| Games for Beginners? |
Fri, 07 January 2011 11:54  |
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 BeeKeeper |
 | Officer Cadet 1st Year |
Messages: 214
Registered: December 2007
Location: Devon, UK, GMT | |
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I've been playing Stars! on and off for well over 10 years and can reliably beat the AI - but this is becoming a bit boring so I am looking to play a game against real players. Unfortunately, most of the recent games I've seen here are for experienced players or teams. How often do games for Newbies come around?
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| Re: Games for Beginners? |
Sat, 08 January 2011 08:09  |
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| iojho |
 | Officer Cadet 4th Year |
Messages: 280
Registered: October 2006
Location: EPBA | |
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If you want to play, the best is to host a game by yourself. I can help setting it up, but I do not have time to host.
Please let me know if you are willing to do it, hosting is not a big deal.
I would announce & organize the game, check races, send files to Ron, assist you while hosting.
iojho (at) aim (dot) com
[Updated on: Sat, 08 January 2011 08:11]
"Every person speculates on creating a new need in another, so as to drive him to fresh sacrifice, to place him in a new dependence and to seduce him into a new mode of enjoyment and therefore economic ruin."
Karl Marx,1844Report message to a moderator
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| Re: Games for Beginners? |
Mon, 10 January 2011 15:44 |
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I wouldn't recommend that you host your first Stars-game with human players yourself. Not only due to possible newbie mistakes but in general it is usually more fun if you don't combine playing/hosting but to split it.
About newbie games... well, it seems time again:
Within the next weeks I'll announce another Fledgling Admirals game.
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| Re: Games for Beginners? |
Mon, 10 January 2011 17:27 |
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| iojho |
| Officer Cadet 4th Year |
Messages: 280
Registered: October 2006
Location: EPBA | |
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Altruist, why not?
Creche 1 was hosted by Paul_ik. This was his first game. And he did great. I assisted him from time to time only. Any time he could ask me for help.
I do not see any reason why not to host your first game.
Please note that I want to assist acting as a co-host. I do not want to leave someone without a help.
iojho
[Updated on: Mon, 10 January 2011 17:33]
"Every person speculates on creating a new need in another, so as to drive him to fresh sacrifice, to place him in a new dependence and to seduce him into a new mode of enjoyment and therefore economic ruin."
Karl Marx,1844Report message to a moderator
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| Re: Games for Beginners? |
Tue, 11 January 2011 16:44 |
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About newbies hosting their first game...
| iojho wrote on Mon, 10 January 2011 23:27 |
Altruist, why not?
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Ok, since I've already warned several times about not throwing newbies right away into hosting a game, some reasons why I think that some experience might be helpful therefore a game doesn't get lost and neither the players.
Occuring problems when hosting the first game:- Too vague game announcement and description
I've noticed that quite an amount of games never leave the announcement phase due to too vague game conditions like "I want to play... who else is interested... let's discuss what kind of game..."
Often several players express their interest, everybody favouring different settings (which is no surprise), the host can't manage the different approaches and wishes and the game doesn't make it.
Most experienced hosts know that it is more than helpful when the host sets the setting and, perhaps, leaves smaller aspects to a voting but with the host having the final decision. Possible players see wether the settings are of their likings and either join or not. You can't make a game for everybody.
- Too ambitious game setup
Usually it's also not a very good idea to strive for a very complicated setup in your first game with extra-tools needed to set up the galaxy, complicated rules to allow a role-play like or history scenario. Often enough such games are very difficult to balance and some experience is really needed.
- Host playing or better non-playing
We have a big enough and active community to always find somebody who is willing to take over the hosting responsibility. It's surely not absolutely necessary to split hosting and playing but if things heat up and problems arise, it is definetly helpful and can avoid a heated flaming discussion about cheating and fairness.
- Host and beginner games
In a game dedicated for beginners, one must assume that several if not all players are unfamiliar with race design, autohost procedures and bugs/cheats.
It is very helpful if the host is not playing and players have the feeling that they can ask the host whatever question without revealing anything to a playing party.
It's also a good idea to give newbies some advice on their race designs.
- Host plus co-host
Mostly this means the "host" is announcing the game (see 1) and 2)), a co-host is willing to do all the race checking, setup and to be the judge of possilbe cheats or mostly just to check out when the suspicion of cheating occures.
- Hosting problems
There are games running so smoothly the host has absolutely nothing to do after the game is setup. In other games one runs into one problem after another, corrupt race files, game crushing autohost, occuring bugs within Stars, dropouts, cheats or players suspecting others of cheating, players not getting along with each other, the need to regen a turn or to just live with it etc.
A small note about not being a newbie and hosting the first game. Here again it is very helpful to have contact with experienced hosts one can ask for advice when in doubt. Actually sometimes this is a good idea even with experience in hosting but in doubt how to handle a specific difficult situation. I have done it several times and it is easy to find helpful and competent other hosts. It's no shame to feel unsure sometimes, IMHO players accept the host's decision even more when he makes clear that it was a difficult decision, that it was discussed with other hosts and here is what they came up with...
Mmmh, probably this discussion would had been better happening in the hosting forum, o well.
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| Re: Games for Beginners? |
Tue, 11 January 2011 16:57 |
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| Eagle of Fire wrote on Tue, 11 January 2011 22:25 |
If a FA starts up then I might be interested to join as a low intermediate player.
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Well, about the "low intermediate" we'll see in the game we are playing at the moment. I have my doubts wether you can be still ranked as only lower intermediate *grin
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| FA VII - Re: Games for Beginners? |
Fri, 14 January 2011 15:39 |
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For those interested:
I've just posted the announcement for a new beginner, lower intermediate, rusty oldtimer game: FA VII
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