STARWEB EMAIL DISCUSSION GROUP (THE SEDG) (Sponsored by Flying Moose Technologies' Starweb Analyzer - http://www.flyingmoose.ca) VOLUME 68, January 6, 2003 CONTENTS Feature Article – Starweb Tools of the Trade Questions – Apostle fun! SEDG Web Page URL The Swap Corner – Suggestions for V1.6 Correspondence FEATURE ARTICLE Starweb Tools of the Trade By Elliot Hudes For some people staying organized is a hopeless goal in life. It's just not possible. If you are one of those then I'm afraid nothing I say can help you. Go ahead and delete this and continue to try to send your orders in the day after the due date. But if you recognize these tendencies in yourself and want to try to improve your game, I have a few tips. I will try to make this generic so that the Starweb Analyzer crowd and the NonAnalyzer (shame on you) players can make use of it. Many of my comments are organizational tools that will improve your game play. First – something I call my Checklist. It's shortcut to my desktop and the very first thing you do when you get the turnsheet – yes, the first thing even before that quick peak to see if your HW lies at the bottom of a smoking ash heap – Open the Checklist and fill in the game due date. Here is a sample of mine. CHECKLIST --------------------------------------------------------------------- SW-1327 T1 T2 T3 T4 T5 T6 T7 ARRIVE Y Y Y Y Y Y Y SENT Y Y Y Y Y Y RECEIPT Y Y Y Y Y Y Y DATE DUE J7 J23 JL9 JL28 A13 A29 S14 SW-A13 T18 T19 T20 T21 ARRIVE Y Y Y Y SENT Y Y Y Y RECEIPT Y Y Y Y DATE DUE N7 N22 D7 D25 SW-X1330 T1 T2 T3 T4 T5 ARRIVE Y Y Y Y SENT Y Y Y Y RECEIPT Y Y Y DATE DUE N10 N24 D8 D22 You must check off that the turn is in and the due date. You need to check this file often and make sure you have emailed your orders before this date. Once you have emailed it check off the SENT row and finally record when you receive a receipt. Yes, it's obsessive compulsive but have you ever tried to ensure that your orders are in on time when you are in 7 Starweb Games. This technique works well for me as long as I'm faithful to opening this file and updating it the moment I see my turnsheet or FBI receipt in my inbox. Second – NO – it's not to open the turn and look at it yet – patience. Now forward your turnsheet to your allies. NOW! In any alliance having all the data from your colleagues fast will help you to do your turn whether it's to see a new battle zone open up and plan your reinforcements or give suggestions to your allies where you can help each other. Third – now save your turnsheet to your game folder. NO – don't do your turns from your email inbox. Haven't you had to email FBI for another turnsheet when you accidentally delete it or your software crashes? Wow, now for those with incredible self-control – open your turnsheet. (I recognize that I'm preaching cuzz I've already checked if I have a HW before step 1 J. Step 4 – Update your map. Starweb Analyzer players must enter any new player names to your processing list if you have a new ally. Otherwise a quick right click over a blank spot on the map will reveal a list of unmapped worlds. Just click on a world and put it where you want. Spaghetti map players – go get your pencils and eraser cuzz you will likely have to redraw the entire map every time a new world doesn't fall into the pattern you think is correct. Step 4a – Starweb Analyzer users – for mapping information that isn't on your turnsheet (perhaps you got the connections and owners in an email) it is helpful if you set up a dummy turnsheet to include this mapping info. You can always skip this step if you type the information onto your existing turnsheet. Here is a sample dummy turnsheet (and the player named DUMMY is on your list of players to process turnsheets for). Here is my Dummy_t1.txt (or Dummy.t1) file. Game SW-Z1325, Turn 1, [DUMMY] [SOMNOS]: Merchant ------------ W1 () [BORG] () W17 () [ROCHE] () W20 (70,174,188) [CADAN] () W21 () [ICARUS] () ==================== This represents the minimum amount of information that can be contained on a turnsheet and still processed. Note W1 has no connection information and was likely a border world that I knew BORG owned and wished my map to label whereas W20 is information that CADAN gave and will have full connections information on the map. One more thing – you can invoke email functions from the Starweb Analyzer if you make the character identification line look like this. [SOMNOS]: Merchant "Elliot Hudes" somnos@compuserve.com You can list all the players in the game below your name and when in the analyzer if you see something you wish to email to a buddy just right click on a world in the Worldlist and select 'send email'. Step 5 - What next? Well, before you can go on it's useful to get an overview of the game. Scan your turnsheet and look for anomalies. I look for new players met, worlds of mine (or allies) lost, unallied keys at worlds that I own, any fleets firing and of course my score. This helps me quickly identify hotspots on the web. If you are an Analyzer user the equivalent is to do a Perimeter Alert filter (checks for unallied/non-teammate fleets in your area or allied area and any attacks there), Offense Scan (finds all the non-allied worlds where you and your allied