Home » Stars! 2.6/7 » The Bar » What to do ???
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Re: What to do ??? |
Tue, 21 September 2004 08:38 |
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Steve1 | | Officer Cadet 2nd Year | Messages: 240
Registered: January 2003 Location: Australia | |
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I request that you also list your thoughts and reasons for voting the way you chose.
Perhaps you would vote differently given other circumstances or perhaps you would be consistant in your choices.
[Updated on: Tue, 21 September 2004 08:43] Report message to a moderator
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Re: What to do ??? |
Tue, 21 September 2004 08:44 |
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Chuckle...
This actually happened to me in one game.
Personally, as a host it is grounds for a regen... If it is discovered by one, you can be assured it has been discovered by others who are NOT so honest...
I now require all races to be passworded upon submission and if it is going to slow me down (ie. it will take a lot of time to get a resubmitted race) I will password them myself and let the player know.
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Re: What to do ??? |
Tue, 21 September 2004 09:05 |
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I voted to inform the host.
It's a meta-game error, not an in-game error. Therefore it shouldn't be used/available as an advantage to other players.
The host is informed since it becomes *their* problem to deal with. They get to decide whether or not they believe others have noticed the same detail. They get to decide what consequences the discovery should entail.
It's generally a good idea for the host to check out races received to verify that a password was added. In a few that I have hosted that was not the case - and I informed the players and/or put a password on the race before the game was generated.
- Kurt
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Re: What to do ??? |
Tue, 21 September 2004 09:57 |
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Orca | | Chief Warrant Officer 1 | Messages: 148
Registered: June 2003 Location: Orbiting tower at the L5 ... | |
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Advise both host and player, and suggest a regen if the game isn't very far in. If it is far in, you'll have to discuss it with the host and see...
Jesus saves.
Allah forgives.
Cthulhu thinks you'd make a nice sandwich.Report message to a moderator
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Re: What to do ??? |
Tue, 21 September 2004 11:06 |
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EDog | | Lt. Junior Grade | Messages: 417
Registered: November 2002 Location: Denver, Colorado, USA | |
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If you're at all a scrupulous player in the first place, you wouldn't be checking other players' files. In my book, that is cheating, because you are attempting to gain an unfair advantage. Even if you don't act on the information you discover, the fact that you went looking for it in the first place makes you a cheater as far as I am concerned. Players should have no business looking at anyone else's files. It's the equivalent of looking over a neighbor's shoulder while you're taking a test.
If you did this, shame on you!
EDog
[Updated on: Tue, 21 September 2004 11:07]
http://ianthealy.com
Born, grew up, became an adventurer
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Re: What to do ??? |
Tue, 21 September 2004 16:17 |
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In my first ever Autohost game years ago all the players were emailed the (unpassworded) host file along with the other game files at the start of the game.
Several of us informed the host, who immediately restarted the game and sent out replacement game files. However, we weren't given an opportunity to change our race files.
So, I knew that I could use the original game files to run a parallel game myself and scout around to find all the other player's Homeworlds and get their hab centres and check for clues about their PRT/LRTs.
The question was, should I do it ?
I asked a friend of mine, who had been playing other PBEMs for years, what I should do about it. His advice was that I should assume everyone else was taking advantage of this, and that I'd be putting myself at an unfair disadvantage if I didn't.
What are everyone's thoughts on this situation which I think is much less black-and-white ?
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Re: What to do ??? |
Wed, 22 September 2004 00:03 |
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Kang | | Senior Chief Petty Officer | Messages: 87
Registered: April 2003 | |
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My thoughts on previous post in no particular order, and in the question that started this whole thread to be gin with..
1) the only time I systematically checked for passwords was when I hosted a game.
I took each race file as it was sent to me, renamed it with the players name, created a test game with that race file to verify it was not corrupt, and then I attempted to open the file. If it opened I e-mailed the sender and `requested a password protected race. Once the race was good, I added it to the game file directory, and updated the *.def file with the player race, # of players, and then updated my info file for sending to autohost.
I don't expect every host to do this, although it would be nice.
2) IF I did discover another player's race file unpassword protected, I would inform him as quickly as possible, e-mail if available or ingame if not. I would also inform the host unless I suspected him of being less than honest (In which case I probably wouldn't be playing..)
3) If this happened to me, I would hope the person who discovered this informed me, and that he did not disect the information available to him. If he did, I might not be quick to trust him, but would probably not hold it against him too much, after all he did let me know of my error.
Other musings..
I don't consider NAS to be a big disadvantage, even when your opponent knows you have it. By the time your advanced scanners let you get a pen scan on me, it is fairly cheap to keep tabs on you as well.
