[Discuss] Activity (was: The state of the game)

[Robert Croson, Jr]

On 11 Jul 2006 at 9:09, Timothy Collett wrote:

> On Jul 11, 2006, at 8:55 AM, Robert Croson, Jr wrote:
> > Why are we even looking at punishing people who have the ability to  
> > log on late
> > in the turn, or to log in frequently? Who cares? So they have an  
> > ability that you
> > personally may not have. Big deal. Work around it. Find a way to  
> > neutralize it.
> > Better, find a way to turn it around to your advantage.
> 
> We're not looking to punish anyone. We're looking to find a way to  
> negate the advantage it brings, because that would enhance the  
> "lightweight" aspect of the game.
> 
> I, personally, *am* one of the people who can do late turn moves.  I  
> can log on as early as about 1250 server time, and I'm (almost)  
> always on for plenty of time before the 1800 turn change.  I can also  
> log in any time from immediately after that turn change until 1-2  
> hours before the 0600 turn change (usually).  However, I see what the  
> ability to make late turn moves does, and I see it as a problem for a  
> game that is *specifically* billed as lightweight.
> 
> I see this particularly in my role as General of Minas Ithil, where  
> often, if I give an order 3-4 hours after the turn, less than 50% of  
> the nobles will follow it.  I have considered forming an elite group  
> of late-logging players for the purpose of fast strikes, and  
> discarded the idea precisely because I think it is a bad thing for  
> the game as a whole.  Not only does it penalize those realms who  
> don't have such a group, but it creates a division *within* the realm  
> based on purely OOC factors that can be quite unhealthy.
> 
> If I *do* create a raiding group, I will make it based on IC  
> criteria, such as honour/prestige, perceived ability, and the degree  
> to which my character trusts the members.  Not whether they can log  
> in late in the turn.

I think that native English speakers have an advantage in the game, too. They 
have the unfair ability to be more eloquent in their writing, and therefore are 
much more likely to be able to get their point across. These people have the 
advantage of being able to persuade others to their side more easily. Not to 
mention the fact that skill with the English language is a purely OOC factor.

I think we need to find a way to negate this advantage. That would enhance 
the "lightweight" aspect of the game. Even though I, personally, *am* one of 
these native English speakers. I feel that it should be required that everyone 
playing BattleMaster should amke all posts only in Latin? That would really level 
the playing field and remove this completely unfair advantage that we native 
English speakers have.


No matter how hard you try, you *cannot* remove all of a specific player or 
group of players' advantages. Is the fact that people can make late turn moves 
that big a deal that we are looking making actual changes to the game to 
remove it? Perhaps the fact that people can make late turn moves isn't the real 
issue. Perhaps the real issue is that you can misdirect for most of the turn, and 
then quickly change that and go somewhere else at the last minute?

If that's the case, then late-turn moving isn't the issue at all. The real issue is 
that mis-directing is too easy, and doesn't cost enough hours.

-- 
Rob

Enjoy yourself! Or enjoy somebody else.




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