keys are congregating). This simple single click finds all the hotspots in the game and shows you these worlds on the Worldlist and illuminates these worlds on the map. Are we ready to do orders yet? I'm not. I like to do some more housekeeping. Step 6 – the score sheet. I have to keep track of the scores in the game. How else do you know how you are doing (and whether you need to try something desperate ). Here is my score sheet from SW-Z1325. I usually organize it in descending order each turn and send it to my allies and anyone who is willing to trade score information. SCORE T4 T5 T6 T7 T8 T9 T10 T11 T12 SOMNOS (M) 5 0 -20 651 1178 2858 3890 5074 5674 ALDEBARAN (C) 165 315 465 810 1215 1665 2235 2820 3405 ZANSETH (E) 304 474 696 934 1206 1536 1917 2345 2861 UTOPIA (E) 308 467 659 849 1072 1322 1616 1932 2265 TARKUS (E) 272 458 656 ?? 1180 1373 1648 1937 2241 GATESHEAD (E) 293 449 627 832 1040 1262 1502 ?? ?? VALKYRIE (A) ??? 309 440 606 808 ??? ?? ?? 1856 PROCYON (C) 135 240 360 525 690 960 1229 1529 1829 CADAN (P) 184 223 368 559 800 957 1117 1550 1784 HEARTBURN (E) 295 494 714 947 1179 1381 1448 1560 1611 ICARUS (A) 186 279 394 528 672 829 985 1143 1329 BORG (B) 15 20 25 30 35 45 55 408 572 MERCURY (B) ??? ??? ??? 24 92 261? 344 ?? ?? ROCHE (B) ??? 30 40 50 124 134? 150 166 ?? Step 7 – do some orders. Here we shall diverge for Analyzer and Nonanalyzer users. The Starweb Analyzer technique is quite easy. On the Menu bar you can select File->Preferences->Editor and select the style of doing orders that fits your style of play. If you don't want an Order Editor Template you can disable it and just enter your orders into a blank Editor freehand. If you utilize a template a set of incomplete orders are supplied for you to complete. This will include a list of any worlds you own with industry you can order for, any fleets and if you wish them to appear, incomplete art orders. The art orders are very useful if you are playing the Art Collector but I often delist this option if I'm playing other characters so the art stay where I put it until an AC ally comes by without generating orders to clutter up my editor. Here is a simple example of the orders you will see in the Order Editor. ORDERS *-------- ** W84 [FRED] W84B1 [FRED] V51 [FRED] F158 *F158[FRED]=0 (Captured,Lost by [GAZOO]) *-------- ** W101 [FRED] F119 *F119[FRED]=1 (Moved) *-------- END All words are located with the **W# designation. The Analyzer will strip out all this extraneous information plus any notes you place in the file after a '*' leaving just your orders for email to FBI (which, once again can be emailed to them straight from the analyzer). The analyzer will also check for any typos, errors and mistakes. Note that world builds are incomplete W84B1, as are orders for art V51 and key F158. You must complete the orders. This simple technique makes it impossible for you to forget to execute orders on fleets, art or worlds with industry. You must still remember to order things such as gifts, ally, loader status and Jihads. Hey, we can't do it all for you . Now for the Nonanalyzer players, there are many ways to organize your orders but I find the following technique useful. You need two pieces of paper and your map in front of you. Some people mark their keys on the map (and other players' keys also) so they can see visually the lay of the universe (The analyzer does this fleet overlay also by the way – OK enough promotion). On the first piece of paper my communication sheet I put the name of allies and players I'm in contact with down the left margin with space between them. As I do my turn I jot down all the information or questions I have and anything else that I might say to each player below their name. This sheet grows as I go down my turnsheet world by world. The second sheet I organize this way Worlds Orders Job list - Reinforce W55, 39, 101 - Probe W66 Nonspecific A=BUDDY W44G=BUDDY W2 – F101 (4/2m)- Send to HW with metal. F101L F101W44W33W10 F45[BUDDY] (5) ally to W4 reinforce (Buddy=F45W4) Probe W66 – enemy world. I66P66 W55 – F1 [] F89 (34) transfer ships and hit F89T20F99 F89AF92 Enemy. F99 (66) Attack Enemy, transfer to F99AF133 F99T1F1 Empty Key. F92 [ENEMY] (10) F133 [ENEMY] (77) Housekeeping In to HW with 33 metal. Out for 30 metal. The job list is anything that strikes my fancy as I view the turnsheets. Worlds to drop homefleet, reinforce or explore are often listed here then checked off as I find a fleet captain ready to do the job. I also put jobs requested by allies here so I don't forget. I list every world that has industry or a key of mine or art that could be given orders. This way as I go down these worlds I am forced to consciously decide whether to execute an order – so none can be accidentally excluded. I also list worlds with an enemy's key. This way I stay focused and can look for those reinforcements on other worlds that can deal with them. As I review a world or key I write the orders in the column to the right beside them. It makes your list of orders easier to search if you wish to modify them. At the bottom I also do some housekeeping – such as my tally of metal hauling. At each world where I may need to instruct or ask another player in some matter I jot it down