STARWEB EMAIL DISCUSSION GROUP (THE SEDG) (Sponsored by Flying Moose Technologies' Starweb Analyzer - http://flyingmoose.cjb.net) VOLUME 53 October 2, 2001 CONTENTS Feature Article – Forces Driving the Starweb Game. Questions – An interesting Berserker battle tactic SEDG Web Page URL The Captain's Log - I SING the Body Electric... The Swap Corner - The Flying Moose Technologies - Great White North (Canadian) Starweb Tournament Update Correspondence FEATURE ARTICLE Forces Driving the Starweb Game By Elliot Hudes Last issue I concentrated my efforts on the drive for points versus the drive for warfare (Volume 52 War or Diplomacy Game? Oh Apostle Show me the Way). The title of which was a bit of a misnomer because the article was actually about points and war. My apologies for that little boo boo. I actually had in mind discussing the forces that drive a game, sometimes into unusual directions and slipped the concept of diplomacy into the previous title when in actuality it wasn't really discussed. So let's discuss some of the forces that affect the direction of a Starweb game. Points and Warfare (as per Volume 52) Simply put, points are essential to winning the game. Along with warfare, they are the two concepts in Starweb that influence the game most directly. They are akin to basic instincts such as hunger or self- preservation but there are a whole host of reasons why a game might evolve in certain directions and the reasons are a whole lot more subtle and complicated. For simplicity sake we shall assume that everyone knows you play a game to win it. To do this you need to get the points for the victory conditions. Let's dispense with this notion and it's antithesis the concept of war for warfare's sake and let points be hanged. A lot of this ground was covered in the previous SEDG. What if you liked points but didn't really need all of them ?. Hey, you're not greedy! Then you are interested in your ranking. It's kind of like saying, "I know I am a good player and to demonstrate that I want a rank of 2nd or 3rd place or a ranking of 900, 950 or even 999" (in the FBI format your rank is Your score/winning score X 1000). In this case you will need to play well, keeping an eye on what promotes your score while making sure your opponents don't beat you and that you slide in behind your chosen first place player in the correct order. It's obvious that you will need to exert a profound level of control over the game as it progresses and this may be exactly the challenge you crave. Similarly, what if you really liked war but not to the exclusion of everything else? Then as a warmonger your motivations would have some logic rather than just picking on some neighboring star system like an overbearing galactic bully. Perhaps you are trying to distract your opponents while your allies make a rush for the Victory pin. Maybe tying up the enemy will hold them back and make their victory and ranking impossible. There is nothing like the taste of points taken from enemy territory as you grab their stuff. In extra long variants warfare may actually remove all competition from the game allowing your alliance to win and rank as you please. (And that is sweet indeed ). Now we shall consider more subtle forces. Diplomacy – It occurs for a whole host of reasons. Basically, games where success is increased by cooperation will attract like-minded players who wish to engage in diplomacy (Duh!). Obvious, I realize. That aside, the diplomat often seeks out allies for reasons such as to ensure their survival (nobody wins a game they are exterminated from), increase their trading options (points) and make offensive play successful (warfare – for fun or profit). Many seek it out because they wish to be social. Their whole raison d'etre is for the camaraderie of gaming. It is wise to realize this fact because I have outlined a formula for failure. If you don't like to communicate or don't have the time then perhaps Starweb isn't the game for you (except for anonymous variant games of course). The Corollary is also true – to enjoy a diplomacy game you should engage in two-way communication even if it's to say, "Die you gravy sucking scum of the universe!" Diplomacy is definitely a force to be reckoned with. Ignore it at your own risk. Victory, albeit vicariously – or to put it another way – If you can't be a King be a kingmaker. Many players have decided even before the game has started that they don't wish to win the game. This may be due to the fact that their position doesn't hold much chance for a win e.g. A standby position or a Pirate in an Extralong Starweb Variant. It may be because the insatiable thirst for victory has been long quenched e.g. among longtime veterans. Perhaps victory isn't considered due to the lack of personal skill they bring to the game as a greenhorn. They just might be a less than stellar player. Regardless of the reason, many of these players will take a keen interest in who does win the game. In fact, their thinking; main interest; and goal which will dominate their play may be to determine to whom the victory pin goes. If they don't win they will make darn sure YOU don't and that the player of their choice does. Personally, if I can't have the victory pin it