsheet. After you create your dummy turnsheet as described above, you will need to create the worlds that you have information about. The Starweb Analyzer is very forgiving regarding the lack of world information. The minimum information required is the world number, connection information, owner and a pair of () brackets at the end without information in them. An example follows. W66 (1,2,3,4) [MRPEABODY] () If the world is on your border and you want it to appear as owned by a particular player even though you have never visited it this amount of information is acceptable. W66 () [MRPEABODY] () In this case no connection information is provided but it will appear on the map correctly as W66 connecting information is provided by a world of yours elsewhere on your turnsheet. Is there some feature you don't understand? Ask me. Elliot ----------------------------------------------------------------------- CORRESPONDENCE Dave Newman said: So, maybe you're looking for someone with the highest (old) Long SW win. I won twice (SW-L/8 & SW-L/15) but I don't think I have copies of my printouts. A possible related question is what is the largest ending strength? I ended SW-L/8 with over 3,000 ships and that was after my PBB runs. Now I wish I had saved that printout. :-) Editor: Actually Dave that gives me an idea for a new area of the SEDG. A Braggarts Corner (not trying to tick you off ) where we can find out who had the most - ships, art, worlds etc. For now I will stick it here in correspondence. I ask anyone who wants to crow a bit to start by sending me the following stats. Proof is not required (but we don't have to believe you either). In fact, I may put up these stats every issue until someone drives you from the list with a bigger whopper . For now can anyone send me stats for a regular or long game on the highest 1) Score 2) Ships owned 3) Worlds owned 4) Art owned 5) Industry owned 6)PBBs dropped (in a turn or a game - whatever). Any other stat you want is fine. Heck, some 'LOWEST' ever seen could be interesting also. To get the ball rolling I have in my files the highest score I've ever seen in a 25,000 VPT SW game. Here it is. BRAGGART'S CORNER Long Games - Highest Score Gary Schaefer SW-L/28 [ZYMURGY]: Berserker (Score=31928) Ships? Worlds? Art? Industry? PBBs? Other? BTW, I don't want to hear about the SWCon 98 game where 1 art collector had ALL 100 of the art. Has any AC done this in a usual game? Similarly, send info for the Regular games. Remember that two player (14 position) SW game that got its start after Mic advertised here in the SEDG for an opponent (Gary S. accepted). I have received inquiries on how that is going. I have asked the players for an article on this unique game and Mic has been very good about sending me a turn by turn summary. Gary, well Gary is in a lot of games but I'm hopeful he will send me something. If either of them could spare a paragraph for the SEDG I could keep you apprised of their progress. For now, I can tell you they both send me their turns (which I must keep from the other). I have cracked their map on T4 as they have been to (or can see) every world and it's a beautiful map of a design I haven't seen before. Turn 4 is the usual first contact scenario with both players having done maximum expansion. That is all I can say for now. I hope they can provide me with some interesting overviews of their strategies for this game so I can share them. Well, that's it for Volume 16. Don't be afraid to submit articles or suggestions. They don't have to be long. Address your correspondence to Elliot Hudes at somnos@compuserve.com