under that player's name on my communication sheet. By the time my order page is done my communication sheet is finished also. Step 8 – I email the contents of my communication sheet to the proper players. Step 9 – email the orders either from the Starweb Analyzer or my order sheet ASAP. It doesn't matter if you are waiting for your ally [BUDDY] to tell you what to do with F14. Send your orders NOW! You can always send a subsequent replacement set of orders (properly labeled as replacement orders below the game ID and above the ORDERS command) at any time. Waiting for allies or others to send you instructions or order changes just increases your chances of missing your turn. You will have the comfortable feeling of having done your orders and forget that you didn't send them in and then BAM – the due date hits. I have sent in as many as 6 revisions of my orders but so what? FBI just files them for the game and it overrides my previous set. Step 10 is by far the most relaxing. You just field emails from players and discuss the game, it's strategy and diplomacy until the next turnsheet arrives and the cycle continues. OH, and don't forget to record on the Checklist when you receive your email receipt from FBI signifying they have received your orders. If the due date shows up and you don't see this receipt – SEND THEM AGAIN! Email can get lost and it won't hurt the way missing your turn will. Following this guide won't make you a Star in the web but it sure will keep you organized and avoiding apologies for screwing up hauling, forgetting orders and missing your turn. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- QUESTIONS - Can anyone answer these? Last Months New Question: You are an Apostle in a heated scoring race with another player and you feel this is the final set of orders. Some of the gambits you might try at your HW are: - Migrating converts to two adjacent robotic worlds hoping that you can kill of the robots and have two more fully converted worlds. - Firing with your keys and homefleet at the same hovering berserker (that you have declared Jihad on) over your HW to stop him from robotizing your HW and decreasing the number of converts/converted worlds you own. What are the holes in your logic? Paul Balsamo answers: Elliot, How about 6 holes and another point-scoring question? First off, you can't migrate to two separate worlds in one turn from the same world. Second, the migration to kill off the robots and get a fully converted world won't work in one turn. Even if you do kill all the robots and leave converts, you won't capture the world that turn (checking for apostle world capture happens before migration). It would happen the following turn (that, in this scenario, never happens). I know the rules state "If you migrate CONVERTS or ROBOTS, however, you DO get a report on the world, and you can capture the world if you meet the capture requirements," but you CAN'T meet the requirements with converts in one turn. Third, if the berserker is the one you're trying to beat, you just gave him pop kills by migrating converts into his robots. Fourth, although you might stop the berserker's robot attack by firing with your HW ships, this MAY interfere with the migration. Firing with home fleets and migration are mutually exclusive and only the first orders will be carried out (that rule saved my SW win at the 1985 FBI convention). So if you wrote the migration orders first, the attack fails, but the migration (which we already determined doesn't capture a world for you) goes thru. If you write any of the attack orders first, then the attack works, but the migration fails. Fifth, if you haven't declared jihad (shame on you if you haven't) before this turn, you're probably better off letting the robot attack on your HW go thru and getting 100 martyr points. Sixth, why would you leave home fleets on a world that was being robotized and that you had keys at? The berserker is (probably) not APing, so home fleets are less effective than if the ships were on your keys. It's possible that you don't have enough keys to hit all of the berserker's keys, but the scenario is not specific on that point. New Question: Assuming you don't fire with home fleets and all of the worlds next to your HW are not robotized, there is a way to possibly gain 1 point through migration on the last turn. How? Paul ---------------------------------------------------------------------- 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 SWAP CORNER STARWEB ANALYZER V1.5 – It's on the web site and it's no longer a Beta! Go get it! As before – registered clients of any previous V1.x version can upgrade for free. www.flyingmoose.ca Some comments from our readers about the upcoming V1.6. Steve Dooley comments: Elliot, Something I would like the SWAP program to do is allow me to print the map. I draw on a map where my fleets are going so I can visually see what I plan on doing this turn. Just a thought on the SWAP. Editor: At present there is no direct way from SWAP. You can go to File->export map and save the map as a bitmap or Jpg - then print the map when you view this file. Ken Cassady writes: Elliot, Since we are planning a new version here this is may wish list. Auto build map - This should be easy. The user places one world on the map then pushes the auto build map button and the map begins to generate itself. The program would place the first connecting world on the map above the existing one. Then divide the number of worlds by 9 (being the number of position you can use to auto build) and place the next world in that compass position to get an even distribution of the worlds. Then move down a level and place all worlds at the second tier and so on. You will need to keep a list of all the worlds place so far so you will not place a world a second time. And you should add a limit that players may impose to determine how many tiers of worlds you would auto generate. I would in most cases set the level at one then move around my existing map and select a world that has not been completely mapped and press the auto build. Then I would move around the worlds until I liked them. Then I would go to another world and auto build that one. If you do not understand what I am asking I could send you some pictures to show you what I mean. There is another feather - show on the map which worlds have some unconnected links. You might want to toggle this option on and off. Ken Jeff Calkins writes: On the game map, would it be possible to move groups of worlds at the same time, rather than just individually. It would make it much easier to totally reorganize maps. Overall I think it's a nice program to have and I can't imagine playing multi without it. Editor: Actually this is not an impossible task and it's one that Mike and I have discussed - the ability to lasso groups of worlds and move them enblock. It's on our list. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- CORRESPONDENCE Jeff Calkins asked: >> I hope you don't get tired of me using you as a Rule Maven, but I have a couple of other questions to run by you. << Editor: I don't mind - it's fun talking SW. >> The first concerns the world below. I am playing Aldebaran and Procyon and Sugar in an ally of mine. I thought that since Procyon was the only fleet there with ships, the Aldebaran fleets would be "captured" and thereby save me two gift spaces. Apparently it didn't work. Do I need to cancel Aldebaran and Procyon's ally status or did the Sugar fleet somehow screw it up even though it is at peace? W146 (151,214,224) [ALDEBARAN] (Industry=1/0,Metal=2,Mines=3,Population=41, Limit=157,Turns=1,Plunder=1/3) F183[ALDEBARAN]=0 F226[ALDEBARAN]=0 F239[PROCYON]=13 (Gift from [ALDEBARAN]) F105[SUGAR]=1 (Gift from [ALDEBARAN],At-Peace) V11:Platinum Crown<< Editor: You forgot that the gifts happen after capture. That is why you can give a fleet and still own the empty ones. If you want those Aldebaran keys captured then you must have another key there in somebodies hands not at peace or Procyon must wait until next turn. >> The second question concerns capturing a robotized world. Since regular combat comes before special combat (including robot attacks) can I AP a world with one fleet and in the same turn make a robot attack with a Berserker fleet on that world? The thought being that the AP will depopulate the planet so I don't have to worry about assimilating hostile robots. I just want to make sure that I am only killing the robots on the ground rather than the ones I am landing. << Editor: I have done this and if memory serves your plan will work. The world is depopulated first then your robots land. But you must ensure that all enemy robots die. If any survive due to dropped P ships then if you check the rule book - an R attack on another bereserker's robotic world only has a statistical chance of swinging ownership to you (and possibly just adds robots to the enemy berserker in his name). Richard Broman writes: In the SEDG 67 you comment: If I don't receive any further submissions I will assume that I've finally exhausted the topic of 'Starweb'. I may continue to publish on a sporadic basis if an interesting idea inspires me or a submission comes my way. Such a tug at my heartstrings I cannot ignore. What it says to me is that you suspect you've plumbed the depths of all there is to say about SW, or perhaps that you don't have the urge to step over the boundary you may have reached. It's possible that you *have* reached some kind of boundary. Starweb is a finite game. It's the PLAYERS who aren't finite... Any thoughts about exploring new topics will therefore be limited, if the subject is the game, while topics about the players (such as diplomacy, alliances, etc) are fundamentally open-ended. But even THAT is somewhat limited. It gets difficult to explore new topics about alliances so long as the game is strictly bound. If you think about it, your "Questions" section is proof that the limitations themselves have become a topic. Editor: Well, there is no doubt that any game is finite unless it's getting continually rewritten but the boundary you are talking about is 'what I have to say about the game'. I have had my say and written a fair chunk of the articles. If there is little reader input that also says that perhaps the fan base is dwindling. In any case the bottom line is the same - a lack of articles. Well, that's it for Volume 68. 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