must be owned by one of my allies. Anything less than that is considered a loss. Politics – it doesn't just happen on a national level. You've seen it in the workplace, organizations and even charities. Heck, you've seen it at home when the children vie for your attention. It sure as heck pervades Starweb. Rather than identifying Republicans, Democrats or the Canadian versions the Conservatives, Liberals and New Democrats, in Starweb they can be as varied as the people that play it. Is there a good alliance or a bad alliance? How do you judge that? Which one do you join? Is there a small guy being picked on? Do you help the underdog (to the detriment of your ranking), throw in with the winners, form your own alliance or go your own way? Is there a big group and a small? What do you do about that? Do you go head to head with the big alliance first or go after the loners, dropouts and incompetents? Are there players who are behaving poorly or unscrupulously? Do you take the moral high ground and right wrongs? Even if their actions are indirectly helping your position as when they attack your major competition? Whatever the politics are in a game, a savvy player can look at the evolution of the game, the people in them and make some very good predictions about the game. Knowledge is power! What can you do with this information to promote your goals? In concrete terms, more than once I have enticed neutral players and even enemy positions to join my side when I've explored the game politics. In one game an Empire Builder in an alliance bigger than mine but having two other Empire Builders made it very easy for me to lure their last joiner to my side, especially when he was getting the short end of the deal (and worlds). Pointing out the advantages of working with neutral players and loners on specific projects (like taking out a nasty character) even though you are not allied can help a lot. Personal Goals – you must understand that not every player will play the game by the rulebook, for diplomacy or even for warfare's sake. Some players come to the game with their own goals in mind. This is why it is very important to listen to what other players tell you. If a player is in the game because he likes camaraderie and isn't concerned about his score then don't sweat over every deal you make with him. Be his pal and plan stuff with him. If the big nasty pirate tells you that all he wants to do in the game is blow away one player then he is telling you "I am the gun". You should work with him – aim him and pull the trigger. I have met more than one berserker with similar goals regarding PBBing at least one homeworld. I still remember my first contact in one game as a pirate with an empire builder I met at two ring 3 worlds. I told him that I didn't care if I got even 1 point in the game. I wanted a close alliance that worked together and a target. My opening negotiation was for each of us to take 1 world with its key. Any greenhorn would see this as equitable. A veteran would recognize this as an equal split for nonallies but if an alliance were forged then more free exchange of materials would occur between allies – e.g. ships to the pirate, worlds to the EB. The response – the EB stated that he should get both worlds and I get both keys, as this would promote our scores the best. Aside from the argument that I could get more points from a plunder if I retained a world, this player was not listening to what I was saying. I wonder how many people would understand Gary S. in the game where he was trying to see how negative he could get his score ?. Loners – they are not a major force in a game but can throw a monkey wrench into the works of an otherwise smoothly running alliance. There are some who wish to see how well they can do playing on their own. You can trade with them but you can't count on the same level of cooperation you would see within an alliance for both scoring points and military ventures. I'm sure I haven't covered all the different forces that evolve in a Starweb game but I have taken a stab at them. Now I will try to show you the most common forces that guide character types. Pirate: You will find pirates aplenty who just wish to fight for the glory of the battle and the joy of the 3to1 capture. There are many too who wish a good ranking while they fight. The pirate that wishes to win is a rarity. It can be done but it is seen more commonly in a short game with a low Victory Point. He is the pirate that will reveal he chose a 1000 final score and wishes a huge influx of worlds. Pirates, being warmongers, come in all varieties from grand diplomats of mega- alliances to paranoid loners. Berserkers: Bar none they have the best chance at the win if they can get an influx of ships and keys from their allies in time before endgame. The winning berserker rarely works alone (except in Anonymous Variants). He requires a successful alliance too. So, expect him to be in the alliance that starts the fireworks. After all, if the whole web is on defense there won't be any difficulty getting ships as opposed to being the alliance scrambling to save your own HWs from weapons fire. Many players who just crave battle may pick the berserker due to their unique combat