Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!husc6!mailrus!ncar!boulder!tramp!hassell
From: hassell@tramp.Colorado.EDU (Christopher Hassell)
Newsgroups: comp.misc
Subject: E-mail game (designing it in rec.g.prog*) advertisement
Summary: Just thought I'd try to drum up more interest.
Message-ID: <5576@boulder.Colorado.EDU>
Date: 2 Jan 89 09:23:35 GMT
Sender: news@boulder.Colorado.EDU
Reply-To: hassell@tramp.Colorado.EDU (Christopher Hassell)
Distribution: na
Organization: (Let's see, I'm positive <clang> .. I've <rustle> got ... )
Lines: 42

I am posting this with already a good deal of interest shown by those
 around here.

I notice the extreme lack of postings in rec.games.programmer at times and
  I wonder if everyone still has it in the untouched "r"'s in their .newsrc.

This is put out as a notice regarding a project being discussed.  It is an
  e-mail game very similar to "normal" play-by-mail games.  The one bonus
  is that it is automated.  What we intend to make is an environment that
  is "logged" into and out of which is supported as your little section
  of the much larger "world" database out there.  
     Its primary focus will be upon programming your forces to enact the object
  of the game (remotely!).  Exploration is not unlikely but conquering resources
  does appear to be a biggie vying for the object.  It will be a game for skill
  in programming and of good strategy, but even moreso because the strategy
  must be *taught* and reaps benefits all over the "world" as made.  

One of the LARGEST niftynesses is that of it BEING OVER THE ENTIRE NET (mail-
 wise).  A previous project involving making random solar systems produced
 fruit that could spur a *VERY* realistic world of Gargantuan size.  There 
 would be no boundaries under the current design.  Another plus could be
 the continued ability to submit new structures and/or improve the realism of 
 the old ones.  A current possibility is that of a "space war" style.  This
 could obviously be focused down to a lower level and spur off a near-
 adventuring style.  Star Trek and Star Wars both have their analogs possible
 to be played out in this game.

The reason anything like this needs many people is that demand AND programmer
  supply may drive this to a reality.  <Hopefully kept so slow in running that
  sysads won't complain???!!!!! ohpleaseohplease>
One other reason is that for the first time people might demand a computer game
  ACTUALLY as complicated as the analogs on paper!!!  (And as fun!!)

That should be enough to whet someone's appetite.  

### C.H. ###
<Think of it as a way to keep us students' nasty little hands from trying
  to break systems?  Especially when our programmed fleets just captured
  Ferdlewatz!>   
[Those ferdlwatzians thought they were so smart when they
    destroyed all my first fleet so easily.  Hah! 
 What's this report here?....  Uh, well,.... I'll get back to you on that...]