Tricks to hide race traits and PRT. Some games I am fanatical about creating a deception as to my PRT, PRT some games I am blatent about letting others know what it is. It depends on the game and my mood when I start. I've hidden a 2I HE for 30+ years, and have hidden an SS until I had Elect 13. Other games my only ship designs early on are based on the mini-minelayer hull.
Kang
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Re: What to do ??? |
Wed, 22 September 2004 15:52 |
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Crusader | | Officer Cadet 2nd Year | Messages: 233
Registered: January 2003 Location: Dixie Land | |
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The few times that I have hosted a game, I checked the players' race files before gen time to make sure they were password protected and that they were not corrupt.
I immediately notified the player of the difficulty and allowed them to "fix" the problem before I genned the game.
I figured it only took a very short period of time that prevented painful problems later on. But, I also read the instructions before all else fails, which seems to make me a freak of nature anyway.
A truth that has been stated is that the follow-up action on this is definitely up to the host. If I were the host, and this is my own humble but opinionated opinion, I would consult with the player who forgot to password protect his race file and see what he/she wanted to do. Some people might be cool with it, set a password, and continue with the game (everyone does know you can do that, right?).
Sure, the player who discovered the open turn file can use that information obtained if he wishes to do so; but in-game information will quickly become dated. Race configuration information is his forever, if he chooses to keep it and try to use it to his advantage, but that is about it unless I'm over-looking something else.
Other people, like me for instance, would be too paranoid for that and insist on regenning the game (after I had created a new race, of course). A host who refused to do so would then leave it to the player to suffer through or drop out. Rude and crude, but that's the way life can be at times. It just sort of depends on what type of host you want to be. Do you defend the rights of the one, the rights of the many, or your right to host the game YOUR way? So many choices!
Talk to your players via email and find out what they think should happen, if that is the sort of host you want to be. Those who choose to not respond are voting "don't care". If you choose to be a dictator, then do what you want and let the chips fall where they may. Remember that the word "dictator" is not inherently evil, unless you actually prepend it with the word "evil".
(This does not mean that I am a communist, socialist, or any other "ist" you might think of. I'm a voting member of a constitutional republic and proud of it!)
But whatever you decide to do this time around, Steve1, I would recommend you check the race files before game genning from now on. You'll be much happier and your hosting life will be much easier to deal with.
My worth. I hope it helps, but I fear all I did was muddy up the water for you.
The Crusader
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Re: What to do ??? |
Wed, 22 September 2004 18:04 |
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mlaub | | Lieutenant | Messages: 744
Registered: November 2003 Location: MN, USA | |
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Crusader wrote on Wed, 22 September 2004 14:52 |
Other people, like me for instance, would be too paranoid for that and insist on regenning the game (after I had created a new race, of course). A host who refused to do so would then leave it to the player to suffer through or drop out. Rude and crude, but that's the way life can be at times. It just sort of depends on what type of host you want to be. Do you defend the rights of the one, the rights of the many, or your right to host the game YOUR way? So many choices!
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Regenning the game because *you* screwed up is not a given, IMO. If *you* had followed game directions, then you would have made sure your race is password protected before submitting it. Right? With this in mind, and the fact that it would be a inconvenience to everyone else that didn't screw it up, I'd take it in stride and continue the game if the host/player that found it actually contacted me in the first few years of the game. Just that action pretty much indicates that the host/player will be fair about the whole deal. I certainly would not expect that the game be regenned! That takes time, and ends up wasting other peoples time, including Ron's (Thanks for providing AH, Ron!).
This is not "Rude and crude", *that* is life. The host's decision should be based on the good of the overall game, not 1 person. OTOH, if that 1 person decided to "publish" the races details and generally be an ass, then yes, regen.
Not trying to offend here, but your attitude seems very self centered. I equate it to wanting a turn regened because *you* screwed up your orders at some critical point in the game.
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Talk to your players via email and find out what they think should happen, if that is the sort of host you want to be. Those who choose to not respond are voting "don't care".
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I have hosted several games. No response does not necessarily mean "don't care". You will most likely get an ear(eye?) full after you decide to regen...
-Matt
Global Warming - A climatic change eagerly awaited by most Minnesotans.
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Re: What to do ??? |
Thu, 23 September 2004 11:58 |
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Steve1 | | Officer Cadet 2nd Year | Messages: 240
Registered: January 2003 Location: Australia | |
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Btw, I meant to provide an extra option that combines both #1 & #2, as follows:
Quote: | Advise the host via email & Advise the player via ingame message
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That's the option I would have chosen, but somehow left it out???
It's too late to add it now because lots of people have already voted. If you want that option you'll have to choose "other"!
I deliberately didn't list an option of "Advise the host via email & Advise the player via email" because, I note that in most scenarios, the ability to directly contact other players is disabled on the game page.
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