ability of being able to robotize worlds – especially Homeworlds right out from under the keys of the owners and their allies. It is difficult to discern a scoring berserker from a strictly warmongering one as they can get all their points on the very last set of orders they send in if they have organized themselves well. Your best bet to beat a berserker is to either outscore them fast or kill them. Berserkers rarely work alone. Whether they crave combat, points or both they require the resources of a well-organized alliance to pull it off. Merchants: They are second to Berserkers in their ability to score and win games. Since their scores keep rising each turn it is easy to see what they plan to do. If they lead the pack and keep widening the gap between the scores then they are vying for the win. If they refuse to join only one alliance and wish to be the neutral trader you are looking at a potential winner. If the merchant position has many allies but his score doesn't rise faster than his allies and he is staying in second or third place (or barely in first) then you have identified a merchant that is holding his score down. This is because he doesn't wish to win, is supporting others for the win or promoting ranking within his alliance. This is valuable information. You now know whom within that merchant's alliance you need to cripple. Merchants often do this sort of thing because it is too easy for them to win. Besides, nobody enjoys a game that only goes to turn 12. To stop a merchant you must destroy his client base. It can be done but often the alternative has been to promote your own merchant or berserker. Empire Builder: They are totally at the mercy of their allies for worlds. They offer up their ships, keys and art for more worlds and a successful EB is defenseless. So they need allies that will protect them and keep giving them worlds. Warfare may obtain these worlds for the EB but it is a given that the number of worlds they can obtain peacefully from their allies will exceed the booty from capture. With this in mind you can see that an Empire builder will always be interested in alliances and scoring for ranking or the win. Art Collectors: If they can trade away enough worlds, keys and ships they can be neutral traders like the merchants and remain friendly with most of the web. They often wind up in alliances just because of the attractiveness of an alliance. The alliance gives you all their art and will take away the enemy art and give it to you. Besides they fear that many won't trade openly with a neutral character. Art Collectors tend to be negotiators and you won't find a rabid loner playing one. Mind you, they don't mind a good war and an experienced player will tell you how liberating it is to fight in a war as an Art Collector. Other characters will bemoan the potential loss of points as they watch their ships vaporize, worlds become neutral or keys lost. The Art Collector still has his allies' art and what are ships to him? They are toys with guns – let's fight our way to the enemy HW and take away his art! Art Collectors usually fret about score, ranking or the win. If you didn't want points you would never choose this position and they usually do well. Apostle: The most misunderstood character of them all. Look up the early SEDGs that deal with them in more detail. In any case the Apostle is often looked on as a pacifist (Hah!). The most successful Apostles are actually militaristic as Jihad produces more points that martyrdom but we often see players in this position trying to act as poor Empire Builders accepting worlds to convert. Others use the conversion factor as tools to place them strategically in enemy territory as free probes. Because of this they tend to play as good members of the alliance asking for little and getting exactly what they ask for. A successful scoring Apostle is rarely seen, as is the rabid frothing at the mouth warmonger. Truthfully, the most successful Apostle needs to be a team player and be in a well-coordinated alliance. They can be pigs for resources but it can be well worth it. The small population worlds (not at their limit) are given to them for conversion. The larger worlds are given to their ultimate Jihad target (friendly fire works best – to their EB ally. If you can place enough Apostle war keys into one empire you could Jihad on an enemy too). With large fleets they are capable of converting enemy worlds (including Homeworlds). Mostly, you can discount what Apostles are doing if you wish to win the game. If you are planning an attack, Apostles make poor targets especially late in the game when so many of their worlds are completely converted. Unless you are an opposing Apostle that is, then it is an interesting war as you wrest worlds away from him by virtue of arriving at them. For me, I like being part of a well-organized alliance and the winner must come from it. Bottom line – in any game it usually comes down to two things and if it's a good game I get both. Win and fight! ---------------------------------------------------------------------- QUESTIONS - Can anyone answer these? Here is a position I have in a current SW game. Look at the Homeworld below. I know that if you fire AP and kill the robots on one turn you can subsequently robot attack on the next turn to capture the world (despite their being enemy ships not at peace present). Lee Knirko and John Symons did this to my alliance in SW-L/25. Here is my question - This is likely the last set of orders of the game. Can I fire AP and do the Robot attack on the same turn and capture the HW? I am concerned that I will create more robots first and keep the HW neutral. I would really love to take this HW back and thumb my nose at the enemy in this fashion. In case you are wondering - this is not my HW. It is one I attacked. You may assume I have no allies present. Custer is a dropout and will not fire. Fornax, Nadir and Shadowzen are my opponents. This turn has been subsequently run and I will have the answer in the next SEDG! W49 (25,140,159) [] (Lost by [SOMNOS],Industry=30/0,Metal=21,Mines=3, Population=9R,Limit=100,I-Ships=0(AF27),P-Ships=0(AF75)) F18[SOMNOS]=20 (AF110) V23:Silver Pyramid F69[SOMNOS]=6 (AF173) F158[SOMNOS]=8 (AF125) F163[SOMNOS]=14 (AF139) F171[SOMNOS]=21 (Moved) F175[SOMNOS]=23 (Moved,Cargo=16) F182[SOMNOS]=11 (Moved) F58[CUSTER]=6 F197[CUSTER]=2 F17[FORNAX]=10 (AH) F41[NADIR]=17 (AP) F68[NADIR]=11 (AF69) F70[NADIR]=6 (Moved) F27[SHADOWZEN]=1 (AH) F75[SHADOWZEN]=2 (AH) F101[SHADOWZEN]=4 (AH) F151[SHADOWZEN]=4 (AH) F224[SHADOWZEN]=4 (AH) F248[SHADOWZEN]=4 (AH) F37[]=0 V55:Titanium Sword F81[]=0 V2:Nebula Scrolls, Vol. II F110[]=0 (Lost by [NADIR],AF69) F125[]=0 (Lost by [SHADOWZEN],AH) V38:Arcturian Lodestar F139[]=0 (Lost by [NADIR],AP) F150[]=0 F173[]=0 (Lost by [NADIR],AF69) F181[]=0 F184[]=0 V41:Platinum Shekel V44:Golden Shekel F206[]=0 F233[]=0 F239[]=0 ----------------------------------------------------------------------- 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 - THE CAPTAIN'S LOG 011001.1529-4 I SING the Body Electric... By Walt Schmidt walts@dorsai.org "We cannot always assure the future of our friends; we have a better chance of assuring our (own) future if we remember who our friends are." - Henry Kissinger As Elliot continues with discussions on some of the forces that affect the direction of a Starweb game, I would like to look again at the politics of an alliance. I first discussed this two years ago to the month - but then, without Walt Whitman's help. "I SING the Body electric; The armies of those I love engirth me, and I engirth them; They will not let me off till I go with them, respond to them, And discorrupt them, and charge them full with the charge of the Soul." - Walt Whitman Let's look at Nemo's Three Laws of Alliance (with apologies to the late, great Isaac Asimov). My Three Laws of Alliance are simple... 1 - My Comrades - first and foremost! 2 - Myself - a damn close second. 3 - All Others - can go scratch... In addition, there is a "zeroeths" law (apologies again to Mr. Asimov) that precedes and encompasses the other three. It too is simple: 0 - Death To All Traitors - Shai Dorsai! Let's take a closer look at all four "rules." First, a simple acknowledged fact: Star Web is a game. Let me say that again, Star - Web - Is - A - Game. No matter how much it means to us, nor how long we have been involved with Loomis and his to-be-envied life's work, let us all not forget - it is (just) a game. That understood - we can do things in the game that we would not do in real life. As the expression goes, in life there are certain "bells" that can never be "un-rung." But now for a nuance - this may only be a game - but that doesn't mean all will be forgiven the next time around. If you stab me in the back in this game, I will probably not forget that for a long time. There is a fine line (or in some cases a blatantly obvious action) between allowing me to think a certain way, and outright mendacity. I don't care if this is just a simple game - our reputation is our reputation regardless of what it is with which we are dealing. Having said that, I hope you can better understand why the "zeroeth" Law is what it is. You lie - you die - and I don't easily forget that you have lied. On the other hand, be crafty, mis-direct me, and I will begrudgingly tip my hat to you. After all, that's exactly what I have been trying to do to you all long. But who is the you - and who is the them. My team (mates) first. As this is only a game, if I lose this one - there will be others. However, if I tarnish my reputation - it could take a long time to get others to join with me in future alliances. So, one of the first things to do is to form an alliance and never forget who's on your side. The rest are the "them." However, that does not mean I'm gonna give away the farm - and that's where the second Law comes in. Even while my teammates and I might be planning, I am always watching out for my own neck, as it were. I'm watching out for the effects my current actions will have, on how my long-term reputation will precede me in future games. Moreover, as I'm worrying about my teammates and my own neck, and with all that is therefore on my mind, you can perhaps better understand the third Law - and why I say everyone else can go scratch! If you ain't "us," then you are "them." Except for POGO - and the quote "We have met the Enemy, and he is us" - if you are them, then you are the enemy. Makes admiral sense to me - all of it! See you next issue... - Shai Dorsai ! Nemo ----------------------------------------------------------------------- FEATURE - THE SWAP CORNER Previously, in earlier SEDGs I have outlined most of the nuances of the Starweb Analyzer, it's many features and how to troubleshoot problems. Version 1.4 beta is out there on our web page ready to download as both an evaluation version or convertible to a fully registered version with the application of a registration code (available free by email to our registered customers or can be purchased for new users). It can be found at http://flyingmoose.cjb.net. For all intents and purposes this is the final V1.4 even though it is still labeled as a beta. It is stable and less buggy than previous versions so feel free to visit the website and download it. (The website will download a 400k webinstaller program which automates the download and installation). The Flying Moose Technologies - Great White North (Canadian) Starweb Tournament Update I have 6 players officially signed up for the convention. A few more will ensure that the Convention will really happen with no risks of cancellation from this end. The details are below – so if your thinking about how much fun it would be to visit Canada and do some gaming too – send in your registration. Flying Moose Technologies will host the first Canadian Starweb Tournament and we shall be bringing Flying Buffalo's head Honcho -- Rick Loomis up to moderate the game. Come and enjoy 3 days of gaming, playing the award winning Starweb face to face with your allies and opponents. There will be a beautiful plaque presented to the winner of the tournament and the satisfaction of crushing your enemies. When: Friday April 26th 9 a.m. - Sunday April 25th 6 p.m. Due to the location of the Tournament it is recommended that you arrive no later than Thursday evening. Registration: Please send your registration fee to Flying Moose Technologies 2912 Remea Crt. Mississauga, Ontario Canada L5L 2H5 Cost: $100.00 US or $150.00 Canadian. For those that Register after Dec. 25th the price will be $120.00 US (or $175.00 Canadian). Where: Birch Haven Resort, Baysville Ontario. This Resort/Conference Center is found in Muskoka - a region composed of thousands of lakes and hills nestled in northern Ontario. It is a robust ecologic niche entrenched in the geologic formation known as the Canadian Shield, an area virtually stripped of topsoil by the most recent glacier's advance leaving outcroppings of three billion year old Precambrian rock and thousands of lakes in its wake. Call (705) 767-3354 to make your Resort reservation - 1 night payment by credit card will be required to hold the room. Birch Haven will charge $30/person/day Canadian (without meals) based on a double occupancy. It will be $45/day for single occupancy - the rooms come with kitchenettes. Due to this being the offseason the Restaurant will be closed but there are several restaurants in nearby Baysville (2 minute drive) as well as General Stores to help you stock your fridge while you game. Directions: It's a 2-hour drive from Toronto. For those landing at Toronto International Airport - take Highway 401 east to Highway #400. Go north on Highway #400 past Barrie and then get onto Highway #11 north. You will pass the following towns - Orillia, Gravenhurst and Bracebridge. Exit Highway #117 and go east 16 kilometers (10 miles) until you reach Basyville. After you pass over the bridge in Baysville look for the Birch Haven Resort and Conference Center on your left (within 2 kilometers). (Out of town guests - it is recommended that you rent a car. There may be some opportunity to grab a ride with a local Torontonian on Thursday evening - check with me if you wish to explore this). NOTE: Once the Convention web site is launched you will find fabulous pictures of the Resort and maps to help you find it. Refund Policy: This convention is basically being put on by the Canadian fans and to limit our risk of large losses (to bring FBI to Canada, reserve the Resort etc.) we are making the registration fee nonrefundable after Dec. 25th, 2001. If the Convention must be cancelled from our end your Registration fee will be refunded. Starweb Analyzer: If you bring a laptop you will be able to get your turns on diskette to input into your Starweb Analyzer. If you have a laptop but not the Starweb Analyzer I encourage you to check out our web site. http://flyingmoose.cjb.net. If you prefer paper and pen - I will ensure that I have an inkjet printer available for paper turns. If we get a large response there might be a chance of running other FBI games. Please let me know if this is of interest to you. For more info on FBI games - http://www.flyingbuffalo.com Elliot Hudes VP, Flying Moose Technologies (and 24 hour tech support). Mike Wulkan President, Flying Moose Technologies (and Chief Technical officer) P.S. Added bonus - Canadian Beer! (Yes, I'm harping on that :-). ----------------------------------------------------------------------- CORRESPONDENCE Not a peep out of anyone. Whatsamatter – asleep out there? Well, that's it for Volume 53. 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